by CM Albert
Ordering another was probably not the smartest idea, especially since I needed to pick up my costume tonight for the gala. But I was in a dangerous mood after getting rejected.
“To new beginnings and exciting second chances,” Lindy said and winked at me.
I grinned back. She was always so much more optimistic than I was, but the damn pixie rubbed off on me. She was the exact yin to my yang that I needed in my life. “To surprises going over well at the gala,” I answered in turn, thinking of her sexy costume addition.
Shay glowered at us, as if offended that we were sharing inside jokes she wasn’t privy to. It seemed as if we constantly rubbed Shay the wrong way. I wish I could say that bothered me, but I couldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her, so she certainly didn’t inspire me to bring her into our fold. I couldn’t figure out what she was even doing hanging out with us. She hated us, and the feeling was mutual.
Dan came through the doors to the cigar bar, and his eyes zeroed in on Lindy. She groaned, and I elbowed her. That’s when I noticed a sly look fill Shay’s ice-blue eyes as she drank Dan in from head to toe.
Bingo.
“Hello, ladies!” Dan said, wrapping an arm over Lindy’s shoulder, which elicited yet another scowl from Shay. “What’s on tap tonight?”
“Tequila shots,” I said and raised the second one I ordered. “I’ve decided to live dangerously since it’s my birthday weekend!” I was already feeling the happy effects of my first shot. The second one didn’t burn any less going down.
“And to drown out her sorrows,” Shay added.
“What is actually your problem?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. “If you have something to say, please be an adult and just say it.”
I watched as the cold calculation spun behind her eyes and fake Southern sweetness took its place.
“I don’t know what you mean, Brynn,” she said.
Shay placed her hand on Dan’s free arm and trailed her fingers over his bare skin. Like most men in the bar, his work sleeves had already been pushed up to his elbows for the evening, and his tie dangled loosely around his neck.
“Will you be at the Heart Gala tomorrow night?” she cooed, her eyes unabashedly trying their best to lure Dan in. He was either oblivious to her attention or completely aware and too smart for the conniving witch.
Like a seasoned pro, he playfully spun Lindy out of his arms and then back in again, eliciting a laugh as she swatted him. “Only if Lindy promises me a dance.”
“You’re skating on thin ice, mister,” she teased. Dan had had a crush on Lindy for as long as I could remember. The only problem? He was about thirty years and a couple million shy of Lindy’s typical love interest.
“A man can always dream,” he said, lifting her hand and kissing it, squarely in front of Shay.
Oh yeah. He was too smart for the likes of her.
“You know I’m dating Walter,” Lindy said quietly.
He laughed and pulled her into a close embrace. I chuckled when I saw Shay’s face burn bright red, her jaw clenching. “Walter won’t be around forever,” he said affectionately. “Doesn’t he already have his AARP membership?”
She socked him in the arm. “That was rude!” she said, but she was laughing. She knew what others thought about her, and she didn’t give two flying fucks either way. Lindy was happy with Walter. He met her needs in a way Dan simply couldn’t. I kind of felt bad for the poor guy. He never stood a chance with her.
“Did you say whether you were going to the Heart Gala or not?” I asked Shay, who was fuming at this point. I watched as she tossed back another shot. Drunk Shay was a bad combo—we’d all witnessed her self-destruction at last year’s Christmas party.
“Yeah, I think I’ll go,” she said, eyeing Dan as he joined a group of guys from the office who’d just walked in. Her eyes trailed his ass as the guys made their way to the smoking lounge in the cigar bar. Shay probably only wanted Dan because he didn’t want her. As soon as she got her hooks in her most recent conquest—and proved she could—she’d drop him faster than last week’s garbage. Casualties be damned.
I should know. I was once one of her casualties, thanks to my ex Nick.
I took a deep breath, finding myself needing space. And fresh air. I wanted out. Out of the bar. Out of Shay’s presence. Away from work.
