Magic and Alphas: A Paranormal Romance Collection, page 121
“Coming right up.”
When Lana returned to the table with the tray of beverages, she realized that the left sleeve of the man’s golf shirt dangled empty—his left arm was missing entirely. Yet he carried himself with such confidence that she hadn’t noticed until she stood right in front of him.
“Oh, so you are joining me.” One corner of his mouth quirked up in a grin as she served him.
“As much as I would love to, I kind of need my job. Here are your drinks, though, sir.”
“Roman.”
“Roman? That’s your name?”
“It is.”
“I bet other men would kill to have that name.”
“Or just to kill,” he threw in, dryly, but still smiling cheerfully.
“Um... okay.” Lana wasn’t really sure how to respond to that comment. Better take it as a hint to get back to my actual job. “Have you had a chance to look at the menu yet, Roman?” Lana gave him an ever-so-slightly flirtatious look when she repeated his name.
Okay. Maybe not entirely back to my job.
“What I want is definitely not on the menu.”
“Oh, god,” she rolled her eyes in half- feigned disappointment. “You can do better than that, can’t you?”
“Tell me how good I need to be for you.” He leaned in. “And I’ll do it.”
“Maybe I prefer bad over good.” She flashed him a devilish look, even as she knew she was taking a huge risk even flirting with him.
There is no way he can work for Trevor, right? Trevor associates with the scum of the Earth. This guy is way out of Trevor’s league. Roman probably wouldn’t even have Trevor as a janitor.
Or was that wishful thinking? Did it really matter? It wasn’t like flirting would give away her true identity. She wasn’t even sure Trevor was still looking for her.
“I can do that,” he said in a low tone. “I’m pretty good at being bad.”
“And I’ve never heard that one before.” She cocked her head at him.
She was not in any hurry to get his order and move on, but she knew it was only a matter of time before more customers made it back to her section—or worse, before Phil walked by.
“Well, then, I’ll keep trying until I find one you haven’t heard.”
“I don’t know, Roman.” She liked the way his name felt in her mouth. “Working on the River Walk, I sure do hear and see a lot.”
“Well, then, how about some chips and queso while I work on something original. I mean, while I look at the menu?” He winked at her.
“Gotcha,” she confirmed and turns toward the kitchen.
“Thank you, Lana,” he called out to her.
Thank you, Lana, she heard it repeat in her head. How sexy her name sounded coming from his throat. And as much as she hated to admit it, the fact that he was a tiger shifter made him even more attractive to her.
When she returned from the kitchen with his chips and queso, she slowed, taking the opportunity to study him. He sensed her approaching, though, and looked up before she reached the table.
“I got you a fresh batch.” She unloaded the tray. “Made it myself, just in case someone special came to my section tonight.”
And not the usual special ingredient she still kept with her at all times in case one of Trevor’s men showed up. Though that’s never out of the question if my instincts about this Roman guy turn out to be wrong.
“Well, I feel honored,” he said, and it took her a second to catch up as he played along. “It looks like I chose the right section, then.”
“So, what on the menu interests you this evening?”
“I have a confession to make.”
“Oh, do tell.” She smiled back at him, enjoying the banter for the first time in as long as she could remember.
“I wasn’t really looking at the menu. I was thinking how glad I am that I chose to come back here, and that this restaurant is still open.”
“Why wouldn’t it be open?”
“You know how it is. Places on the River Walk change over time.” His answer was too evasive, and suddenly Lana was back on full alert.
“You haven’t been down to the River Walk in a while?” She worked to keep her tone casual.
“I haven’t really been around much in general.”
Crap. This could be bad. Maybe he was one of Trevor’s guys after all? “Are you in the service? Were you deployed?”
“No. Not at all.”
“With all the military bases around, we get a lot of veterans in here. When you said you hadn’t been around, I thought maybe you meant you had been stationed somewhere else.” And it wasn’t an irrational assumption—though she realized that she’d also been assuming his injury was a result of military service. But what else could damage a tiger-shifter so badly that he wouldn’t be able to regenerate his arm when he shifted?
“I’ve just been away. And…” He paused for a second, then took a deep breath and forged on. “And a bit lonely. If you’re feeling like doing a good deed, you could cheer a lonely guy up on his first visit back down to the River Walk in a while.”
Yeah, better to switch the topic back to something lighter. “Well, my parole officer has been on my ass about getting some community service done.”
“Parole officer? Got caught stealing too many men’s hearts?” Roman rolled his eyes and bumped up the cheese-factor of the line.
“Bumping off liquor stores. I had a good run there for a while, but between debit cards and security cameras, it got to be too risky for too small a take.”
“I’ve heard that. Occupational hazard, I guess.”
“Yes. Now, I abduct men against their will and take them for everything they’ve got. You ordered two drinks and an appetizer, so that means you’re rich, right? Carry a lot of cash? That would make my week, if you did. The last two men I tried to roll ended up being dirt poor.”
“Well, I guess it’s your lucky night.” He continued to play along. “I’ve got a ton of cash burning a hole in my pocket, and I’m an easy target. Gullible as all get-out.”
