Savage in a Stetson (Crossroads #4) - Em Petrova Page 0,18
guy. You might know him—Savage Cole, the rodeo guy who just opened Savage’s Barbecue.”
She nearly bit off her own tongue to keep from releasing the sharp scream of fury rising up her throat. The words to “Greased Lightning” revolved through her head as her nervous habit of singing threatened to come forth.
“You’re serious?”
“Sorry, Jada. If I had another to sell ya, I would.”
She turned on her heel and started to walk out of the store, but she stopped in her tracks at the huge cart stacked with bags of charcoal. She spun to stare at the clerk again. “Those grills you sold Savage”—his name came out as a growl—“were they propane?”
“Uh…no, they’re charcoal grills.”
“And did he happen to purchase any charcoal from you?” She already knew the answer—she hadn’t seen a single bag in the bed of Dom’s truck.
He straightened. “No, he didn’t.”
“I’ll take every bag you got.” She yanked her credit card out of her wallet.
What had the man said to her last night, right before he took her on her desk? All’s fair in love and barbecue joints.
She’d see how well his grills worked without any charcoal.
On the road back to her restaurant, she passed Dom making another trip to the hardware store. Laughing to herself, she slammed her boot down on the gas pedal to rush to the two gas stations in town that might sell charcoal. She planned to load her truck with the stuff and leave not so much as a briquette for her competitor.
When she bumped back into her own parking lot, Carolee and her husband stood outside waiting for her. Carolee greeted her the minute she climbed from her truck. “Still no power.” She shot a look at the charcoal heaped in her truck. “What on earth?”
She pointed at Savage’s. “He’s got all the grills—I bought all the charcoal.”
Carolee shot a look at her husband and they both howled with laughter. Between snorts, the woman said, “Girl, remind me never to get on your bad side!”
Seconds later, tires squealed on asphalt in front of Savage’s, and then Dom drove fast and furious into a space in front of his building.
“Hurry, help me unload so he sees.” Jada ran around to the back of her vehicle and eased her tailgate down. The three of them began hefting bags of charcoal out and carrying them up to the front of the restaurant.
The plan did the trick—after only two trips to the truck, Dom stood in front of Jada, hands on hips like a gunslinger.
“I can’t believe you.” His voice sounded as a rough rasp.
She set her fists on her hips too. “Looks like I learned from the master of deceit.”
“Deceit?”
“Yeah, you bought up all the grills knowing full well that it’s the only way for us to earn any money at all today!”
“And you bought all the charcoal. It looks like we’re at a standoff.”
* * * * *
She was clever, he’d give her that. And adorable. He wanted to find the nearest desk or picnic table and have his way with her again.
But he had only an hour before he needed to open his restaurant, and he’d just dropped a fortune on grills he had no charcoal for.
“Neither of us can serve customers.”
She folded her arms, plumping her breasts up higher. “Looks that way.”
He swung his gaze from her huge stack of charcoal to his grills. “I’ll share if you do.”
She hiked up a thin blonde brow. “You’ll give me a grill for what?”
“Ten bags of charcoal.”
“Deal.” She thrust out her hand, and he wrapped his fingers around it. The feel of her silky skin reminded him of other silky parts he wanted nothing more than to touch, lick and nibble again.
She started to withdraw her hand from his grasp, and he yanked her in. She reeled forward and thumped into his chest. When she tipped her face up to shoot him a glare, he bent down and took her mouth.
It wasn’t gentle or a promise. It was a claiming, and they both damn well knew it.
He latched onto her waist and tugged her closer. When she issued a moan, he thrust his tongue inside her mouth. As he plundered her, he realized he had to figure out this lust between them and how to tame it.
She worked a hand up his chest and then shoved hard. He released her and stepped back. Chest working, he gazed into her eyes.
“The deal was charcoal. Not kisses.” She pointed at her pile. “Take your ten bags