Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1) Page 2

  “Wait.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he said.

  “I told you I have to work—”

  “I know what you said. But I’ll still see you tomorrow night.”

  He didn’t ask where she worked, but he’d find it if he wanted to see her badly enough. If he didn’t, oh well.

  “Whatever you say.” She knew better than to get her hopes up. That only led to disappointment.

  Chapter Two

  “I can’t believe you’re gonna hunt down some chick you drunk dialed last night, man. That’s some weird shit.”

  Who the hell was my kid brother to talk? He’d done some pretty weird shit himself.

  “Take a look at that and tell me you wouldn’t hunt her down.” Rowan flashed him the pic Tenley had sent last night.

  “Man, she’s hot,” Reese said, lunging for the phone. He swiped his finger across the screen to make sure there were no more pictures of her before he handed it back.

  “Told you.”

  Rowan reached for a piece of the pizza his brother had ordered. He’d be glad when the painters were finished at Reese’s place so he could move back home. In spite of the fact that he liked to keep in shape, Reese ate garbage all the time and was a bad influence on anyone around him. Thankfully, Rowan wasn’t in training right now, so he could afford to indulge a little. He just didn’t want to develop any bad habits that would hurt his game.

  “I’m coming with you,” he said. “I gotta see her for myself.”

  Rowan scowled at him. A wingman was the last thing he needed when he met Tenley, especially since his brother and most of his friends were pigs who wouldn’t hesitate to make a play for her the second he turned his back. Reese thought that just because he was a fitness model, whose pretty face was plastered in magazines across the country, every woman he met wanted him. Sadly, most did, but somehow Rowan knew his brother wouldn’t be Tenley’s type.

  “Just remember she’s mine.” Rowan wasn’t usually territorial with women and he sure as hell didn’t have a right to stake his claim on one he’d never met, but he needed to put his brother on notice or he’d think she was fair game.

  “Why don’t we let the lady decide for herself which one of us she wants?”

  “Keep talkin’ like that and you can pack up your shit and get out of my house.”

  Reese grinned. “You’d throw your own brother out in the street because of some chick you’ve never even met?”

  “Yeah.” And he didn’t want to analyze what that said about him. “So consider yourself warned.”

  Reese tipped his beer back, a smile playing on his lips. “This is gonna be fun.”

  “Screw you.”

  “Where does she work?”

  “Don’t know yet.” Admitting she hadn’t been willing to tell him where she worked made Rowan sound like a loser, but if Reese planned to tag along, he’d find out soon enough. “All I know is she’s a bartender at her brother’s bar... on Peachtree.”

  “That narrows it down, right?” Reese said. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find her.”

  “Yeah.”

  Rowan pretended to watch sports highlights while he fought the urge to pick up his phone again so he could catch a glimpse of that beautiful face. He’d already looked at it too many times, and he was starting to creep himself out. She was just a girl. A girl with bright blue eyes, full lips, perfect white teeth, big…

  “What else do you know about her?” Reese asked, his eyes fixed on the TV screen.

  Rowan still hadn’t told him the best part. “She’s into baseball, believe it or not.”

  “Ah, man, don’t tell me she’s a groupie?”

  “No. Definitely not.” Rowan knew a groupie would never have talked to him the way she did. They were all too eager to please and do anything he asked. They sure as hell didn’t tell him they weren’t into relationships before refusing to tell him where they worked.

  “How do you know?” Reese asked, looking wary.

  Sure, he’d been burned by his ex, but that didn’t mean Rowan was a sucker for any pretty face and rockin’ bod. He could tell a gold digger or ball groupie from a mile away. “She’s a kickboxer. Teaches, in fact.” To him, that was the hottest thing about her. It meant she was a serious athlete, like him. Dedicated to staying in shape and committed to her sport.

  Reese let the air seep between his teeth. “Nothin’ better than that to get a girl ripped.”

