“Stax.” He corrected softly. He was staring. He was also holding a pitcher of her favorite liquid courage, so she couldn’t be too mad at him for scaring her. “I was taking a break from Jace’s lesson in Texas Hold’em, when I noticed you three looked low on sangria. I thought I’d introduce myself.”
“How nice of you.” He’d probably seen her friends from the window and wanted an excuse to flirt. Dani fought a smile. Kaya and Bailey had that effect on people.
But he wasn’t looking at them, and the smile he aimed at her was slow and seductive. “I don’t know if nice is the right word. Card games don’t interest me as much as beautiful women plotting beneath the stars. You’re Dani.”
Her polite smile wavered under the heat of his stare. “Yes.”
“You’re stunning.”
Stunning.
“Did you just get to town, Stax?” Bailey’s question held an edge that distracted Dani from the shock of his compliment. “Here to take in the views and mingle with locals for the weekend? Your face isn’t ringing any bells.”
Bailey didn’t recognize him? The inn manager knew every local, seasonal employee and long-term visitor in town. She made it her business to know.
“I’ve been around. I’m here to help a friend,” he said simply.
Was he talking about Nick?
There was something about him that put all her senses on alert. He was nearly as tall as Liam, with long hair that flowed well past his shoulders, as dark as Kaya’s. His eyes were a brilliant green, and so direct she wondered if he could see right through her. As if he knew things about her he shouldn’t.
After fighting her desire for Liam all day, her body’s response to Stax was even stranger. Was it a full moon? What was wrong with her? Was she actually attracted to someone else?
There’s no shame in wanting.
“Who are you?” Kaya sounded subdued. Did she sense it, too? The energy that crackled around him? Did she smell the dizzying mixture of desert rain and sandalwood that made her want to press her thighs together?
His smile took a wicked turn that made the women beside her sigh. The man was potent. “You must be Kaya. Nicholas has told me all about you. Fortuneteller by day, waitress by night. You’re as exquisite as he’s claimed.”
“He—I mean, thank you.” Kaya stuttered at his knowing chuckle.
He set down the full pitcher of sangria and focused on Bailey. “And you may not know me, but I know you, Ms. Wagner. You could run this town by yourself if you wanted to, though I hear your inn has a new owner who bought the place sight unseen. I hope he won’t make too many changes.”
“I just found out about the purchase,” Bailey admitted grimly after a moment of stunned silence. “And they’d better not be planning anything without my approval.”
“I like your passion.”
How did Stax know about that? “Who are you?”
He refocused his full attention on Dani and held out his hand to her. “A friend, if you need one. You don’t know how much I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
He looked so familiar, but he wasn’t the kind of man anyone could forget. She stepped closer, her hand reaching for his.
“Stax, come inside now. Game’s finally starting.”
Dani managed to pry her attention away from him to see Nick in the doorway. His broad shoulders and thick arms blocked most of the light from the kitchen, but she still caught the gleam of his mahogany hair and the glint of white teeth as he smiled somewhat stiltedly. “My apologies, ladies. I didn’t realize he was out here disturbing your girl’s night.”
“Loosen the leash, Nicholas.” Stax seemed momentarily frustrated as he lowered his hand, and then he winked at them and took a step back. “Do one job for this dirt digger and he starts to think he owns you. Bossy alpha male.”
Kaya scowled and he laughed. “He doesn’t need your protection. Believe me, he has claws of his own.”
Stax bowed gallantly, a gesture as unexpected as it was charming. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Dani and friends. It’s a beautiful night. Magical. You can almost taste the possibilities.”
When the two men were gone, Dani looked at Kaya and Bailey, her eyes wide. “What was that?”
“A schemer. A drifting con.” Bailey sounded as if she were trying to convince herself.
“He is some kind of trouble.” Kaya’s words were almost too low to catch. “I wonder how Nick knows him.”
“I guess they worked together?” But Kaya was right. The way she’d reacted to him definitely spelled trouble. She didn’t like the residual feeling of guilt he’d left behind. As if she were being unfaithful to Liam. Which was crazy, since they weren’t together and Stax hadn’t even touched her.
“He was right about possibilities though. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get together tonight.”