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I WATCHED ADRIANA and Jenna talking at the bar, and had to hide my grin. Adriana looked like she was ready to spit bullets whenever she looked at me.
“Oh, she’s pissed,” whispered Jenna, close to my ear when she returned with our beers.
Jenna and I went way back. She’d dated Slammer five years ago and we’d always gotten along. When she’d learned what had happened to her niece, she’d rushed down to Griffin’s and I’d told her everything, including what had happened between me and Adriana.
“Why?” I asked. “Because I’m still here?”
“Because, I’m making her jealous.”
“You are?”
“Yes,” she said, snuggling up to me.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Are you kidding? She’s going to realize how much she wants you and believe me, you’re going to be thanking me later.”
My eyebrow arched. “Really? Because when men get jealous, it doesn’t usually work that way. They get pissed and leave.”
“No, you don’t,” she said. “In fact, I’m pretty sure if you saw a guy hitting on Adriana, you’d want to beat the shit out of him.”
“Look, there’s nothing between us. Not anymore,” I said, not believing my own words. The truth was, I wanted her more than ever. When I’d seen her at the funeral, wearing another black dress and the same sapphire necklace, it had reminded me of that night in her bedroom. Then I’d pictured her straddling my face while I was looking up at her gorgeous body, and I knew I was going straight to Hell. Especially knowing that I had to have been the only asshole in church sporting wood.
“I don’t believe that for one second and either do you.”
I shrugged. “Believe what you want.”
Jenna frowned. “Why is the cop here? They walked in together. Did you see that?”
“Yeah, but they didn’t arrive here together.”
“It looks like Tiffany has her eye on him, anyway. He’s cute.” She waved at Tiffany, who waved back.
I took another swig of beer.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“Finish this and leave.”
She tilted her head. “Don’t you want to try and win her back?”
“I never had her to begin with. If I did, she wouldn’t have given up so easily.”
Jenna sighed. “I’ve met Vanda. She’s not an easy woman to stand up to.”
“Adriana is twenty-one. She’s an adult.”
“She may look like an adult, but nobody has given her the chance to act like one.”
I smirked. “I tried. Believe me, I did.”
“I’m sure you did. But, I think you need to try again.”
“What do you propose I do? Show up at her house? Serenade her? I do that and I’ll just get my ass chewed out.”
“No. That’s a waste of time. You need to act tonight. While she’s got that fire burning in her belly.”
“How do you know she’s got a fire burning in her belly?”
“By the way she keeps stealing glances over here. The girl still has it bad for you, Raptor. She doesn’t know whether to slap or kiss you.”
“Hmm... Well, what do you suggest I do?”
This time Jenna was the one smiling wickedly. “Nothing. Let me take care of it.”