  “I know.” One of the unisex gyms Rowan had trained at years ago had a kickboxing class for women, and they had better bodies than most of the fitness models he’d dated over the years.

  “You sure she doesn’t have a boyfriend?” Reese asked. “Hot little piece like that, workin’ in a bar, she must have guys coming on to her all the time.”

  That was the part that concerned Rowan the most—her other job. He was a selfish SOB who hated to share. The thought of some filthy drunk ogling the woman sharing his bed didn’t sit well. And Tenley would be sharing his bed. He had no doubt about that.

  “She said something about an ex.” One who hadn’t been man enough to keep her satisfied.

  “Ugh.” Reese made a face while he reached for the remote. “You don’t wanna be her rebound. She’ll start crying about how it was a mistake and she still loves the other guy and wants him back. Who the hell wants to hear that?”

  Rowan was confident Tenley wouldn’t have any regrets after sleeping with him, but just to appease his brother, he said, “I got the feeling she dumped him, not the other way around.”

  “All right, well, I’m gonna hit the shower before we head out,” he said, getting up.

  “Sit your ass down,” he warned. “I’m going first. You always use up all the hot water.”

  “Yeah, you go first,” he said, lunging across the couch for Rowan’s phone when he stood. “Good idea. I’ll just send a quick text to Tenley to let her know I’ll be there—”

  “Give me that thing,” Rowan growled, snatching the phone from him.

  Maybe I’ll bail while he’s in the shower. I can’t trust him not to embarrass us both.

  ***

  An hour later, they were walking into the first bar when Reese nudged his brother’s arm. “Jackpot, my man.”

  Damn. Tenley was even more beautiful in person. She had dark hair that fell in soft waves almost hitting her waist, but it was wrapped around her neck, falling down one side to reveal a colorful back piece right above the leather belt tucked through her low-rise jeans. The black tank top with chains threaded through the front, barely covering her ample cleavage, had probably hidden the tattoo when she put it on, but every time she leaned over the bar so a patron could give her a drink order, it rode up.

  Rowan weaved through the crowd and stood just behind the row of people circling the bar, waiting to give her their drink order. Another girl was working the other side of the oval-shaped bar, but he couldn’t even tell the color of her hair. All his attention was fixed on Tenley.

  A sparkly silver eagle was spreading its wings across the abdomen of her shirt, drawing his eye to her breasts, which were spectacular. It had been a long time since he’d seen a rack like that on such a tiny little thing, unless they were fake. Judging by the way they moved when she reached above her head for a glass, he didn’t think so.

  “I need a drink,” Reese said, edging his shoulders between two pretty girls. They smiled, parting for him before they spotted Rowan as a buzz started moving through the crowd.

  He knew people would soon start asking for autographs and posing for selfies with him, which was the last thing he wanted. Tonight, he just wanted to be a regular guy meeting a girl he liked for the first time.

  “Slow down,” Rowan said, grabbing the back of his brother’s shirt and hauling him back. “The lady’s busy. Give her a minute to get caught up before you start barking orders at her.”

  Reese’s lips twitched as he slid a look at Rowan out of the corner of his eye
. “What makes you think she wouldn’t wanna serve me first?”

  Rowan knew from the way his lips curled that he wasn’t talking about a drink, and hearing him talk about Tenley like that made him want to knock out all of his perfect teeth.

  “Go over there and find a table before I beat your sorry ass,” Rowan said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll get us a couple of beers.”

  “Sure, man, whatever you say.”

  Reese was a pain in the ass who pushed him further than anyone else would ever dare to, but he’d go to the mat for him every time and the son of a bitch knew it.

  Rowan waited until the crowd thinned out before he claimed one of the stools the girls had vacated after getting their drinks. He watched her move with confidence, mixing drinks while talking and laughing with customers. He loved her smile, the way those full, pouty lips tipped up just enough to make you wonder if you were the butt of a joke or if she was going to let you in on it.

