Top Notch (Man on Top Book 1)

by Nicole Richard

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Rowan

  Bucks was wall-to-wall packed. The “Grab a Seat” sign displayed next to the hostess stand was out. My eyes narrowed, adjusting to the change in lighting as I did a quick survey of the space. There weren’t too many open tables, and every stool at the bar was taken.

  “Wanna grab that table over there?” I asked Kelsey above the laughter and the noise, pointing to a high-top not too far from the bar.

  “Yeah, that’ll do.”

  We weaved through the crowd and slid onto the high-back chairs and waited for one of Bucks Beauties to come over. I pulled two menus from the holder and handed one to Kelsey.

  Bucks was a local favorite named after Atlanta’s major league baseball team. One of those bars that fit closely into the Hooters-Twin Peaks theme of things. Custom beer silos lined the back of the bar. Trophy bucks, generations of sports memorabilia, and neon beer signs scattered across the remainder of the walls. The waitresses were nothing short of female perfection, looking all kinds of uniformed sexy in their standard Bucks Beauty attire of backward baseball caps, little denim booty shorts, and tight torso-revealing baseball jerseys.

  All in support of the home team of course.

  But what really made this place special was their food.

  “Welcome, ladies.” Our waitress approached, wearing her million-dollar smile, quickly going into her spiel, talking louder than normal over all the bar noise. “We got our drink-and-drown pitcher special for twenty bucks if y’all are interested as well as the full menu. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  We placed our order and as soon as the young twenty-something was out of earshot, Kelsey muttered, “God, what I’d do for a body like that.” Who could blame her? I’d love a few more curves on my otherwise slim frame too.

  “Please, you’re perfect.”

  “Whatever. Is Gabby going to stop by?”

  “Not tonight, but she said she’ll catch us on the next one.”

  She nodded. “Hopefully, she’ll have time to hang out before she leaves town again.”

  I crossed my fingers and held them up. “I hope so.”

  Gabby never stayed in one place too long, always traveling to the next city, the next contract, getting to see a piece of the world from one hospital to the next.

  Not paying us any mind, the Bucks Beauty delivered our order and moved on to the next table.

  In one quick motion, Kelsey grabbed the pitcher, and after our mugs were full, she raised her glass and I raised mine. “To Rowan! A top-notch, badass woman taking a man’s world by storm.” Her expression changed from sassy to sincere. “I wish you all the success.”

  “Thanks, Kelse. That means a lot, and congrats on your promotion too.”

  “Thanks. That little increase in my paycheck is going to be sweet.” She cracked a smile and we tapped our mugs then took a few big gulps. Damn, that tasted good.

  Kelsey and I chatted while we ate and drank, and I almost choked on a chicken wing when she asked, “What’s the story with Spencer?”

  I normally wouldn’t have reacted so strongly if the look in her eyes hid the fact that she looked interested in him. “What do you mean?”

  “Why is he still single? You would think a man as gorgeous as Spencer would be married with a houseful of kids by now.” She sighed all twinkly-eyed.

  “Umm, Kelse. Why are you asking me this?”

  She shrugged. “Curious, I guess. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with a woman, besides you of course, and men like that . . .” She licked her lips, but then her eyes went wide at her light bulb moment. “Shit! You don’t think he’s gay, do you? Fuck. He’s gay. I knew it. The hot ones always are.”

  I almost choked for a second time, but this time on my beer. “What? No, he’s not gay!” I wiped the beer that had dripped down my chin. “You’re crazy—and you have a boyfriend. Furthermore, you should not be interested in our boss’s personal life.”

  “Why not?” she inquired, her nonchalance throwing me for a loop.

  “Why not?” I quoted.

  “I was just curious.”

  “Your inquisition was more than you being curious, Kelsey,” I practically yelled over the bar noise, but then my attention was stolen when a symphony of cackles and deep laughter erupted from somewhere on my right.

