by Shayla Black
“Fair enough. But, um…she clearly flips your switch. How are you going to keep your paws off her?”
Bethany Banks turning me on visually is fucking inconvenient. I’m sure that once I start talking to the woman, her personality will quickly turn me off. “I’ll work it out.”
I follow Ash behind the bar, where he claps Terry on the back in greeting. The guy turns, looking pale and clammy, mumbles that he feels like death warmed over, then drags his ass out of the place.
“I don’t think that’s a hangover,” I mutter.
“Nope. If Terry is down for the count, the next few days are going to be insane.” Ash sighs. “Ready for the madhouse?”
“Let’s do it.”
It takes me less than ten minutes to learn how the bar is set up, where the spare supplies are kept, and who’s responsible for what. Since Ash and I have also bartended together before, this won’t be hard. Then he introduces me to the other waitress on duty, Montana. She’s a sultry brunette with dark eyes, golden skin, and big tits. Honestly, she’s usually my speed in women.
And yet as we’re chatting and she’s flirting, my gaze keeps straying to Bethany. What is it about her? She’s beautiful, but what else? Is it her aloofness? Maybe. I want to figure her out so I can understand why a brilliant woman, surely capable of making her own fortune, would help her father fleece people. The angry part of me wants to grasp how she managed not to get caught. Mostly, I fear the attraction is chemical and, regardless of what logic tells me, I want to nail her.
Fuck.
When a customer calls for a refill, Montana jaunts off with a wink. Ash pulls me to the front of the bar. “Are you that rusty? Montana would totally do you, and you blew her off.”
I know, and the fact I’m not interested annoys me. “I’m not here for sex. Introduce me to ‘Beth’ and let’s get this farce going.”
As we approach, she sets a beer down in front of a guy who’s fortyish in a Hawaiian shirt—like a lot of the tourists here. He eyes her with excruciating intensity. She meets his gaze with an arched brow raised.
Since I know Bethany’s vitals, I know she’s already thirty—now five years older than me—so this guy might be her thing. He’s in great shape. The little bit of graying at his temples makes him look distinguished, rather than old. My gut tells me, however, she’s not only not interested, but she’s silently rebuffing him.
Now I’m glad I told Andy that I would make her customer interactions my business.
Mug delivered, Bethany turns to leave. The man grips her wrist hard, his muscles flexing, veins popping, knuckles white. When she winces and tries to wriggle free, he clamps tighter and stands, jerking her toward him.
Fuck that. Even if Bethany Banks is guilty of a multitude of sins, she doesn’t deserve to be manhandled by this jerk against her will.
I barge my way between them, shoving her behind me. “Do we have a problem here, sir?”
Fury pinches his mouth. He narrows his eyes. “This has nothing to do with you. Butt out.”
“You don’t have permission to maul the staff. I’m going to have to ask you to keep your hands to yourself or leave.”
Beside me, I see Ash ready to jump in. I’m not surprised since he’s never backed down from a fight.
“Do you have your head so far up her twat that you don’t see she’s a fucking bitch?” The guy scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, and you deserve everything you get when she chews you up and spits you out.”
With that, the asshole tosses down some money and starts to walk away.
I’m furious. In part because he accused me of wanting her when I do. But mostly I’m pissed on Bethany’s behalf. “That was uncalled for. You’re not welcome back here unless you apologize to her.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m serious. Just because you pay for your drinks doesn’t give you the right to abuse any member of the staff.”
He grits his teeth, upper lip curling up with contempt as he turns to Bethany. “Fine. A thousand apologies.”
The douche doesn’t mean a word of that, and I want to pound his face. No, I’m not looking to become Bethany’s knight in shining armor. But this kind of guy always grates on my nerves because he thinks he can treat all women like trash, and the only thing that matters less than them are their feelings. I hate pricks like him.
Unfortunately, I can’t do anything else right now without ramping up the incident, instigating a fight…and probably getting fired. Instead, once he leaves, I turn to Bethany. I’m pissed all over again when I see she’s gone tense, as if she’s trying to hold herself together, and sporting a big red handprint around her small wrist.
“You okay?”
She nods. It’s shaky at first, then she drags in a steadying breath. “Yeah. He might be the first to think he can demand something more than a drink. But like Andy said, he won’t be the last. I’ll get used to it. Thanks for stepping in. I’m Beth.”
When she holds out her hand, I have to admit I’m impressed by her backbone. I’ve seen new waitresses shrink, cry, and ultimately quit when confronted with a customer that vile. Bethany simply picked herself up and now looks determined to carry on.
“You’re welcome. I’m Clint. It’s my first day.” I shake her hand.
We touch. Heat flares and rolls through me, instant and scorching. If I wanted to fuck her before, it’s nothing compared to the lust burning me now.
Damn it to hell.
As I stare, her pleasant smile fades. She stares, blinks. Is she feeling the jolt, too?
That thought makes the fire in my body rage even hotter.
She pulls her hand free. “It’s my first week, too. You’ll get the hang of it.”
I clear my throat. “Yeah. Ash will help me. We’ve been bros for a long time.”
Beside me, my buddy waves at her. “Hey.”
