by K. M. Scott
“You should be worried that you might get sand in your junk, Stefan. I can’t imagine that would feel good.”
His face twisted into a painful grimace. “Oh. That sounds bad. How about you just avoid that whole area?”
“Just like a friend would,” I joked as I piled on more sand, carefully working around his hard-on.
By the time I’d finished, we were back to joking and laughing, and as I stood up to take a look at my accomplishment, I couldn’t remember having a better time with a man. How strange that it should be with the one I’d been so sure I could never like at all.
“All done, so now you can check off buried in sand on your bucket list,” I proudly announced as my gaze trailed over his half-covered body. “You look like some weird merman.”
Sitting up, he nodded and laughed at my joke. “I think it would be a sandman, but that name is taken already. You’re the one with the brains, so what should we call this?”
I had no idea what to call him, but what I did know was that except for those few minutes I felt bad about what I’d said to hurt his feelings, I’d smiled more in the past couple hours than I could remember in a long time. “I have no idea. It’s silly, though.”
His hand shot out and grabbed mine, pulling me down on top of him and crushing my chest against his. Stunned, I didn’t even struggle to get free. Those brown eyes of his stared into my eyes, and I felt myself get lost in them as he said, “How am I doing with this friend thing so far?”
It took me a second to process what he’d said. Lying on top of him didn’t help to make my thinking clear, and his mouth mere inches away from mine made things much worse. Finally, I croaked out, “Fine. You’re doing fine.”
Stefan leaned forward and pressed his lips to my cheek in a soft kiss. Pulling back, he stared into my eyes and whispered, “Good. I think it’s time I got you home, though. We can practice our friend thing another time. Sound good?”
All at once, the reality that I was still on top of him rushed back into my brain and I scrambled to my feet to get my wits back. “Sure. That sounds fine.”
It took him less than a minute to undo all my fine work, and then he was standing next to me slipping his pants back on. Even though I’d told myself over and over that anything that happened between us would lead to nothing good, I couldn’t help want to touch him, to run my fingertips over his chiseled abs up to his strong shoulders. He knew it too, or at least I believed he did when I caught him watching me stare at him.
Quickly, I brushed away the sand that clung to my shorts to distract me from him standing so close. “Time to get going.”
He gave me a smirk and nodded. “So this is what friends do, huh?”
“Sort of, although the burying you in the sand thing was new for me.”
“Want to do this friend thing tomorrow night?”
Before I thought his offer through, I answered, “Sure. Same place and time?”
“You’re scheduled to work, so same time, but I think we should do something different next time. Maybe get a bite to eat.”
We began walking back toward the house, and I said, “That sounds suspiciously like a date, Stefan.”
Shaking his head, he looked at me. “Date? Nah. No such thing. Just two friends eating something together. Happens all the time with friends, doesn’t it?”
His grin told me he knew we weren’t acting like friends, but I didn’t care. It was cute. “Yeah. Happens all the time.”
* * *
EVERY NIGHT for two weeks Shay and I hung out doing the friend thing, even though I knew she didn’t think of me as just a friend any more than I thought of her as one. One night we gorged ourselves on the best Mexican food to be found at three a.m., and another night we drove around for hours with Shay’s arms wrapped tightly around me as I teased her by going too fast and she tried to explain to me what she did in her research.
Never before in my life had I enjoyed being around someone and not made a move on her. Not that I didn’t want to. God, I wanted to. Every minute I spent with Shay I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her. Not a night went by when I didn’t want her in my bed, but until she saw me as more than just a player, friends would be all we could be.
It was strange, but part of me wasn’t in any hurry for that to end. I could be myself around her. If I felt like acting stupid, I did and she laughed at my stupidity. When I decided to be serious, she let me be that without asking if something was wrong or if I was mad at her like other women did when I wanted to be something other than Stefan March, owner of Club X. There was no posing or pretending with Shay.
Just thinking of spending time with her put me in a good mood, even when I had to attend one of the weekly owner meetings or had to deal with Kane or Cash reading me the riot act for one thing or another I’d done. On the outside, I was the same Stefan, but underneath that façade, I got to be the person I was with Shay.
Even managing the club became something it never had been for me before. I’d always accepted my position there. Cash was the face the world saw of Club X. Kane was the hidden part, something that fit him to a T. I lived somewhere in the middle. The man members saw as the manager of the nightclub, I’d always been expected to be the life of the party, and for a long time I’d played that role easily. Drinking and chasing women helped solidify my reputation within a few months of the club’s opening, but it didn’t take long before both had become routine and too often boring. Now, though, I enjoyed meeting people and working with my staff, not because I wanted to sleep with any of them but because I was good at showing members a good time.
That didn’t mean things had gotten any better with my brothers. In fact, they’d gotten worse. Kane especially seemed to need to remind me on almost a daily basis how important Lola and her father were to our continued success, as if I didn’t already know that. Shay’s knack for understanding the people around her, including me, had begun to rub off on me, but no matter how much I wanted to see Kane’s point of view, I couldn’t.
I knew what I had to do. Why did he think I needed to be reminded constantly?
As I thought about all this, I heard someone walk up behind me. Turning around, I saw him approaching me with that same angry look on his face he so often wore in front of me. I was looking forward to another great night with Shay after work. I didn’t want him ruining it.
“Hey, Kane, what’s up? Before you bring up the whole Lola thing, I know. I have to make sure she’s happy.”
