Mine to Keep (NOLA Knights #3) - Rhenna Morgan Page 0,32
head. “Looks like you’re on your own, buddy.”
An odd look swept over his features, the same smoldering heat that had fired when she’d first opened her apartment door four nights ago. That night, he’d smothered it quickly, but now he didn’t bother to mask it. Just aimed all that tall, dark and deadly right at her. “You would not intervene on my behalf?”
Intervene.
For some reason, the way he said it made her brain pair the word with a very hands-on mental image. A deliciously vivid plan of attack that required a shoulders-to-toes connection and as few clothes as possible.
Stop. Getting. Ideas. Bonnie.
But she had entertained all kinds of ideas in the last several days. Many times over. Most stemming from that one frozen moment when she’d gotten a very tangible feel of how rock solid every inch of him was. Just thinking about that handful of seconds got her heart moving fast enough to count as a cardio routine and left her muscles quivering like Jell-O shots.
Unable to hold his gaze without giving her thoughts away, she waved him off and made a show of checking supplies behind the bar. “You don’t need my help. Just wad up a twenty, throw it across the bar and run for it. That’s what all the smart guys do.”
She cleared her throat and checked how her customers were doing. “So...you guys want a drink? Not exactly your kinda crowd, I know, but I gotta earn my keep.”
Cassie considered Bonnie for all of a second. “Actually...” She looked to Kir then Roman. “Can you two give me a minute? Alone?”
Kir and Roman traded some sort of he-man silent communication over the top of Cassie’s head before Kir kissed her temple and said, “We will wait by the door.”
“Thanks,” Cassie said, laying her hand over his before he pulled away.
Roman didn’t look nearly as confident in giving them alone time. Probably because he’d taken a gander once or twice at the assholes at the corner table and had the same opinion of them as Bonnie did. Still, he dipped his head to Bonnie before he turned. “Good night, malen’kaya koroleva.”
“Hmm,” Cassie muttered as he walked away. “That’s a new one.”
“What’s a new one?”
“That saying. I haven’t heard it before. I’ll have to ask him what it means.”
“Well, if you figure it out, let me know. He wouldn’t tell me.”
Cassie’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, really?” That silly grin of hers notched a little higher before she studied the liquors lined up behind Bonnie. “What’s good to drink here?”
“Got no clue. I’m anti-alcohol.”
The smile disappeared, replaced with utter confusion. “You work in a bar and you don’t drink?”
“Got a family full of people who drink more than enough and never saw a good thing come of it, so no.”
“Hmm.” She scanned the bottles once more and screwed her lips to one side. “Can you swing a margarita?”
“On the rocks, sure. No frozen ones, though. The machines are pricey and our folks mostly order well drinks.”
Cassie dipped her head. “Okay then. One margarita. After you take care of everyone else.”
“Fine.” Bonnie paused before heading to the opposite end of the bar. “But do me a favor. If anyone even looks like they’re gonna hit on you, hustle out of here before Kir can kill them. Cops are horrible for business.”
Getting the patrons closest to her lined out took almost no time at all. Getting Trixie to stop asking questions about the hot guys by the door and get her orders out to her tables was an entirely different matter.
“Oh, come on,” Trixie whispered while Bonnie worked. “I’m not askin’ you to set up a blind date. Just introduce me.”
“They’re with someone.”
“The blond dude’s with someone. The big brute is flying solo. Unless you’re hooking up with him, or something.”
“Oh, no.” Bonnie shook her head and loaded up the last of Trixie’s orders. “I’ve had my share of badasses, thank you very much.” She pushed the tray to Trixie. “If you think you’re up for knockin’ down that tree, then you’re on your own, big girl. Have fun.”
With a pouty hmmph, Trixie took the tray and headed off to deliver her goods, a frighteningly determined gleam behind her brown eyes that almost made her feel sorry for Roman.
Bonnie sighed, walked back to Cassie and started on her margarita.
Crossing both hands on the bar in front of her, Cassie leaned in and murmured, “I take it she’s not the easiest gal to work with?”