Chapter Ten

“Can I help you?” The question was asked with barely contained civility.

Maverick looked down to see his son standing in front of him. It was obvious he wasn’t pleased to see the man on the outside of the door. “Can I speak to Tempest, please?” he asked politely.

“No.” The answer was snapped out so quickly that Maverick wasn’t even sure the young man had heard the entire question.

Bristling a bit at the attitude, Maverick had to swallow to not bark back. “I need to talk to her,” he insisted.

Dakota narrowed his black eyes at the man he’d just come to realize was his father. For a long time he’d dreamed of having a man who he could look up to. “Doesn’t matter, you can’t. She’s not here.”

Maverick sighed. “Okay, but just to let you know, I’m not going away.”

“Look, my mom needed you back then; we both did. Not anymore. So feel free to go away and forget all about us. That seems to be something you are damn good at.” Dakota slammed the door in his face.

Maverick remained in front of the door for a moment before turning around and walking back down the stone walkway. This is going to be an uphill battle all the way. He climbed on his bike and roared away without looking back.

At eight on that Friday night, Maverick walked in the door to B’s Quarry. The place was full of people and loud music. A live band was over on the stage rocking the house.

His dark eyes immediately moved to the bar and spotted Tempest work with ease. Her body swayed in time with the music but she never lost her focus on making drinks.

Tonight she wore a black halter top that cupped her breasts fully. Her hair was clasped loosely at the back of her neck. Even with the distance between them, he noticed the sparkle of her earrings.

Sliding through the crowd, Maverick leaned on the bar and waited to be helped.

“What can I get you,” the tone was distantly polite. Tempest stood before him with a blue rag tossed over one shoulder.

Immediately, Maverick scanned her body with his eyes. Damn! She wore a pair of skintight black pants that held everything perfectly and left nothing, yet everything, to the imagination. “I’ll have an Old Fashioned, please.”

She grabbed the glass and began to mix his drink. Within moments, it was moving across the teakwood to his hand. “There you go.”

Handing over his money, Maverick held her gaze as she reached for the bills. All he could see in it was anger and resentment. “Keep the change,” he announced.

“Thanks,” she murmured before she slipped away, leaving him alone in the huge crowd.

Since the stool he was beside had become vacant, he took it. Placing his black boots on the foot railing on the bar, he began to nurse his drink. Maverick ignored the glares he received from his offspring and instead chose to keep his gaze upon Tempest.

Damn him! Damn him for being here and looking so frickin’ hot. Tempest had to fight to keep her mind on her work. Regardless of where she was or what she was doing, her eyes always drifted back to the man sitting at the bar.

It was like he was the only one in the place; her gaze skipped over everyone else and landed on him. What does he want? For that matter, why do I care? He hadn’t flinched from her gaze when she took his order, but she could tell he wanted something.

I’m not feeling inclined to give him a damn thing. Still, as she worked, her mind taunted her with the way his red shirt stretched tightly across his chest and over those impressive biceps.

A hand waving at her took her back down the bar to a man who was sitting next to Maverick. No, he was Mr. Lonetree. Or James. “Evening, Sparky,” Tempest said with a smile. “Your usual?”

The man nodded as he placed a ten on the bar. “You know it, darling.”

Tempest immediately went to work on his drink. As she was pouring the ingredients from the blender into the glass, she tilted her head at him. “So, how’re things?”

Sparky leaned forward on the bar, excitement filling his green eyes. “Lovely. When we go out for dinner, I’ll tell you all about it.”

Placing a Maraschino cherry on the top for garnish, Tempest grinned. “Sounds like a plan. And here is your Tsunami.” She took the money and walked off to help another customer.

After that customer was content with drink in hand, she moved back down to where Maverick and Sparky were. “Just give me a call, Sparky, and we’ll do lunch, or breakfast.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe,” he said as he took a swig of his drink.

Tempest sent Sparky a wink and moved off again. Maverick stayed at the bar until closing. He didn’t try to talk to her again, just watched her with those black pearls he had for eyes.

“We’re closing up now; you have to leave,” Tempest said as she wiped down the bar.

“I need to talk to you,” Maverick said, crossing those thick arms and bringing her attention to all his rippling pectorals.

“We have nothing to say to one another,” she snapped. Tempest was tired; it had been a long night and her feet hurt.

“I didn’t know.” Maverick dropped his arms and placed his hands on his thighs.

Those three words stopped her dead. A headache swarmed in on her as the tension that she’d been holding in her body threatened to burst. “You left the day you found out; why come back?”

Maverick looked at the siren standing across from him. Her arms were crossed defensively as she glared untrustingly at him. “I was in shock about it. I left to go home and find out—”

“Find out if I were lying to you or not?” Tempest shook her head in disgust. “I don’t even know why I believed you would come for me—you are so concerned about yourself.” She slapped the rag down on the counter and said, “Go. We are closed.”

As two of her bouncers approached, Maverick reluctantly stood. “I’ll be back. I deserve a chance to explain.”

“I don’t owe you a damn thing,” she snarled and pointed at the door. “Don’t mistake my being polite to you as a customer for an opening to talk about this.”

Jaw clenching, Maverick gave her a brisk nod and spun on his heels to walk out of the establishment, noticing how the men locked the door behind him. Sitting on his bike, he drove away as one by one the lights in B’s Quarry were extinguished.

After the place was empty, Tempest sat in her office. Dakota was in the cellar doing some inventory, so for all intents and purposes she was alone. She was at war with herself.

One the one hand, she was furious for the events that had transpired in the past. On the other, if he were telling the truth and he hadn’t known, then she couldn’t imagine not having known her child. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked the confines of her office.

Then there was the way her body reacted to his. It was just like when she’d been a kid with a crush and he’d looked at her, making her go all quivery. Now it was just amplified exponentially. “I don’t need to be attracted to the father of my child,” Tempest admonished herself.

Rushing through her work, she left the office in time to see her son walk up from the cellar. “All done down there, Dak?” she questioned.

“Sure am, Mama. Are you sure you aren’t going to need me this weekend?”

“I’m sure. Go out on your date, have some fun. I’ll be fine.” Tempest hugged her son. “But thanks for being so thoughtful.”

“I’m taking her up to Sandia.” Dakota’s obsidian eyes sparkled at that admission.

“Taking the Tram?” Tempest asked as they headed for the backdoor. The Sandia Mountains bordered Albuquerque and were a huge attraction for visitors and locals to visit.

“Nope, I was actually hoping I could use your vehicle. We are going to have a picnic.”

Locking the door behind her, Tempest felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She’d missed all of that. Dating, the romance, everything that came with a wonderful relationship. “Of course you can. I have no problem using your car…as long as it is full on gas; and mine is when you return it.”

“Deal.”

“Do I need to make anything for you?’ she asked as they walked to where they’d parked.

“Well, I know that Shelia loves your triple chocolate cake,” he hedged.

“I think you are one spoiled kid. But I will make it for you tomorrow.” She climbed in her vehicle and started it. “I’ll see you at home.”

“Okay, I’m right behind you.”

As they drove away, neither of them noticed the man who had observed and overheard their entire conversation. Maverick clenched a fist; he wanted so badly to be a part of that circle.

“Damn you guys for keeping me unaware of my child!” he hissed as he slid back through the dark to where he’d parked his bike. Maverick drove back to his hotel, feeling alone for the first time in his life and not being okay with it.