She swallowed hard, eyes locked on his, and slipped her hand into his.
All the air leaked from his lungs and his mouth went dry. The commotion around them disappeared, and Eve was the only thing in his world. “Is that a yes?”
“Can you make me look as good as Ben did?”
“Honey, you have no idea.”
She grinned and took a step closer, erasing the distance between them.
The music stopped. The crowd erupted into applause as the band bowed and wished everyone a good night.
Disappointment pressed down on his chest.
Eve stepped out of his hold and shrugged. “Maybe next time. I need to get back behind the bar. People with open tabs will start cashing out. It’ll get a little busy then we’ll need to close up.”
Deflated, he followed her and ignored the stab of pain that had nothing to do with his stitched-up side. Seeing Eve in the arms of another man had woken him up, and now he’d missed his chance.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Figuring out his next move, he stalked back to where Eve stood at the register, quickly ringing out customers on the old-fashioned machine. He lost himself in the rhythm of washing dishes and replacing bottles. Wiping sticky residue from the scarred bar and refilling garnishes for the drinks he didn’t know how to make.
Tara approached, with Dax attached to her side. “Hey, big brother, when are you heading to your place?”
“Yeah, big brother. What’s the plan?” Dax tipped the brim of his hat and laughed. Mischief lit his blue eyes, and the dark stubble lining his jaw was longer than usual.
Reid glared at Madden’s younger brother. “The only plan you should be concerned with is the one that involves getting yourself home. Alone.”
Tara rolled her eyes and shoved a strand of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Stop. Dax was nice enough to hang out with me while you were busy.”
“Yeah,” Dax said. “I’m just being a good guy.”
Madden approached and rested his palms on Dax’s shoulders. He squeezed, applying enough pressure to make Dax wince. “Good guy? You? Don’t think so, my man.”
Lily rested her hands on top of Madden’s and eased him away. “Leave him be.”
“Yeah, listen to Lil so I can continue my conversation with Reid about his sister.”
A growl rumbled deep in Reid’s chest, and he struggled to keep it trapped inside. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Dax’s smart-ass comments, and he didn’t have much experience looking out for Tara. She was a grown woman who could make her own decisions, but he’d be damned if going home with Dax was one of them.
Tara gave Dax a playful slap upside his head. “I don’t need anyone to have a conversation with anyone about me.” She turned her attention to Reid. “I do need to know if we plan to head back to your apartment once you’re done helping Eve.”
He flicked a quick glance at Eve, still swiping credit cards. “I have to stay with Eve until this thing blows over.”
“Oh,” she said, drawing out the word into three syllables.
“It’s a good thing I stuck around to drive you to Reid’s place safely.” Dax puffed out his chest, his grin slippery as a wet dog.
“How about Lily and I take Tara to your place?” Madden asked. “No need for Dax to suffer rejection again.”
Dax threw up his palms, but his grin stayed in place. “Only trying to help.”
“My hero,” Tara said. “But I’ll ride with Madden and Lily.”
Relief loosened Reid’s muscles. He wasn’t used to watching Tara interact with men. Hell, when he’d left town, she was just entering high school. By the time he’d enlisted in the service, she was already with Richard—whom he’d hated. Standing by and watching Dax drool over her was giving him a glimpse of himself he hadn’t known existed.
The protective side of himself that saw blood when Ben danced with Eve.
“Does that work?” Tara asked, breaking into his thoughts.
