“I don’t know why I let you drag me here. You know as well as I do that I’m gonna hate this place.”
Yolanda pouted. “C’mon, chica. When was the last time you had any fun? You’ve had your nose buried in your books for months, and now you’re gonna be working all summer in the middle of nowhere. Just give it a chance, OK?”
“There’s plenty of other places we could have gone besides a redneck club,” Haley groused.
“But this place has the biggest dance floor in California. Four thousand square feet to shake your booty.”
“You’re the dancer, not me.” The club scene wasn’t Haley’s thing. At all.
“Don’t be such a wet blanket. It’ll be fun.”
Haley cast a disparaging eye over the line of girls in their cowboy boots and ass-squeezing Daisy Dukes. “The place is a bit testosterone-challenged, don’t you think?”
Yolanda laughed. “Don’t worry about that. In a couple of hours, it’s gonna be swarming with horny marines.”
“Great. Do you ever think of anything else besides partying and guys?” Haley rolled her eyes.
“You’re the one who mentioned testosterone,” Yolanda said, grinning.
Although they’d been best friends since junior high school, she and Yolanda had vastly different priorities. Haley didn’t even try to keep up with Yolanda’s revolving-door love life.
“Rarely.” Yolanda winked at her. “There’s a lot more to life than books, Haley, but don’t take my word for it. It’s time you discover for yourself.”
“What’s the point?” Haley argued. “I don’t have time to date.”
“Who says anything about dating?” Yolanda replied. “We’re just here to have a good time, right? It doesn’t have to lead to anything. Look,” Yolanda continued, “if you don’t want to be accosted by horny marines, just stay out on the floor. You don’t even need a partner. They play mainly line dances here, and most of those guys are too macho to line dance.”
“I’m just going to make an ass of myself.”
“It’s why we came early,” Yolanda countered. “So you can take advantage of the lessons. If you don’t catch on, no problema. They’ll mix it up later with some freestyle hip-hop. C’mon. At least give it a chance. It’ll be fun.”
“Yeah, barrels of fun,” Haley mumbled.
They moved slowly up the line.
The big, bald, unsmiling bouncer held out his hand. “ID.”
“You’d think they’d be a bit friendlier,” Haley muttered as both girls fished out their wallets.
Yolanda presented her license and promptly received an over-twenty-one bracelet.
“Pay to the right,” he said. “Next.”
Haley received a scowl when she presented her ID. “Put out both hands.”
She complied and got a big black “X” on the back of each with a Sharpie. Great. If she wanted ink on her body, she’d have gotten a tat.
“We enforce the law,” he warned. “Try to drink, and we’ll boot your ass. Pay to the right.”
She stepped to the counter already feeling like a felon.
“Twenty bucks,” the cashier announced without even looking up.
Haley presented her debit card.
The woman shook her head. “Cash only.”
“Cash? Who carries cash anymore?”
“No cash. No entry.”
“Just a minute. Let me find my friend.” Haley searched the crowd for Yolanda, but she’d already gone inside.
“You’re holding up the line.”
“But I don’t have any—”
“I got it.” A soft, whisky-smooth baritone sounded from behind her.
Haley spun around to meet a solid wall of chest. Her gaze tracked north of the button-down western shirt to meet a pair of sky-blue eyes shadowed by a well-worn Stetson. Built like a rock, with dimples to boot, this tall cowboy stirred interest in places she’d ignored for a very long time.
He stepped up to the cashier, flipped his wallet open, and handed the woman two twenties.
“I’ll pay you back as soon as we get inside,” Haley blurted. “I have a friend—”
Blue Eyes shook his head. “It’s no big deal. I got it. If it bothers you that much, you can pay me back later on with a dance.”
“Thanks for the easy terms, but I’m not much of a dancer.” Haley’s mouth stretched into an involuntary smile. He really was hot, and a charmer too.
His answering smile morphed into a crooked grin revealing even, white teeth. The night was starting to look up. Her gaze tracked to his blue eyes again. Way up. She’d never gone for that type before, but when he gazed down at her with a heart-skipping grin stretching his mouth… Holy cow…boy.
