ROMANCE: Mr. Mystery: (New Adult Bad Boy Romance) (Contemporary Mystery Short Stories)

by Viva Fox

  Jake’s hand shot back and his eyes went wide. “Well, nothing I guess.”

  “That’s not what my ass says. If you keep it up we’re going to have a problem.”

  Jake came towards me, cheeks red and hands out in front of him in a placating manner. He may have been embarrassed, but I wasn’t concerned about making a scene so long as I made my point clear.

  “Whoa, listen Ariana, I didn’t mean anything by it. Honest. I thought you liked it.”

  “Liked it?” I said as I took a step back from him. “Elbowing you in the ribs is a sign that I liked it?”

  Jake took another step towards me, but I wasn’t in the mood to pretend to be nice to him today. A girl doesn’t survive having 3 older brothers and come out with nothing to show for it. I stepped back again, readying myself to pop him in the face if he made the poor choice of coming closer. This time, though, I bumped into the hard wall of someone’s chest. Big hands gripped my elbows, stopping me from getting off a punch. Or moving at all. I turned to look up at the tall man, all muscles and hostility, looking back down at me.

  His stare was intense and it didn’t take me long to realize he was a bouncer. He cut his eyes away from me to look at Jake. His glare was intimidating and Jake shirked back, edging himself closer to Chris and Bree.

  “Everything okay here?” He asked, the deep rumble in his voice just as intimidating as his stare.

  “Yes. Yes, everything’s fine.” Jake said, sounding every bit the pip squeak that he was.

  “My sister has a bit of a temper. I’m sure she’s fine.” Chris said, smirking at me. I’m sure he was loving this.

  The man looked back down at me, and I nodded, relenting. Jake was annoying but I didn’t want him to get kicked out of the pub before we even had a chance to go in. The man released my arms and moved away, back up to the front of the line to stand beside the doorman collecting the cover charge.

  Bree reached out and slapped Jake. “I warned you not to be a nuisance. Leave Ariana alone, got it?”

  Jake nodded his head at his sister and for once I was thankful for all those raging hormones of hers. That would probably keep Jake at bay, at least until we were seated.

  Chris shook his head at me. “You were always too feisty for your own good. Try not to get us kicked out this time, okay sis?”

  I took a deep breath and tried to summon my patience once again before falling in line beside Jake. This time he was keeping a nice buffer of space between us. I studied him for a minute, and decided that although he looked normal, maybe even a little good looking, Jake was the perfect definition of a creep. That was the exact reason I held firm to my belief that men weren’t worth the hassle. I didn’t have the patience to weed out all cretins and losers. Living alone sure as hell beat living with someone I couldn’t stand.

  I turned away from Jake and scanned the crowd ahead of us. Waiting in line was making me restless. I wanted to get this night over with. And maybe catch a glimpse of Nick. We seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace and I glanced up to the front of the line only to find myself drawn to the bouncer, still at his post beside the entrance. But just as my eyes kept being drawn to his direction, his eyes kept scanning their way back to me. Probably making sure I wasn’t going to make another scene.

  He was intimidating in a lot of ways; he was tall, well built, intense, and I found it hard to pull my eyes away from him. Behind his stoic exterior I could see him thinking, calculating, and I couldn’t help but wonder what a man like that was thinking. We maintained that eye contact until the force of it made me look away. If his thoughts ran as carnal as mine I probably didn’t want to know what he was thinking. Instead I pulled out my phone and tried to distract myself.

  Finally we reached the front of the line and as Chris paid for our cover I tried my best to ignore the bouncer’s eyes boring down on me. Moving past him to the door with my head down I couldn’t help but steal a look in his direction from the corner of my eye, catching sight of his sinewy hands. Intuitively I could feel the spot on my arms where he gripped me, burning from his rough touch. I shook the feeling off and kept my eyes trained forward as we stepped into the dimly lit pub.

  I followed Chris to a reserved table not too far from the stage. While Chris seated Bree I lingered, trying to decide if it would be worse having to look at Jake across from me the whole night, or to sit beside him and pretend he wasn’t pressing his leg against mine. I opted to sit beside Jake, figuring I could stab him in the leg with my fork if he started to irritate me too much, but there wouldn’t be a whole lot I could do about those dopey eyes staring at me.

  Once the waitress had brought us our drinks and we had ordered I sat back in my chair and let Chris struggle to force a conversation out of us. Sipping on my beer I scanned the bar, looking for an excuse to leave. From behind Chris I caught a glimpse of someone crossing the pub, heading in our direction. Even from a half dozen tables away I could tell that it was Nick. I recognized his sexy smile, his confident stride, and the way that just the sight of him made my heart race.

  He was all swagger and sex appeal. I felt like I was still 16 again. My eyes roamed his body freely, refreshing my mind of every defined muscle and unruly strand of golden hair. Nick closed in on our table, his eyes grazing over my body and my skin warming under his hot gaze. Coming up behind Chris, he clapped him on the back, drawing the attention of the rest of the table.