  When their eyes finally connected, he grinned, knowing she was shocked to see him. He knew she thought he was lying about who he was, though he had no idea why someone would claim to be him. Some days he didn’t even want to be Rowan Nixon.

  “Hey, Row.” She opened and closed her mouth before shaking her head as she laughed. “It really is you.”

  “In the flesh.” He leaned over the bar as a couple of guys stood behind him, breathing down his neck. They were either waiting for a drink or an autograph. Either way, he didn’t care. “You don’t seem as slammed as you were a couple of minutes ago. Can you take a break?”

  A tall, good-looking guy with black hair and a half sleeve walked behind the bar. Rowan curled his hand into a fist when the dude wrapped his arm around her shoulders and whispered something in her ear, making her laugh.

  “Rowan, this is my brother Walker. He’s a big fan.”

  Her brother. Good, it was safe to breathe again. “Nice to meet you,” Rowan said, extending his hand.

  “You too, man. I have to admit I didn’t believe Tenley when she told me you called her last night.”

  “May have been the best mistake of my life.” Rowan bit his lip as his eyes trailed over her body. Then he remembered her brother was standing right there. If some guy looked at his little sister the way he was looking at Tenley, he’d have knocked him out. “So you’re into baseball?” he asked Walker.

  “Yeah. I used to play some ball in college too. Thought about getting back into it, you know, in a men’s league, but this place keeps me pretty busy.”

  “I can imagine.” The place was packed, and since it was a Thursday night, Rowan could only imagine what a Friday or Saturday would be like. “Nice place.” It wasn’t like some of the dives his buddies dragged him to. Walker had to have dumped a lot of money into his place.

  “Thanks, man. I like it.” He laughed. “I used to blow my whole paycheck in places like this, so I figured I’d try being the guy on the other side for a change, collecting the money instead of handing it over.”

  “Smart. You mind if I steal your sister away for a few minutes?”

  He glanced at Tenley, probably trying to get a read on whether she wanted to go. “No problem. I’ll cover for her.”

  Rowan looked over his shoulder for his brother, who already had a blonde sitting on his lap and a beer in front of him. Not that he was surprised. Reese had a way of getting everything he wanted in record time.

  “Thanks.” Rowan shook Walker’s hand again. Something told him he’d want to make an ally of this man if he wanted to date his gorgeous sister. “Nice meeting you. Anytime you want tickets to a home game, let me know. I’ll hook you up.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

  Rowan slid a card with his number across the counter. “Call any time.”

  “Cool, thanks.” Walker pocketed the card. “Take your time, Tenley. You haven’t had a break since you got here.”

  She smiled before nodding, and reached for Rowan’s hand as she led him outside. “Well played. My brother likes you already.”

  Mission accomplished. “Where are we going?” he asked, tugging on the small hand tucked firmly in his.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I came straight here after a class, and I didn’t have time to eat.” She pointed at a diner down the street. “You wanna walk or hitch a ride with me?”

  His jaw dropped when she pointed at a Harley. “That is not your ride.”

  “Uh, yeah, it is.”

  Imagining her riding that thing was hotter than hell, but Rowan couldn’t help fearing for her safety. He’d been riding since he was sixteen, thanks to his old man, but he’d never dated a girl who rode. He didn’t know how he felt about it.

  “Let’s just walk.” His Hummer was parked a few spots away, and the idea of getting her alone in a dark, enclosed space appealed to him, but as much as he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to talk to her first, get to know her better, so she wouldn’t think he was only after one thing.

  “Sure.”

  “Your brother seems like a nice guy.” By comparison, his seemed like a jerk, and he was glad she didn’t have to meet Reese yet. Especially since he knew, despite his warnings, Reese would make a play for her.

  “He’s the best,” she said, smiling up at him.

  She was wearing four-inch heels and just grazed his nose. Good thing we’ll be spending a lot of time horizontal. “You guys are close then?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He your only sibling?”