“That’s a bit of a relief actually,” he said. “I manage a passable two-step, but that’s about the limit of my repertoire.” He nodded to the gap that had broadened between them and the door. “Wanna go inside now?”
Haley tensed under the sudden contact of his big, warm palm on her lower back. It was a light touch that still set every nerve ending on alert. Discomposed by her own response, she fought the instinct to pull away. Forcing a breath, she willed herself to relax, and let him guide her toward the door.
Once inside, he offered his hand. “I’m Reid.”
She eyeballed him anew. A handshake? Was he for real? “You’re not from around here are you?”
“No, ma’am.” His annoyingly disarming grin lingered. She didn’t trust how easily she responded to it, to him. “Born and raised in Wyoming.”
“Wyoming? So you’re the genuine article and not one of those jokers?” She inclined her head to the throng gathered around the mechanical bull.
He shook his head with a scoffing sound. “I earned my spurs on the real thing.”
She glanced down at his boots, expecting to see them.
He chuckled. “I don’t wear ’em unless I’m ridin’.”
“So are you going to show them how it’s done?”
“I got nothing to prove. Besides, there’s no comparison. A mechanical bull can’t stomp you into the dirt or plant a horn in your ass.”
“Are you working on one of the ranches out here?”
“Nope. I’ve hung it all up for the U.S. Marine Corps.”
“You’re a marine?” she repeated in dismay.
“Yup. Corporal Reid Everett of the Third Battalion First Marines.”
Damn. Damn. Damn. Why did the only guy she’d taken any interest in since God knows when have to be a marine? The revelation instantly snuffed out any flicker of interest. A potential fling with a hot cowboy was one thing, but a jarhead was completely out of consideration.
“Nice meeting you, Reid.” She turned away.
He laid a hand on her arm, his brows meeting in a subtle frown. “Not quite the reaction I’d expected…”
“My father was a marine,” she explained.
“Was?”
“So I’m told,” she responded, tight-lipped. “I never knew him. I’m going to find my friend now.”
“Wait a minute. Wha’d I say?” He looked confused and maybe even a bit hurt, like she’d locked his wheels up and sent him skidding.
“It’s not what you said. It’s what you are.”
Just another whore-mongering marine. They were all just a bunch of horny dogs. Her own father had been one of them—impregnating her mother, never to be heard from again.
The grunts from Camp Pendleton had an especially long and well-earned history. She’d even done a research study on it for one of her college classes. Since the USMC established their base in 1942, the number of illegitimate births within a one-hundred-mile radius of the base had skyrocketed nine months after every major troop deployment. The data was undeniable. Semper fidelis certainly didn’t apply to the women they left behind.
“I’m not into marines, Reid. But don’t worry, there are plenty of women here who would be more than eager to give you a memorable pre-deployment send-off.”
Not daring to look back, Haley made a brisk retreat.
* * *
Reid stared after the petite blonde in consternation. Although he’d arrived without the slightest interest in getting laid, that was before he’d eyed her. She seemed so different from all the rest. Reserved. Almost aloof. Dressed in a pale yellow sundress with a long, loose braid down her back, she’d stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others in their belly shirts, miniskirts, and booty shorts.
He’d wondered what all that gold silk would look like loose and kissing the dimples of her ass. He shook his head in mild disappointment. Guess he’d never find out.
“Ay! Cabrón!” Garcia appeared at Reid’s side with two bottles of Dos Equis and a shit-eating grin. He offered one of the long necks. “Who was that hot little rubia?”
“Dunno.” Reid accepted the beer with a grimace. “Never got her name.” He still couldn’t figure her abrupt about-face. She’d begun to soften toward him, only to turn frigid as ice in the blink of an eye. “I gathered she’s not partial to jarheads.”
