“No.” Meg held up a hand, forestalling whatever argument he’d prepared. “I’m not a princess any more than you’re a pauper. And that’s okay, but let’s be honest right now. You’re standing there wearing designer right down to your skin and I’m cleaning up someone else’s puke for barely more than minimumwage. We’re too different, Theo. No matter how good the sex is, it would fall apart at some point, and it would fall apart ugly. I’m choosing to keep the memory of that night a happy one without all the emotional baggage three people would bring to any relationship.” She shook her head, barely believing the words out of her mouth. Three people. Hot as hell in the bedroom for a single night, but in a relationship?
A recipe for disaster.
Theo sighed. “You’re not going to get anywhere the way you’re doing it.”
She blinked. “Actually?—”
He was already moving. He snagged the mop from her hands and nudged her out of the way. He curled those perfect lips at the mess on the floor and muttered something about idiot drunks, but before she could say anything, he started scrubbing the floor with a vigor she hadn’t been able to muster.
Meg should stop him.
Any moment now, she’d step in, demand the mop back, and finish the job she started.
But the strange sight of Theo doing manual labor kept her rooted in place. What was he playing at? Meg didn’t know, and the not knowing twisted something up inside her. No matter what his goal in coming here, she was being reasonable, damn it.
Reason always prevailed.
He finished in half the time it would have taken her. Neither of them spoke as he carried the bucket to the utility sink and washed it out. What was there to say? No matter what plans Theo held when he showed up, this was goodbye. It had to be.
He dried his hands and turned to face her. “What else do you have to do before you lock up?”
“I’m nearly done.” She’d saved the worst task for last, which was just as well. The last thing Meg needed was him hoveringwhile she tried to count out the till or something that required actual concentration. She cleared her throat. “You should leave.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
It wasn’t quite a denial of her command to get out, but it was clear he wouldn’t be going anywhere until he did exactly as he intended. Meg set her jaw and went through the motions of closing up. Theo’s presence shadowed her every step despite the fact he never moved from his spot near the back door. It didn’t matter. She couldfeelhim taking up more than his fair share of space, his energy too much for this dingy bar.
After double checking that the front door was locked and the Open sign was off, Meg headed for the back door. She nearly missed a step. God, he was so gorgeous it actuallyhurtto look at him. He wasn’t as brutally large as Galen, built more like a blade meant to slice and stab than a crushing war hammer. But his white shirt still stretched across serious muscles in his shoulders and chest, and she knew from experience exactly how much strength he could bring to the table.
Stop that.
Stop thinking about that night.
Theo held the door open for her and she caught a whiff of his scent as she stepped past him. It stopped her cold. Sandalwood and spice. A combination she would associate with the best sex of her life until her dying breath. Meg closed her eyes and inhaled, taking in every bit of him she could manage, a junkie in need of the smallest fix.
She couldn’t say yes to whatever he was proposing. It might start with dinner, but it wouldn’t end there. And wherever it ended would only result in her plans derailed, her heart shredded, and her life in shambles.
No, Meg couldn’t say yes.
She forced herself to open her eyes and keep moving. She locked the door behind her and headed for the street. Theo kept pace easily. “No car?”
Who drove in New York? Oh yeah, someone as rich as sin like Theo. “I take the subway.”
“The subway.” He said the words like talking about shit on the bottom of his shoe. “No. Absolutely not.” Theo fished a set of keys out of his jeans and pushed a button, making a car down the street chirp. Meg didn’t need to look at it to know it was expensive. Of course it was.
She clung to her patience with slippery fingers. “Goodnight, Theo.” If she got into the car with him, she had no idea where she’d end up. Not because Theo was some crazy murderer, but because Meg didn’t trust herself with him. Throw Galen into the mix and she was a goner.
No, her only option lay in running as far and as fast as she could.
“Meg.” There it was again, that hint of growl in her name. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming her despite there being a good foot between them. “Meg, let me walk you to the subway station.” He reached out and tucked a flyaway strand behind her ear, his thumb brushing across her jaw as he withdrew. That tiny touch had lightning dancing beneath her skin. She wanted him. Good lord, she wanted him. Meg was Pavlov’s dog panting for another taste.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She reached out without having any intention of moving and touched his bottom lip. Meg dropped her hand immediately, the memory of his lips on other parts of her burning through her body. What was she thinking? She had to get out of here and she had to do it now. It took every bit of will she had to step back and then step back again. “Please don’t come here again.”
Theo studied her with those gorgeous blue eyes. He seemed to see more than she had any intention of showing, and she held her breath as he considered. Finally, he nodded. “Okay, princess. I won’t come back here again.” He shifted closer and cupped her jaw. Even knowing she should shove him away, Meg couldn’t help leaning in, a flower seeking his warm sunlight. His lips brushed hers, the contact so fleeting she was half sure she imagined it.
And then he was gone, releasing her from the trap of his touch and moving back. “You know where to find me should you change your mind.”
“That won’t happen.”It might happen.
