Hell, no.
She did not easily get in bed with men. After Fisher, well, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever again trust a man enough to want him. But she wanted Rowdy, and by God, she would have him.
Tonight—as he had promised.
“I’m ready all right. You can bet I’m ready. More than ready.” She went to the back door, slammed it and closed all the locks. “Let’s go.”
Cannon rubbed his mouth. “Are we talking about the same thing?”
“No, we’re not.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the front of the bar with her. “Come on. If I wait, I might lose my nerve, but I want to do this.”
“This?”
She nodded. “I’ve been celibate too damn long. I need to do this.”
“Uh, Avery...” He bumped into a chair, stepped around it and tried to free his arm.
She held on. With what she had planned, she needed to steal some of his strength. “I have to go out through the front.”
“Maybe we should talk a little.”
“Not now.”
“You know, Rowdy won’t be happy about this. I mean, I just got hired on and he doesn’t strike me as the type to share, so...”
Realizing what he thought, Avery cast him a look. “Get real, Cannon. You know I’m hung up on Rowdy.”
He wasn’t at all discomforted by the conversation. “I figured, yeah. But generally speaking, if a woman starts locking doors and leading me off, it’s to—”
“Not this time.” She wanted Rowdy Yates. Period. And one way or another, she’d have him.
Cannon grinned. “Know what? I’m equally bummed and relieved.”
If that was his idea of flirting, he’d wasted it on her. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“I’d be tempted...” When she frowned up at him, his smile warmed. “But no, I wouldn’t.”
She shook her head and unlocked the front door. The rain pounded down, washing over the street, bending the few straggly trees that disrupted the brick and concrete landscape.
Cannon stepped just outside the door. “I don’t suppose you have an umbrella?”
“No.” She stared at Rowdy’s apartment and saw the lights come on. If she stared hard enough, she could see a few shadows moving past his big front windows.
“Want me to bring your car up here to you, then?” Even from where he stood under the overhang, he got soaked. Wind blew in from every angle.
“I don’t need my car.”
“No?”
“I’m going to Rowdy’s apartment.”
“But not by car?”
“It’s across the street.” She pointed. “Right there.” So close...but given how Rowdy had all but looked through her, it felt very far away.
Cannon followed her gaze and nodded. “Ah. Makes sense, I guess.”
“What does that mean?”
As he locked up, securing the bar, he said, “I’ve seen him go in the building. I thought maybe...never mind.”
“That he had a woman there? Given his proclivity for sleeping around, it’s a logical assumption.” Accepting the keys from him, Avery dropped them in her pocket, then turned up her collar. A useless effort that she knew wouldn’t do her a bit of good.
Cannon eyed her, then started to take off his coat. “Why don’t you put this over your head so—”
She held up a hand to forestall him. “I won’t melt.” As she said it, the rain lightened up a little, providing a small break in the storm.
“Now or never.”
Taking her arm and standing close, Cannon said, “You might want to keep in mind that Rowdy was fighting himself more than you today.”
“You think?”
“I’d bet on it.”
Avery stared at him in amazement. “Wow, so you not only know everything about running a bar, but you’re a trained fighter and a relationship expert, too?”
He gave her a philosophical look. “I’m a guy, so I know how guys think. That’s as expert as it gets.”
“Are you in a serious relationship?”
He did a double take over that question. “As you just said, I have a full plate. No real time for a relationship.”
But Avery would bet he didn’t skimp on female company. Men. In so many ways, they were all alike. Luckily, when it came to being considerate, hardworking and protective, Cannon and Rowdy had a lot of similarities.
“Thank you, Cannon, for everything.” She marched out from under the covering of the overhang.
Cannon kept pace with her.
“You can go on home.” Her feet splashed through puddles in the road.
“I’ll make sure you get in first.”
Yup, very protective. The area looked so damned dark, she could only be grateful for his vigilance. “All right, thanks.”
Though the rain had slowed, they were both drenched in the short time it took them to reach the front door to the building. Avery drew a deep breath, opened the door and turned to Cannon. “Now, if only Rowdy lets me in...” The wind whipped up again, throwing her jacket open.
He glanced down at her chest, then away. “He’ll let you in. Trust me.” He took the door from her to keep the wind from ripping it away. “Go on, then.”
Avery glanced down at her chest, too. Oops. The rain had penetrated her jacket and her shirt. It clung to her skin, outlining...everything. Added to that, her jeans were soaked to midthigh, her hair sodden.