Brazen

'Who's watching the bar?'

'Who do you think?'

She grinned.

'What else are you doing out here?' he asked.

'Mmm. Just thinking.' Her gaze traveled over the body she'd already memorized inch by tantalizing inch. 'Any reason you wear the same type of clothes to work each night?' she asked.

He glanced down. Not that he'd notice, but the white shirt pulled tightly across his chest, and his faded jeans stretched snugly over his muscular thighs. Tailor-made for his athletic build.

He shrugged. 'Cuts down on that shopping men hate so much.'

She laughed.

'And?' he asked.

'And what?'

'And what else is going through that beautiful head of yours? You only come outside for air when you need time to think.'

She cursed his perception. She loved how well he knew her. But she hadn't come to any conclusions herself yet, and she certainly couldn't share the process with him. 'I was wondering how to tell Zee.'

'Tell Zee what, honey?' The screen door opened wide and the older man stepped through.

'Now it's a damn convention out here,' Mac muttered.

She glanced from Mac to the older man, both people she'd grown to care about. 'How to…' She cleared her throat. 'How to say goodbye.'

Mac frowned at her choice of topics. Turning to Zee, he asked, 'Who's watching the bar?'

Zee didn't answer. Maybe because his mind, too, was on her departure. A light wind picked up and Sam shook her hair out of her eyes. She twisted the ring on her finger without meeting Mac's gaze.

'You ever think of giving people privacy, Zee?'

'If Sammy Jo wants me gone, she'll say so.'

Mac rolled his eyes.

She didn't think she'd ever meet a character like Zee again. Despite his antics, the old man had a sharp wit and an even sharper mind. She had a hunch that Mac relied on Zee's aged wisdom more than he let on. She loved the old coot for that, Sam thought. At least when she was gone, she'd know someone was looking out for her sexy bartender.

A lump formed in her throat, and she reached out to pat Zee's weathered hand.

He turned to Mac. 'You ever think maybe I want to say a personal goodbye to Sammy Jo? Besides, you have thirsty people inside, so get.'

Sam looked into Mac's serious gaze and her heart twisted. Both knew they had all night ahead of them. And neither wanted to think about tomorrow.

'You heard the man, Mac.' She forced a smile. 'Now get.'

'I've got the two of you ganging up on me,' he muttered as he rose and headed inside. The door slammed behind him.

'He's a good boy, Sammy Jo.'

'I know.'

'And you're a fine lady. I knew it the minute you hobbled into the bar. Don't ask me how. At my age, if I can't trust my instincts, I got nothing left to trust.'

'You're perceptive,' she agreed.

'But you're both young. And stupid. You think because you are young you've got all the time in the world.' He looked up into the star-filled night sky and shrugged. 'Maybe you do, maybe you don't. But if you ask me, it'd be a damn shame to waste any of it.'

'Life's more complicated than that, Zee.'

He placed his hand over hers. 'Only if you make it that way, honey. We've all got choices. You make the right one.'

She sighed, wishing the right thing for herself didn't involve so much grief and heartache for others. 'Whatever happens, I'm glad I met you,' she told the older man.

He smiled. 'Me, too. Bear called and he'll be back tomorrow, his lady in tow. Think I'll be called Grandpa any time soon?'

She grinned. 'I hope so.'

'Think you'll stick around long enough to meet my son?'

'What I think is that you're trying to work your way back to the subject of what I'm planning to do.'

His cackle echoed into the night. 'You're pretty perceptive yourself. At least I know Mac found himself a woman who won't let him get away with any crap.'

She most certainly wouldn't, Sam thought. And immediately wondered when she'd decided that.

* * *

Mac sat on the edge of the bed and stretched his arms over his head, groaning in what had to be absolute exhaustion.

'Long night?' Sam asked. She glanced out of the bathroom where she'd been washing up to see him flop backward, hitting the mattress hard.

Good. He wouldn't be joining her any time soon. If he peeked inside, she'd lose her nerve. Another glance told her he'd kicked his feet out in front of him.

'You have to ask?'

'No.' She understood only too well. An emotionally draining week lay behind her. Every night at the bar had been physically exhausting, and tonight was no different. But she refused to let a week of passion-filled bliss end on a down note.

Tonight was their last time together, and no matter how chivalrous he thought he was being, she intended to get under his skin one final time. They deserved closure. She needed to feel him inside her one final time. With a little luck, she'd give him something to remember, too.

'The bar was busy tonight,' she called out to him. 'More than usual?'

'About the same. Bear won't complain that I lost business while he was away.'

'Good. Have you rented above this place long?'

She thought she heard a grunt, but with the water running from the faucet in the sink, she couldn't be sure. 'Can't hear you,' she called. 'But I'll be out in a few minutes.'

'Take your time.'

She paused to splash cold water on her face and brush her teeth before undressing and redressing, making sure the hooks and clasps latched onto their proper mates. The whole process should have taken no more than a minute, but she'd never worn a contraption like this before and her shaking hands added to the ordeal.

'The darn thing should have come with an instruction manual,' she muttered. She didn't know how she'd walk out of the bathroom dressed like this, and she wanted desperately to change into the nightshirt lying in the other room. Instead she snapped the last clasp in place and drew a deep breath. She'd bought the lingerie on a whim, brought it with her on impulse, but never, ever had she planned on facing a live male while wearing it.

That was before she met Mac. He'd changed her plans. She feared he would change her life. Right now she needed to make sure he was occupied and not peeking.

'Listen to us discussing the day's business,' she called out. 'We sound like an old married couple.'

Silence punctuated her statement. Silence that gave her time to think and realize she'd blundered. 'Oops. I probably shouldn't be joking about being married with a man I've known less than a week.' More silence. 'The M- word probably has you thinking of ropes, as in a noose around your neck. Ball and chain, maybe.' She laughed aloud, a nervous laugh, and not only because he still hadn't answered. She'd just described her views on her upcoming marriage, the thought of which frightened her more every minute she spent with Mac.

Speaking of whom, maybe he'd fallen asleep. No, she couldn't get that lucky. 'Okay, Mac. I get the point.' She drew a breath for courage and prayed he wouldn't think she looked like a fool if he was up.