  “Nope. I’ve got two older brothers and no old man. Believe me, dating wasn’t easy when I was a teenager.”

  “What happened to your father?” They stopped at a red light, waiting to cross the street, and he could see the play of emotions cross her face. Whatever had happened, she clearly still held a grudge against him.

  “He bailed on us,” she said, shrugging. “Said he wasn’t cut out to be a family man. Too bad it took him three kids before he realized that, huh?”

  “I’m sorry, Tenley.” His mom died of cancer when they were young. He didn’t know what they would have done without their dad. He was their rock. “What about your mom?”

  She rolled her eyes, a bitter laugh slipping through her lips. “What about her?”

  “She still in your life?”

  “When it’s convenient for her, which is code for when she wants something.”

  He heard a world of hurt in those few words, and for the first time in a long time, he felt his protective instincts kick in. “That sucks.”

  “It is what it is. I don’t waste time feeling sorry for myself. I’ve got it better than a lot of people.”

  He loved her attitude. She wasn’t looking to throw herself a pity party even though life had clearly dealt her a few hard blows.

  “So how’d you get into kickboxing?” he asked as they crossed the street.

  “Walker. He said I couldn’t date until I learned to defend myself.” She smiled at the memory. “Turned out most boys weren’t all that interested in dating a girl who could kick their ass, so I still didn’t get many dates. I suspect my brother knew that would happen.”

  He laughed, thinking he’d gone to some crazy lengths to protect his little sister too. “Well, I doubt you can kick my ass, so how’re you gonna scare me away?”

  She seemed to consider her options before she said, “The jury’s still out on whether I want to scare you away. If I do, trust me, it won’t be a problem.”

  Her warning sounded cryptic, making him wonder what kind of secrets were lurking behind those gorgeous blue eyes.

  He opened the door of the diner for her, not at all surprised when the few guys tucked into a corner booth turned her way. Fortunately for them, they noticed Rowan soon after and looked away.

  “What’ll you have?” she asked, scanning the overhead menu. “They make a great meatball sandwich. They melt this smoked mozzarella on it.” She licked her lips. “Mmm, it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it.”
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br />   Watching her lick those plump lips was making his mouth water… and his mind wander. I bet she could do amazing things with that mouth.

  When he realized she was waiting for a response, he tore his eyes from her face and glanced at the board. “I’m not all that hungry. I had pizza before we got here.”

  She laid her hand across his stomach and grinned when she pulled it away. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t getting soft. You’ve got to be on your game come spring training. There’s a lot riding on this season. High expectations for you guys.”

  He smiled back, appreciating that she felt comfortable enough to tease him. He was so used to women who pretended to be what they thought he wanted in order to impress him, he’d forgotten what it was like to be with a real woman who was comfortable in her own skin and didn’t feel the need to sell herself.

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’m back at it soon. When training starts again, the diet will have to be tight too.”

  She nodded before gesturing to the board. “You have to eat something, or I’ll feel like a pig eating in front of you.”

  He was glad she wasn’t the type to order a salad and call it a meal. She was an active woman with a healthy appetite. He liked that, especially since he ate thousands of calories a day when he was training. “The chicken wrap looks good.”

  “It is.” She walked up to the counter, smiling at the older woman wearing an ugly beige-and-brown uniform. “Long day, Rosa?”

  “You know it, girl. Tiffany called in sick again, so I had to do a double.”

  “I don’t know why Donald doesn’t just fire her ass.”

  “Probably ’cause he’s—” She glanced at me, blushing. “Never mind.”

  Something told me old Donald was giving Tiffany preferential treatment for a reason.

  “Rosa, this is my friend Rowan.”

  He didn’t know how he felt about Tenley referring to him as her friend. He had no right to expect more since they’d just met, but he definitely didn’t intend to get stuck in the dreaded friend zone with this girl.