Page 11 of Hard Rock Heat

I headed back into the dining room to pull the tablecloths off each table and put them into bags. The laundry service would pick them up at the back entrancetomorrow.

I still had half the room to go when a hand shoved itself in front of my face. I started and jumped back. I ran into a firmchest.

"Don't you think it's time to take a rest?" Damonasked.

I turned to find him holding out a shot glass of clear liquid, with one in each hand. My belly immediately tightened, remembering his request to take off my panties. I steeledmyself.

"The bar is supposed to be closed," Isaid.

"I'mpersuasive."

"I can see that," I said. "Didn't have enough to drink during the event? You need to continue getting hammered after it'sover?"

"This one is for you." He gestured to the shot glass in his right hand. His large, strong, callusedhand.

"I'm working," Isaid.

"You said it yourself. The event'sover."

"I still have to clean up. By myself, may I add. Did you and my intern go off to screw in a closet somewhere? Is that why shedisappeared?"

He tilted his head, confused. "I have no idea where your intern is." He looked around the room. "How about this. You do a shot and I'll stay to help you cleanup."

"Right. You'll help me clean. Have you ever done an honest day's work in yourlife?"

"Honestwork? No." He grinned. "But I'm a strapping young lad. I can stack those tables and chairs away easier than youcan."

I scrutinized him. "You really want to stay and help me cleanup?"

"If you do ashot."

"Why are you so hell bent on getting me drunk?" I raised an eyebrow. "Planning on taking advantage ofme?"

"I would never." He looked offended. "You're just so tense it's giving me a headache. You need to let your hair down alittle. "

"I've been on my feet for sixteen hours, Damon. My hair is a metaphorical frazzledmess."

"You won't be drinking alone." He lifted the second shot glass. "I brought one for me,too."

"You're not going to leave me alone until I drink this, areyou?"

"Do I need to dare you?" His eyes narrowed, devilishly amused. "I know how much you hate backingdown."

With an exasperated sigh, I took the shot from him and knocked it back. It burned the whole way down, but I kept a straightface.

Damon drank his down quick. He didn't grimaceeither.

I pointed to the tables that already had the tablecloths removed. "Go fold those and put them in the corner. Then go stack up all thechairs."

"Sir, yes sir." He gave me asalute.

I was a bit of a lightweight, so even one shot gave me a small buzz. I had to admit, the tension in my shoulders lessened. My feet stopped aching in my pumps, the Diana Six brand shoes I bought because they were supposed to be like walking onclouds.

I expected Damon to make a nuisance of himself, but he worked steadily. When everything was put away, we stood in the middle of the empty conference hallway, doing lastchecks.

"That did go by a lot faster with two people," I acknowledged. "Thank you. You were a greathelp."

"You sound surprised." He learned against a wall casually. "You know, before we hit it big with Darkest Days, we had to lug our own equipment around. We didn't have roadies andassistants."