Read Last Call for Free Online

shock had turned to anger. “Like he’d say
so if he was.”
    Gavin pulled his driver’s license out of his
wallet, walked to the end of the counter, and slid it over to the
men. “Write down my name, address, license number, everything.”
    He walked back to Sunny, leaned across the
bar, and said, “If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll leave.” Lowering his
voice, so only she could hear, he went for the whole truth and
nothing but. “While the idea of spending the night, or part of the
night, with you is incredibly appealing, I didn’t come back here
with any expectations.
    “I like you, and I want to spend time with
you. I also like…”—he grinned and nodded toward the end of the
bar—“the old coots. But,”—he leaned back to give her some space—“if
I make you uncomfortable, or you’re not interested in spending time
with me, I’ll leave.”
    As she worked the situation around in her
mind, her eyes turned hot, then cold, then neutral. He knew the
second she made her decision because her eyes flared to liquid
silver and the attraction arcing between them snapped and crackled,
filling the air with an electrical charge. Her throat bobbed as she
swallowed, and a tentative smile played on her mouth. “I’d like you
to stay.”
    She punched in a couple of buttons on the
cash register, exchanged his license for the men's tabs, and said,
“Adios, gentlemen.”
    As the men gulped down the last of their
beers and shuffled off their barstools, Gavin said, “I really do
want to spend more time with them.”
    Sunny turned to face him and her necklace
caught the light. The sparkling stones twinkled and winked, and
everything from his waist down tightened. Through parched lips, he
said, “But I can do that another time.”
     
    ***
     
    Sunny stood at the door, watching Johnny and
Liza fasten their helmets before climbing onto Johnny’s bike. His
long hair and tats gave the appearance of a roughneck, but he was a
nice guy, and Sunny liked him and Liza a lot.
    Liza’s family, however, didn’t share the
love. They didn’t think Johnny was good enough for their little
girl, and they made Liza’s life hell anytime they found out she’d
been with him. Even though the couple was in their early twenties,
they found it easier to use the Blackout as a hideout to keep their
relationship a secret. That way, Liza didn’t have to deal with any
crap from the parental units, and Johnny didn’t get pushed to the
brink of committing a felony.
    Sunny never understood why parents felt they
had the right to steal their children’s happiness. She also didn’t
understand why grown children sacrificed their happiness to please
their parents. An issue she was going to have to discuss with
Robby, sooner rather than later.
    She flicked the lock into place and clicked
off the neon sign in the window, then flipped the switches to cut
off the overhead lights. Nervous energy had her quivering as she
turned to face Gavin.
    He sat on the stool, one hand resting on his
thigh, the other gripping his beer, his blue eyes trained on
her.
    Fascinating.
    She found him fascinating. When his
expression turned fierce and his body snapped taunt with tension,
he became a very scary dude. Way scarier than Johnny. But that
fierceness made her heart race faster, her feminine instincts
ignite, and she found her reaction to him frightening.
    When he smiled… the scary fell away and
beautiful remained. His eyes could flip from hot to cold in a
heartbeat, then soft and playful the next. She didn’t think she
would enjoy being on the receiving end of his cold glare. But his
smoldering gaze set her on fire.
    While locking the door, she noticed the Lexus
SUV in the lot. He had money, apparently a lot of it, but he didn’t
come across as pompous or pretentious. He seemed like a
down-to-earth guy who enjoyed drinking American beer and fishing
with his grandpa.
    So who was the real man beneath those
clothes? And did she want to get to know him on a deep,