“Then best cut your losses, cause you sure as shit aren’t going to score there. Maybe you should try a Chicana? Just pick one and ask her to slow dance. There’re plenty of hot little mamacitas on that floor who’d go for that six-three frame and pretty-boy face.”
Reid took a swig of beer. The dance lessons had finished with a manic performance of “Cotton-Eye Joe.” The lines broke up with dancers dispersing toward the various bars.
“Here’s your chance, bro. All you gotta do is offer her a drink. I’ll even teach you to say it in Spanish: Quiero comer tu coño.”
Reid eyed Garcia with suspicion. “I thought comer was ‘to eat.’”
“Eat, drink.” Garcia shrugged. “It’s all the same in Spanish.”
“I’m not falling for it, Garcia. I’ve been around you long enough to have a pretty good notion of what coño means.”
“Hey man.” Garcia raised his hands. “Just doing you a favor. That phrase is sure to come in handy for you one day.”
“I appreciate your concern for my dick, amigo, but I’m really not interested in chasing tail. Blonde or Chicana. I’m perfectly happy to leave the field open, chill with a couple of beers, and shoot some pool.”
“Suit yourself, cabrón. But the only balls I’m interested in are right here.” He cupped his crotch with a smirk.
The blare of hip-hop music drew their attention back to the floor. Couples were already pairing for some up-close freak and grind, while a few girls were twerking in groups.
“Mira ese culo! Look at that ass, man.” Garcia gestured to a curvy brunette. He upended his bottle, emptied it in one long swallow, and then handed it to Reid. “Target sighted, hermano. Time to engage.”
* * *
Haley didn’t know why she’d let Yolanda drag her to the club. She didn’t have time for guys. She was far too busy with work and school to even think about them. Or had been. Until the cowboy. He’d definitely made her think, but her budding infatuation died a premature death the moment he’d declared himself a leatherneck. Maybe she wasn’t being fair, but the deck was firmly stacked against him.
She already wanted to leave, but Yolanda had driven. Unless her friend chose someone else to take her home tonight, she’d be stuck here until closing. Haley looked around the club with increasing dismay. She hated dancing and was surrounded by marines.
She scouted the dance floor and spotted Yolanda holding up her hair and doing a body roll, sandwiched between two guys. Maybe she’d be driving herself after all. By the look of things, Yo was gonna get a ride of some kind.
Yolanda spotted her and waved frantically, beckoning Haley to join her and the two guys. Haley answered with a sharp headshake. If she was going to be stuck here all night, she really needed a drink. She formed a fist with her thumb raised to her lips, the universal drink sign. Yolanda nodded acknowledgment and then ground her booty into her new partner.
Haley considered the acetone wipes Yolanda had shoved into her purse. A few minutes of scrubbing in the bathroom would erase the black marks on her hands. She weighed the consequences. If she got caught, she’d get tossed out on her ass. It was definitely worth the risk.
Moments later, Haley exited the restroom, hands thoroughly cleansed of black marker. She then discovered an ATM at the back of the club and whipped out her debit card. After collecting her cash, she headed for the nearest bar, only to be intercepted by four different guys sporting buzz cuts. She rolled her eyes. More marines. It wasn’t too hard to brush them off yet, but the night was early and they weren’t fully tanked.
She could really use that drink, but the bartenders would ask to see her bracelet before taking an order. With her friend on the floor, her only option was to ask one of the grunts to buy the drink for her. Opting for the devil she knew, the cowboy, Haley scouted the bar. At least she had the excuse of paying him back. She had enough cash to cover her debt and still buy a couple of cocktails. She found him a few minutes later shooting pool with a cadre of his leatherneck buddies.
“Hey, cowboy. I have something for you.” She slapped the twenty on the table where he was setting up his first shot.
Her unintended innuendo was met with silence as his baby blues darted up from the table to meet her gaze. The rest of the group eyeballed her up and down with open interest, making her feel like she’d entered a wolf’s den.
She bit her lip, wishing she’d said something else. “I-I mean I found an ATM. I can pay you back now.”