“Promise?” She eyed him.
“I swear on these margaritas’ lives.”
“Speaking of which, you’d better get busy. This humidity is already going to work on them.”
“You first.”
“Nice try.” She gave him a wry grin. “Time to work another angle.”
“I’ll make you a deal. If I finish these two, then go have some drinks with me after your shift.”
“Oh, there’s an accomplishment,” she chuckled lightly. “A big man finishing two drinks. What a goal.”
“I’m a lightweight,” he corrected. “A couple of these, and it’ll be easy for you to abduct me and rob me. Maybe even take advantage of me.”
“A lightweight?” she countered, making a show of examining the breadth of his chest and shoulders. “I highly doubt that.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.”
“Keep trying,” she baited him. A party of four arriving at a table in her section snagged her attention. “I’ll be back to check on you in a minute, sugar.” Oh, why did I say that? She beat a hasty retreat so she didn’t have to catch his reaction to her endearment.
Her new customers were all middle-aged, wearing Nebraska shirts, and carrying bags from stores at the River Center, the upscale mall on the River Walk. They also took an eternity to decide what to drink.
As she waited, a fixed smile on her face, Lana found herself glancing at Roman out of the corner of her eye and wanting to get back to his table. Even though he didn’t exactly have the best pick-up lines, she loved how playful he was.
It’s been too long since I’ve spent time around other tigers. I miss how they could play. The thought left her unexpectedly sad.
To her surprise, Lana realized she was relaxed and comfortable chatting with him, which was rare for her. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s absolutely gorgeous, with his dark eyes and hair and slight Hispanic accent.
Once she got the drink orders, she deliberately passed by Roman’s table to ask how the margaritas are.
“They’d be better if you were having them with me.”
“Of course they would.” She grinned at him as she headed over to the bar.
Carla was a little swamped but made it over to Lana quickly. “Nebraskan party crashers, huh? Looked like you and your guy were hitting it off for a while.”
“Yeah, he’s nice. Loves to flirt.”
“They all do. Is he local or from out of town?”
“Still trying to figure that one out.” Lana wrinkled her brow. “It sounds like maybe he used to live here and moved back. Or maybe he’s visiting.” Or maybe he’s a tiger-shifter on the hunt for a former pack-alpha’s daughter.
“Girl, find out. If he’s only here for a few days, you have to make your move.”
“My move? That’s his job, remember?”
“Not when they look like that, hon. You gotta close the deal, mija.”
Lana laughed aloud. “You’re such a dude.” Talking to Carla always put her in a cheery mood. “Anyway, The State of Nebraska would like four ice waters, three iced teas, and a swirl margarita.”
“Coming right up. Go back and check on your Jefe, before someone else gets him.”
Chapter 3
Roman was almost done with the first margarita as Lana returned to his table. “Lightweight, my ass,” she said.
“I’m hoping large amounts of alcohol will help me come up with the right line to sweep you off your feet.”
“Oh, you already found it. When you told me you had tons of cash and I could have my way with you, it was a done deal. I’m kind of a gold digger that way.” She feigned a serious expression.
Roman roared with laughter. “Excellent. Party on.”
This time, Lana rolled her eyes without having to think about it. “Did you just quote a movie that’s, what? Twenty-five years old? Did that actually happen?”
“I’m old school,” he responded, without missing a beat.
“I can see that.”
“So, then, we’re on for after your shift? You get to rob me, and I get to spend quality time with you?” He was still being flirtatious and playful, without a note of desperation in his voice.
God, I miss being around shifters. She shoved the thought down deep and moved back to flirting. “Where would we go?”
“This is your turf. I’ve been gone for a while, so I was hoping you’d recommend a place.”
“So now I have to pick the place, too? Do I have to do everything?”
“Occupational hazard for a beautiful lady thief who likes to abduct helpless, infatuated men, I guess.”
“You’re funny. Okay, tell you what. I’m in the mood for shots, so I’ll let you take me to my favorite bar. We’ll see if you can keep up.”
“Well, if I can’t, you can always dump me in a back alley.”
“Definitely funny,” she responded as she turned back toward the bar to retrieve her other table’s drinks. As she finished taking their large order, two more parties came in. Cursing her turn of luck, she stopped by Roman’s table on the way to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, but it looks like it’s picking up. Do you know what you want, and I can get it in before these other orders?”
“Oh, beef enchiladas would be great. Thank you, Lana.”
“Sure thing,” she took his menu, not liking the businesslike tone the interaction had taken. To lighten it up, she winked at him. “And I’ll keep bringing you two margaritas at a time.”
“Is there any other way?”
She moved on to the kitchen, keeping her word to put his order in front of the other table. For the next hour or so, her night was extremely busy. Roman was the only low-maintenance table out of the four she was working. The other three kept her on her toes. Carla’s night picked up, too, and the two of them didn’t really get to catch up much—though the bartender did have a few more comments about the hot man taking his time eating his enchiladas, by all appearances waiting for Lana to finish her shift.
