Blindsided by Jami Davenport Read Free Book Online Page A

with spunk. Combined with her shyness, it was a rare and very alluring combination.
    Damn. Alluring? Since when did he use words like alluring, especially in his private thoughts? Tanner rubbed his hands over his face. Being around her was screwing with his mind and his body, but like the fool his father always said he was, he didn’t leave. Instead he settled in for the evening and signaled the waitress for a beer.
    “What can I get you, beautiful?”
    “You can get away from me, that’s what.”
    He chuckled. She was hot when her anger overrode her shyness. “That’s not what you said two weeks ago when we almost screwed each other’s brains out on a picnic table.”
    Emma glared at him. “I was drunk, and you were taking advantage of me.”
    Tanner’s smile dropped off his face. “I—I didn’t—I mean—” He struggled for the right words but couldn’t think of any. She was right. He was an ass, and he’d been beating himself up for two weeks. He owed her an apology instead of coming onto her like some horndog sleazeball, even if he was one.
    “Of course, you did.” She stared directly into his eyes, as if she could see all the ugliness he kept so carefully hidden from the world. “You wanted a quick lay, and I was convenient.”
    Tanner squirmed, feeling like the selfish ass he was. “I’m sorry. Believe me when I tell you it was more than that.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Oh, really? Then why didn’t you call?” Her blue eyes shot through him like a dagger, full of accusation.
    Now they were getting to the reason for her anger. He’d heard that same accusing statement from women more times than he could count. Usually he charmed them out of their anger and their clothes. Only this time was different. This time it stung and made him feel all kinds of crappy. He held out his hands, palms up, and sighed. “I didn’t think it would be a good idea.”
    “You’re right. It wasn’t, and it isn’t.”
    Tanner scratched his head. Women never ceased to confuse him. One minute she was chewing his ass for not calling and the next she was saying it was better he hadn’t.
    “I’m sorry,” he said again, deciding simple might be best.
    “Whatever.” She shrugged, sounding so much like Bella he was immediately reminded that he’d had a brief but tempestuous relationship with her older sister, which made this thing between them even more complicated.
    “Got any blanks,” he asked, pointing toward the slips spread on the table.
    She frowned at him. “Why?”
    He grinned. “I think I’ll take a turn or two at the mic.” At the raise of her eyebrow, he chuckled. “What’s the matter? Afraid I can’t carry a tune?”
    “Something like that.”
    Tanner caught the amused sparkle in her eyes and knew he stepped back on semi-friendly ground with her. “Well, sweetheart, be prepared to have your socks knocked off. This boy can sing.”
    He leaned in close until their shoulders touched, and he could feel the warmth from her body. Plucking a blank slip from the table, he stole her pen, ignoring her protests, and scrawled a song on the slip. “Be right back,” he said as he briefly left to give his slip to the DJ.
    He turned and caught her staring at him. Sliding back into his chair, he put a hand on her shoulder. “You were staring at my ass.”
    “I was not,” she shot back, but the red tinge to her face betrayed her embarrassment at being caught ogling his backside. He didn’t mind one bit. She could look all she wanted, especially if she touched later.
    Damn, but he was playing with fire, and he couldn’t seem to help himself.
    The DJ called Emma up the stage, and Tanner sat back to enjoy the show. She could sing, a rare treat among the other tone-deaf karaoke singers present. When she came back to the seat amid a smattering of applause and loud whistling and clapping from him, he tilted his head and gave her his most disarming grin.
    “You’re good. I mean crazy good. Awesome good. Your