Leather, Lace and Rock-n-Roll (SEALS, Inc., Book 1)

Leather, Lace and Rock-n-Roll

"Really?" His interest piqued. "This is the first time I've ever been told my show was educational."

"I found out several things." Her sparkling eyes flashed in the candlelight. "I discovered that your security guard is a breast man, and that most women are not there to hear the music. But most importantly, I learned that it's perfectly acceptable to go to a rock concert bare-bottomed with my panties in my pocket."

Hawke choked on his wine, coughing as the liquid fire burned the back of his throat and the vision of Rachel without panties knocked him on his ass.

"Don't mind me, Hawke." She handed him a napkin. "Sometimes I'm a little too matter-of-fact for my own good. Brains instead of beauty."

He stopped sopping the wine from his shirt. "What?"

"I said, brains instead of beauty. Brainiacs like me tend to be quite verbal."

"Who told you that?"

"No one." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Forget it."

"Whoever said that was a blind idiot," he mumbled as he tossed the wet napkin on the table.

A waiter appeared out of nowhere with several napkins. Within seconds, Hawke was dry and dinner was ordered.

"Look, Hawke." Rachel folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. "It's very sweet of you to compliment me, but it's not necessary. I know the score. I'm not the party girl you saw at the bar. Cameron decided I needed a night out, that's all. Gorgeous, successful, famous men like you hang slinky, beautiful supermodels from their arms. Not women like me."

Hawke tossed her words back and forth in his mind. She honestly believed every word she said.  And if he disagreed, he risked cementing her warped image of him.

"You think I'm gorgeous?"

She eyed him narrowly from across the table. "I forgot egotistical."

He unfolded her arms, took her hand in his, and braided their fingers. "I thought you were beautiful when I first saw you last night, even more so when you extracted me from the jaws of death, and absolutely breathtaking tonight."

Rachel's eyes bounced from their enjoined hands into his eyes. He witnessed her inner battle as she digested his compliment. Believe me.

"Thank you," she said finally. "You've probably worked very hard to perfect that line."

Hawke frowned at her response. She was genuinely oblivious to the extent of her beauty. And her brains doubled the effect. But what was more incredible was her belief that he was feeding her a line. Fine. He'd go along.

He laughed lightly. "It's my best one."

Hawke reached for his glass again, almost hurt by her accusation. And why the hell was he so concerned? He took a long drink and glanced around the room in an effort to reel in his unusual irritation. Only, much to his dismay, things would not get better anytime soon. A cold chill climbed all thirty three vertebrae of his spine when he spotted two reasons for Rachel's conclusion walking straight toward him, dressed to the nines with tanned skin and cleavage leading the way.

He set his wineglass on the table and glanced at Rachel to see if she'd noticed. I told you so resonated from the depths of her eyes but she only shrugged.

Hawke actually grimaced when the two women stopped at the table. He took a deep breath and stood. His only option now was to see how this played out.

"Hawke," the tall blonde purred, "I had no idea you were still in town."

Hawke planted a brief kiss on her cheek. "Hello, Ava. I decided to stick around after the show this time." He leaned to greet the second, red-headed woman in the same manner. "Nice to see you too, Erica."