Page 17 of His Surrender

Once Brent left again, Jay’s gaze locked back to mine. He looked pleased with himself, the bastard. “Are you frowning this time, or is it just your face?”

“It’s not cool to lead people on.”

“Who says I’m leading him on?” Jay feigned innocence. Because there was no way in hellhewas the angel he pretended to be right then. “I asked him to bring me a cigar.”

Sure enough, Brent returned moments later with the cigar. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No, thank you,” Jay responded, amping up his charm as he winked at the kid. “But I’ll let you know if that changes.”

Annoyance—more than likely combined with my desire for him—drove me to stand from my chair and go over to plop down in the other one at his table. “Enough of the games,” I said, pointing my cigar at him.

Though it was brief, shock flashed in his eyes, as though he wasn’t used to anyone taking charge. The cool exterior returned almost instantly. “Games? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I turned you down and you can’t handle it, so you’re flirting with someone else to irritate me.”

Damn him and that stupid gleam of mischief in his green eyes. “If you aren’t interested in me, why does it irritate you, Mr. Barnett?”

“Cut the crap. You damn well know I’m into you.”

“I know you are.” Jay leaned forward and grabbed my cigar even though he had his own, taking a drag off it before handing it back to me, his gaze unwavering to mine. It was probably the hottest thing I’d ever seen, and the wires in my brain fizzled for a moment. “I just wanted you to admit it.”

“Why? To inflate your already massive ego?”

When he smiled again, it took all the willpower I had not to leap across the table, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and… I didn’t even know. Punch him? Kiss him? Jay Foley drove me crazy in every way possible.

“Hey, you’re the one who approachedmetonight,” he responded. “I said I wouldn’t bother you again, and I meant it.” That infuriating smirk returned. “And here you are, seeking me out instead.”

“I didn’t seek you out. We happened to be in the same place, so I wanted to be polite. I can see now I shouldn’t have bothered.”

“What do you say—” Jay leaned forward on the table, bringing that magnetic attraction closer and drawing me in. “—we take this conversation somewhere more private?”

I can’t give in to him.

I scoffed. “Why? So you can try to seduce me? Hate to break it to you, but your charms won’t work on me. I see right through you, Mr. Foley.” I dabbed my cigar on the ashtray to put it out. “I won’t be another notch on your bedpost no matter how hard you try.”

“We’ll see about that.” The challenge sparked in his eyes.

“You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re like a block of ice I’m goin’ to have so much fun melting down.”

“We’ll see about that,” I said, echoing his words from earlier. I stood and adjusted my hat. “I’d tell you to have a good night, but frankly, I don’t give a damn if you do or not.”

“Ouch,” Jay said, putting a hand to his chest. “That cut deep.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone here who’ll help you forget all about that fake pain in your heart.”

Jay puffed on his cigar, his eyes fixed on mine, before exhaling the smoke and tilting his head up to me. The action drew my attention to his pale throat. “Why are you so cruel?”

Because of men like you.

“It’s not cruel to call you out on your shit,” I answered. “I have better things to do than stand here and debate it.”

“I thought you were leaving.”

“I am,” I said with a huff.

“In that case…” He inhaled more smoke before expelling it into the air. “Spokoynoy nochi.”