another drink. That fresh air will be there later.”
The men looked at each other and receded.
By the time the room calmed, the blonde ninja was gone.
Her friend returned from the bathroom a few minutes later and eyed their table. “Hey, Keith, where did Avery go?”
Keith wiped his hands with a bar towel before tossing it over his shoulder. “Said she had to go, right after she just about broke this joker’s arm for hitting on her.”
The smile on the other woman’s face had Keith chuckling.
Liam felt laughter growing in his gut.
“Never underestimate a woman.”
“Yeah, it was classic.”
“What do I owe ya?”
“She took care of it.”
The short-haired woman lifted a hand in acknowledgment and grabbed her bag. As she walked out, Liam noted the graphic on what looked like a gym bag. Power Up Krav Maga.
He laughed.
All the pieces fell into place.
Chapter Two
Adrenaline built like a charged circuit just waiting to fry something.
She gripped the steering wheel of her Aston Martin and turned onto the interstate instead of taking the route that would bring her home.
Driving fast was the recipe she needed to calm her nerves, and since it was close to ten, the highway cooperated. She put the car in sport mode and pressed down on the gas.
Slowly, a smile crept onto her lips. The image of shock on the face of the jerk that had grabbed her ass would live with her for a long time. She flexed her hand as if repeating the move she’d learned in class and started to laugh.
She hit the wheel. “Hell, yeah!”
God, she felt good.
Better than she had in quite a while.
It wasn’t until she kissed the coast that she started to come down.
She pulled over in an empty parking lot and stepped out of the car to lean against the hood.
Wind blew toward the ocean. The air was warmer than normal, another by-product of the Santa Ana winds.
She pulled her hair back and looked up at the starlit sky.
A tiny twinge of pain hit the bridge of her nose. A barometer of sorts since it had been brutally broken. The weather was shifting. She didn’t need an overtanned meteorologist to tell her that.
She closed her eyes and recalled the bar as it had gone silent. Although she’d had a rush that had filled her ears with a roar, the bar had gone quiet.
Then he stood there.
He was as tall as he was broad. Amusement swam in his piercing eyes.
Her body responded to the stranger in the split second they held eye contact.
He wasn’t her type.
Too big.
Too hard.
Much too difficult to take down.
So why was she thinking about the stranger now?
The muscles deep inside her started to wave frantically. Oh, yeah . . . she was thinking about the well-cut stranger because it was the first time her body had heated in nearly a year.
She let the image of him fade. “Guess it’s good to know I’m not dead inside,” she said to herself.
Her phone buzzed in her purse.
A reminder she’d set for herself.
Go To BED! Appointment in the morning. 8 AM.
With a heavy sigh, Avery pushed away from her car and opened the door.
Adulting really did have its drawbacks.
“We can’t have the First Wives meeting next month. I’ll be swamped with last-minute wedding preparations. The bachelorette party doesn’t count, cuz that’s all about me,” Trina whined on the phone. “And we missed last quarter for Lori and Reed’s wedding.”
Avery tapped the pen she was holding against her open calendar. “It isn’t like we don’t all see each other, with everyone getting married every five minutes.” At least that’s what it felt like with two out of the four women in the club tying the knot within the same season. It was ironic, considering the basis of their club hinged on the fact they were all previously married and either divorced or, in Trina’s case, widowed.
“Oh, wait a minute. What are you doing next Thursday?” Trina asked.
Avery glanced at her schedule. “Nothing. I fly out Friday to Seattle to meet a client.”
“Perfect. I know Lori is in town. We just need to catch Shannon.”
“You’re coming to LA?”
“Yeah, Wade and I need to sign the prenup.”
Avery leaned back in her chair. “How does Wade feel about that?”
“He insisted. And it’s just smart. Not that there is any question that I’m not marrying him for his money or vice versa. It’s just too much money to leave in question should something happen to one of us.”
“Sounds like you’re drawing up a will instead of an