I turned to tell Lindy that I was ready to go when I slammed into something tall, dark, and made of steel. A firm hand gripped my wrist to prevent me from falling and making an ass of myself. When I looked up to see who my savior was, I found the smokiest midnight-blue eyes staring back at me. My heart pounded as they drank me in.
The man’s dark brown hair was cut close, and even though he was in a monochrome navy suit as dark as his eyes, I could see the definition in his arm as he held me upright. My hands rested on a chest so hard it had no business being locked away behind the crisp white dress shirt he was wearing. I couldn’t help but notice the ten pence lion cufflinks made of solid gold that held his French cuffs together. The man oozed sexuality and power, and a tiny part of me whimpered somewhere deep inside.
“I’m used to women falling fast for me,” he growled in my ear, “but this is a record even for me.”
I couldn’t form a pithy response or look away to save my life, and I saw in the depths of his captivating orbs that he knew it. A cocky grin spread over his full red lips as he helped me stand upright on my own. The dark-haired god before me held up a finger to the entourage of men in suits waiting for him by the bar’s exit.
“You steady enough on your feet to get home? Or do you need to crash at my place?” he said, his eyes raking over the small amount of cleavage that showed in my short black button-down dress. I slid my hands into the dress’s pockets so I wouldn’t be tempted to find out what else was made of steel on him. And I’d had just enough tequila to consider it.
“As tempting as your offer is, it’s my birthday tomorrow. And waking up in a stranger’s bed isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.” I made eye contact with Lindy, who had stepped away from the bar and was busy texting—presumably to Walter. He kept her on a short leash. Figuratively, and literally sometimes.
“That’s because you’ve never woken up in my bed,” he said, his navy eyes smoldering even darker.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or grab his hand and run. A man with that kind of confidence probably would be my idea of a good time. Who was I fooling? Thank god, Lindy chose that moment to push her way into our little foray and grab my hand.
“Hey, handsome,” she said, winking at the mystery man. “Hate to steal this hottie, but it’s her birthday tomorrow, and we have things to do.”
He chuckled. “So I’ve heard. Give me two minutes, and she’s all yours.”
Lindy raised her eyebrows at me, and I could tell that she was squealing inside. But she played it cool. “Two minutes, Casanova.”
As she made her way to the front of the bar to wait for me, I couldn’t help but notice Shay’s icy gaze walking her out with glee. She spun on her heels and stalked toward the cigar bar, no doubt on the hunt for poor Dan.
I turned my attention back to the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on. Whoever created the expression “butterflies in your tummy” had clearly never met my Casanova here. Butterflies were nowhere to be found in the burning ache that seared its way down my torso and between my thighs. He was standing too close. Smelled too much like expensive cologne and sex. He was a man used to getting anything he wanted.
“What did you need two minutes f—”
The shock of his lips on mine made me lose any coherence I had left. I grabbed the collar of his dress shirt to prevent myself from falling back again. The strong hand he’d used to grip my wrist a moment ago now cupped the back of my head, tangled up under my long dark brown hair. I knew I should push him away—I didn’t even know his name. But it was my
birthday weekend, and his mouth tasted exquisite. His lips were surprisingly soft as they crushed against mine, but his tongue was aggressive as he pressed between my lips, claiming my mouth with his. I may’ve whimpered. I may’ve come. All I know is that at some point, I dropped my hands to my sides and just let him devour me with his hot, demanding mouth.
Fuck.
When he pulled back, he ran a finger over my lower lip.
“Happy birthday, angel,” he said, pressing something cold into my hand before turning and making his way back to his entourage. When he passed Lindy—who was standing there gaping at the way I’d just let a stranger manhandle me—he said something quietly into her ear before leaving the bar and never looking back.
It took me a few minutes to calm my breathing enough to snap the hell out of it and figure out what in the world just happened. Well, my horoscope had been right—I’d met a tall, dark stranger. The only problem was that I never got his name before I had the sexiest, most tantalizing kiss I’d had in a long, long time. It was a far cry from piercing my heart, but I’d take it as a win.
