“Sorry, buddy,” I slapped his shoulder as he leaned against the bar. “I can’t help you with that one.”
He nodded and stood there for a few minutes sipping his beer. I was almost finished cleaning my section when I heard Josh’s voice again. I cringed as he paused at the bar in front of me.
“Speaking of people who can’t take a hint,” I muttered as my gaze shifted toward Mason. He noticed and stood straighter as Josh laughed.
“Don’t be like that,” Josh smirked. “I wanted to talk contracts with you. We love this place and we’d like to make it more permanent.”
“I’ll have to talk to Chris,” I forced a smile on my face. “He’s one of my best bartenders. I can’t let him off to perform regularly until I can find a replacement.”
“You seemed to be doing just fine tonight,” his eyes scanned up and down my legs causing me to cringe.
“I own this place,” I snapped. “I can’t be behind the bar every night. I was filling in tonight.”
“Yeah,” he smirked again. “You are good at filling things in.”
“Can you stop,” I growled. “I’m not interested, and you’re just annoying. Desperate is not attractive on you.”
“Whatever,” he sighed. “I’m wearing you down. You’ll see. By the end of all this,” he waved his arms around. “I’ll have you just where I want you.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” a voice rang out loud and demanding. I knew without looking up who it was, and my entire body buzzed with awareness.
“Who the fuck are you?” Josh turned to face the intruder.
“Her boyfriend,” Dev crossed his arms over his chest as he stood in the doorway. “Who the fuck are you?”
Josh’s demeanor changed right before my eyes. The cocky flirt was gone, and the business manager made an appearance. “I’m the band’s manager.” He turned to face me, “I’ve got to help them pack up. I’ll be back to discuss logistics for continuing this arrangement.”
I nodded silently as my eyes stayed connected with Dev’s. Mason relaxed before excusing himself and leaving me there alone with Dev. I couldn’t place the expression Dev wore, and as he continued to stare, I saw the domineering man I’d met all those years ago form right before my eyes.
“Where have you been the last few days?” I tried to sound annoyed, but after the exhausting night I’d had, I don’t think I was very convincing.
“Working,” his voice clipped, he strode over, shrugged out of his leather coat and tossed it up on the bar. Clipped to the waistband of his jeans, his badge gleamed in the low lights of the bar as he took a seat. His breathing was ragged, and the muscles of his neck were ticking with tension. “What the hell was that all about?”
“It’s none of your business, but it was nothing,” I crossed my arms and leaned back against the counter. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you,” he gripped the back of his neck. “I needed time to process everything, and now I want to talk.”
“Well, I’ve got plans tonight,” I scowled. “You’re gonna have to wait.” If I wasn’t so worked up over the whole Josh situation, I probably would have agreed to leave and talk with him, but right now, I was mad. I was mad that Dev had dropped off the Earth for three days without even a phone call, and now he wanted me to stop what I was doing for him. I was mad at Josh for being a pig, and was mad at myself for letting all of this bother me. “You’re welcome to stay, but I’m getting drunk tonight.” I tossed the towel I had in my hand on the back counter and rounded the bar. I untucked my Rusty Nail tee from my jeans and tossed my bottle opener on the bar as I began walking to the other side of the bar. We’d agreed to take a table over by the pool tables, and Tiff already had the tequila and a pitcher of beer sitting over there.
“Wait!” Dev growled as he reached out and grabbed my arm right above my elbow.
I snapped my head in his direction before glaring at his hand where it gripped me, “Let me go,” I snarled.
His fingers loosened slightly, but he leaned closer to my ear, “I don’t like the attitude you seem to have tonight. What’s going on with you?”
“We haven’t been together in four years,” I smiled a fake smile. “You don’t know anything about me anymore. You seem to think it’s ok to come and go from my life whenever you feel like it. I’m growing rather tired of that,” I pressed my lips together as I watched my words hit their mark.
He released me as hurt filled his eyes.