  We both turned to see what the commotion was all about. In the short distance, a small group of men were drinking and ribbing one another, causing a ruckus, obviously enjoying the camaraderie. I sat entranced for a short moment, trying to see if I could figure out what had been so funny, then my eyes fixated on one man in particular and my breath hitched. And I had no idea why. It wasn’t like I knew him or anything—not personally at least, but strangely I wanted to.

  From where I sat, I had a clear view of him, and it looked like he had one of me. The upturn of his lips had me slowly reciprocating the gesture. A fluttering sensation appeared in my chest, forcing me to look away. I didn’t want him to think I was staring. Or did I?

  I snuck another quick look and surprisingly, he was still staring. Dark brown eyes locked on me. Rowan Landry, the woman who had pushed men and dating to the bottom of a short list because my career was all that mattered for the last—well, forever.

  The sight of him, his broad chest and strong shoulders had heat collecting in my cheeks only to flow fluidly throughout the rest of my body, my panties feeling it the most. Shit! Holy fuck, only one look and my breathing had turned labored.

  “Ro, are you all right?”

  “Huh?” I glanced back at Kelsey, who was giving me a knowing look.

  “Rowan, you’re blushing and you’ve licked your lips like twenty times in the last minute.”

  “No, I haven’t.” Have I?

  “Yes, you have,” she disagreed, smirking over the rim of her mug, her eyes playing ping-pong between me and the insanely gorgeous Atlanta Bucks first baseman.

  “You should go over there and talk to him—no wait!” She slapped her hand on the table. “You should walk past their table and make sure you bite the corner of your lip, just a teensy bit.” She held her thumb and index finger apart an inch. “And then make your way toward the bar—”

  “Why would I do that when we have a waitress?”

  “To flirt, silly. Duh.” She rolled her eyes. “Maybe he’ll follow you and strike up a conversation. Besides, those men like the chase.”

  “How would you know?”

  “I may have a boyfriend, but I’m not dead. Gosh, woman, just chill out and have some fun. Do something reckless for a change. How long has it been?”

  Too long, that’s for sure.

  “You seriously need to quit working so much and put yourself out there.”

  “I don’t work too much.”

  “Yes, you do,” she argued.

  And I hated when she was right. I twisted my lips to the side, thinking about what she had just said. Games and relationships didn’t mix. A chivalrous man, kind, polite, attentive was what I was looking for. God, I sound like a prude. And besides, rejection had always been a hard pill to swallow.

  “Never mind.” Kelsey quickly changed her mind. “I’m going to head out—”

  “What! No! Don’t you dare,” I growled.

  “Yes.” She stood and threw a twenty on the table. “There’s the tip.”

  “That’s too much.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  It really wasn’t. We never paid a dime whenever we came into Bucks. It helped when you had connections with the owner.

  “Anyway,” she brushed off my protest. “I’m going and you’re staying. Sit here for a bit. Wait and see what happens.”

  “Do you realize who those men are?”

  She shook her head, unruffled.

  “They’re Atlanta Bucks.”

  “Even better. They’re players. You’re guaranteed a night of no-strings-attached fun.”

  “I’m so going to kill you,” I hissed through a frown. “Be
tter yet, I’m telling Spencer to take back your promotion, your pay increase, and everything that came along with it. You will never work in this town again.” My words were shit. And Kelsey knew it. I’d never actually do those things. I just hope to get a rise out of her, or for her to sit her ass back down and not leave me without armor.

  “Yeah, yeah, sure you are,” she dismissed with a laugh. Kelsey kissed my cheek and left me to fend for myself. Bitch.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Levi

  “High drive up the center . . . near the wall . . . the crowd goes wild,” Hatch replayed the highlight of the night’s game maintaining the Bucks top spot on the game board. “It’s a grand slam. Ace Alvarez is a baseball god.” He mimicked a roaring crowd gone wild, and the three of us groaned in mock irritation.

  “Yup, beer’s startin’ to talk,” I cracked, tilting the neck of my bottle toward him, fighting off a smirk.

