Targeted (Firebrand Book 1) Read Free Page B

while the snow’s let up.”
    The woman inched closer to the table until her leg almost touched his, and a seductive smile pulled at her lips. Ash pushed the coffee cup away. Definitely time to call it a night and head for home. “I guess I ought to be going home before the roads get covered again. Could I have my check?”
    She frowned and pulled her lips into a pout. “Don’t hurry off. I’ve been watching you come in here for weeks, but you’ve never noticed me. I thought this might be a good night to get acquainted.” She waved her hand around to point out the empty room. “It’s just of the two of us. Why don’t we make the most of it?”
    His gaze raked the room before he turned his attention back to her. “Maybe some other time, Eve. I really need to get out of here.”
    She dropped down in the chair next to him, scooted closer, and crossed her legs. Batting her long eyelashes at him, she snaked her hand across the table and covered his hand with hers before she slid her fingers up his arm. When she reached his bicep, a smile curled her lips, and she tilted her head to one side. “Aw, come on, Ash,” she whispered in a husky voice. “I’m lonely tonight. All I want is some company. Can’t you help a girl out?”
    Instinct from years of training ripped through him. With a growl he grabbed her hand in a crushing grip and stared into her startled eyes. “How do you know my name?” he snarled.
    A frightened look flashed across her face. She tried to jerk her hand free, but he didn’t let go.  “I asked the boss. He told me you’d bought the old Jenkins cabin up on Winding Ridge Road. What’s the big deal? I told you mine.”
    Ash closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed his hold on Eve’s hand as he swallowed hard. What was the matter with him? Was he so jaded he distrusted everyone he met? He released her hand and sank back in his seat. There was no reason for him to take out his frustrations on a girl who probably came on to all the regulars. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    She wiped at the corner of her eye, and her lips pulled into a wobbly smile. “My mother tells me I come on too strong sometimes. ‘You’re never gonna get a husband that way,’ she says. And I guess she’s right.” She grinned at him. “Not that I thought you’d be good husband material, but you look like a guy who could show a girl a good time.”
    His face warmed at the teasing smile. Another woman had looked at him that way once, and the memory made his stomach clench. He’d been comparing every woman he met to Lainey for a decade, and he needed to stop. “You said you’re lonely tonight, Eve. Well, I am, too. I haven’t met many people around here.”
    She waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve lived here all my life, and there aren’t too many people worth knowing.” Her gaze raked him from head to toe. “Present company excluded.”
    Her sincere tone made him smile. What would it hurt if he enjoyed some female company for a change? At least he’d have someone to talk to for a few hours. “Then maybe it’s time we got to know each other better.”
    “What do you have in mind?”
    He studied her for a moment—long blonde hair pulled into a pony tail, blue eyes that reminded him of summer days, and a body that could easily grace a fashion runway in New York. Getting to know Eve might help keep him from thinking about Lainey tonight.
    “What time do you get off work?”
    She glanced at the clock. “Actually I was supposed to get off at twelve. I told the boss I’d wait until he had his smoke break before I left.”
    He leaned forward. “I hear they have a new band in the lounge over at the hotel. How would you like to mingle with the ski crowd for a while?”
    Her eyes lit up. “That sounds great. Let me get my coat and clock out.” She rose from her chair and started to walk away. With a shake of her head she stopped and came