  “You made it.” Nick said, his voice warm and rich.

  Chris turned in his chair, “Hey Nick, I was hoping we’d see you tonight. This place is great.”

  “Thanks, man. It’s been a long time coming. I’m happy that it’s finally a reality.” Nick grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it over, sitting between Chris and I. “Everyone enjoying themselves?” He asked, looking around the table. His easy smiling gracing his face.

  “Oh, yeah. We’re doing great. You remember Bree, and this is her brother Jake.” Chris said, going around the table.

  “And Ariana.” Nick said, beating Chris to the introduction. “It’s been a long time.”

  “It has.” I said, unable to restrain the smile on my lips. He met my eyes and it seemed like he held my stare for a long time, though only a beat had passed when he turned back to the rest of the table.

  “You guys picked a good night to come down. The band we have going on tonight is killer. We’re almost at capacity. It’s going to be a great show.”

  As Chris and Nick talked about the band and the pub, I let myself take Nick in. He sat back in his chair, his long legs stretching out in front of him. He had a wonderful comfort about him, always at ease, confident. I remembered that from when we were kids. Even in the midst of all the crazy stunts my brothers pulled, Nick was the level headed and even tempered one, keeping everyone on track.

  My trance was broken by the approach of another large figure making his way through the growing crowd to our table. I recognized him as the bouncer from earlier. His eyes flickered between Nick and our table. And me. If I thought he looked stern before I was wrong. He looked ready to pop someone’s head off. Not a bad trait for a bouncer, I guess. Nick saw him too, and he watched him approach.

  “Give me a second, guys.” Nick said as he hopped out of his chair and leaned in to the bouncer. A moment later he turned back to us. “Hey guys, this is Nash. He heads up my security here. He just gave me the good news that we packed the house. First time since we opened.”

  “We met.” Chris said, kicking me under the table and smirking. Apparently the daggers I was sending him weren’t getting through. “Ri decided to get a little feisty waiting in line.”

  “That sounds about right.” Nick said, grinning. “I remember you were always trying to cause trouble. Like the time when you were 17 and you convinced us to sneak you into that club.”

  “Which we did.” Chris cut in.

  “Right, only to have you get us all kicked out when you almost broke some guy’s nose. Or like the time you challenged your brothers a
nd me to a shot for shot show down.”

  “And then wouldn’t back down, even when you lost feeling in your arm and couldn’t move it anymore.” Chris said.

  “And we freaked out and took you to the hospital because we thought we hurt you.”

  The guys were laughing, reliving the stupidity of my youth. Except Nash. His eyes were still on Jake, scowl on his face. Before Nick and Chris could think of another thing to embarrass me with, the waitress returned with our food. While she busily set plates out, Nick stepped back.

  “I’ll let you get to your meal before the band gets going, but I’ll catch up with you later.”

  As watched Nick and Nash pass through the pub I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. It seemed as though all these years apart didn’t do anything to convince Nick to see me as anything other than Chris’ little sister. I was forever doomed to have all attractive men fail to see me as a woman.

  *****

  I sat back in my chair savoring the last bite of my steak sandwich. The band was just finishing up their sound checks and Bree hadn’t been able to sit still since our food arrived. She also hadn’t stopped talking, either. After she finished picking through her supper she pushed back from the table and trundled her way to the washroom.

  Watching his wife leave, Chris leaned across the table to me.

  “Thanks, Ri. This is as relaxed as I’ve seen Bree in weeks.”

  “Well I’m glad, though I’m not sure I am doing anything.”

  “I think she likes you for your comedic value.”

  I rolled my eyes at Chris, “Gee thanks.”

  Just as the band took the stage, Bree came back to our table. Without even sitting, she grabbed Chris and pulled him to the floor, joining the small group already gathered there. Jake, who had been relatively quiet throughout supper, got up too and held out his hand to me.

  I looked at his hand with disgust. “Not happening.”

  “Come on Ariana. That’s why we’re here.” Jake said, grabbing at my hand. I pulled it away from him.

  “Don’t touch me Jake.” Jake grinned down at me, apparently feeling rejuvenated after being forced to take a break while his sister was around. Just as he moved to grab my hand again he paused, looking past me. I turned in my seat to see what he was looking at and saw Nash standing by the bar, eyes fixed on Jake. I turned back in my seat and smiled at Jake’s retreating form. It was too bad I didn’t have someone like Nash with me every time I had to endure Jake’s antics.

  The band started playing their second song, and I headed to the bar. As I leaned my side against the bar, watching the band while I waited for the bartender, I felt the familiar draw of someone watching me. I turned to catch Nick’s eyes on me from behind the bar. He held a clipboard, listening to one of the other bartenders. He nodded his head at him, but his eyes remained on me. After he had finished talking, Nick pushed the clipboard back into the bartender’s hands and started around to the outside of the bar. He ambled up to me, leaning his hip against the bar beside me.

  “Not dancing?”