  If anyone could get away with being cocky about the game, it was Hatch “Ace” Alvarez. He was one of the best in the league. He knew it—I knew it—hell, the entire league knew it, and most times he remained humble, unless he was post-game trash talking.

  “That was fucking awesome. I ran those bases like my ass was on fire.” Trevor’s laugh caught the eyes of a few admirers.

  “Hold up,” Chase cut in. “That’s why you had that tube of Preparation-H when you hit the showers?”

  “Fuck you, asshole,” Trevor joked. “Pretty sure I’m not the one who likes getting things shoved up my ass.”

  “Don’t knock it ’til you try it. The ladies love it when you give them free rein,” Chase joked with a wink.

  “TMI, dude. TM fucking I,” I groaned, and we all laughed—loud.

  And this time the blonde took notice.

  Leaning back in my chair, I took a long pull of my beer, holding my sights on the gorgeous woman in my peripheral vision. Hatch had switched gears and was going on and on about Stevenson “mysteriously” getting cut from the roster. The rookie got called up a month ago from Triple-A and was already starting to miss warm-up sessions. Just because your old man was pro, it never did anyone any good getting too cocky and too soon.

  The four of us sat around, taking verbal jabs in jest when my eyes caught movement. The blonde’s friend was leaving and after saying her goodbyes, she sat back down. I gave it a minute, hoping I wasn’t being too obvious before lifting my bottle and rising to my feet. “I’m gonna grab another beer. You guys need anything?”

  “Nah. We’ll wait ’til Natasha or Cece comes around,” Chase answered, but we all knew it was Cece he would wait for.

  I nodded and before I stepped away, Hatch elbowed me, lifted his chin in the blonde’s direction, giving me that hotshot knowing smirk. “Ask her if she’s got any friends. I’m free tonight, could use some company.” The horny fucker was free every damn night.

  On my way over, I slid my empty bottle on the bar top and casually started my approach. Halfway there, she took notice and did a quick half-glance over her shoulder, then down at her phone, biting the inside of her cheek. That was all the invitation I needed to proceed. Until a soft hand on my bicep and a suggestive voice stopped me in my tracks.

  “Hey, there, slugger.”

  I looked down to find one of the Annies whose name I honestly couldn’t recall. “Hey, Brandi. What’s up?” I responded, my voice a dead giveaway of distraction while keeping my sights on the blonde in case she decided to slip out.

  “It’s Melody,” she corrected with a hint of irritation. Not that I could blame her.

  “My bad.”

  “Anyway,” she huffed and pushed her tits out. “I was wondering if you wanted company tonight. It’s been a while.” She stroked her hand up and down my arm, and surprisingly my dick didn’t even register.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got plans.” Her smile dropped and her bottom lip jutted out, waiting for a reaction. “But Hatch was saying something about wanting company tonight.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” I couldn’t care less who you hit the sheets with.

  Carefully removing her hand from my arm, I gave her a wink and forged on, only to find the blonde getting up from her chair. I kicked up the pace and before she took another step, I called, “Hey . . .” My voice trailed off.

  She turned and smiled, looking directly at me but didn’t respond, causing me to stand there momentarily paralyzed. That’s it? No pick-up line? Cocksure smile to melt her panties? You’re losing your touch, Montgomery.

  Good Lord, she was beautiful and everything about her bombarded me all at once. A vision if I ever saw one with bright sky-blue eyes, a halo of long wavy hair surrounding silky smooth skin, and full kissable lips. I couldn’t resist letting my eyes drop to her chest, her tank-top blouse showing off a generous handful of perfect tits. Strange stirrings started to take place in my chest, quickly followed by my dick.

  “You mind if I join you?”

  “I was just leaving, actually.” The hint of a Southern drawl made me smile. She grabbed her little purse from the table and hesitated for a second.

  “Perfect. You wanna get out of here? We can head back to my place?” I joked, not expecting her comeback. We should at the very least have one drink before hitting the sheets.