Roman was still at his table even after the group from Nebraska left, replaced by another group. He’d downed four margaritas and finished his food by the time she returned to him. “Listen, I’m going to be here another couple of hours, so if tonight’s not a good night, it’s fine. We can catch up another night.”
“Not on your life,” he objected, still full of energy and cheer. “Just let me know what time I should come back and get you.”
She allowed herself one final frisson of anxiety—but if he was one of Trevor’s men, she would have to deal with him eventually, one way or another. “I should be done by 10:30. I can meet you there, so you don’t have to come back.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. And what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady walk alone at night on the River Walk?”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Here’s your check, unless I can get you anything else?”
He merely grinned.
“Okay,” she laughed, realizing she’d set herself up. “Meet me out front at 10:30, then, and we’ll see what you’re made of.”
As Roman got up, Lana thought for a moment that he was going to lean in and kiss her on the cheek, and she was surprised by how tempted she was to let him, despite their environment. When he dug into his pocket, she felt suddenly foolish. Of course he was merely getting ready to pay.
“I’ll see you after my shift, then,” she concluded.
“Looking forward to it.” He flashed that irresistible smile again as she headed toward another table.
He was gone fairly quickly, and when she made it back to the table, she discovered that Roman had not only paid in cash, but he tipped her more than a hundred percent. “Well, that’s a first,” she mumbled, shaking her head and trying to decide whether to be amused. In the end, she simply rolled her eyes.
Flashy tiger.
The night flew by, not only because her section was busy, but because she kept fixating on Roman. He was certainly good-looking by almost any woman’s standards, not to mention full of confidence—but his overtures toward her were almost boyish and definitely clumsy.
Also cute and disarming, she admitted to herself. She was less intimidated by him than she might otherwise be. I have to be careful about that. It might be his way of getting past my guard.
Well, if it was a ploy, it had certainly worked.
Her shift ended up running a little late—part of her worried about that, even though she knew his impressions of her wouldn’t matter in the long run. They couldn’t. Eventually, even if Roman weren’t one of Trevor’s men and even if they hit it off, she would have to leave San Antonio, leave Roman and his charm behind.
But she needn’t have worried. When she stepped out of the restaurant, Roman stood behind some customers waiting for their buzzers to go off to let them know they had a table ready. If it were at all possible, he was even more handsome in the moonlight.
He walked over to her, gracefully moving his arm behind her and leaning over to brush his lips lightly against her cheek. That slight contact was enough to send shivers through her. “It’s good to see you,” he said.
“Thanks for waiting. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“I’m sure you’re worth it. Where are we headed?”
“It’s kind of a ways away, so I hope you don’t mind walking a bit. It’s called the Bat Bar.”
“The Bat Bar?”
“Yeah, because of all of the Mexican Freetailed Bats in the area.” Also a haven for bat-shifters, though she wasn’t about to tell him that. It would be more fun to see what he made of the place. “It hasn’t been open long, but it’s popular. I hope it lasts, because they have a lot of tequilas there you don’t really find often.”
They maneuvered around a small crowd of people coming from the opposite direction, and she found herself on the other side of Roman—the side where he’s missing an arm—and again wondered what had happened. Roman said he wasn’t in the military, and he seemed a little too polished to be someone in a hazardous manual trade. Maybe it had something to do with his history as a tiger-shifter? Could he have seen combat as a member of a streak? She can’t ask about it directly since he doesn’t know she’s also a tiger-shifter. I’ll have to find a way to ask about it indirectly.
“How long have you been in San Antonio?” he asked as they strolled along the rock pathway running alongside the greenish water below. The smell of the river, slightly mossy, warred with the other scents drifting out of the restaurants and bars they passed.
“Not a long time. My parents were stationed here when they passed away, so I simply haven’t left yet.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve moved on,” she said simply, not wanting to have to provide too many details. Better not to get caught in her lies. “Did you say you used to live here, and now moved back?”
“Yes, I did. And tonight was my first chance since I returned to sit back and enjoy myself.”
“Do you have family here?” Or a streak, maybe?
“In a manner of speaking.” She raised her eyebrows and he continued speaking. “Family, yes, but my parents have also passed on. I have some…cousins, though.” That hesitation could be him figuring out how to describe the connections among members of a streak.
“Do you see them often?”
“All the time. We’re a close group.”
“I wish I had something like that,” Lana sighed. “All I have is my roommate, and she is a flight attendant, so she’s gone a lot.”
“A childhood friend?”
“No. I wish. She’s someone I met waiting tables. She’s pretty cool, though. We have a similar sense of humor, so we get along.” Enough talk about herself—she might stray into dangerous territory that way. Time to turn the conversation back around to Roman. “Are you glad to be back in San Antonio?”
“Very glad. I’ve missed it. And I’m excited about this new bar. Of course, I’ve got a head start on you, so I probably won’t be able to keep up.”
“You don’t have to worry. You joked about being a light weight, but I really am one. I enjoy high quality tequila. That’s why I like this place.”