She manages a muted smile, crossing one arm around herself as if she’s seemingly uncomfortable.
“You want an ice pack for your wrist?” I ask.
She rolls it gingerly. “It will be fine.”
Maybe but… “That dude needs his ass kicked.”
“It won’t solve anything. Besides, I’m a big girl. He won’t surprise me again. I’ll handle him next time. I’ve dealt with worse.”
Like what? By her own admission, she’s never been hit up waiting tables before this week.
“You don’t have to do it alone. I’m here. Ash is here.”
“Yeah,” my buddy cuts in. “No one will let anything happen to you on the job.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got it. Excuse me.”
Bethany turns away to check on her tables. It feels as much like she’s eager to get away from us as she is conscientious about her customers.
“And…that’s exactly how she behaved yesterday. Polite but not friendly.”
“With everyone?”
“Everyone. Andy, Montana, me, Terry, Samantha…”
Winning her over and earning her trust might be harder than I thought, but I won’t let that deter me. “Well, the evening is young.”
“Yep, but after five o’clock we’ll start getting too busy for chitchat. If you’re going to work on her today, you better do it fast.”
Point taken.
“Anything else that needs to be done before the rush starts?”
Ash shakes his head. “I got it. You go do that.”
When he points Bethany’s way, I nod and look across the room to find her lifting a tray piled with empty glasses and plates above her shoulder, balancing it on one upturned palm. She clutches a folding serving stand in her free hand and heads for the kitchen, determination stamped all over her face.
“Let me.” I stop in front of her and start to pluck the heavy tray from her grasp.
She swivels away from me, bristling. “I’m capable.”
And clearly touchy. Did someone along the way imply that she wasn’t? “Yeah. I just had a spare hand and thought I would help.”
She softens. “It’s
unnecessary. You have a job to do, and so do I. I appreciate your help, but you can’t rescue me all the time.”
“How about just when you need it?” I try to joke.
She doesn’t think that’s funny. “I don’t date co-workers.”
I take a step back. “I don’t, either. In no way am I propositioning you. I just don’t know anyone on this island except Ash. Is there something wrong with me trying to be friendly? Did I insult you somehow?”
For a moment, she closes her eyes and hands me the tray with a sigh. “No. I’m sorry. I… Forget it. I won’t let that jerk upset me again. I get what you mean about not knowing anyone on the island. I only know a few people myself.”
“Exactly. Back home, I had a lot of pals and drinking buddies.”
“Where’s home?”
“North Dakota.”
Her mossy eyes flare wide. “Being here must be a huge change for you.”
“I haven’t even been here twenty-four hours yet, but so far that’s an understatement.” I head toward the bar and set the tray down. “Back home, it would be below freezing. Our nights would be in the single digits, if not in negative territory. There would be snow, and the wind would threaten to cut me in half.”
“That sounds horrible. But I grew up in California.” She deposits the stand on a hook in a nearby alcove. “Other than the few years I went to school back East, I’ve lived in warm climates my whole life. What brings you to Maui?”
A few random details about myself shouldn’t tip her off about my identity. Why would she jump to the conclusion that a guy with my name and background would be here for retribution, rather than a mere job? “I lost my dad recently, and Ash convinced me that winter here would be better than winter there.”
Her face softens. “I’m sorry. Losing your father can be hard.”
“Did yours pass away, too?” Will she lie to my face?
“No. We’re…estranged. It’s complicated.” She waves off the questions she must see on my face.
Subject closed—for now. Though I can’t say I’m surprised. We’ve only known each other for ten minutes. But it’s all I can do not to scoff. Estranged? Is that how she describes distancing herself from the man who’s taking the fall for her part in their crimes?
“So what about you?” I ask instead. “What brings you to Maui?”
The thaw in our conversation suddenly catches another chill. “I wanted a change of pace. Some well-meaning people convinced me to come here and give this place a try…”
She’s being intentionally vague, and a million questions pelt me. I should look for the right lead-in question to steer the conversation toward her last job. But I don’t because I already know she’ll tense up even more and cut our chat short.
“Like it so far?”
She shrugs. “It’s pretty. What I’ve seen, anyway. I got here late on Christmas Eve. I managed to get this job the day after Christmas. I’ve been working ever since. So I haven’t seen much.”
“Seems like a shame, to come all this way and not take in paradise.”
She winces. “That’s what all the people who suggested I come say.”
“I have plans to see this island on my days off. My parents always wanted a second honeymoon here, and they never took it. I’m going to see it for them,” I say truthfully. “That probably sounds cheesy—”
“It sounds thoughtful, actually.”
“You’re welcome to join me if you want. No pressure. I won’t hit on you. It just might be nice not to see the sights alone.”
Bethany nibbles on her lip for a long moment. The gesture shouldn’t be sexy. It shouldn’t make me want to run my thumb across the swell of that lower pout. It absolutely shouldn’t make me want to kiss her.
But fuck, it does.
“I’ll think about it.”
“My first day off is Monday.”
“Mine, too. I guess we’re both going to work a killer New Year’s Eve before we get a break.”
