Broken

were my kryptonite.
I pushed away from the desk and made my way out to the bar.
“Ma’am,” I called after her.
She spun around. The disappointment and dejection written all over her angel face made me want to wrap her in my arms and kiss everything better.
After what seemed like an eternity but couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, she asked, “Is everything okay?”
The husky sexiness that spilled from her lips wasn’t something I’d expected to hear. The natural grit in her voice made it sound like she smoked five packs a day, and my dick twitched in appreciation.
“Everything’s fine,” I said, and then grinned. “Can I help you with something?”
Her Cupid’s bow lips turned downwards, and she shook her head. “The guy behind the bar says you’re all set for singers.”
“That’s Lucas, and he’s right, we’re booked through the end of the year. Open-mic night’s tomorrow, but if you want a spot, you need to get here early. Singers and bands start lining up at dawn to get their name on the list.”
She sighed and shrugged. “I’ve been pounding the pavement all day. This is harder than I thought.”
Smithy, who stood by the door a few feet away, sniggered. “I’ve got something else you can pound. That’d be harder than you thought, too.”
Primal need to protect her kicked in and my hand curled into a fist. I strode toward the thick-necked doorman.
No one would talk to her like that.
Smithy was a big guy, but I was bigger and tougher. Years of herding horses on my family’s ranch and proving myself to my dad and ranchers meaner than a basket of vipers had taught me well.
I grabbed the lapels of his black shirt and got in his face. “What the fuck did you say?”
His eyes bulged, and his cheeks reddened. “Nothing.”
“Didn’t sound like nothing to me. How about I pound your face? My fist’ll hit harder than you ever imagined. Now, say sorry to the lady.”
He cowered and held his hands up in surrender. “Ma’am, I apologize,” he said, glancing in her direction. “I didn’t mean nothin’.”
I released my grip and glowered. “You ever disrespect her or any other woman in this establishment again, I’ll fire your ass and kick you into next week. Understand?”
“One hundred percent, boss.”
I turned toward the wide-eyed beauty. “Please accept my personal apology.”
She firmed her lips and nodded, but from the way her eyes flashed, I could tell she was majorly pissed. “It’s fine. I’ve heard worse.”
“It’s not fine and will never be fine.” She hadn’t even told me her name, yet here I was ready to punch any man who’d ever said anything inappropriate to her.
What had gotten into me? I was acting like I’d lost my mind, and maybe I had. I swallowed down my anger and stepped toward her. “You’re new here.”
“Got off the bus yesterday.” She held out her small hand. “The name’s Natalie Davis. Most people call me Nattie or Nat.”
“Which do you prefer?”
“Whatever,” she said with a shrug.
The second I took her soft, ring-free hand in mine, a zing of electricity shot up my arm and down to my dick. This girl literally had me in the palm of her hand.
Jesus H. Christ.
This isn’t good.
“Oh, I...” Her pupils dilated, and her lips parted. Whatever I’d felt, she’d felt it too. “I don’t think I caught your name, cowboy,” she said, her hand still wrapped in mine, neither of us seeming in a hurry to let go.
“Where are my manners? Colt Flynn.”
A wide smile lifted the corners of her lips, brightening her beautiful face. “I know you. I mean, I don’t know you, but I’ve read about you. You own this place. You gave Montana Chambers her first gig. She mentioned you in her biography.”
Three years chopped down to one line in a biography filled with lies. I nodded and did my best to keep my expression neutral as I always did whenever Montana’s name was brought up. “That I did. Look at her now. Selling out stadiums and getting number one records all over the place.”
“She’s my inspiration. One day I want to be just like her.”
“Maybe one day you will.” Natalie’s childlike enthusiasm was cute, and I wouldn’t ruin her good mood by telling her exactly what kind of person her idol was or how much she loved knocking back shots until she didn’t know her own name.
Nat’s stomach rumbled, and she placed her free hand over her belly. “Excuse me. I guess I didn’t eat a big enough breakfast or lunch.”
Reluctantly, I let go of her other hand and gestured toward an empty table. “Sit. Let me get you something to eat. We serve the best burgers in town.”
Her cheeks heated as if I’d embarrassed her. “As delicious as that sounds, I need to keep looking for a job. Thanks anyway.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and tilted her head to the side. “Do you know anyone who’s hiring? I’ll wash dishes, mop the floors, heck, I’ll even scrub toilets.”
We didn’t need any more staff, and I couldn’t give her a spot on the stage, but, screw it, a girl like her would get eaten up out there, and if anyone was going to eat her, it would be me. “How about you work here?”
“I thought...”
“I can always use another server. What do you say?”
Natalie
“You serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
The urge to throw my arms around him and plant a big, fat kiss on his lips was huge, but since I’d only just met him, that could seem inappropriate, especially if he was going to be my boss.
I couldn’t believe this drop-dead gorgeous man with a deliciously deep Tennessee twang had offered me a job. Perhaps my luck was changing.