Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“Every time I turn around to make a drink, your eyes drop to my ass. The look in them tells me you’re interested.” His voice is all but a whisper right now, our conversation as private as you can get in a public setting. “Are you not out yet? Is that the problem?”
I straighten on my bar stool, making sure to put only the required amount of distance between the two of us for common courtesy. I won’t cringe away from him or get defensive. Either reaction says too much about how the man makes me feel, and it’s already bad enough that I haven’t put my foot down about him flirting with me. I’ve noticed two distinct reactions to Drake’s flirting with straight men. Some threaten to beat his ass, proclaiming loudly and proudly that they’re as straight as an arrow. One such man I saw sticking around at closing time, and as I sat in the parking lot, he still hadn’t exited more than an hour after the lights went out inside.
Others just laugh him off, as if his flirting is funny. These are the reactions he gets from most of the Cerberus members. I haven’t seen a single person from the club act offended when Drake winks at them or says something suggestive.
“I don’t look at your ass,” I mutter, refusing to even touch on the questions he asked.
“You do,” he says, a smugness in his tone that makes me want to blacken his eye.
“Maybe because I’m wondering how you breathe in such tight jeans.”
His eyes sparkle with mirth, but I refuse to get lost in the olive color. Doing that would be just as bad as letting him add that splash of whiskey to my drink he’s always trying to convince me to have.
“Maybe you’re wondering what I look like out of them?”
“You’re going a little too far,” I warn.
“Maybe I’m not going far enough,” he counters, his eyes dropping to my mouth.
The heat that threatened to rise earlier begins to simmer once again.
I know I’m torturing myself. I know I could avoid all of this by staying back at the clubhouse. Coming here and not giving in to him isn’t a challenge to me. I don’t do it because I have to make sure I keep from acting on the urges that threaten to eat me alive most days.
I’m here every chance I get because I can’t help myself. I’m weak, trying to convince myself that letting the flirting happen, getting this attention from him, isn’t as bad as actually giving in. It’s like licking the spoon after mixing cake batter but declaring not to eat a slice once it’s cooked.
I’m not in denial about what I am, although I’d never say it out loud.
I no longer believe in the same God that I was raised to fear my entire life, but I still can’t seem to give up many of those beliefs.
“I’ll leave you be,” Drake declares, smacking the bar top with his towel before walking away.
I should feel relieved as he approaches another guest with a wide smile on his face, but all I feel is regret.
Chapter 2
Drake
Flirting is my thing.
I’m not selective about who I smile at or who I act suggestively toward.
Everyone who walks through the doors at Jake’s is at risk. Most take me with a grain of salt, giving me a quick smile and a shake of their head before walking away. Some get that look in their eyes that tells me they’d be down for a quick fuck in the bathroom on my break. I rarely take them up on those offers these days. I’m worth waiting for until at least closing time after all.
I’ve been working at Jake’s for several years, and despite a rough beginning, I’ve settled into the position quite nicely. Jake, the bar’s namesake, offered me the upstairs apartment after a rough breakup shortly after being hired, and that’s when things started to change for me. I had someone to answer to, someone to show that I wasn’t destined to be a fuckup forever.
I take pride in my work, but I also have fun with it when I can.
Boomer, Cerberus MC club member, is no different.
He’s one of the most fun men I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
Not only is he gorgeous with his sandy blond hair and deep blue eyes, but the man is also mostly a mystery. That appeals to me much more than those that slide up to the bar and lay out their entire life story as if I’m a therapist. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind being privy to all the small-town drama, but Boomer is a breath of fresh air on the nights he shows up alone.
“You’re sure that’s all you need?”
The woman smiles back at me, her eyes dropping to my lips. I’ve perfected the crooked, flirty smile she’s witnessing. It earns me twice as many tips as the other bartenders. It allows me forgiveness on busy nights if I’m struggling to keep up. It gets me laid if that’s my end goal.