When I finally made my way across the bar to Lindy, she grabbed my hand so we could walk to the long line of cabs waiting outside. That’s when I remembered Casanova had pressed something into my palm before leaving. I glanced down and laughed. It wasn’t exactly a glass slipper or the start of a fairy tale romance.
Instead, it was a room key.
CHAPTER THREE
I SAT IN the hot tub that consumed most of my back patio’s square footage. The hot water and large glass of wine soothed my bruised ego from earlier today. After my surprise kiss, I’d headed straight home. I’d have to pick up my rental costume tomorrow.
The noisy bubbles danced around me, and I ran my teeth over my lower lip—the same one Casanova had sucked on between his own warm lips before ending our kiss. My skin tingled from the memory, and my nipples instantly hardened in the cool evening air. At least, I was blaming it on the temperature and not the magnetic pull I’d felt with my mystery man.
I still wasn’t sure if I should’ve punched him for kissing me without asking, or march my way over to the Lion’s Den hotel and let him prove me wrong about whether or not it would be a good time to wake up in his arms on my birthday. Right now, I was kind of kicking myself as I flipped his key card over and over in my hands, lost in the memory of his hot tongue pressing past my lips to seek out mine.
Holy hell.
Enough was enough. I checked the time, my head starting to ache from the tequila and large goblet of wine. The only thing worse than waking up in a stranger’s bed on my birthday would be to wake up with a hangover from hell, unable to attend the annual Heart Gala with my friends.
I set the glass down on the edge of the hot tub, along with the room key. The gold lion’s head mocked me from the front of the card, reminding me of the cufflinks he’d worn and the feel of his strong hands as they gripped my wrist. In one simple move, he’d stirred feelings of both protection and dominance, and I wasn’t sure which one thrilled me more.
I closed my eyes, letting my hand slide over my breasts and down my flat stomach. Even though I had neighbors on either side of me, the lights were off on my patio, and I couldn’t wait until I got inside. I dipped my hand beneath the water and started rubbing myself. The more I remembered his kiss, the harder I pressed my thighs together. I wasn’t a one-night stand type of girl, but I certainly wasn’t shy either. In fact, I took pride in my horoscope being one of the most passionate and sexual of all the zodiac signs.
As I rubbed my clit beneath the water, knowing just where and how hard to press down to push myself over the edge, I grinned. He might’ve caught me off guard, but if I’d taken him up on his offer, I’d have given him a run for his money. I knew it deep in my soul.
The sex would’ve been phenomenal.
I let my writer’s imagination take over, helping me come quicker than I ever had before. That night, despite my horoscope being wrong for the first time ever, I somehow managed to sleep like a baby.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRYNN!” I heard. I blinked in the darkness and grabbed my phone. What? I looked around my bedroom, seeing no sunlight behind the blackout curtains. “Happy birthday, Brynn!” I heard again.
I threw my legs over my bed, confused. That’s when I noticed my phone vibrating in my hand. My alarm. I looked down and saw a picture of Lindy from the bar last night, sticking out her tongue. She’d taken my purse with her during my embarrassing scuffle with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome and must’ve taken a picture of herself.
“Happy birthday, Brynn!” my phone chirped again. I was going to kill Lindy for hijacking my phone with her overly cheerful wake-up call.
Though secretly I couldn’t help but grin. Lindy had that effect on people.
I had the whole day to kill and had plans to meet my grandfather for brunch. First, I needed to get a bike ride in and then grab the largest coffee I could get my hands on. Two hours and thirty miles later, I hung my Specialized Allez Sprint on the wall of what was supposed to be my dining room. It now doubled as an at-home office and bike storage unit. Living in Dilworth had its perks, but the size of my townhouse wasn’t one of them.
I’d grabbed a cup of joe from a neighborhood coffee shop rather than the big-named one that was closer. It tasted like dark-roasted heaven.
