Ava smiled like she knew a juicy secret.
Lauren’s mirth died, and she blew out a frustrated breath. Jade and Ava could be so stubborn. She hoped in a few days they’d forget all about Jack Henderson and leave her alone.
And pigs might fly.
Soon the waiter returned to their table, balancing a tray of margaritas, and placed a glass on the table in front of each woman. “Compliments of Mr. Henderson,” he announced.
Jade and Ava, with brilliant smiles, lifted their glasses at Jack who nodded in return. He now sat alone at the bar. The leech of a girlfriend was probably in the ladies’ room reapplying another layer of red permanent marker to her plumped-up lips. It wasn’t like Lauren to be so bitchy, but Jack was making her crazy.
Picking up the cocktail, Lauren took a long, deep swallow, wishing she had never opened the door to a Mr. Pretty. They were too much trouble.
Chapter Five
Jack left his house early on Thursday morning with the intention of going to work. He had a ten o’clock meeting with a representative from Nike he needed to prepare for. But instead of heading to work, he found himself driving through heavy morning traffic toward Everything Nice with a blonde beauty on his mind.
It had been two days since he’d last seen Lauren at Jovi’s, and thoughts of her had frequently occupied his mind ever since. And if he was completely honest with himself, since meeting her on New Year’s Eve she’d made an appearance in some hot fantasies.
Normally the woman he wanted would be in his bed by now and not in his fantasies. But there was something about Lauren cautioning him to take it easy or he’d scare her away. He’d never had to work hard to get a woman. Then a thought briefly crossed his mind. He was getting older...maybe he was losing his touch? Nah, he dismissed the thought with a chuckle. So what if Lauren was proving to be more of a challenge? A little hard work never scared him. Soon he’d put the fantasy of Lauren out of his mind and into action.
He chose not to believe he wasn’t Lauren’s type like his mother suggested. Lauren may have tried to appear standoffish and uninterested, but he knew women, and she gave off signals of one who was most definitely attracted. At Jovi’s, when he’d touched her with a soft brush of his fingers, her body had heated up like an inferno.
Whatever the reason for the cold shoulder, Jack knew there was a hot-blooded woman sizzling beneath that cool exterior. And for the first time in a very long time, a real spark of interest ignited in his gut at the thought of melting away the ice to find the heated center.
When Jack pulled into a small carpark behind Everything Nice, next to a blue Corolla, a very sexy butt wrapped in tight, black pants poked out from the boot of the car. He couldn’t see Lauren’s face, but he would recognize those long legs and that ass anywhere. He’d gotten a good look at them the day they met.
For a moment, he sat in his vehicle, admiring the view of her wiggling ass. His hands twitched to touch the round sweetness, but he had the good sense to slide them into the pockets of his jeans when he got out of the car.
She appeared to be struggling with something inside the car, dropping a string of
awesome curse words.
“I hope you’re not hiding a body in there,” he said.
Lauren jumped, smacking her head on the lid of the boot. “Shit.”
Rubbing her head, she turned to face him with a fierce scowl. When she saw him her eyes widened for a beat, and then the frown deepened. But for a second he could’ve sworn she looked happy that he was there.
Nodding toward a heavy-looking box, he said, “I can help you with that.”
A puzzled expression crossed her face, like she didn’t know what he was talking about.
“The box in your car, I can get it out for you.”
“No need, I can do it.” She flicked a glance at the opened boot.
Dropping her hand from her head, she went back to trying to get the box out, and that ass fascinated him again. He could have stood there watching it all day. But he was raised with manners, and therefore, couldn’t let her struggle with the heavy item.
“Let me help.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she once again jumped and bumped her head.
“Shit, Jack. Stop creeping up on me!”
“Sorry, I didn’t think I was. You knew I was standing right next to you.” Her scowl turned fierce.
Jack bit back laughter. Even pissed off she looked sexy as hell. “So you don’t think I’m creeping up on you, I’m going to reach into your car and pull out the box.”
Hands on hips, she huffed. “I said I can do it.”
“As much as I enjoyed the view of your wiggling ass bent over your car,” he said, and she sucked in a shuddery breath, “I can’t stand by and watch you pick up a heavy box.”