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kitchen/living room made up his 750 sq. ft. apartment. The fact that his living space was located above the bar made it convenient. And in Connor’s book, convenience took precedence over comfort any day.
    Connor swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He stretched his six-and-a-half-foot frame until his back popped in protest and the tension knotting his spine slowly began to ease.
    “Another day, another dollar,” he murmured.
    But then, this was not just another day. This day would be different.
    “Jessa.”
    The feel of her name crossing his lips brought on another kind of tension entirely. The blood rushed to his groin and his cock began to thicken and swell.
    Bringing his thoughts forcefully under control, Connor dropped to the floor and immersed himself in his morning routine of pushups, crunches, and stretches. The short but sometimes brutal habit kept his body honed. His job kept his reflexes in order. He had no time for distractions. An occasional fuck, absolutely. Someone like Jessa? Too much involvement.
    But no matter how hard he pushed himself physically, he could not get the picture of her out of his mind. From the straight mass of silken honey-colored hair to her hooded greenish-brown gaze, she’d demanded his attention without even trying.
    Even almost ten hours later, he could remember the exact shape of her delectable breasts and the soft flare of her ample hips. To a man who’d spent too much time around women who looked as if he could break them in two with his bare hands, her classic build was manna from heaven or temptation from hell. Take your pick.
    Connor paused, calf muscles screaming as he stretched his big body to the limits. She would be such a challenge. Such curiosity and uncultivated passion kept so tightly leashed, he could practically smell her internal frustration. Given the right man and the right handling, she was a wildcat waiting to happen.
    But there was something else. Some sadness hid behind her eyes. As if she suffered an aching loneliness that made her unable to decide whether to reach out or lash out. And that was what made her dangerous. Connor didn’t need shades of grey like her in his black and white existence.
    The moment she’d stepped inside his bar and gazed up at him with her beguiling hazel eyes, he’d sensed something different. It made him want to cram her in his pocket and protect her from whatever it was that was so determined to beat her down.
    “Connor?”
    “In here.”
    Alex appeared and balanced lightly against the doorjamb. “Aren’t you done yet?”
    “Just finishing up.”
    Connor managed to avoid Alex’s probing gaze while he stood and rummaged for a fresh shirt and pants.
    “Something bothering you?”
    Connor shrugged a shirt over his broad shoulders. “No, why?”
    “Just a feeling.”
    “You been watching Dr. Phil again? You’re sounding awfully in touch with your feminine side.”
    Alex snorted. “I’ve known you long enough that sometimes I feel like we’re married.”
    “You could’ve kept that little detail to yourself.”
    There was a brief pause. Connor settled his black trousers on the tilt of his hips and ran a hand over the stubble on his head. It was the same routine every morning when he had to decide if he needed a shave or not.
    “It’ll be nice to have another set of hands around the bar tonight, hmm?”
    “Guess so.”
    “She seems nice enough.”
    Connor grunted, refusing to let Alex bait him into saying anything about their new waitress.
    “Great ass, too. Wouldn’t you say?”
    Unable to stop himself, Connor’s gaze jerked upward and locked on Alex. The beast that lay just beneath Connor’s civil exterior howled and rattled the bars on its cage. His heart hammered in his chest and blood pounded in his ears.
    “She’s just a woman, Connor.” Alex said quietly.
    “I know that.”
    “So keep your perspective.”
    Connor didn’t bother to acknowledge that bit of advice.
    Alex seemed to