  “Sure. I just need to find Joe and thank him first and then we can head out. Can I hop in with you?” Her voice was suggestive, making the blood in my body shoot south. Once my brain caught up, and for reasons unknown to me, a rush of heat surged, igniting my temper, although I didn’t show it.

  Before the tension could escalate, she pointed at me, her finger shaking just a bit and started laughing under her breath. “Gotcha!”

  Amused by her tactics, a slow smile spread across my face, and I shook it off. I pointed back at the woman who I now knew was not only easy on the eyes but had a sense of humor to match.

  “That you did.” I chuckled and held my hand out. “Levi Montgomery. It’s a pleasure to meet you . . .”

  She took a moment to give my face a quick once-over, then placed her soft hand in mine. “Rowan. It’s nice to meet you.”

  There went that strange pang in my chest.

  I held on to her hand for a beat longer, and she made no effort to pull away either.

  “You have beautiful eyes,” I murmured, mesmerized.

  “Thank you.” She blushed.

  “Mind if we sit?” I asked, wanting a little more time with her.

  “Not at all.”

  She scooted back onto her seat with her purse in her lap right as Natasha came over. “You guys doing okay over here?”

  “Could we get two beers, please,” I answered, not giving Rowan a chance to second-guess sitting with me.

  “You bet.” She cleared the table, making room for round two.

  “So sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she jabbed, hinting at a smile.

  “Confidence is a good thing.”

  “Touché.”

  We both laughed and what a beautiful sound it was, floating past her lips, lips that were plump and a glossy pink, making my cock twitch thinking how perfect they would feel wrapped around my dick.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Rowan

  Natasha dropped off the two beers Levi had ordered along with a fresh bowl of peanuts. Before walking away, she set her sights on me and gave me that look. The one that showed a glimpse of her lust burning below the surface that said if I didn’t take this gorgeous man home and do wicked things to him—with him—to let her know because she was up for the challenge.

  Well, screw that. Kelsey was right, and I was the one celebrating. And it had been way too long since I had some fun. If all went well, what was one night?

  “So why haven’t I seen you around before?” He tipped the bottle back, his eyes drinking me in.

  “You’re serious?” My disbelieving laugh died somewhere between my rib cage and my throat. He went there using the worst, most trite, not to mention, cliché pick-up lin
e in the history of pick-up lines. Surely, he could do better than that. He was a player after all.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe because . . .” I trailed off, nibbling the inside of my cheek when an idea came to me. I unlocked my phone and searched: Atlanta, Georgia population. Once I was satisfied with the information I was looking for, I held my phone up facing him. “Could it be that the Atlanta Metro population is nearly six million strong and growing?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly and then chuckled. “Smart ass,” and ended his comment with a seemingly playful wink. Not that I’d let him off that easily.

  “If by that, you mean a professional and intelligent woman, then yes, I am a true-to-form smart ass.” My response was quick and sassy with a hint of playful as I stood my ground. In my experiences, some men felt intimidated by an intelligent and independent woman.

  “Don’t forget beautiful,” he murmured. “Still doesn’t explain how I haven’t seen you here before. Surely I would’ve noticed.” The look he gave only served to validate his words.

  “Maybe it’s because I’ve done my best at staying on my side of the fence,” I mumbled, hating hearing my own dig. But we were playing on two different fields as far as I was concerned. He was an Atlanta celebrity of sorts, and I was a nerd. A very proud nerd, I might add. Whose only goal in mind was to fast-track it to the top.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” His brows drew in.

  “You’re Levi Montgomery, and you play ball for the Atlanta Bucks, am I correct?” I conveniently left out the fact that he was number sixteen, played first base, but started his career in the minors as an outfielder, let alone the random stats you could find in the news, on the back of a baseball card, or the internet.

  “And she knows baseball. I like that.”

  “Maybe a teensy bit.” Broadcasting his career RBIs was on the tip of my tongue.