Wild Temptation (Wild #1)(12)
Author: Emma Hart

“Another?”

He pulls his eyes away from Baz and looks at me. “Yes,” he answers in a clipped tone.

I raise my eyebrows and grab another. I place it back in front of him, and he grabs my wrist before I can move away.

“What did you say to that guy? When he told you his name?” Jealousy and annoyance flash in his eyes.

“I told him I’m the girl he’s taking home later.” I snatch my wrist with an innocent smile. “Two eighty, please.”

He counts out the exact change and drops it on the bar, the sound clinking over the music. “Do you often go home with college kids who wank more often than they f**k?”

Wank. What a wonderful word.

“Why are you smiling?”

I lick my lips. “Wank. It’s a very British word.”

“I’m British, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“I noticed. Somewhere between you hooking my legs over your shoulders and pinning me against my car.” I lean against the bar again. “Does it matter if I leave work with college guys?”

“You’re free to leave with who you like. For now.”

“For now? That sounds like someone planning to intervene in my lifestyle.”

Tyler drinks his beer in one go and slides the bottle across the bar to me. “That sounds like someone who’s meeting you from work with an offer you won’t be able to resist.”

“Sounds like someone’s cocky.”

He drops his eyes to my hips and back up. “You’d know, baby girl. You’d know.”

My eyes follow him out of the bar and stare at the door for a minute after he’s gone. My body is on red alert. An offer I won’t be able to resist? I shouldn’t even entertain the thought. I should snort derisively, go back to work, and leave without considering talking to Tyler Stone.

I should.

Should and will are different things.

5

I give the bar one last wipe-down and the door opens. “I’m sorry. We’re closed for the night.”

“College boy left then, I see.” Tyler’s voice slides smoothly through the empty bar and wraps around me.

“I’m out of his league.” I discard the cloth and lean forward on the bar.

“And she finally admits what she actually said to him,” he says with a smile, sitting on the stool in front of me.

“How do you know he didn’t realize that after he f**ked me here?”

“Because you don’t look like you’ve just been f**ked. You look like you’re ready to be though.”

I straighten. “What are you doing here, Tyler?”

“Aside from informing you that your skirt is too short for work, I’m here to talk to you.”

“What could you possibly have to say to me that won’t piss me off?”

“I talked to Dayton earlier. She chewed my ass out and told me to stay the f**k away from you. Naturally, I’m ignoring her.”

“Naturally.” I flick the light switches and cross to the door. “Do you mind? I need to lock up.”

Wordlessly, he gets up and steps outside. I set the alarm and pull the door closed, sticking the key in the lock. I gasp when Tyler steps up behind me and slips his hand beneath the hem of my shirt, flattening it against my bare stomach.

“You’re acting like what I have to say isn’t important,” he says into my ear. His breath washes over my neck like a warm caress, and I turn the key in the lock with all my strength.

“I don’t particularly care what you have to say, Tyler.” I step away from him. “If you don’t mind, I’m tired and I’d like to go home.”

“Fine. I’ll follow you and we’ll talk there.”

“No, you won’t. You’re gonna sit your tight, little butt in your own f**king car and you’re going to drive to your own place. We have nothing to talk about.” I pull open my car door and pause before getting in. “Besides, I’m totally over it.”

I drive away before he can reply and take the long way home. Hell, I don’t want him following me. I still check the parking lot like a madwoman when I get back though. I have no doubt he could find out where I live if he really wanted to.

I’d be surprised if he didn’t already know, but that would be crazy, because I get the impression that Tyler Stone doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ very often. In fact, I don’t think he’s ever heard it.

Well, he’s going to be hearing it a lot from me. Turning up at the place I work in, giving my customers the stink eye, and then attempting to seduce me after my shift with the pretense of talking? Hell yeah, he’s gonna be hearing ‘no’ a f**king lot.

And that talking bullshit. I bet he wanted to talk—with his cock. Frankly, though, I prefer his c**k talking over his mouth talking. His c**k isn’t capable of spouting complete and utter douchery.

I shiver as I unlock my apartment door. Thinking about his c**k isn’t helping matters here. In fact, all it’s doing is getting me worked up. It’s not getting his arrogant ass out of my head or the tingle of his touch off my skin. It’s making it worse.

I grab my phone to call Dayton, but 1:45 blinks back at me from the bright screen. Huh. Maybe calling her at almost two a.m. isn’t a smart idea.

I blow out a long breath and glance at Angus curled on the sofa. I turn the key in the lock and head for my room, intent on calling my best friend in the morning.

“I don’t have long.” Dayton slides into the seat opposite me. “Tyler will kick my ass if I’m late for the shoot this afternoon.”

The noise of the lunchtime rush in the coffee shop means that her voice is louder than normal, and I switch seats so I’m next to her instead of in front.

“So, this is kind of random,” I start, “but how do you think Aaron would feel about getting a new best man?”

Dayton snorts into her coffee. “Oh god,” she replies, her eyes wide and her hand covering her mouth. “What did he do this time? What did you do? Fuck, I don’t even know who I’m supposed to blame. You’re both so bad.”

“Well, thanks.” Nothing like the support of your best friend. “Nothing. Well, I did nothing. He turned up at work last night.” I explain the evening and what he said to me.

She mulls it over for a moment, sipping her coffee. “Have you considered that maybe he really does want to talk? Mouth talk.”

“Have you ever known him to talk to a woman? Especially after he’s slept with her.”