Undeniable (A Country Roads Novel) Read Online Free PDF Page B

pouring a generous amount of the golden liquid into a metal container that he pulled out from under the bar. He added many other brightly colored liquids from bottles behind the counter before he put a metal top on the container and shook it. He poured his concoction into the glasses; it was an orangish red that reminded Grace of a sunset. “Drink up,” he said, putting a straw in each glass and pushing them across the bar to Harper and Grace.
    Grace grabbed her drink and took a long sip. It tasted like citrus, strawberries, something else that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, and a healthy dose of tequila.
    “Mmm, what is this called?” Harper asked, sounding like she was in heaven.
    “The Dragon Killer.”
    “This is amazing,” Grace said, closing her eyes and taking a long pull.
    When she opened her eyes again, she saw Jax staring at her out of the corner of her eye.
    “What?” she asked, turning to him.
    “Nothing,” he said, shaking his head and turning his focus to the TV that was mounted on the wall behind the bar.
    “He seems moodier than usual,” Grace whispered out of the side of her mouth at Harper.
    “That’s probably because of what you’re wearing, darling. He can actually see the outline of your boobs and he doesn’t know what to do with himself,” Harper whispered around the straw that was still in her mouth.
    “I have a few ideas,” Grace whispered back.
    “Oh, I’m sure you do.”
    “What are you two whispering about?” Shep asked, moving in front of them again.
    “How the Red Sox are going to kick your beloved Yankees in the ass,” Grace said, pasting on her customary smart-ass grin.
    “You want to bet, Princess?” Jax asked.
    Grace looked at Jax over her shoulder and batted her eyes at him. “Absolutely, big boy. How much?”
    “We get to make the terms,” Harper burst out before Jax could say anything.
    “What?” Grace asked, turning to look at her.
    “We get to make the terms, me, Shep, Brendan, and Bennett. And you two don’t get to see what the wager is until the game is done.”
    “I don’t know about that,” Jax said.
    Grace turned to look at him and grinned wickedly. “Scared?” she taunted.
    “Not on your life. Fine, you guys make the terms,” he said, leaning back and taking another sip of his beer.
    “Give me a napkin,” Harper said as she dug a pen out of her purse.
    She scribbled something down, her hand covering what she wrote from everyone’s view. She folded the napkin in half and passed it to Shep. Shep unfolded the napkin, and his mouth split into a grin before he passed it to Bennett, who laughed before he handed it to Brendan.
    “Boy am I ever so glad I came out tonight,” Brendan said, passing the napkin back to Shep, who shoved it in his back pocket.
    “Shake on it,” Harper demanded.
    “Prepare to be walloped,” Grace said as she stuck out her hand.
    “Princess, you’re the one who’s in for a world of pain,” he said as his long, strong fingers wrapped around the back of her hand. Their hands pumped once, before they let go.
    Jax’s words affected Grace because she knew that far beyond this bet he had the power to hurt her more than anyone else.
    *  *  *
    It was the bottom of the ninth, and the score was 7–5, the Yankees leading. The Yankees had been pitching a fairly good game, but with only one out and a Red Sox player on both first and second, it wasn’t over.
    Jax was on edge, but it had less to do with the game and more to do with the woman next to him.
    What the hell was wrong with him?
    From the moment she’d walked into the bar he’d been a freaking mess. It was taking everything in him to focus on the game, and not the constant feel of her leg brushing up against his, or the ever-present smell of her soft perfume. He just wanted to push his nose into the hollow of her throat and inhale.
    And what the hell were the terms of the bet? What the hell had he agreed to? He’d lost his damn mind.
    It was all