Love, Chocolate, and Beer (Cactus Creek #1)(31)

When her pulse rate quickened to match his breathing, she shook herself and cleared her throat with an emphatic huff. “There you go again blurring the lines, mixing business with pleasure…err, I mean non-business things.” Searing hot embarrassment rushed into her cheeks. Her IQ seemed to belly flop a few dozen points around the man. “You can just bring your check for the rental fee tomorrow, Mr. Bradford. We’ll see you then,” she finished quickly, rushing to hang up the phone as if temptation incarnate were ready to jump out of it.

“Hey, Dani?” Luke’s voice was quiet, but just loud enough that she could hear him.

She brought the cordless back up to her ear at the last second. “Yes?”

Lord, she should’ve known better. In an unfair payback for her reckless verbal poke earlier, and probably to ruffle her a bit since she insisted on calling him Mr. Bradford just to annoy him, Luke slipped her a short, steamy preview of just how good his pillow talk could be.

Dani blushed right down to her toes.

His quiet, “Until next time,” signaled the end of the call. And that battle round for them.

Breathing shakily, she put the phone back in its cradle and put a cool hand against her ear, sure that it was singed from Luke’s hot words. The man should come with a warning label.

This competition was going to be torture.





CHAPTER THREE


“THIS COMPETITION was inspired.”

Surprisingly, Quinn had to agree with Luke’s reverent review on this one. She knew the reason he’d pushed to have the video shoot at Ocotillos had mostly been to make Dani sparking nuts, but as it turned out, the location had indeed been perfect.

Just one minor nuisance…

Quinn looked to her left and gritted her teeth. Rylan Grey. She hadn’t noticed him leaving the stage, which was laughable because she’d been watching absolutely every move he’d made before that. Now here he was, standing beside her in the spot Luke had just vacated.

Great. She took a noticeable step away from him.

Rylan gave her a lopsided grin the moment she did. “Hey. It’s Quinn, right?”

God, that voice. With little more than a civil grimace, she pushed out a terse, “Yep.”

He raised a dark eyebrow in amusement, and his glittering gaze showed he wasn’t thwarted in the least bit. “Dare I hope you’re a fan here to watch us perform?”

She gave him her best ‘idiot’ dismissal and her no-fail testicle shrinking glance. “I don’t listen to whatever type of music this is you play.” Well done. Pinocchio would be proud.

Unfortunately, it seemed the man went for that kind of thing, because his eyes darkened with interest, apparently drawn to the unintended challenge she posed. “Really? Huh. I could’ve sworn I saw you singing along to one of our songs during warm-ups, which could only mean that you’ve watched us on YouTube since we don’t have any albums out. My mistake.”

He saw that? Her lips flattened and she willed her blood to stay out of her cheeks. “I’m just here to make sure things go smoothly for the video. Luke’s been a bit distracted lately.”

An epidemic at the shop, apparently. Since first seeing Rylan at Ocotillos a few days ago, Quinn had been having her fair share of distracted moments as well, all starring a certain too-hot-for-his-own-good musician. Worst of all, she was pretty sure he knew it too. Which would explain why he was still standing there despite her ignoring him for a good minute now. Probably amusing himself by torturing her. Bastard. Irked enough to finally steal a glance back at him—skewering glare in the chamber at the ready—she was horrified to find him peering around her. At the little blond preschooler clutching her hand.

“Hey buddy,” he said in the perfect tone of voice to pass a five-year-old’s bullshit meter.

That threw Quinn way off. She pulled her son closer. “He’s mine. My kid, that is.”

“Yeah, I figured he wasn’t a rental,” replied Rylan dryly.

With an arctic glower, she added archly, “Yes, well, I wouldn’t normally bring him to work but I don’t have an evening sitter; never needed one with my glamorous night life and all.”

Studying her thoughtfully, Rylan leaned in to ask quietly, “Does that tactic work well?”

Confused, she swung a cautious gaze at him. “What tactic?”

“I’m sure you’re aware,” he said, his voice pitched low so her son couldn’t hear, “the big eff-off sign you have across your forehead already has neon letters and flashing lights. You really don’t have to use your single mom status to scare off the guys who are interested in you.”

Her mouth fell open in utter astonishment.

He leaned in even more, his lips now at her ear. “Luckily, I don’t scare easy. And sugar, you bet I’m interested.”

Now, she was officially tongue-tied.

Of course, the aggravating man had to shock her even further by then kneeling down in front of her son to introduce himself properly. “Hi, I’m Rylan.” He stuck out his hand palm up for a low-five. “What’s your name, big guy?”

“Cooper,” answered the young boy, giggling delightedly as his hand tried over and over to slap Rylan’s now playfully evasive hand.

“Cool name. Played with a guitar guy with the same name once.” Rylan laughed heartily when Cooper finally managed to smack his open palm. “Aw, you got me! Rematch!”