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.”
They walked the distance, meandering through groups of people and along the curving sidewalk of the San Antonio River’s banks. The Bat Bar was even more packed than usual. Lana was about to suggest they go somewhere else, but then Roman exclaimed how cool it looked. The bar was in a small building, thin and tall. They made their way to the top level and Lana ordered four shots for them.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lana saw Roman was about to make a toast, but she pretended not to notice. “Bottoms up,” she said, slamming her first shot. He blinked, but grinned and followed suit.
It was probably foolish to already be feeling this uninhibited. She knew that, but the more time she spent around Roman, the more she liked him.
It’s time for a change, she decided. Two years was long enough to mourn her father and her mate. And she might be on the run, but that didn’t mean she had to go without companionship. So she’d already made some decisions about this beautiful tiger-shifter. If the night continued to go well, he would be the first tiger-shifter she’d been intimate with since Ian’s death.
It was good that Roman was so different from Ian. For one thing, he was a bit older than she—he’d be the first older man she’d ever been with. The thought of that experience seemed somehow decadent, and it appealed to her. He’d also technically be her first one-night stand—her first time with Ian, under the influence of a hormone-inducing herb, didn’t count, they’d decided long ago. Roman would be the only man she’d ever picked up and gone home with. Or did he pick me up? Either way, when he walked into her restaurant, it had highlighted how lonely she was for other shifters.
One night. That’s all she needed. Only enough to assuage that loneliness a little. Then she could go back to hiding from all other shifters. Maybe begin planning to pick up and leave again. She’d been in San Antonio for over six months, after all. But she could think about that later. Right now, she wanted to live for the moment, focus on the way being with him made her feel.
“Oh, that went down smooth.” Roman breathed out as he put his arm around her, moving in close.
“Well, then, you’re in for a treat.” She glanced up at him by tilting her head up to the side. “If you like this brand, then the next ones will impress you even more.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Then let’s not.” She reached over for their glasses and handed one to him. The first shot was already rushing to her head. She hadn’t eaten much during the day, so the alcohol affected her more quickly than usual—though with her shifter metabolism, it would burn off quickly. At most, a mild, pleasant buzz was all she usually experienced.
“I’ll have to definitely come back here,” Roman said, and then added, “With you, of course.”
Or maybe it was Roman’s nearness that was going to her head. She was finding it harder and harder to keep her sarcastic-waitress façade intact when all she wanted to do was drag him off to a dark corner and kiss him. “Okay. But you have to know what to order. I’ll write it all down for you so you do it right.”
“Much appreciated.” He tipped an imaginary hat her direction, a laugh underscoring his voice. “I’d hate to come across as a complete rube.” The growing crowd in the bar pressed them close to each other—so near that she could smell his tiger-shifter scent, both soothing and arousing.
Lana fought the urge to reach up and run her fingers across his lightly stubbled chin. Instead, she turned her back to the bar, leaning her elbows against it. “You have a last name, Roman?”
He pulled back a little, and Lana found herself missing the heat pouring off his body. “Velazquez. What about you?”
Roman Velazquez. It had a nice ring to it. Even this long after her escape from Trevor and his crew, she has to think about her own alias. “Lana Freeman.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Freeman.” He picked up one of the shot glasses and tipped it her direction.
“And you, Mr. Velazquez.”
As they drank, Lana caught the scent of bat-shifters wafting through the bar. Roman’s nose tilted up and his eyes narrowed as he glanced around for the source of the smell. In the wild, tigers might not have a very strong sense of smell, but it still beat humans’ any day.
At a table in a corner not far away, a female pair of bat-shifters kissed in the dark, tops off, black bras exposed to the enhanced night-vision of the tiger-shifters in their midst.
Roman glanced at them then turned back to Lana, about to say something, but she pre-empted him. “Give you any ideas?”
Did I really say that? What is wrong with me?
“Tons, actually,” he replied, and without missing a beat, he pulled her to him, his arm tight around her waist. The breath whooshed out of her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Gently, he brushed his lips across her, sending a spark of desire flashing down her spine.
Arching her back, she pressed into him, instinctively parting her lips, ready for his tongue to enter her mouth. But his lips played against hers, sending more flickers of heat racing through her, stoking the fire of her need for another tiger. For him.
“Roman.” She whispered his name against his mouth, half unconsciously. His arm tightened around her waist and she molded her body to his as he grew hotter against her.
And still his mouth only danced lightly with hers. With a moan, she threaded her hands through his hair and pulled his lips tight to her, entering his mouth with her tongue, aggressive in a way she’s never been with another tiger. Not even Ian.
Within seconds, Roman matched her intensity, his tongue tangling with hers and sending white-hot excitement to her core.
Oh. I need to back off, or I’m going to end up stripping him down and taking him right here in the bar.