The One That I Want (Scorned Women Society Book 3) by Piper Sheldon (e book reader android txt) 📕

“I think this went really well,” she said.

“Agreed.” I cleared my throat because my voice had gone a bit funny. “I look forward to working with you.”

Her pen tapped rapidly on her notebook. “Let’s go to dinner,” she said without looking up.

I froze. My heart pounded like she’d just proposed marriage. “Wh-what?”

“Tonight. Let’s go get some dinner and celebrate. There’s this fun bar in town, I can show you.”

“As a date?” I asked. That at least, caused her to look up.

“As two people who have had a great day and breakthrough,” she said carefully.

“Okay,” I said even as my brain screamed that this was a bad idea. I was just finally proving my professional self and showing her I was more than a good time. “That sounds good.”

I was gonna regret this.

My eyes went to her wrist where a little glimpse of tattoo showed again. Were they trying to entice me now? They seemed to be jumping out more and more. She pulled the sleeves down to cover the area.

“Are you ever going to show me those?” I asked.

Her cheeks flushed. “No.”

“I showed you mine. You show me yours.” As soon as the flirtatious words were out, I could have smacked myself. I was nervous about dinner and it had just happened. I’d done so good—well, mostly good—all day keeping my feelings locked down and my professional demeanor in place. But those flashes of her tattoos were incendiary. I needed to see more.

“Not today, Colonel,” she said.

I’d almost forgotten what we were talking about I was so lost in dirty thoughts.

“So you’re saying someday?” I teased.

“Go. Eat.” She playfully pushed me toward the door with her foot.

I grabbed her leg without thinking. My fingertips circled her dainty ankle. If I followed my gaze up her leg, I’d reach her skirt. And past that … I forced my focus to stay where I held her. I was hard in an instant. A glimpse of ankle and I reacted like it was the Regency era.

We both stared at my hand on her ankle. My thumb moved in a circle along the silky material and delicate bone. I shook with desire. What if I sank before her on my knees? What if I just pushed her leg up on to my shoulder? What if I kissed along her long, beautiful legs until she moaned my name, lost in pleasure?

“Sanders,” she said. Her chest was flushed as my gaze finally tore away from her ankle. “I’ll see you tonight? Okay?”

I gently lowered her leg to the ground. Time to get the fuck out of there. “Sounds good.”

I left without another look back. Tonight was going to require a strong game plan.

Chapter 17

Roxy

It wasn’t a date. It definitely wasn’t. I just wanted to look good for myself. It was just dinner with Sanders. It wasn’t helping that I owned absolutely no clothes. A closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, a biography. I settled on jean shorts that would have been way too short if not for the black fishnets I wore under them and laced-up combat boots. I topped it with a black tank top that hid none of my tattoos. Sanders wanted to see them, well, now he would. I left my hair down, lined my eyes with heavy eyeliner, and slicked on lip gloss that stung my lips into a ridiculous pout.

Genie’s was packed. Always. The country bar was the place to be when you wanted a drink and to hear some music without any trouble. I glanced at the table I’d sat at with the SWS not that long ago when Erik Fricking Jones played Elton John on the piano. That was crazy. I wondered if Kim was going to get me that autograph. Not that I would admit it but, Lord, that would be amazing.

I wished I could send a message to the SWS group text, just to tell them I missed them. But they’d definitely think I was dying if I sent a text like that. I wished I could explain that my distance was to preserve my way of life and that included our friendship. I just had to get through another week with Sanders and things would be back to normal. I held my phone in my hand, looked at the last text from a week ago: a less peppy Kim checking in and all of our half-hearted replies. I put my phone away.

I waved to Patty, as I made my way to the small table in the back. I felt a few sets of eyes on me but kept my face relaxed which was enough of a red flag for most people. Green Valley was filled with a bunch of nosey nellies. Nothing about me screamed “approachable.”

She took my order of a vodka soda and I waited. Sanders should be here any minute. My hand lifted to fix my bangs but I dropped it back to my lap. I’d felt really good after our meeting this morning. I was ready to fully admit that I’d misjudged Sanders on a lot of levels but it was clear now that he took Outside the Box very seriously and had a mind for details. I wasn’t ready for him to completely take the lead on this corporate retreat but it was so easy to trust him. Freakily so. I didn’t like it.

After my drink was dropped off, the bar grew even more crowded. I fought very hard to not check the door every five seconds. I had to trust that he’d come. Tonight wasn’t a big deal, just two people hanging out.

At the bar, a man I recognized from my old days at the Dragon Bar kept eyeing me. He wasn’t a Wraith, they didn’t hang out here, but there was something familiar about him. He was tattooed, bearded, sort of hot in that typical angry biker way. If you were to look up “Roxy’s ideal man” ten years