“Where’re ya from?”
“Texas,” Jake answered absently, his attention drawn to the woman’s stunning profile. She was certainly something when she was mad. And she was nothing, if not mad. Whatever that muscle-bound jerk was saying to her had the lady seeing red. He could tell by the way her dainty hands were balled into furious little fists. He could also see it in the way her foot nervously tapped against the floor. But mostly he saw it in the flushed expression on her face.
Then he could hear it. Whoever she was, she wasn’t shy about her feelings. Leaning back, he listened.
“...told you that months ago,” she was saying, or rather shouting.
“Ellie, honey, we both know that you overreacted. You know how emotional you can be.”
“Emotional?” she scoffed. “I’m not being emotional. I’m simply telling you I don’t feel any emotions for you.”
“Muscles” made a grab for her hand. She countered the move as easily as she’d deflected his earlier attempt to kiss her. Jake’s admiration for the woman increased with every passing moment.
She wasn’t a classic beauty, he decided. Her features didn’t have the severe angles or the even distribution of perfection. No, this lady’s mouth was slightly off center, her eyes too far apart. But there was an alluring quality to those blue-gray eyes, rimmed in inky lashes. A certain subtle sensuality that he doubted she was even aware of. No, this woman’s charm was understated and natural. It was apparent in the almost regal way she held her head, totally unconcerned with the few strands of raven black hair that had fallen free from the gold barrette. It was apparent in her choice of cosmetics, or lack thereof, he noted when his eyes fixed on her slightly overfull lips. The rosy hue was a gift from nature, just like the long, shapely legs she crossed and uncrossed as she continued her heated conversation.
“...told you not to come.”
Muscles frowned and loosened the knot of his tie where it met his thick neck. “I know you didn’t mean it, Ellie.”
“I always mean what I say, Mike. Your problem is that you don’t listen.”
He liked her accent. It told him she was from someplace up north. Instead of sounding harsh, it held a certain self-assuredness that he saw mirrored in the determined set of her delicate jaw.
“Ellie, I’ve come all this way,” Muscles argued.
“For nothing,” she told him. “I’m here to spend a nice quiet holiday with my family. And you aren’t family.”
“You didn’t feel that way three months ago.”
She blew an exasperated breath toward the bangs that feathered softly above those incredible eyes. Jake found himself enjoying the part of the voyeur. In fact, this was definitely an interesting way to wait out the unexpected snowstorm that had paralyzed the city.
“It’s over, Mike,” she was telling him. “It’s been over and it will continue to be over.”
“Because of him?” Muscles asked, tilting his large head in the direction of the bar.
Something flashed in the woman’s eyes, but it was gone before Jake could put a proper name to it. He was further distracted from the couple when the waitress stomped up to the bar and scooted between two of the stools. She didn’t give Jake a second look, her eyes were biting into the guy behind the bar.
“Need something?” he heard Josh inquire.
“Rose said to cut everyone off. She doesn’t want us serving alcohol when the roads are this bad.”
“Roads...cars,” said the little boy who had been in and out of the restaurant. He struggled to pull himself up onto the seat next to Jake. “I Chad,” he said, offering a toothy grin.
Jake smiled at the little boy, who looked so much like the woman he’d been admiring. “Jake,” he said, extending his hand to the kid.
“Hat,” Chad returned, pointing to the Stetson Jake had placed on the bar.
Seeing the child’s curiosity, he put the penny down and retrieved his hat, balancing it on the little boy’s dark head.
“Hat,” he said again.
“Expensive hat,” Jake told him.
But before he’d gotten the last word out, the child had bounded from the stool and scurried off behind the metal doors that led to the kitchen.
“Don’t worry,” the bartender said. “He’ll bring it back as soon as he shows it to Rose.”
Reluctantly Jake turned away from the couple and looked at the bartender. “Rose?”
“One of the owners. Chad’s folks own the other half.”
“Her?” he asked, indicating Ellie.
The bartender’s grin bordered on wolfish. “Nope, luckily for me, she’s a free agent.”
Jake had to agree. Especially when he turned back and saw that she had gotten to her feet. He placed her body in the delectable category. Curves, but not overdone. The floral-print dress clung to her in all the right places, yet left enough to the imagination to inspire a few fantasies.
“You’re a lucky man,” he said as he turned back to the bar. “She’s a pretty lady.”
After draping the towel over his shoulder, Josh leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the couple. “I can’t believe that loser followed her all the way here from New York.”
“I can,” Jake said under his breath. If she was his lady, he’d definitely keep her within arm’s reach. In fact, he thought, continuing to fantasize as he turned back around, he could think of a whole list of things he’d do if he had a woman like that.
He would not, however, have his hand in a viselike grip on her upper arm. Jake waited, thinking Josh should intercede. Even though the lady was tall, Muscles outweighed her by at least a hundred pounds. He could tell by the wince on her face that he was hurting her.
Sensing the bartender wasn’t going to spring into action, he stepped from the stool, his boots scraping the floor as he calmly sauntered over.
“Afternoon,” he drawled, fixing his eyes on Muscles.
“Yes?” the man returned, clearly irritated by the intrusion. “Do you mind? This is a private conversation.”
Jake hoisted one foot onto the seat of the chair and sighed pensively. “That’s not how I see it. The way you’ve been yelling and carrying on, most everybody here knows the lady doesn’t want you around.”
“I can handle this,” she interrupted, placing her hand against Jake’s forearm.
He made a point of looking at her then. Her eyes were even more blue up close.
“I’m sure you can, ma’am,” he answered easily. “But my mama wouldn’t hold too kindly if I was to let this guy get away with roughing you up that way.”
As if just aware of it, she looked to where Muscles’ thick fingers circled her upper arm. “Let go,” she said in a soft command.
“We need to talk,” Muscles argued. “Alone,” he added with a dismissive glare at Jake.
“Seems to me,” he began slowly, “the lady pretty much said all she needed to say. I believe she gave you your walking papers.”
“Back off,” Muscles warned as an angry red stain seeped up over his collar. “This is between me and my fiancée.”
“Ex-fiancée,” she corrected. “I’m involved with Josh now. Right Josh?” she called across the room.
“Anything you say, sugar,” he answered with a wink.