Read Online She's All Tied Up: Club 3, Book 2 by Cathryn Cade - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cathryn Cade
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question and the surge of possessiveness in his chest. “Do me one more favor and spot me while I go get some supper? Asha’s out with a sick kid.”
“Sure. Take your time. Just let Brian know on your way out.”
“Will do.”
Jake strode out of the gym into the purplish light of evening. The air was warm and humid, wind beginning to lash at the tops of the trees. It was gonna storm.
Wouldn’t bother him a bit. He liked a good thunderstorm, and if the weather cut loose, maybe it would take the edge off the storm of anticipation and need building inside him.
Zellaby’s was busy, but since Jake was alone, he didn’t wait for a table, instead heading into the bar. In the center of the restaurant, the area was divided from the restaurant by a chest-high railing with ferns hanging above. He was headed for an empty bar stool when he stopped short. The woman about whom he’d just been fantasizing sat alone at one of the small, high tables.
Jake hesitated, wondering if she was waiting for someone else, but then she saw him. Their gazes locked with a shock he felt in his chest, as if he’d been zapped with a mild electric charge. Not unpleasant, not at all.
He walked with intent through the bar and stopped by her table. “Waiting for someone?”
She blinked, looked at the empty chair across from her as if surprised to see it, then shook her head. “No. Um—sit down, please.”
“Thanks.” He slid onto the chair across from her, enjoying the way she looked. With her hair tied back in a ponytail with that flowered scarf, she looked younger, more vulnerable somehow. No, it was more than that. She was upset about something. Fuckin’ A, someone had hurt her.
She held a bite of fried chicken tenders in one hand. Her eyes meeting his, she gave him a funny, guilty look and dropped the chicken on her plate. Realizing he was scowling, though not at her, Jake smoothed his expression.
“That chicken looks great,” he said. “Think I’ll have that too. Eat up, don’t wait for me to order.”
She nodded, but instead of picking up the chicken, she wiped her fingers on a napkin in her lap and grasped the frosty glass of beer instead.
He jerked his chin at the drink. “You like beer? Would’ve figured you for a wine girl.”
She frowned, now looking pugnacious in a cute way. “Why? Because wine’s a froufrou drink?”
Jake bit back a grin. Froufrou? What the hell was that? “No, because it’s kind of…elegant. Got style. Like you.”
She looked like she didn’t know what to do with that. “Thanks,” she murmured and took a drink of beer.
The waitress, a perky redhead, stopped, and Jake ordered what Carlie had, with the addition of a big salad and a plate of toasted garlic bread, and a Coke instead of a beer because he had to go back to work. Then he rested his forearms on the table, nodded at a guy he recognized and turned back to Carlie. Time to get to whatever was bothering her.
“Rough day?” he asked.
She snorted, in a feminine way, but it was a snort, and took a long swallow of beer. “Rough evening.”
He said nothing, waiting to see if she’d elaborate. But unlike a lot of women, she didn’t, just took another swig of her beer and then licked her lip, swirling the tip of her pink tongue over her full bottom lip, leaving it wet and soft.
Jake fought the urge to lean forward and suck that lip into his mouth, then fill her mouth with his tongue and taste every bit of her.
She looked at him. “What are you doing here? Do you live nearby?”
“Nah, I’m workin’. One of my gym employees is home with a sick kid.”
She nodded. Then she went back to fiddling with her chicken tenders.
“You’re not gonna eat that, why’d you order it?” he asked.
To his surprise, her cheeks flushed. Then her soft mouth trembled. She pursed her lips to still them, but he’d seen.
“Carlie.” Her gaze snapped up to meet his immediately. He liked that, a whole lot. Oh, she was gonna be a
“Sure. Take your time. Just let Brian know on your way out.”
“Will do.”
Jake strode out of the gym into the purplish light of evening. The air was warm and humid, wind beginning to lash at the tops of the trees. It was gonna storm.
Wouldn’t bother him a bit. He liked a good thunderstorm, and if the weather cut loose, maybe it would take the edge off the storm of anticipation and need building inside him.
Zellaby’s was busy, but since Jake was alone, he didn’t wait for a table, instead heading into the bar. In the center of the restaurant, the area was divided from the restaurant by a chest-high railing with ferns hanging above. He was headed for an empty bar stool when he stopped short. The woman about whom he’d just been fantasizing sat alone at one of the small, high tables.
Jake hesitated, wondering if she was waiting for someone else, but then she saw him. Their gazes locked with a shock he felt in his chest, as if he’d been zapped with a mild electric charge. Not unpleasant, not at all.
He walked with intent through the bar and stopped by her table. “Waiting for someone?”
She blinked, looked at the empty chair across from her as if surprised to see it, then shook her head. “No. Um—sit down, please.”
“Thanks.” He slid onto the chair across from her, enjoying the way she looked. With her hair tied back in a ponytail with that flowered scarf, she looked younger, more vulnerable somehow. No, it was more than that. She was upset about something. Fuckin’ A, someone had hurt her.
She held a bite of fried chicken tenders in one hand. Her eyes meeting his, she gave him a funny, guilty look and dropped the chicken on her plate. Realizing he was scowling, though not at her, Jake smoothed his expression.
“That chicken looks great,” he said. “Think I’ll have that too. Eat up, don’t wait for me to order.”
She nodded, but instead of picking up the chicken, she wiped her fingers on a napkin in her lap and grasped the frosty glass of beer instead.
He jerked his chin at the drink. “You like beer? Would’ve figured you for a wine girl.”
She frowned, now looking pugnacious in a cute way. “Why? Because wine’s a froufrou drink?”
Jake bit back a grin. Froufrou? What the hell was that? “No, because it’s kind of…elegant. Got style. Like you.”
She looked like she didn’t know what to do with that. “Thanks,” she murmured and took a drink of beer.
The waitress, a perky redhead, stopped, and Jake ordered what Carlie had, with the addition of a big salad and a plate of toasted garlic bread, and a Coke instead of a beer because he had to go back to work. Then he rested his forearms on the table, nodded at a guy he recognized and turned back to Carlie. Time to get to whatever was bothering her.
“Rough day?” he asked.
She snorted, in a feminine way, but it was a snort, and took a long swallow of beer. “Rough evening.”
He said nothing, waiting to see if she’d elaborate. But unlike a lot of women, she didn’t, just took another swig of her beer and then licked her lip, swirling the tip of her pink tongue over her full bottom lip, leaving it wet and soft.
Jake fought the urge to lean forward and suck that lip into his mouth, then fill her mouth with his tongue and taste every bit of her.
She looked at him. “What are you doing here? Do you live nearby?”
“Nah, I’m workin’. One of my gym employees is home with a sick kid.”
She nodded. Then she went back to fiddling with her chicken tenders.
“You’re not gonna eat that, why’d you order it?” he asked.
To his surprise, her cheeks flushed. Then her soft mouth trembled. She pursed her lips to still them, but he’d seen.
“Carlie.” Her gaze snapped up to meet his immediately. He liked that, a whole lot. Oh, she was gonna be a
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