He followed me, shortening his stride to match my pace. I stopped halfway down the boardwalk while the bar was still visible and the light from the motel parking lot illuminated where we stood. This guy wasn’t giving off any creepy vibes, but Jay didn’t used to either.
I had a feeling I knew exactly what he wanted. Confidence oozed from him like expensive cologne, the smoothness of his words practiced to perfection.
“Does the knight in shining armor routine usually work for you?”
“Every single time.”
“Well, consider me the exception.” I leaned my arms on the railing, pressing my lips together to hide my smile. My mind was already made up, but I wasn’t going to let him know that. If he wanted it, he could work for it. “That’s not the kind of fun I came for tonight.”
“Madame, I am a connoisseur of a good time.” He draped his forearms next to mine, close enough for me to feel the heat of him, but not so close that I was uncomfortable.
My pulse jumped, and I resisted the urge to swallow. His practiced charm was so good that I almost missed it. The way the angles of his face sharpened in the shadows. The glow of his eyes as they caught the moonlight.
I blinked, turning back to the water. I was jumpy after leaving Jay. That was all.
“Yeah, but can you show a girl a good time without whipping your dick out?”
His surprised laugh was rich and masculine. “And here I thought I was dealing with a lady.”
“You thought wrong. Go ahead, Mister Good Time, but I should warn you, I’m not easily impressed.”
He extended his hand. It was rough, contrasting with his soft grip, and there was a tingle where we touched. Another interesting side effect of green apple vodka, no doubt.
“I’m Isaac Barbeaux.”
“Tara Delaine.” I let my fingers linger against his palm, marveling at the palpable energy coursing between us.
“Mister Barbeaux?” A woman’s voice rang out in the night, breaking the spell that pulsed between our hands as I withdrew mine. She stood in the shadows between lamps, hair tied back in a tight ponytail.
Whoever she was, she looked upset, her eyes scanning Isaac with mistrust.
As quickly as she appeared, she was vanishing into the night, clutching her purse to her chest.
“Friend of yours?” I quirked an eyebrow at Isaac, trying to judge if that was a jilted lover.
“No,” he said, losing his charismatic tone as he scowled. “I think she’s looking for my twin.”
“Your twin? Of course.” I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess, he’s the evil one?”
The faintest flash of concern flitted across his face as his nostrils flared. He caught himself quickly, smile returning with an extra glint of mischief. “No, I’m definitely the evil one. Want to find out just how bad I am?”
He offered his hand, palm up. The air crackled around him, a weighty energy I didn’t understand. It was magnetic, powerand confidence rolling off him and filling me with a surge of adrenaline.
I placed my hand in his, laughing as he led me back into the bar. “Fine, Mister Barbeaux, show me how bad you are.”
Chapter 4
Mister Good Time
Isaac
Iwasdrunkandnotbecause of the alcohol. Moonlight burned in my veins, crackling along my skin and lighting me up as I swayed with Tara between my arms. Her heady scent thickened in the warmth of the dance floor, overpowering the stink of booze and dirt and diesel. I drank it down, greedy for more.
Too much.
“Look, you’re cute.” She smiled knowingly when we reentered the bar from the front. “But I know your type.”
I arched into her, every predatory muscle gliding toward my prey in a taunt. “What’s my type?”