“You can stay, or go, I don’t really care, but me and that bottle are going to be good friends in about five minutes,” I turned and walked to the table, poured myself a shot, and tossed it back before making eye contact with him once again.
“Fuck it!” he growled as he marched over, yanked the bottle from my grip, and went mouth to mouth with it right there in front of me. “We’re gonna talk, and you’re gonna listen,” he slammed the bottle down. “If I have to get shit faced with you, then fine,” he leaned right next to my ear. “You can pretend you’re mad at me all you want, but that tremor that runs through your body every time you’re near me isn’t as subtle as you think it is. You need me like I need you, and tonight I’m gonna prove it. If I have to tie you down to get you to listen to me, then I will.” His teeth nipped at my ear before he backed up, grabbed the bottle, and chugged again. “Your turn,” he smirked as he shoved it into my hands.
Oh, fuck! Brian was back, and as much as I loved my sweet Dev… I craved Brian like an addict craves their next hit.
Chapter 12
As we stood there glaring at each other, daring the other to move, Tiff and Chris rounded the corner laughing together. When they saw us, standing there in our stare down, they stopped and almost bumped into one another.
“Shit!” Tiff hissed as she darted her eyes between the two of us. “Hey, Sam?” she slowly approached me. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” I angled my head to the side as I took another swing of liquor. It burned its way down my throat, and Dev’s eyes flared as he watched me. “Want some?” I held the bottle out toward her.
“Damn!” she glanced from the bottle to me, back to the bottle, and then to Dev. “That was fairly full when I set it there. You two better slow down.”
“I’m fine. Chicago’s finest is here to protect me apparently,” I rolled my eyes, and the room shifted slightly. I was being a bitch, and I knew it. I just didn’t care. Dev stiffened beside me before shaking his head.
“I’m not too keen on the idea, but I will throw you over my shoulder, and cart your ass out of here if I need to, Samantha,” he growled as he leaned next to my ear. “Don’t try my patience.”
I shivered as I heard him snicker. This only fueled my anger. He was laughing at me, and all I seemed to be able to do was show him how much my body wanted him.
“We playing cards or what?” Chris broke the tension as he moved around us and took a seat at the table. He poured himself a beer and began shuffling the playing cards.
Tiff silently watched us as she took a seat beside him. Dev took the chair across from Tiff, turned it around backwards, and sank down straddling it. His head tipped back so he could meet my glare, and he smirked. “Sit down, Samantha,” he pointed his chin at the chair beside him, “before I put you there.”
Holy hell, where had this man been? My insides twisted as I tried to decide how much I wanted to push him. I liked this, no, make that loved this. This is the man I wanted, and the fact that my anger seemed to incite him made me want to make him mad more often.
I dropped down onto the chair with a sigh before turning to glare at him, “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“The fuck I can’t,” his eyes narrowed before they swept over my body.
“Enough with the sexual tension in here,” Chris rolled his eyes as he began shuffling the cards. “You two need to go back in the office and take care of that.”
“Do you like working here?” Tiff gasped as she turned to face Ch
ris.
“Yeah,” he nodded as he began dealing cards.
“Then I suggest you shut up,” she hissed at him before winking at me. “I got your back, babe,” she giggled. “If this one,” she pointed at Dev “needs reminding of anything, I’ll help.”
Dev folded his arms on the table as he chuckled at Tiff’s expression. She was going for stern, but she really did look funny. He ran his knuckles along his scruffy jaw as he sat there deep in thought. “Hmmm. Is this for money tonight?”
“Naaa. Just bragging rights,” Chris picked up his cards to look at them, “but money’s okay.”
He must have gotten a good hand. I glanced at Dev, then Tiff. She was watching us, and I gave a slow nod showing that I was fine.
“Where’s your partner?” Tiff blurted out. “He too good for this place now?”
Dev snickered, “He’s sleeping. We’ve been up for two days straight doing surveillance. Trust me… he likes you. He wouldn’t stay away on purpose.”
“He sure has a funny way of showing it,” Tiff muttered under her breath.