His tawny brows met. “Said I didn’t care about that.” He pushed the twenty across the table and turned his attention back to the cue.
That was it? A brush-off? Haley’s hackles rose. Was this his idea of payback for her earlier snub? I don’t think so, cowboy.
“All right then.” She parked her hip on the edge of the table, blocking his view of the balls. “If you won’t take it from me, play me for it.”
He stepped back from the table, his gaze sweeping over her with open cynicism. “You want me to play you?”
His partner at the table sniggered. “If the cowboy won’t take you up on it, I will. I’ll play you like a sonata, baby.”
Straightening to his full height, the cowboy shot his buddy a dangerous look. She guessed he was a few inches over six feet and wondered how much of that was the boots. Probably only an inch or so. Without them, he’d still tower at least a foot above her five-foot-two inches.
She dropped another twenty. “Double or nothing? Eight ball, nine ball, nine ball kiss, Chicago, Chinese, Rotation 61,” she rattled off the game variations.
A buff marine in a muscle shirt flashed a lecherous grin. “I’ll rotate you sixty-nine, sweetheart.” No doubt about it, they were already halfway to shit-faced.
Haley ignored him. “Slop shot, call shot. Your choice, cowboy. Loser buys the drinks.”
* * *
Reid considered the blonde who’d brushed him off like a fly from shit less than an hour ago. When he’d paid her cover he hadn’t expected anything in return except maybe a dance, but now she’d positioned herself squarely in his crosshairs.
“So you think you’re a player, eh?” Reid eyed her with renewed speculation, wondering what game she was really playing.
“Only pool,” she answered as if reading his mind. “A better question would be what kind of player are you?” She slid off the table, letting the double entendre hang.
“Guess you’ll just have to find out for yourself. Mind if the lady steps in?” he asked the cluster of marines. The request was purely rhetorical. They all knew he was staking his claim, but he’d still sweeten the deal. “Tell you what, give us some space, and I’ll buy you all a round.”
“Go on,” she urged the grunts as if shooing chickens, adding with a grin, “I’m sure Corporal Everett doesn’t want any witnesses when he gets his ass handed to him.”
The marines dispersed toward the bar with muffled guffaws.
His interest ramped another notch, Reid propped his cue against the table and cocked his head to study all five-foot-nothin’ of her. She was probably no more than a buck ten soaking wet, yet had the balls to go toe-to-toe with him. “You sure talk big for such a puny little thing.”
“I laid my money down, didn’t I? What are we playing?” she asked.
“Let’s just keep it a simple game of eight ball.” He offered her a cue. “Ladies first?”
“No. Lag for break. I play by the rules.” She set up two balls for the shot.
He came up beside her and leaned over the table, his cue poised. “Always?” He was close enough to smell her, fresh and sweet like ripe strawberries. “Sometimes it’s more fun to break ’em.”
She snorted and chalked her cue. “Says the guy whose entire life is dictated by the USMC for what, the next four years?”
“Six more. I signed on for eight.”
“Eight?” she pulled back with a surprised look. “What kind of idiocy is that?”
He stiffened. She had no qualms about speaking her mind, for damn sure. Lucky she was an attractive female. Good-looking women could just about get away with murder. Hell, many had. It was an injustice, or maybe God’s idea of a joke, but facts were facts. Men had a long history of making life and death decisions guided by their dicks. His was already exerting a great deal of influence.
“Back home we have another word for it. It’s called patriotism.”
“Don’t get your feathers all ruffled,” she came back. “I just don’t understand anyone’s desire for that kind of life.”
“The military creates order out of chaos. That often applies as much to the individual as to the mission.”
“That may be, but there are plenty of other ways than the military to ‘find yourself.’”
“I s’pose so,” he replied. “But look how many people waste years of their lives in college only to end up flipping burgers.”
She tossed her head. “And killing skills are so much more practical in life?” Her voice and eyes challenged. Taunted. But he wasn’t about to take her bait.
“The Marines teach more than killing. Look…er… Hell, I still don’t even know your name.”
