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She gri
“Well, usually I don’t condone game-playing, but in this case he deserves it. I can’t believe he’s been warning off guys behind your back. I look forward to the next report, Miss Carmichael.”
Ellie laughed and hurried off to get ready for the evening, leaving me to finish di
***
Craig was on shift with me tonight along with Alistair, another bartender I’d worked with a few times before. The guys were in a fun mood and the bar was busy—with the two of them trying their hardest to make me laugh, minutes were passing quickly and I was having a great time. Our good mood fed into the atmosphere of the club, and people had begun crowding around the bar to sip their drinks and enjoy each other’s banter as well as mine and the guys’.
“I catch this cocktail,” Craig shouted down the bar to me, “And you finally give in and shag me tonight, Joss.”
The customers tittered and laughed while I gri
Craig had great reflexes. I would definitely lose that one.
“You’re breaking my heart, darlin.”
I waved him off, handing my customers their drinks and taking the money off of them.
“What about me, Joss?” Alistair shot me a come-hither smile, but I knew he was only kidding. Alistair was happily engaged to an Irish girl who studied at Napier University. Still he may be loyal, but he was as big a flirt as Craig.
“Hmm, I’ll think about it,” I teased back, loud enough for Craig to hear.
Craig groaned in pretend agony and pouted at the attractive girl he was serving. “She’s killing me.”
The girl giggled, her eyes bright on him. I rolled my eyes as Craig grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. “Feel that. That’s my heart breaking.”
“Oh man!” I rolled my eyes, cringing. “Could you be any cheesier?”
“Of course I could.”
Alistair snorted. “Believe it or not, that’s one of his better lines.”
Craig whipped him across the head with a dish rag.
Sniggering, I passed Craig to get some rum, and stood up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek. That gained him a few cheers and one boo from Alistair.
Acting like idiots, the next hour flew by, and the tips jar filled up fast. The place got even busier, so my focus was completely on work and on my colleagues. The fact that I felt his eyes on me then, said a lot…
…Feeling my skin prickle, I jerked my head up and gazed out over the crowd towards the entrance and my eyes skimmed over Adam and Ellie as they followed Braden into the bar; Braden, who was walking beside a tall brunette who had her hand clamped on his arm.
Our eyes caught and he didn’t even acknowledge me. Instead he dipped his head and whispered something in the brunette’s ear that made her giggle.
Something unpleasant flipped my stomach over and I glanced quickly at Ellie. She was frowning at Braden and then scowling at Adam, brushing off his hand and striding off after Braden who had managed to convince some people sitting around a table to squeeze further along the leather couch so he, his mystery girl, Ellie and Adam could sit down.
Everyone slid onto the couch except Ellie who was now glaring daggers at them all. Adam said something to her. Ellie shook her head, looking extremely pissed off now, and Adam’s face darkened. Like a whip, his hand came out and wrapped around her arm, yanking her down beside him. She struggled to get away from him, but his arm slid around her waist, his hand on her hip—a seemingly casual gesture but his hold was clearly strong and whatever he whispered in her ear made her stop struggling.
It didn’t remove the stony look on her face.
Worried, my eyes drifted to Braden, but he hadn’t seen any of this. He was too busy chatting with the brunette.
Quickly, I turned away, completely unprepared for the rush of blood in my ears and the tightness in my chest.
I honestly didn’t know where I stood with this guy. One minute he was giving me ‘sex eyes’ and the next he wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence. Well, I wasn’t going to let him get to me. I served my customer and looked over at Alistair. “I’ve seen some friends. Can you guys handle the bar while I get them drinks?”
“Sure thing.”
Ignoring the butterflies in my belly, I headed out onto the floor, stupidly thanking my boss for the sexy tank top he made me wear. If I had to be a little bit sweaty and held up for comparison to the brunette in the shimmery shift dress, then at least I was going to do it knowing I made that tank look good.
As I approached, Ellie’s glacier expression melted and she smiled up at me, relieved to see me.
“Hey guys,” I a
“Oh no need,” Adam told me with a smile, “Darren is getting us some.” He pointed behind me and I turned around to see a tall, clean-cut red-head waiting to push his way through the crowds to the bar.
I frowned in question. “Darren?”
“My husband.”
The answer came from the brunette and I looked over at her in surprise, my eyes washing over her sitting next to Braden, my brain trying to make the picture in front of me and what she had just said make sense. I caught Braden’s gaze and he gave me a cool smirk, like he knew I had assumed she was one of his Barbies. “This is Do
Oh.
Well I felt sheepish.
And then I caught Braden’s eye again and his smile deepened.
Ellie’s suspicions from earlier played around in my brain. Well, just so you know, I get the impression he’s pla
God damn him! He wanted me to think Do
“Nice to meet you.” I nodded at her. “I’ll send your husband back over because he’ll be standing there forever. I’ll get your drinks order from him and bring it over.”
“Thanks, Joss.” Ellie smiled wanly up at me.
I frowned, hating to see her so uncomfortable. I reached out and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, noting Adam’s hand still clamped firmly on her hip. I shot him a look of warning over the top of Ellie’s head that made his brow pucker in confusion. Ignoring Braden and whatever game he was up to now, I sashayed back over to Darren, introduced myself and sent him back to the others once I had the drinks memorized.
“He’s back,” Craig said in my ear, leaning around me as he shook a cocktail mix.
“Who?”
“That guy that Jo was going on about for ages after he was in here.”
“Braden.” I nodded, looking up at him. I hadn’t realized how close he was standing, our faces inches apart. “Jo wanted to make him her next sugar daddy.”
“From the feel of the daggers embedded in my back, I’d say he was interested in being someone else’s sugar daddy.”
I pulled back, rolling my eyes. “I don’t need a sugar daddy, Craig.”
Craig shot a look back over at Braden. “He bothers me. Last time he was in here he stared at you like he owned you, and tonight is no different. Something going on with you two?”
“Not a thing. I told you—I don’t need a sugar daddy.”
Craig’s eyes narrowed and he turned back to me, his face splitting into a mischievous smile. “Maybe I need a sugar momma.” And then he was kissing me, one hand wrapping around the back of my neck to keep me there while his tongue slipped into my mouth and his body pressed close. Shock kept me in my place and then the surprisingly nice feel of his lips on mine. Craig knew how to kiss, that was for sure. The catcalls and cheers broke through the moment and I pulled back, pressing a hand against his chest.