“Jase has issues. I mean we all do,” he motioned to his chest, “but Jase’s are some big ones. Give it time if you really like him.”
Tiff shrugged, “I don’t really know him. He doesn’t like to talk about himself...”
“Like I said… he has issues. It’s not my place to talk shit about him either,” Dev scowled as he placed two cards in front of himself and took two more off the deck. “So,” he turned to look at me “What do I get if I win?”
“You can keep that smug look you’ve got,” I retorted and I refused to make eye contact. I didn’t want him to see the lust that filled my eyes, or the way my cheeks were heating.
“I was thinking more along the lines of something tangible, like what I won when we played pool that time?” he smirked as he watched me fidget.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I glared at my cards. I think, in my alcohol soaked brain, I was under the impression that if I stared at them long enough I could change them.
“You gonna play, or what?” Chris laughed as he watched me.
“Shut up!” I tossed my hand down. “I’m too wired for this,” I stood and half stumbled, half shuffled over to the jukebox in the corner.
“Sit down before you hurt yourself,” Dev demanded as he turned to face me.
“I’m not that drunk,” I giggled as I pushed some buttons on it and waited for music to fill the air.
“I beg to differ,” Dev sighed as he tossed his cards on the table, and dragged his palms down his face. “Sorry guys, I’m out,” he stood, and as he approached me, all the other movement in the room seemed to fade away. I don’t really know how long it took him. Probably only a few seconds, but as his body moved across the floor toward me, it felt like time had stopped. “You know,” he whispered as he stopped right behind me. “You’re making it really hard for me to be a gentleman tonight,” his voice was ragged as he leaned down next to my ear.
“Maybe, I don’t want a gentleman,” I smiled sweetly up at him as I pushed another button on the jukebox causing the song to change. “Maybe I like this.”
“Sam!” he hissed as he pressed his chest into my back. He turned us so his back was to our table, and his body blocked Tiff and Chris’s view. One hand cupped my breast as the other snaked down the front of my body, cupping me through my jeans. He released a groan when I pushed my hips back into him. “I didn’t come here for this,” his breath drifted across my neck at barely a whisper.
“Why did you come here then,” I panted, swaying to the music.
“I want to talk to you about Mara,” he moved his hands to spin me so I was now facing him. “I needed to figure things out,” his eyes softened. ”I wanna be part of her life.”
The sweet man from weeks ago was back, and as much as I loved him, he was killing my buzz. “Well, I’m not really in the mind set to talk about this right now,” I huffed. “Can we table this until tomorrow? I’m off duty tonight. She’s with my mom. I want to cut loose for once and not worry about the future.”
“I can respect that,” Dev nodded. His body was pressed against mine, and his hands were sitting lightly on my hips. We were barely moving, but it was enough to keep the tension humming right below the surface.
“We’re gonna head out before you two start humping right in front of us,” Tiff yelled and chairs began to scrape across the floor. “I’ll lock up,” she called again. Just as the door dinged open, I heard her snicker, “Use protection!”
“Shut up!” I yelled back without looking. Dev’s chest shook with laughter as I let my chin drop. “Sometimes I hate her,” I grumbled just as the song changed.
“What the hell is this?” Dev’s confused tone caused me to start laughing.
“I like the older stuff. This is one of my favorites,” I giggled and hiccupped at the same time just as an older Keith Sweat song filled the room.
“Seriously?” Dev’s forehead creased as he stared at me. “Babe,” he sighed, “I think you’ve had too much to drink.”
“Have not!” I hiccupped again and stumbled at the same time. “You can leave, too, if you’re going be like that.” I pulled back out of his arms and forced a pout on my lips as I watched his eyes darken. I don’t know what I did, but the beast under the surface was coming out to play once again.
“Samantha,” he warned as he tightened his grip on my waist. “Don’t argue with me,” his eyes flared as his hands slipped down to cup my rear. He tugged me closer until we were touching from our knees to our chests and he pushed his hips forward so I could feel what I was doing to him. “Don’t test me.”