“Haley,” she answered softly. “Haley Cooper.”
“Look, Miz Cooper, we obviously don’t see eye to eye on this issue, so let’s just drop it and play.”
They completed the lag shot, both balls bouncing off the table to return to the head rail. Reid’s ball was closest, a millimeter from touching the rail. He considered the table. “Looks like it’s gonna be ladies first after all.”
“You sure you want me to break?” She flashed him a smug smile. “You might live to regret that decision, cowboy.”
Reid stood a couple of steps behind and slightly to the right, perfectly positioned to scope her out as she set up her shot. Every movement was too damned distracting. Her dress clung to her ass, riding up as she bent over the table, but not as far as he’d like. He guessed she was a distance runner by the look of her lean and shapely legs. He found his gaze caught in a loop, tracking up and down between her legs and ass.
She broke, and then straightened, tugging her skirt back down over her legs. “You haven’t said what your job is, Corporal Everett.”
“Scout sniper.” He flushed, knowing what was coming next. She’d try to put him on the defensive.
“You’re a sniper?” Her eyes widened. “Isn’t that the same as an assassin?”
He felt his color deepen another shade, but was careful to keep his expression and voice neutral. “A scout sniper’s primary function is to conduct close reconnaissance and surveillance in order to gain intelligence on the enemy and terrain. By necessity, he must be skilled in long-range marksmanship from concealed locations in order to support combat operations.”
“Wow. That was a mouthful. Did you quote all that from some soldier manual?”
“A U.S. Marine isn’t a soldier.”
“What’s the difference? You both make war, don’t you?” She studied him as if she knew she’d ventured onto treacherous ground but was still determined to see how far he’d let her tread.
“The Marine Corps’ primary mission isn’t to make war but to protect this country and those who can’t protect themselves, Miz Cooper.” He continued unapologetically. “Unfortunately, sometimes that does mean war and killing.” She was intentionally pushing his hot buttons, but he was accustomed to maintaining rigid self-control.
“So you actually think some people deserve to die?” Her face was flushed, and her green eyes blazed.
“Some do,” he answered levelly. There was no way to win once an argument got emotional. “I’m a peaceful man who believes in minding my own pastures, but I also believe in good and evil. There are a lot of very bad people in this world. Certainly the ones who fly airplanes through skyscrapers. When that kind of thing happens, I believe in doing whatever it takes to protect our own.”
He could see her getting more worked up by the minute, and damned if he wasn’t also—just not in the same way. She’d been baiting him from the start, spewing arguments that usually just pissed him off, but in this case, it was turning him on.
His gaze locked on her mouth. Her tongue darted out as if she read his thoughts. She drew a breath as if to formulate another rebuttal, but he’d had enough. Before her lips could spout off any more of the Pacifist Tree Hugger’s Manifesto, he pulled her into his arms and silenced her with his.
* * *
The kiss came without warning, and Haley was too stunned at first to react. He began gently enough, his lips sliding over hers, hands cupping her face, thumbs stroking her jaw, and then he grew more insistent, his tongue probing the seal of her lips. His callused hands were simultaneously firm and gentle, and his lips paradoxically soft and commanding.
Mere seconds had her head spinning and stomach fluttering. She was slipping fast and not about to let him pull her in any deeper. Part of her wanted to give into it, to see where it might lead, but the other half resented his audacity. Her pride won out. She resisted the urge to soften, to open to him, then stiffened, pressing her hands against his chest.
He released her instantly.
She stepped back, knees weak and pulse racing. “I didn’t come here looking to hook up.”
“Neither did I. But sometimes unexpected things happen.” His gaze locked with hers, a look of speculation gleaming in his eyes. “When they do, it’s best to just go with your gut instinct.”
“That so? Well all my instincts scream ‘no marines,’ so don’t let it happen again.”