“Looks that way. If you decide you want to come along, I was thinking about driving down to Wailea to see those beaches and maybe catch a bit of the southern end of the island.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know. I’m staying with some…distant family right now. One of them has a baby due this week, so everything is a little up in the air.”
I wonder who she’s talking about or if her story is even true. “Totally. Like I said, no pressure. But I’d enjoy the company. It would keep me from thinking too much about the fact my mom and dad aren’t here to see the island for themselves.”
She nods, and I see sympathy flit across her features before she shuttles it. “I should get back to work.” She glances across the room to find a couple looking for a refill. “Duty calls.”
As I see more people filing in through the open-air entrance from the beach, I nod and head behind the bar. “When you need drinks poured, holler. I’m your man.”
Shit, that came out wrong. Flirtier than I intended. A little flush stains her cheeks. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
My feet are screaming uncle by the time the bar shuts down and we’re cleaned up for the night.
“Holy shit,” I mutter to Ash. “I don’t remember hurting this much when I bartended a few years back.”
“Eh, you’ve just gone soft. The calluses on your soles will come back.”
I refrain from pointing out that working the oil fields is no posh job because Ash knows it and is simply yanking my chain. Besides, I haven’t gone soft in any way. Staring half the night at Bethany made sure of that.
“Hey,” he murmurs as he leans in. “Montana was asking earlier if we wanted to come to her place for the rest of the night.”
I raise a brow at him. “Both of us?”
“I guess she’s adventurous.” He grins.
“No. Thanks, man. You go ahead.”
“You’re sure?”
The notion of sex sounds great…but I just can’t get excited about this proposition or her. “Yeah, I’ll pass.”
Ash shrugs and yanks his car keys from the pocket of his shorts. “All right. Take the car back to my place. I’ll ride with Montana and have her bring me back before our shift tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Have fun. Don’t forget to glove up.”
With a waggle of his brows and a flashy smile, he tosses down his dish towel and heads toward the flirty waitress. Seconds later, he slings an arm around her, and they’re gone. Samantha, whom I just met tonight, shoots them an envious stare as she clutches her keys and heads out with a sigh.
I wonder if Ash knows that shy Samantha is interested in him.
Bethany emerges from the hall that houses the employee break room and lockers, slings a little purse over her shoulder, and heads for the parking lot. Instead of walking to her car, she stands under the awning and pulls out her phone. I follow her with a frown.
“You’re heading home?”
She turns to me and nods. “As soon as I call for my ride.”
Who is coming to pick her up at three a.m.? Family? A boyfriend she failed to mention? “I’m not sure it’s a great idea for you to stand outside and wait alone. That guy who gave you a hard time earlier? I wouldn’t put it past him to come back and harass you some more.”
“You’re right, but…” She looks behind her to find Andy locking up the bar, pocketing the keys, then sauntering toward his truck with a wave.
She can’t go back inside. This is my opportunity.
“I have Ash’s car if you want a ride home.”
That contemplative lip-biting move tells me she’s considering my offer. It’s also wreaking hell on my restraint.
Why do I have to find Bethany Banks sexy?
“I don’t want to inconvenience you…”
But she didn’t mind “inconveniencing” people by taking hundreds of millions of dollars from them?
“Aren’t you waking someone else up in the middle of the night to come get you?”
She hesitates, then no
ds reluctantly.
“Beth, I’m already awake. I’m already driving myself home…”
“But where I’m staying… It’s not close.”
“The island is only so big. How far can it be?”
“A good thirty minutes.”
That would give me time to work on her, see if I can get her to start opening up to me.
I shrug like it’s no big deal. “I don’t mind.”
She glances down at her phone, then back up at me. “All right. Thanks.”
“Happy to help.” I lead her to the car and hit the fob to unlock Ash’s serviceable wheels. “It’s messy, I warn you. Ash thinks organization is a four-letter word.”
Bethany sends me a faint smile. “I’ll pretend not to notice since you’re doing me a huge favor.”
As I back out of the parking space and exit the lot, I glance her way. Shadows cling to the feminine angles of her face. The silhouette of her long lashes curls against the night. She clasps her hands in her lap, looking nervous.
“You okay?”
She shrugs. “Fine.”
Bullshit. “Beth…”
“Just tired.”
I’m still not buying it but before I can say anything, her stomach rumbles. “And hungry?”
She gives me a self-deprecating grin. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m starving.”
“I just never had time for dinner.”
“Ditto. I’ve tended bar before but never in a place this hopping.”
“I’ve never even waited tables, so this whole week has been a shock. It’s really busy.”
“Yeah? What was your last job?”
Let’s see how she answers that.
Instantly, she draws up tight. “It was all paper pushing behind a desk. Something I’ll probably never do again. Um, where I’m staying is past the airport. When you reach there, keep heading east.”
Her change of subject isn’t even subtle. I wonder why she thinks she’ll never work in investment banking again. From her perspective, she got off scot-free. Why wouldn’t she set up shop somewhere else, ride out a few years to let the heat die down and gain new clients’ trust, then repeat her scam all over? But clearly, the subject is closed.
“No problem. Hey, we’re driving past Zippy’s. They’re open twenty-four hours. What about a quick bite?”
