by Marla Monroe
“You sure you want to go here?” Jasper asked.
“Yeah. Really feel like we need to let off some steam and can’t do that as easily anywhere else.”
“Fuck, Phillip. You’re looking for a fight. Why didn’t you just leave me at home if you were going to do this?”
“Because we’re a team, and we watch out for one another. I’m not looking for one, but I won’t back down if one comes my way.”
Jasper sighed and climbed out of the truck. He should have known what his friend was up to when he’d insisted on The Cougar’s Breath. They’d been there a half dozen times, and most of those times they’d ended up in some sort of scuffle.
They walked inside the building and stood to one side of the door to let their eyes adjust to the lighting. It was a dimly lit room with about twelve tables, two pool tables in a back section, and a jukebox on one side. The bathrooms were down the back hall, and the bar ran the length of one wall.
He couldn’t see much with so many people crammed into the building, but a flash of caramel-colored hair grabbed his attention and his blood burned in his veins as he caught sight of the bartender. He nudged Phillip in that direction when his friend was trying to urge him in the opposite one.
“What the fuck, Jasper? There’s a table over there,” Phillip fussed.
“The bar,” was all he said.
Phillip homed in on the woman and immediately stopped resisting Jasper’s pull. Jasper walked over and nudged himself between two burly-looking men. He looked at the pretty woman from the top of her head and the mass of shoulder-length hair down her gorgeous curvy body. She was about five and a half feet tall with warm brown eyes that reminded him of fine chocolate.
“Fuck me. Is she hot or what?” Phillip asked just over his shoulder.
“Where did she come from? She wasn’t here the last time we were,” Jasper said.
“Get her attention. I want to hear her talk. I bet she sounds like pure sin,” Phillip said.
Jasper stuck out his hand and waved the woman over. She smiled, and he swore her entire face glowed. Phillip had it right. She was hot. Smoking hot.
Chapter Two
Caro felt the jolt the instant she locked eyes with the man signaling her at the bar. He was beyond handsome to almost beautiful. His long, dark hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, and he had the sharpest-blue eyes she was sure didn’t miss a thing. It took her a second to get her feet moving in his direction. Just as she reached him, a second man, equally good-looking with rugged features and a small scar above his left eyebrow, joined him at the bar after shouldering his way through. He had light brown hair and the prettiest hazel eyes she’d ever seen. His open smile was contagious, and she knew she was smiling wider than the Grand Canyon.
“What can I get you?” she asked the first man.
“We’ll have a couple of Buds,” he said.
Caro nodded and grabbed two ice-cold bottles from the box and slid them over in front of them. She accepted the twenty-dollar bill and started to make change, but he waved it away.
“Keep it, sweet thing. What’s your name?” he asked.
“Caro. Need anything else, just call out,” she said and moved back down the bar to fill Jill’s orders.
Damn, they were hot. Either man would be more than welcome in her bed.
If I had a bed, that is.
She’d found three places to rent but hadn’t had time to go see either of them. She’d have to get up early and go looking in the morning before work. She couldn’t keep sleeping in her SUV. Someone would notice before long.
The rest of the night went by fast with only a few scuffles breaking out here and there. The bouncer, who she’d learned was called Jeb, made short work of settling them down or kicking them out. Caro spent most of her time either filling orders or loading and unloading the dishwasher.
“Need a break?” Curly asked a little later.
“Love one. Thanks.”
“Fifteen. Be back on time,” he said.
Caro nodded and wiped her hands on her apron before walking down the step to head toward the bathrooms in the back. She got stopped no less than four times by men wanting to pull her down on their laps. She’d managed to get away from them without too much trouble, but hated how many slaps she’d gotten on her ass on the way.
Once inside the bathroom, Caro had to wait for one of the stalls to open up. She surveyed her appearance in the mirror and decided that she didn’t look too bad for six hours of rushing around at the bar. As soon as she’d freshened up, Caro walked outside the bathroom to find the two handsome men from the bar waiting outside the door.
“Thought you could use some backup on your way back to the bar,” the one with the brown hair and the tattoos down one arm said.
“Um, thanks. I can make it though,” she said.
“Might as well let us lead you through since we’re here. Stick between us, and we’ll get you back without all those hands pinching your ass,” the dark-haired one said.
Caro decided not to argue with them and let them help her through the crowded room. She found herself between the two men with the brown-haired one leading the way and the dark-haired one following close enough behind her that no one managed to get a hand on her ass. She had to admit it was a relief.
When she was back at the bar, she turned and smiled at them. “Thanks.”
“Name’s Phillip and this is my friend, Jasper,” the one with the hazel eyes said.
“Nice to meet you both. Got to get back to work. Want another beer?” she asked.
“That would be great,” Jasper said.
Caro pulled out two more bottles and accepted their money. Once again, Jasper said to keep the change. She smiled and nodded then hurried to refill drinks and set up orders for the waitresses. The two men hung around until close. She noticed that around one they stopped drinking and ordered water while they flirted with her.