Suddenly remembering the cue in her hand, Haley turned back to the table. It took all of her will to focus back on the game. She could hardly believe how he’d nearly unraveled her with a single kiss. Then again, no one had ever kissed her like that. She made her break, pocketing the one, and then moved methodically around the table, calling each shot as she sank every solid. Only the eight ball remained, but it was trapped behind two stripes.
Reid’s lips curved with smug certainty. “Looks like I’ll get my turn after all.”
“Don’t count your chickens, cowboy.” She laid down her cue and searched the wall behind her for a shorter one. “Jump cue,” she said in answer to his silent question.
“You’re kidding right?”
“Nope.” Approaching the table, she angled for her shot. She could almost feel his eyes on her ass. She glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough. He was leaning against the wall with both arms crossed over his broad chest, his gaze zeroed in on her behind.
“Enjoying the view?”
“Sure am,” he confessed, unabashed.
He was sadly mistaken if he thought he’d unnerve her. Keeping him in her peripheral vision, she widened her stance and stretched out over the table. All signs of smugness evaporated from his face. He tugged on his jeans.
Haley grinned, reveling in her small victory, and then prepared for a bigger one. “Eight ball, side pocket,” she declared with confidence. On a three count she took the shot, jumping the stripes to pocket the eight. “Yeah baby!” She threw down the cue and fisted the air, gloating in her triumph.
Reid gaped at the table. “I’ll be goddamned. How did you learn to do that?”
“My grandpa was a regional pool champion.”
“That bit of information was mighty sneaky to withhold.”
She shrugged. “You didn’t ask. Loser buys. I’ll take a mojito.”
His gaze darted to her hands. “No bracelet? Thought you never broke the rules.”
“I said I play by them. That’s not quite the same. Are you gonna buy me that drink or not?”
Reid signaled a waitress, ordering a beer and a Coke. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he answered her scowl. “I might bend a few rules, but I do abide by the law. And you aren’t legal yet…not for drinking anyway.” His gaze swept slowly over her, inciting ripples of heat in its wake.
“You’re wasting your breath,” she insisted, but her gaze wavered from his.
Reid Everett oozed the kind of quiet, sexy confidence that inspired both trust and stupidity. He was self-assured without arrogance, supremely comfortable in his own skin, the kind of man who made smart girls do dumb things. Her will was growing weaker the longer she stayed with him. Her brain told her it was time to go, but she couldn’t quite bring her feet to comply.
Yolanda’s appearance was her saving grace. “Thought you might be getting thirsty, chica.” She had two drinks in hand and a marine in dress blues hot on her tail. She handed Haley a cosmo, not her drink of choice, but it would have to do.
“Haley, this is Corporal Rafael Garcia. Rafi, esta es mi major amiga, Haley.” She eyed Reid with interest. “Who’s your friend?”
“Garcia’s better half,” Reid answered with a smirk.
“Oh yeah?”
“Corporal Reid Everett, also with the Thundering Third. Raf’s my spotter.”
“I’m Yolanda Rojas.” She raked Reid from Stetson to boots. “You look more like a cowboy than a marine.”
“Most of us don’t wear dress blues on liberty, but I s’pose Garcia here needs all the help he can get.”
“Ay, Rafi!” Yolanda tugged his sleeve. “Are you going to let him get away with that?”
“He’s one to talk, sporting the tejana,” Garcia shot back. “Most of the guys in this place only wear it for one reason.”
“That’s them. This is me.” Reid shrugged. “This is my uniform of choice in Wyoming.”
Suppressing a smile, Haley watched the exchange over her drink. Reid leaned down to murmur a warning. “Get caught with that and they’ll toss us all.”
“Then let’s find a table, hombre.” Garcia steered them to a newly vacated spot in the corner.
A short while later, Haley’s mood had lightened. Maybe it was the alcohol, but she was actually enjoying herself. Reid and Garcia continually razzed each other while Yolanda flirted outrageously with both of them. It didn’t bother Haley. Yolanda was fun, flighty, and notoriously fickle, but tonight she’d obviously set her sights on Rafael.
Garcia bought another round of drinks, then he and Yolanda headed once more to the dance floor where he pulled her into an indecently close two-step.
