“Fine! I used to pee the bed,” Bear said.
“Excuse me?” Her long lashes fluttered against the tops of her cheeks. “Recently?”
He laughed. “No, not recently. Up until I was five. Not every single night. Only when I had a nightmare. I used to be scared to death of aliens.”
“Why are you telling me?”
“If you’re going to be embarrassed then I will be too. I’m confident you won’t divulge this top-secret information to anyone that I’ve told you. It could destroy my tough reputation.”
“I can take a secret to my grave.” One corner of her mouth lifted. “I was selling foot pics onCowgirl DelightFan Page to pay my way through college. Bentley said he couldn’t be with someone who’d done something so despicable. He even used the word despicable. The future representative for Texas can’t be associated with someone with poor taste.” Aasia swirled the ice around the glass. “Do you think I’m despicable, Bear?” She looked up at him with those big, beautiful eyes.
“No, I don’t think you’re despicable.” Bear swallowed against the tightness in his throat. “Fletcher’s a dickhead.” For as long as he and Aasia had been friends, not once had he seen her this tipsy. Everyone deserved to have some liquid therapyafter a breakup. At least he could be here to make sure she made it home safely. “Remember, sweetheart. You’re a novel and books are never distasteful. They’re pieces of art.” He groaned inwardly. He was being sappy, but she didn’t seem to mind. When he saw her for the first time, he’d felt his body burn with a new fire. She’d been riding the mechanical bull here at Oscar’s that had been installed for a weekend festival. He’d give his right arm if that bull was a permanent fixture.
He was staring at her and almost tumbled off the stool.
Maybe she wasn’t the only one who’d had too much to drink.
“Did you drive here?” he asked. He certainly hoped not.
“No. I caught a ride from my neighbor, Pete. He said he’d slide by and pick me up later, but I told him I’d be okay. His old truck smells like motor oil. And limes.” She lifted the collar of her shirt and sniffed. “I smell like motor oil and limes now too.” Her pert nose wrinkled.
Bear thought she smelled like cupcakes and buttercream frosting. God, he’d love to eat a cupcake right now. “I’ve been in his truck. He always has those citrus air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror. If he thinks they cover the odor of his marijuana habit he’s mistaken.”
“He talked about Pedora the entire ride in. He’s head over heels. I told him he should just ask her out already.” Aasia licked her bottom lip that sent strong awareness through Bear.
“Why didn’t you drive?”
“Car’s broke down again. Can’t shift it out of park.” She heaved a sigh. “It’s at the shop until morning.” She pulled the drink closer and cupped the glass with both hands. “What time is it?”
“After nine,” he said.
“Then I have plenty of time to drown my sorrows away.” Tears misted her eyes, but she blinked and the moisturedisappeared. “You’re such a good friend.” She patted his shoulder and the off-balance of weight sent the stool toppling.
He up-righted her and the stool. She didn’t seem to notice or care. “I try.” He winked.
“Why are men so stupid?” she groaned. “Please tell me what I’m missing?”
He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Not all men are stupid, right?”
“That remains to be seen,” she huffed. “Except for my present company of course. You’re smart, Bear.” She planted her hand against his chest and thrummed her finger. “And built.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” He winked.
The fringed hem of the jean skirt she wore brushed against her toned thighs. With each drink the hem scooted an inch higher on her long, toned legs. The blouse with the low-cut neckline showed off the valley between her breasts, revealing just enough to make a man say a prayer for relief from the torment.
“Aasia, I know you might not want to hear this, but Fletcher gives all men a bad name. Maybe it’s time to break the cycle and move on. You deserve someone who appreciates you. Someone who loves you the way you need to be loved.”
“And how do I need to be loved, Bear?” Their gazes locked. Her lips were supple and full…and those eyes. They were sending a silent message, and he wasn’t sure he was reading that message clearly. Guilt slithered through him. What would she do if she found out that Bear had been monitoring Fletcher’s actions for months? And because she’d been near Fletcher on many of those occasions Bear had been privy to their arguments.
She shifted and the deep V of her shirt gapped. He couldn’t resist a long look of the lace trim on the red bra. He was the despicable one. He shouldn’t be staring at her tits likea horny schoolboy, but the need he had infiltrated every neuron in his brain, blurring the lines between right and wrong. Maybe Grimes had a point, unfortunately.
Bear swallowed the knot developing in his throat. A part of him wanted to tell her the truth, but what good would it do to explain that he was working uncover? His entire team, Texas Heat, occupied Creed’s Creek Ranch. He wished the case would burst wide open but things like this took time—a slow hand. Sort of like whatever was happening between he and Aasia. Her eyes glistened with desire, but her words reminded him that he didn’t want to be a rebound. “You should be loved the way you want to be loved. From someone who has the emotional intelligence of a man and not a boy.”
One brow lifted above her iridescent eyes. She picked up his left hand and turned it over, running the tip of her short fingernail along his rough and callused palm as she leaned closer to inspect it. “I used to be able to read palms.”
“Used to? It’s not like riding a bike?” He chuckled.
“A lot of palm reading is about intuition. Somewhere along the way I must have lost that ability.” Her moan came from deep within her chest. “If I had fine-tuned intuition, I would have seen Bentley’s true colors and walked, no ran, the other direction.”