“Or what?” I nibbled my lips as I blinked my eyes up at him. I wanted to push him past the point of control. He was driving me nuts tonight, and I wanted to take him with me.
His eyes squeezed shut as a few muttered curses slipped from his lips. I barely had time to register what was happening before he leaned down and crashed into my mouth.
Our lips melded together like two pieces of a puzzle. His hands tightened their grip as I moaned into his mouth. Heaven, that’s what it felt like in his arms. I had no other words to describe it. My body subconsciously leaned into him as his mouth slanted over mine. His tongue licked at my lips as one hand came up to cup the back of my head, pinning me to him.
“Dev?” I panted. “More,” I gripped his shoulders to keep from melting as he continued to devour my mouth. My brain was failing when it came to words, but my body seemed to be having its own silent conversation with the man in front of me.
I tried to back up slightly. I wanted to go back into the office. There was a couch back there, and we could use it, but Dev had other plans. He pulled back, breaking the kiss as a wicked gleam flashed across his eyes. “I’ve got a better idea,” he murmured against my lips. He lifted me as if I weighed nothing, sealed his mouth back over mine, and resumed the kiss as he spun us and began to stalk toward the pool table in the back. It was behind a half wall, and couldn’t be seen from anywhere in the room. A few of our more serious players liked to use it because of the privacy.
“Dev?” I looked up him as he set me on the edge and took a step back.
“You’re drunk,” he gripped his neck and took a steadying breath. “Are you sure about this?”
Whoa, where had that come from? This man was going to send my emotions into a tailspin. One minute he was bossing me around, and the next he was asking permission. I grinned up at him as I slid off the edge of the pool table. “I don’t know about you,” my grin widened, “but right now,” I unsnapped my jeans and shoved them down to my ankles, “I need to be fucked… hard!” I kicked my pants to the side, and reached for the waistband of my panties, “and if you can’t do that for me, I’ll find someone who can.”
Before the last word completely fell from my lips, he pressed against me, “You like it when I boss you around?” he nipped at my ear. “Does that turn you on?” His fingers slipped between
my legs and probed. “Fuck baby,” he groaned.
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” I giggled before sobering. I reached for his belt buckle and began working it loose. “Now get out of these and show me what you’re made of.”
“Oh hell,” he muttered as he shoved his jeans and boxers down to his knees. “Turn around,” he spun me so I was facing the pool table. “Hang on,” he placed my hands out in front of me, “and don’t let go. If you do, I’m gonna stop,” his voice was a warning as he pressed his thighs against my rear. When he pulled back, separating us for a few seconds, I almost whimpered. “You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he muttered just as he rocked forward, slamming into me.
“Fuuuuuck!” he groaned, before pulling back and rocketing forward once again. I yelped at first, but the sensations that assailed me quickly replaced any shock. I had unleashed him, and as much as he’d tried to hold back in the beginning, he was now finally letting go.
“More,” I panted. “Harder.”
“I’m not gonna last,” he gasped as I felt him swell inside of me.
“Don’t hold back,” I begged. “Please….don’t ever hold back with me,” my voice was desperate as I began to tremble. I could feel my orgasm right below the surface, and even in my inebriated state, I knew that I was close. “I’m close… more,” I panted.
With a roar, he joined me, both our bodies trembling as we slumped over the pool table fighting to stay upright. Sweat trickled from my forehead and neck as I tried to slow my breathing. This was by far the most erotic encounter that we’d had, and I immediately felt the loss as he pulled himself from me and righted his clothes. “Now that’s more like it,” Dev’s voice sounded hazy as my brain came back to the present.
“What’s that?” I looked over my shoulder and found him staring at me.
“You, spread out like that, with evidence of me all over you,” his eyes flared as he reached out and caressed my rear with his palm. “I like you just like this.”
“Why don’t you come to my place and we can do it again?” I challenged as I pushed myself up. “I’ve got the place to myself tonight.”
Becoming Somebody Page 9