“You know, you have the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen,” Phillip told her.
“They go perfectly with your hair,” Jasper said.
“You guys are totally trying to get in my pants, aren’t you?” she said with a laugh. “Not happening. I don’t date.”
“At all?” Phillip asked.
“Yep. Swore off men for the time being,” she told them.
“Why?” Jasper asked.
“Long story. Just don’t waste your time coming on to me. It won’t get you anywhere,” she said with a smile.
“My heart is broken,” Phillip said, putting one hand on his chest over his heart.
“You’ll live,” she said.
When it was time to leave for the night, Curly called her back to the office after she’d stocked the bar and finished unloading the dishwasher only to load it back up with the empties the girls had gathered from the now empty tables.
“You handle yourself really well out there. You’ve got the job. Hours are four to close Wednesday through Saturday,” he told her.
“Great. Thanks.” Caro listened as he went over the pay.
“Payday is Friday here, so here’s your money. I write checks but cash them out of the bar for you. Need you to fill out the paperwork tomorrow. Bring your ID and social with you,” he said.
“Got it. Thanks again for the job,” she said.
“I’ll be out in a minute to walk you girls to your cars. Wait up for me,” he said.
Caro joined the waitresses at the bar where they were talking about their men and what was going on with them. She didn’t have long to wait before Curly returned to walk them all to their cars. She said good-bye to all of them and climbed into her car. She drove over to the Walmart parking lot and parked once more under a light a little closer to the store. One more night and she’d hopefully have a place to live.
* * * *
Phillip couldn’t stop thinking about the pretty bartender. Her warm eyes and the way she filled out her clothes had his dick trapped against his zipper in a very uncomfortable way. The damn t
hing throbbed.
“Have you ever seen anything like her?” Jasper asked.
“No. She’s perfect. She’s easy on the eyes and has a sass about her that makes me want to fuck her sideways,” Phillip said.
“But she doesn’t date. How are we going to get around that?” Jasper asked.
“Keep asking.”
“Think she’ll budge?”
“Don’t know, but maybe,” Phillip said. “All I know is that I want to get to know her.”
“Same here.”
“Did you see the way her ass filled out those jeans she had on? Fuck but she’s hot,” Phillip said.
“I was too busy trying to see down her blouse. She’s got the perfect handful of tits hiding behind all that lace,” Jasper said.
“The woman is perfect. She could be the one, Jasper.”
“Maybe, but we have to get her to go out with us to find out.”
“We’ll get her to. It may take some time, but we’ll wear her down.”
Phillip smiled. She was going to cave. There was no way she could resist them for long. He had faith in their ability to charm her into agreeing to go out with them. At least he hoped so.
I don’t know why, but I’m sure she’s the one for us. It just feels right in my chest.
He’d always paid attention to his gut instincts, and they’d saved him on more than one occasion while they’d been overseas. He wasn’t going to shy away from them now. Caro would be theirs if he could just figure out how to get her to give them a chance.
“Where should we take her first?” Phillip asked.
“Man, you’re getting ahead of yourself. She has to agree to go out with us first.”
“I want to have it all planned out so that when she does, we don’t have to think about what next.”
“Steak and fish house. Nice, family-oriented atmosphere,” Jasper said.
“Good plan. Do we go to Buster’s afterward?”
“No. She’s going to be tired of bars after working at one.”
“We can’t take her back to our place on a first date,” Phillip said.
“We take her home afterward and ask her out for a second date,” Jasper said.
“Fuck. I’m not going to want to say good night after only a couple of hours with her.”
“You’ll just have to suck it up. The slower we go, the more chance we have of getting more time with her,” Jasper told him.
Phillip knew his friend was right, but he didn’t want to go slow. He wanted to feel her lips on his and her hands on his body. He shifted uncomfortably as they finally pulled into their driveway.
“I’m bushed,” Jasper said. “Heading to bed.”
“Me too,” Phillip said. “See you in the morning.”
They parted ways with each of them going to their own rooms. Since they each had a shower, they didn’t have to take turns. Phillip stripped out of his clothes and palmed his cock, squeezing the base of it as he walked into the bathroom. He’d have to rub one off if he was going to get any sleep tonight.
After adjusting the water temp to suit him, Phillip stepped into the shower and quickly washed off. Then he wrapped his hand around his swollen shaft and focused on a vision of Caro kneeling in front of him with her mouth open waiting on his dick. He squeezed the base once more then ran his hand over the tip of it to spread the drop of precum over the head. He soaped up his hand and began pumping his dick as he thought about Caro’s mouth sucking his cock.
The vision was so real to him he nearly reached out to grab her hair. Instead, he reached between his legs and gently rolled his balls as he pictured her doing the same thing.
“Fuck.”
Phillip jerked his hand up and down his dick, squeezing as he did, the added pressure had his balls tightening as he pictured Caro swallowing him down to the root, then coming back up again to swirl her tongue around the crown, and then going back down again.
