Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Stop thinking about Steve—and Jesse too, while you’re at it. Besides, why the hell does it matter?
So Jesse was able to afford that kind of apartment and screw around with anyone he wanted with that face and body and…personality. I’d never felt that carefree in my life, except the one time when I thought I might’ve been happy—and I would wear that as my suit of armor. Screw him.
Once at the bar, I conversed with Laura, the other bartender on shift behind the Top. I got lost in setting up for the night, making sure the glasses were stocked under the tap while our barback, Andy, cut slivers of lemons and limes. He was more than capable of taking over as soon as a position opened, so I let him take the lead every now and again, hoping I’d trained him well. By the time the doors opened to a rousing crowd, Jesse was far from my thoughts.
Until I glanced up at the riser where he and another dancer, Skylar, were grinding against each other. Red lips, eyelashes for miles, large hoop earrings, and those too-small shorts that showed off his bulge. The way he was shaking his ass to play up to the salivating men watching made my pulse spike unsteadily. Total attention queen.
“Gorgeous, isn’t he?” Laura said as she reached for a towel beneath the bar. “Even does makeup better than me.”
“Guess he’s all right,” I replied, wondering how the hell he did it. How he drew everyone into his damned orbit. For a little while at the ice-cream shop, even me. Steve had been able to do the same.
“Uh-huh.” She grinned at me in a knowing way, and I almost made a snarky comment, but then she flung the towel over her shoulder and said, “I’m headed to the other end of the bar. Holler if you need anything.”
Before I knew it, customers were lined up three-deep, when I heard a familiar voice behind me. “How’s my favorite niece doing?”
I immediately tensed up. I did not want to be this friendly with Jesse at work. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
“You apparently have her under your damned spell because she won’t stop blabbing about you,” I blurted out, regretting it immediately. Like he needed more stuff to stroke his ego.
I hopped up on the bar top to rousing applause, and extended a hand to help him up. There was this strange electric energy when our palms connected, making my skin sting. I immediately drew my arm away and started swaying my hips to the beat, wanting to get this fucking dance over with.
“Yeah? She’s a doll.” When a huge grin split his face, I narrowly avoided rolling my eyes. Why the hell did he have to be so fucking hot and sweet to my niece? “And how about you?”
“What about me?” I scowled as he gripped my waist and bent backward in some ridiculously flexible move.
“Are you under my spell too?” He winked as he swung back to eye level.
“You wish.” I spun away because hell no.
“Maybe I do wish,” he said from behind me. “Wish you could put that grumpy attitude to good use.”
I scoffed over my shoulder. “To good use?”
“Yeah, like channel all that raw energy into fucking or something, Mr. Plain Vanilla.”
I growled. I actually fucking growled because my buttons were officially pushed.
Apparently, my growling turned him on because he was stiff as he ground against my hip, and who the hell was I kidding? My dick was aching, and it was fucking uncomfortable.
Turning, I reached for his hand and spun him around so his back was to my chest. “I bet you’re a bossy little bottom and can’t keep your trap shut.”
I knew I’d momentarily stunned him because he grew silent, his chest heaving.
“Maybe you should fuck me and find out.” When he looked up at me with those wide eyes and shiny lips, I had the urge to take his mouth. What would he taste like? What noises would he make?
Please let this fucking song end along with my torture.
“In your dreams,” I whispered against his ear, and he shivered. Goddamn it.
I hopped down as soon as I heard the final note, then helped him too because I wasn’t a complete asshole.
But even after we parted ways, no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake whatever the hell this was between us. I stayed half-hard behind the bar, and it fucking sucked.
Worse, I was off my game. Andy knew it too when the glass I was holding slipped out of my grasp and shattered on the floor. “Goddamn it! Let me grab the broom,” I grumbled as I headed toward the supply closet. “Hold down the fort.”
And that was how it went the rest of the night. Me being inside my own fucking head and really zoning out on customers. Thankfully, I made it through the second dance with Jesse by keeping my mouth sealed shut and immediately getting back to work—stiff as a fence post, of course.