Lindy had already texted me twice, the first to say happy birthday again, and the second to remind me to grab my costume after brunch. I couldn’t wait for the annual Heart Gala. It didn’t always fall on my birthday, but the fundraiser always took place on the last weekend in October. It was the perfect time of year to don a costume and raise money for a good cause. Sterling and Masters was a platinum sponsor of the event, so regardless of whether I enjoyed it, I was expected to make an appearance—birthday or not.
I was all smiles by the time my Uber dropped me off in front of Paco’s Taco and Tequila. I wouldn’t be partaking in the tequila after last night, but I was craving their signature soft taco stuffed with chili-rubbed beef brisket, caramelized onions, cabbage, and my favorite chipotle barbecue sauce. It’s what I ordered every year on my birthday with my grandfather. The more consistent I was around him, the more likely he was to remember me. I couldn’t wait to see him. His episodes were getting worse, and soon, he wouldn’t be able to live alone anymore—not even with the full-time nurse who stayed with him now.
“Brynnie!” he said, smiling. I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding. His white hair was slicked back, and his bushy white mustache looked both dignified and up to no good all at once.
“Hi, Grampa,” I said, sinking gratefully into his arms. I held on a moment too long, I knew that. But I never knew if the next time I was in his arms he would remember me.
He handed me a small box. “Happy birthday.”
“What’s this?” I asked, looking at the gold wrapping paper and vibrant autumn-hued bow. I waved hello to his nurse, Babs, who waited at the bar for us to finish lunch.
“Well, that would take all the fun out of it, now wouldn’t it?” he said, his clear blue eyes twinkling as he laughed. He reached over the table with his arthritic hand. The blue veins were now prominent, but it was his wedding ring I focused on. Even after all this time alone, he never took it off. That was the kind of love I wanted some day.
“It’s good to see you.” I blinked back tears. It was too early, even for me, to get emotional.
“It’s good to see you, too. Now open it! You don’t want to make an old man wait. I might keel over before you get the wrapping paper off.”
“Grampa!” I scolded. “That’s not funny.”
“Well, we all have to go sometime,” he said with a cackle. “I’m not planning on it anytime soon, but I swear I’ve grown ten new white hairs waiting for you to open the dang box already.”
I laughed, carefully sliding the bow from the box and settin
g the paper aside. It was silly, but I kept everything from him. He was the only family I had left, and I wanted to remember every moment with him.
He was right. We all had to go sometime. But I wasn’t ready for it to be his turn yet. Not by a long shot.
My breath caught in my throat the moment I realized what was inside the box. “Grampa! No. I can’t take this.” I slid the box back across the table to him.
“Brynnie, hear me out,” he said hoarsely. “Babs drives me everywhere these days. And I’m not allowed to drive anymore,” he admitted.
“Oh, Grampa,” I said, sighing. “When did that happen?”
“Last month. Was supposed to renew my license. Turns out you have to actually be able to see to drive. Who knew?” he teased.
“They’re that bad?” I asked. His eyes had given him problems most of his adult life, but they’d gotten significantly worse over the years, and he wasn’t a candidate for cataract surgery.
“Yep. But it’s okay. I’ve got Babs. And when I don’t anymore, when I’m in the old folks’ home, I won’t need to drive anyway. But you will. Because you’ll need to come spring me from time to time,” he said. He acted as if the upscale retirement community we’d already reserved for him was a prison cell.
I glanced down at the key to his baby—a burgundy Rolls-Royce convertible. It was too much. “Thank you, Grampa,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Thank you is enough. I know you’ll take good care of her,” he replied, clearing his throat. “I was hoping it would be a twofer celebration. You hear anything about that new job?”
“Unfortunately,” I said. “They decided to go with an outsider. I won’t get to meet the person till Monday.”
“Now, why in tarnation would they do that?” he asked, chewing his carefully cut piece of burrito. “They had a perfectly qualified candidate internally.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t exactly stick around to ask. I was too upset, and Carlisa sprang it on us late yesterday.”