He felt the cum in his balls burning as he pumped his fist up and down. When he couldn’t hold back any longer, he tightened his hands on his balls and went up on tiptoes as he spewed his cum all over his hand and on the shower wall. His ass cheeks squeezed to the point of pain as he slowly shot the last of his seed out of his dick.
Phillip collapsed against the shower wall, holding himself up with his hands. That had been intense. Just thinking about her had gotten him off faster than any time in the past, and he’d come hard enough that his ass hurt. Fuck but she was going to be amazing. He wanted to taste her, make her come on his face while he sucked her little clit between his lips. He could already imagine Jasper fucking her while he licked and sucked on her tits. Damn, the thought of them both taking her at once nearly had his dick hard again.
He cleaned up once more and then dried off. His legs were still a little shaky as he climbed into bed and willed his half-hard cock to settle down. He didn’t have it in him to do that again. He needed to sleep.
He needed her.
Chapter Three
Caro looked around the second place she’d checked out to rent and liked it. It wasn’t too far from the bar and was clean. It was a little apartment over a garage where a cute old couple lived. They’d instantly seemed to like her and showed her the place without reservations. She could afford the rent and would feel safe living there.
“Now we don’t go out much, so we shouldn’t bother you cranking up the car now and then,” Marge said.
“I’m sure it won’t bother me,” she told the sweet woman.
“I worry about you coming in so late though. It’s pretty safe here, but you never know. You’ll be careful, won’t you?” she asked.
“I will. The owner of the bar walks us to our cars every night. I only work Wednesday through Saturday, so I won’t be coming in late on the other days,” Caro said.
The apartment had a kitchenette with a stove and fridge. There was a small living area and a small bedroom. The place was furnished and looked homey.
“I’d like to rent it. Can I move in today?” she asked.
“Of course, honey. Rent is due the first. Since this is the end of the month, you can pay now and that will cover this last week and next month. The deposit is two hundred,” the woman said.
Caro walked back downstairs and across to their house where they completed the paperwork and financial part of it at their kitchen table. She took the keys and thanked them once again for renting to her.
Finally. I have a place to lay my head that isn’t my car.
She unloaded the SUV and settled in in less than two hours. She didn’t have much. She’d learned not to gather things that she really liked since she might have to move and leave them behind. Caro had been on the road for over a year now. She’d started out living in Memphis, Tennessee, with her then-boyfriend, Craig. Everything had been great for nearly two years, and then it all went wrong. She still couldn’t put her finger on when it all began to fall apart.
Craig had seemed wonderful in the beginning. They’d dated for six months before she’d moved in with him. They’d had a nice circle of friends who they hung out with after work and on weekends. He’d even hinted at one point that he was thinking on making their relationship permanent. Then everything went crazy.
At first, he’d just been moody, and then he’d gotten demanding and critical of everything she did. Caro thought it was the stress of his job in marketing, but then she realized it was more than that. It might have started out that way, but eventually he turned to drinking more and using drugs.
She remembered the first time she’d caught him doing a line of cocaine and had freaked. He’d told her it was just every once in a while to help him relax. Then it was daily to help him get through the day. She soon realized that he was doing it at work as well as at home. After that, he moved on to other drugs, popping pills and swallowing them down with alcohol. She couldn’t take it anymore and had demanded he get help over and over. Finally she told him either he did or she was leaving. He’d gone crazy, calling her a controlling
bitch, and slapped her. That was it. She wasn’t going to be an abused woman.
Caro started packing her things while he’d gone out probably to score more drugs. When he returned, she’d loaded her car and was getting ready to leave. He’d told her she wasn’t going anywhere that she had some of his stuff and finally that he needed money. She’d attempted to walk out of the apartment, and he’d gotten physical once more. She’d ended up kneeing him in the balls to get away.
She’d only moved across town the first time, but when he came to her new place, he’d acted such a fool that her landlord had threatened to evict her if she didn’t get rid of him. But Craig wouldn’t leave her alone. He had even begun stalking her at work, which ended up getting her fired.
That had been the last straw. Caro packed up her car once more and this time moved to Missouri and got a job bartending when she couldn’t find a job as a bookkeeper. She found that she did well bartending and stuck with it instead of continuing to pursue looking for another job. She lived there until a second relationship had ended badly with Taylor being overly jealous. He accused her of fucking other men and made it hard for her to work when he’d stick at the bar and argue with anyone he thought was coming on to her.
Once again, she packed her things, and that was how she’d ended up in Cozy, Montana. She didn’t plan to make that mistake again. She was not dating anyone for a while, if ever again. She had poor taste in men.
Already dead tired from getting up so early and then moving into her new place, Caro dragged her ass to the bar and prayed the night would go by fast and she didn’t fall asleep if it wasn’t too busy. She didn’t have to worry though because when she walked through the door at three thirty to fill out her paperwork, the place was full.
