He made an impressed faced."You have your own business?"
"Yes. But right now it justseems so...unimportant."
"Yeah. When crap happens,everything else seems trivial."
"You sound like you've beenthere."
"Yeah. Been there. Done that.Screwed up big time."
"Want to talk about it?"
His mouth twisted wryly. "Notreally."
"Okay. I get it."
Their eyes met and they stared ateach other for a long moment. Attraction tugged at her, a connection drew herto him, and something softened and expanded in her chest. She blinked andlooked away.
The bartender appeared with thestranger's steak dinner.
The smell of the charbroiled meatand golden, greasy fries wafted toward Marli and made her mouth water. Funny.She hadn't had any appetite lately.
She turned away from him to let himeat. "Have some fries," he offered, motioning to the huge mound ofthem on the plate.
"No, thanks."
He cut into the steak, and they satin silence while he ate his dinner, the twang and dip of country music growinglouder as the night wore on.
Out of the corner of her eye, shesaw him lay his knife and fork on the empty plate. "I can't believe youate the whole thing," she remarked. It had been a generous steak.
He grinned. "Trying to bulkup."
She looked him up and down."You don't need to bulk up. You look great." She closed her eyes. Shit!She was not flirting. It had just popped out of her mouth...and...and itwas only the truth!
"Uh...thanks." He crumpledup the paper napkin and tossed it onto the plate, pushed it away from him. Hetook a swallow of his beer. "So...wanna dance?"
"No, no thanks."
"Come on."
His sexy voice tempted Marli. Sheloved dancing. She loved men. She loved--correction--she used to lovehaving fun. She wasn't here for fun tonight.
"I said no thanks."
"Hey, no problem." He puthis hands in the air.
He turned his head and lifted a handto catch the attention of the bartender, who was down at the other end mixingsome drinks.
"Can I buy you anotherdrink?" he offered. "Hey, I'm Trey, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Trey,"she said, sliding off the stool. "I'm leaving."
"Wait!" Trey put a hand onthe pretty blonde's arm.
Panic flashed in her amazinggreen-gold eyes. This was one jumpy woman.
"Wait," he said again,softly. "Don't go on my account. I'll leave you alone, if that's what youwant."
She stopped, looked down at his handon her arm and jerked away from him.
"Really. I'm not trying to pickyou up or anything. I wouldn't even know how." He grimacedself-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry if I was bothering you."
He didn't care if she stayed orleft. Except--she did intrigue him.
Light reddish-gold hair hung downher back in long spirals, hair that he wanted to fill his hands with. She hadthe biggest, most expressive green eyes he'd ever seen, and the overwhelmingsadness in them made his breath stick in his chest.
"I don't need anotherdrink." She sat down again.
She wasn't leaving. Whew. Therelief shifting through him was crazy, since he'd just told her he'd leave heralone. "Are you sure? I'd even spring for a beer, if you wanted one."
She smiled crookedly.
"Seriously," he said,"if you want me to stop talking to you, just say so. I'll go sit somewhereelse." He met her eyes. What had put that nervous shimmer in them?
"You don't have to move. Justknow that I don't pick up strange guys in bars. I don't let them buy me drinks,I don't dance with them, and I don't flirt with them."
"Hey." Her vehementprotests made him wonder what had happened to her. He put a hand on his chestas if wounded. "I'm not strange."
She choked out a laugh, and for somereason it made him feel...proud. Like he'd done something good for a change."I mean, I don't know you."
He studied her out of the corner ofhis eye. She was slim, but full breasts pushed against a thin white T-shirt.She sat with one long, long leg crossed over the other, wearing jeans and apair of pointy-toed shoes, one of which hung from the toe of the top foot in asexy, inviting way. He couldn't take his eyes off that foot, gently swinging intime to the music. Even though she hated country music. Her green eyes hadlittle flecks of gold that made them sparkle. There was a lot of life in thoseeyes, even though her face was serious.
Now what? It had been a hell of along time since he'd tried to make conversation with a girl in a bar. Not thathe was trying to pick her up. He was just curious.
"You look like you needcheering up," he commented, changing the subject and taking another swigof his Pale Ale.
One corner of her mouth turned up."I don't think that's possible."
"Wow. Sounds pretty bad."
"My life is shit rightnow," she said. "You don't even want to try to cheer me up.You should go find someone else if you want to have some fun."
He looked back at her steadily."I'm not looking for fun," he said. "My life is shit right now,too. Maybe we could just keep each company in our misery."
He had her attention again. Her lipscurved into a reluctant smile. "We're pretty pathetic, aren't we?"
He grinned. Saw her eyes widen inresponse. Liked it. His body responded with a tightening in his groin."Yeah."
"Listen, would you at leasttell me your name?"
She pursed those pretty lips, andhis cock twitched. "It's Marli."
"Marli," he repeated."I like it."
"I really shouldn't be doingthis."
"Doing what?"
"Talking to you." She bither lower lip in a sexy nibble. "Look, you seem really nice and...well,really hot." She closed her eyes, putting a hand to her forehead."Damn."
He stared at her, arousal cominglingwith bemusement.
"I like talking to you,"she continued, "but I can't do this. I can't be...having fun."
He knew only too well what shemeant. "Yeah, I know. You're not allowed to have fun or enjoy yourself.The world should just stop and know your pain. Isn't that right?"
She drew in
