Rowdy might not have said the words, but his actions were clear enough—for all to see.
There were no more calls or idling cars hanging around, and the rest of the night went by without incident—until ten o’clock, when a sexy brunette came in and set her sights on Rowdy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
FOR A MONDAY night, they were busier than usual. Rowdy did his best to keep an eye on Avery. Seemed every damned guy in the place found a reason to chat her up.
He’d known she was popular, an integral part of the bar’s success. But he hadn’t before realized how often she got hit on. He couldn’t deny a touch of jealousy. But he also felt pride.
Because Avery didn’t reciprocate.
She was friendly and funny and always professional. She served up drinks and laughs and the occasional advice, all without taking any guy too seriously.
Her smiles were kind, not a come-on.
Without trying too hard, mostly just by being herself, she drew attention. The way she tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. How she twisted that supple little body from the ice chest to the tap to the bar top.
She was fanatical about keeping things clean and tidy, and she organized like a librarian.
Better still, when danger came calling, she utilized a wealth of common sense.
All in all, there wasn’t a single thing about Avery not to love. From the start, he hadn’t stood a chance against her.
He was lost in thought, staring at Avery and trying to decide what his next move should be, when he saw her glance toward the door.
He followed her gaze—and got caught.
Well, hell, the night needed only this.
Unable to help himself, Rowdy looked over the lady. She wore skintight black jeans with heels and a V-neck sweater that exposed a notable rack.
Reese and Logan might like to deny that their lieutenant was a woman, but no other man seeing her now would make that mistake—and plenty of men were looking.
Why the hell was she here?
Only one other time had Rowdy seen her dressed in anything other than her business suits or uniform, and that was during a sting where she’d been undercover.
A ballbuster of the first order, Lieutenant Peterson liked her stiff, mannish attire. Probably because it kept guys like Reese and Logan in line. It hadn’t really worked on him.
Or on Dash, Logan’s brother.
Lieutenant Peterson scanned the crowd, and Rowdy had a horrible suspicion she was looking for him.
“Shit.” He hadn’t figured Peterson as the type of woman who liked to walk on the wild side, but there’d be no other reason for her to show up in his bar dressed like that and looking for him.
One glance at Avery and Rowdy knew this night wouldn’t end well unless he took some precautionary measures right now.
Turning his back to the lieutenant, Rowdy strode away to his office. Dropping into the chair behind his desk, he flipped through the contacts on his phone, located the number he wanted and hit the call button.
What was Lieutenant Margaret Peterson doing here this time of night on a Monday? The phone rang five times before Dashiel Riske picked up. “I’m listening.”
“Did I wake you?”
“Rowdy?” Around a loud yawn, Dash said, “What’s up, man? Everything okay?”
Might as well lay it out there. “I know it might be inconvenient, but you need to come to the bar.”
“Yeah? How come?”
“Trust me, you’ll thank me.”
“Meaning you have naked ladies dancing on the tables or something? Because seriously, I was about to turn in.”
Logan might be in denial about Dash’s attraction to the lieutenant, but Rowdy had no such qualms. “One lady, and no, she’s not naked—though she does look pretty fine in tight jeans and a low-cut sweater.”
“I’m listening.”
Rowdy was about to explain further when a knock sounded on his open door. “Hang on, Dash.” He covered the phone and said, “What is it?”
Ella leaned in. “Avery wants you up front. She says you have a visitor.”
Damn it, had Peterson already approached Avery to ask for him? She’d been through enough today without the additional hassle. “Tell her I’ll be right there.” When he returned to the call, he said to Dash, “You coming or not?”
“You have me curious, so sure. I’ll see you in a few.”
Luckily Dash wasn’t more than fifteen minutes away. That is, if he headed right out. Working at his own construction company, Logan’s younger brother rose with the birds. He occasionally hung out at the bar, but only on weekends.
Rowdy found Avery engaged in conversation with Margaret as she poured her a glass of wine. Though her smile looked a little tight, Avery was her usual pleasant self.
The lieutenant had her shapely little ass perched on a bar stool, legs crossed, elbows on the bar. Silver hoops dangled from her ears, reflecting the ambient light. More makeup than usual turned her smoky blue eyes mysterious. As she turned toward him, Rowdy saw a nice display of cle**age. Yeah, Dash would definitely thank him.
Stopping beside her, Rowdy said, “Lieute—”
“Shhh.” Leaning toward him, she touched a fingertip to his bottom lip. In a husky whisper, her eyes gazing into his, she said, “Not tonight. Tonight I’m just Margaret.”
Oh, hell. “Sure thing.” He took the stool next to her. “So, Margaret, you’ve been drinking already?”
“Not much.” Smiling, she let her gaze travel all over him. “How’ve you been, Rowdy?”