  “That’s not really my style. The band is good, though. You must be proud of this place.” I looked from him to the band on the stage, and took in the whole pub. “You’ve come a long way since the last time I saw you.”

  “So have you, Ariana. I think the last time we saw each other you were, what? 18?”

  “I think you’re right. At Chris’ bachelor party. I’m pretty sure the last image I have of you is your bare ass streaking across the parking lot.”

  “I forgot about that.” Nick cringed.

  “I wish I could. It’s burned in my brain.” I said, laughing.

  “What I do remember is you being teased for being the only girl invited to the bachelor party.”

  “In Chris’ defense he didn’t even think about it like that. He was just so used to me hanging around him and his friends that it seemed normal for me to be there. Until all the stripper jokes started up. Just my luck to have a brother who doesn’t even notice I’m a girl.”

  Nick chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Chris.” Nick studied me for a beat, his eyes gauging me. When he spoke again the humor had faded from his voice. “He might not notice, but I do.” His fingers met mine on the bar, hesitant at first, but when I didn’t move them away, Nick trailed his fingers up my arm to my elbow, his body angling closer. I shivered at the sensation, at the closeness of his body, at his clear green eyes on me.

  “You notice me?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

  “I do. I did even when we were kids, when it was way too inappropriate to do so. When all of your brothers would have gladly pummeled me if I ever acted on it. Despite that I couldn’t stop thinking of you.” Nick reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. His touch was light but it ignited a spark. His fingers lingered on my cheek for a moment and I tuned out the band and all the barroom noise, my focus solely on Nick.

  He pulled his hand away, this time letting it rest on the bar between my arm and my waist, a tremor of desire passing through me. “Now here we are, in the same city again.”

  “My brothers would still gladly kick your ass.” I said with a cocky smile, though my voice came out in a whisper.

  Nick mimicked my smile and moved in close, his lips a mere breathe away from my ear. “Especially if they knew just what I wanted to do with you.”

  Heat spread through my body, liquid heat pooling as his implications registered. I stepped into him, my hand reaching out and found his waist. I curled my hand into his shirt. My heart was beating loud as I waited for his next move. He still wasn’t touching me, but I ached for him to. He made me wait another beat before I felt his lips against my earlobe, his teeth nipping. I gasped at the unexpectedness, at the way my sex throbbed.

  He pulled away, grin still in place.

  “You planning on sticking around tonight?” I nodded, not wanting my voice to give away just how turned on I was. “Good. We can catch up more later.” He said, stepping back. His fingers trailed down my arm until they were no longer touching me. Nick gave me one more sweeping glance before turning and heading away from the bar.

  I stayed at the bar, my head spinning at what had just happened. Nick had been the star of all my fantasies growing up, and a fair share of them even now. I never thought anything would come from my attraction to him, but perhaps tonight would change that. The pulsing between my legs surely hoped it would.

  I eased myself up onto a stool and sat back. I watched the band without really hearing them, Nick’s voice in my head instead. I relived his hand on my arm, my waist, his mouth on me. Thinking back I began to remember times when Nick and I would somehow end up together, alone. Innocent things, like my brothers sending me on a chip run to the store and Nick coming along because he needed to pick up something too. Or we would end up crashing at opposite ends of the same couch after house parties. My mind whirled thinking that Nick contrived some of those situations instead of being lucky flukes like I had thought.

  I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t see any commotion on the dance floor until Chris burst through the crowd, Bree in tow, Jake following behind. Bree was smiling wide, Chris looked like he was going to throw up.

  I slipped off of my stool and met them as they rushed the table,

  “Everything okay?”

  “Okay? Bree is having contractions. She’s been having contractions all night.” Chris said, hurriedly gathering Bree’s purse, her jacket, his jacket.

  “You’re blowing this out of proportion. They just started at dinner. I knew I shouldn’t have told you yet.” Bree said as Chris grabbed her hand and began tugging her through the pub. I too grabbed my jacket and followed them.

  “Shouldn’t have told me? When were you planning on telling me?” Chris asked, pushing open the doors. We all exited onto the street.

  “After the band was done. Or before if they got too painful.” She said with a shrug.

  “I’m going to get her to the hospital. We�
��ll take a cab. She can’t walk all the way back to the car.” He said, thrusting his keys in my hand before stepping off the curb into traffic to stop the nearest taxi.

  “Sure. Is there anything else I can do?” I asked as Chris opened the door and all but shoved Bree in.

  “No. Oh wait, yeah, run back into the restaurant and make sure everything is square with Nick. We can’t dine and dash on a buddy.”

  I watched as Chris filed into the taxi behind Bree and pulled the door closed. I sighed and shook my head as I turned back to the door, people still lingering, watching. I made my way to the bar, Jake in tow. Apparently I was also responsible for getting him home, too. From my vantage point at the bar I looked around the pub. It was crowded and I couldn’t spot Nick.

  “Where can I find Nick?” I asked the bartender.

  “I think I saw him head back to his office.” She said, pointing down a hallway past the bar.