Bait & Switch (Alphas Undone #1)(6)
“Might be hard to be friends with someone I want under me.”
I blinked at him.
“I want you in my bed, Lacey. No use denying it.” His thumb slid across the rim of his glass, the movement innocent, yet suggestive at the same time.
After I got over the initial shock of his blunt words, I appreciated his straightforward attitude. The man certainly didn’t try to hide things.
“What makes you think I’m ever going to be in your bed?” I asked, my gaze steady and holding his.
“I know what you’re doing,” he murmured.
“What’s that?”
He leaned closer, placing his elbows on the table, invading more of my space. “Playing hard to get. You know as well as I do that men like the chase.”
“So you’re really just a predator. No better than a caveman.”
His gaze cut through me like a knife. “Instinct tells us to seek, hunt, and—”
“Fuck,” I interrupted, knowing full well what was on his mind. The bar’s warm atmosphere and the tequila coursing through my veins had apparently loosened my tongue.
“Exactly, Lacey. It’s nature. Not a thing I can do about it.” The hint of humor in his voice kept me from arguing my point further.
“Uh-huh,” I simply supplied.
It seemed that the man who volunteered his weekends to help troubled teens had quite the dirty mouth. I was starting to glimpse his many sides, and I wanted to uncover more of those contrasts and angles. I could honestly say I’d never met a man like him.
He smiled at me and signaled to our waitress for another round. “So, what is it that you do?”
It was strange how we knew so little about each other, yet our connection already felt as deep and wide as the Mississippi. Tension and interest crackled between us, just out of reach.
“I’m the new part-time assistant at the animal shelter across town. The pay isn’t great and the hours kind of suck, but I enjoy it.”
The cheery tone in my voice disguised my disenchantment. I loved animals, and I was happy to have a job there, but the ten dollars an hour and facility that constantly smelled of poop was a far cry from my previous life.
I’d graduated with a degree in finance last year and landed at a great firm straight out of school, making good money. I’d worn designer suits, treated myself to pedicures and silky lingerie, escaped winter’s doldrums with extravagant beach vacations. I’d dreamed of working my way up to finance manager. But all that was on hold for the time being.
It was just money, I reminded myself. I had everything I needed to live, and no more.
“An animal lover?” he asked.
“Guilty,” I said, smiling.
Nolan shook his head, chuckling. “I’m not allowed back in that place.” At my confused expression, he continued. “It’s more of a self-imposed ban. I adopted Sutton two years ago, but could have easily left with as many dogs and cats as would have fit into my truck.”
I knew just what he meant. All the animals there deserved a good home. “And what’s Sutton like?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“He’s an English bulldog. Ornery as shit, missing a few teeth, and he has a bad hip, but he’s mine.”
I warmed at the image. So far, Nolan had been anything but what I was expecting. A bit presumptuous and rough around the edges, lacking the discipline I might have expected from an ex-SEAL. By his own account, he was living life according to his brain’s pleasure center. Women. Whiskey. And apparently a penchant for bulldogs. That last thought made me smile.
“What do you like to do in your free time?” he asked, drawing me back to the moment.
I shrugged. “Nothing too crazy. Decorating my place with unique flea-market finds . . . silk throw pillows, pretty black and white prints. I enjoy hunting out forgotten treasures like that. Oh, and I love college football. I went to Oklahoma, so . . .” I hid a smirk, knowing their huge rivalry with Texas.
He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Don’t tell me you’re a Sooners fan?”
I grinned back at him. It was too easy. “You think I’m going to automatically root for the Longhorns just because I moved to Texas?”
“No, I’d expect you to root for them because they’re the best damn team in the country.”
That made me chuckle. I knew what people saw when they looked at me. A fresh face with only minimal makeup, a long chocolate-colored braid hanging over one shoulder, a pair of faded jeans, a conservative cotton top that didn’t show even a hint of cleavage. He probably had me pegged as a stereotypical good girl.
Something inside me wanted to prove him wrong, to show him I was not only okay with his situation, but open and curious. Prove to him that whatever he could dish out, I could take it.
Still, I couldn’t blame him for how I must have seemed. My entire appearance screamed innocence and propriety. It was the way I’d been raised. As the only child of a single, very old-fashioned father, modesty had been drilled into me from a young age, and there was nothing I could do to change it now. Which was fine.
This was the way I was most comfortable anyhow, and it had never stopped me from attracting male attention before. But as I glanced around at the women in the bar, with their low-cut sequined tops and sling-back heels, I realized Nolan could have his pick of the litter. And there were clearly more enticing choices than me, yet his eyes didn’t wander, his gaze didn’t stray from mine even once. It sent a warm ripple of pleasure down my spine.