“Yolanda and Rafael seem to have hit it off,” she remarked, eager to keep the conversation on neutral ground.
Reid was slouched back in his chair watching the room. “Garcia’s a good man and a helluva marine, but he likes to play fast and loose.”
“Then they’re well matched. Yolanda’s a party girl.”
“What about you?” he asked. “You don’t seem the party-girl type.”
“Me? No.” She laughed. “I’m a bookworm and a certified monogamist.”
He took a sip of his beer. “So am I. The monogamy part, not the bookworm. Hated school. It’s why I joined the military instead of college.”
She snorted. “You really think I’m gonna buy that monogamy line?”
“Not trying to sell it. Just stating a fact. I’ve been with two women in my life.”
“Two?”
“Yeah. The first was my best friend’s older sister, and the second was my younger sister’s best friend. We dated for a coupla years after high school.”
She still didn’t believe him, but curiosity got the better of her. “Best friend’s older sister? So you were seduced by an older woman? This I gotta hear.”
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Really? But isn’t that all you guys talk about in your down time? Getting laid?”
“I don’t deny there’s a lot of that kinda talk, but you gotta understand how it is. We’re deployed for months at a time. We’re physically and mentally pushed to the brink. A man’s got to have something to look forward to. Under those conditions, it’s usually the thought of a woman.”
“So you’re trying to justify filthy talk as a morale booster?”
“I s’pose so.” His gaze met hers and then dropped back to the table. “You’d best push that drink over here now.”
“Why? You want some?”
“No, they’re checking IDs. Don’t—”
His warning was too late. Haley had already turned around. The glare of a flashlight blinded her. “Crap,” she muttered.
“Hands on the table please.”
She set her teeth with a sense of impending disaster. The bouncer directed the beam of light to her hands. “No bracelet?”
“It must have fallen off.” Her lie wasn’t remotely convincing.
The bouncer shone the light in Reid’s face. He tipped his hat back. “There a problem?”
“Yeah. We enforce the drinking laws here.”
The flashlight darted over the beer bottle and half-full martini glass that sat in front of him, then back to Reid’s face. Sometime during the confrontation, Reid had managed to slide her cosmo to his side of the table. Maybe she was off the hook after all.
“You a two-fisted drinker?” the bouncer asked.
“Yeah,” Reid offered, wooden-faced. “Those are both mine.”
The bouncer picked up the glass and sniffed. “What kinda pussy drinks a cosmo?”
Reid’s jaw twitched, but his voice remained level. “I guess that would be me.”
“Yeah? What about the lipstick on the rim? You wear that too? I wanna see some ID. Now. Asshole.” His hand came down on Reid’s shoulder.
Reid’s gaze tracked to the hand and then returned to the bouncer’s face. His expression grew deadly. “I advise you to remove your fucking hand from my shoulder before I remove it permanently from your wrist.” His threat was slow, soft, and crystal clear.
Haley felt an unexpected thrill. She blamed the alcohol.
The bouncer beckoned to the cop making rounds at other tables.
“Shit,” Haley murmured under her breath. Now her recklessness was going to get them arrested. She felt a sudden surge of guilt. Other than kissing her, Reid had behaved impeccably all night. The guy certainly didn’t deserve a black mark on his record.
“The drink is really mine,” Haley blurted to the cop.
“She with you?” he asked Reid.
“Yeah. She’s with me.” He volunteered his military ID card.
The cop’s expression softened infinitesimally. “What company you with?”
“The one-three, officer. Just finished scout sniper training and getting ready to redeploy.”
“Oh yeah? You’ve already done a tour?
“Two. The last was in Anbar province, Iraq. Looks like we’re going back for another round of that shit.”
“Yeah? I was a gunnery sergeant with the one-one in Desert Storm.” He shone the light on Haley again. “Your boyfriend here just saved your ass, girlie, but you’ll both be leaving now. See them out,” he instructed the bouncer and then moved on to another table.