“That’s good, but I’m more curious about our bet, little brother. You leave every night with Shay, from what I can see. At least you’re trying to be sly about it and not let Lola see, but I’m wondering why I haven’t heard you gloat about taking over my part of the club in nearly two weeks.”
“Nothing to gloat about. We’re just friends.”
I rarely saw shock on Kane’s face, but there it was. I’d succeeded in stunning him.
“Friends? Stefan, she’s a female. Unless you’ve lost your dick, you can’t be friends with a female. It’s impossible.”
“For you maybe. Not me. I haven’t made a move on her in weeks, even though we spend every night together.”
Kane gave me one of those throaty laughs he did when he found something really amusing. “Me? I could be friends with a hundred women. I practically am upstairs. But even I would have to dump the friend thing if I was spending every night with the same woman. You, on the other hand, are a dog. You’re Cassian March’s son all the way, so don’t try and feed me that friend bullshit. You’re playing an angle, and you know it. I’m just curious how it’s going.”
I turned away to avoid the judgmental look in his eyes. “Not this time. I admit I’ve been a bit of a man whore in the past, but Shay’s different. We’re just friends, and no, I’m not playing any angle.”
Kane walked around me and stood at my side so I couldn’t evade his stare. “A bit of a man whore in the past? Stefan, you’re a man who’s made it his life’s work to sleep with every
woman who passes in front of him. And when you aren’t sleeping with a woman, you’re figuring out how to get in her pants. So now, I’m supposed to believe you’ve found what? A conscience? God? A love of rejection?”
Jesus, he was a ball buster! Shaking my head, I tried to explain how things were between Shay and me. “We’re just friends, Kane. Do I want more? Fuck, yeah. But I’m not going to get more if I do my usual thing, so I’m content to be friends.”
“So this is some game. I knew the real Stefan was in there.”
“No. No game. I’d say the same thing if she was standing right here next to me. I’m into her, but if friends is all I can have, then that’s what I’ll have to settle for.”
“And you’ll stand by our deal and lose your place for a year, along with your bike forever? That’s a pretty steep price for friendship.”
I’d all but forgotten about the terms of my bet with Kane, and the mention of losing not only my place but my bike did unnerve me a bit. It didn’t matter, though. When I made that bet, I was a different person, but I’d have to live up to my word anyway.
“I’ll tell you what, Kane. I give up. You win. Tell me when you want to move in and I’ll get my stuff out of my condo.”
“And the bike?”
I swallowed hard as the thought of losing my bike settled into my brain. “Yeah. It’s yours. You win everything,” I choked out.
“Holy fuck, Stefan! I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say. I’m going to have to think about this and get back to you.”
“That’s fine,” I said with a shrug. “Just let me know.”
Kane said not another word and walked back to Cash’s office looking like he was in a daze. At least there was that. I may have lost my place and bike, which meant I needed to find another condo and transportation, but I’d found a way to shut him up, so maybe it was all worth it.
And he hadn’t given me his standard “You have to make Lola happy” lecture, so all in all, my day was going pretty well. Now I just had to find something fun to do with Shay later on that night and my day would be made.
At seven sharp, I gathered up all the bartenders and servers for our nightly meeting, but Shay was noticeably absent. Figuring I’d wait a few minutes for her, I announced, “I forgot something in my office, so everybody hang out and we’ll get going in a few.”
I’d never wondered where a bartender was before. I’d certainly never wondered where a woman was ever before. But Shay was no ordinary woman or bartender.
Closing my office door behind me, I checked my phone to see if she’d texted or called, but there was no message. Maybe she was just running late. I resigned myself to give her some time and took a seat behind my desk. Someone knocked on my door a minute later, and thinking it was her, I yelled, “Come in! You’re late!”
The door opened and instead of Shay I saw Lola’s head peek in. “Hey, Stefan. Can I come in?”
“Sure, Lo. What’s up?”
She walked in slowly, almost as if she didn’t feel welcome, and closed the door. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Take a seat. I’m giving Shay a few minutes, so we have some time to talk.”
For a second, she frowned just a little, but then her expression returned to her usual sweet smile she wore when she was around me. “Oh. Okay.” She sat down in front of my desk and hesitated a moment before she spoke again.
“Stefan, my father told me what he does to help you guys with keeping the cops off your backs. I didn’t know when I got this job, you know?”
“He helps us a lot, Lo. We’d be lost without him, so please tell him thank you for us.”
She flashed me a cute smile and nodded. “I will. The thing is, though, I’m not sure he’d want to do that if I wasn’t working here anymore.”
“Why wouldn’t you work here anymore? You planning on leaving me, Lo? You know you’re one of my best behind the bar.”
“I don’t want to, but I get the feeling I’m not really appreciated around here much anymore. You know what I mean?”
Those big blue eyes of hers didn’t look so sweet or innocent anymore. Her intention in coming to see me couldn’t have been clearer, and I understood the threat all too well. Every warning Kane had given me echoed in my mind.
You have to make sure Lola’s happy, Stefan. For all of us.
“Not appreciated? No way. You know I’d be lost without you, Lo. Who’s going to man the front bar like you?”
“Shay could. You seem to think she’s pretty good. Don’t you?”
As great as I thought Shay was behind the bar, now wasn’t the time to sing her praises. To make Lo happy, I had to lie. Thankfully, lying was one of my better skills.
“Lo, Lo. No way. You’re my number one girl behind the bar. Don’t give it another thought. You’ll always be my favorite out there.”
“Really? I had a feeling that you liked Shay more. I mean, I like her a lot, but she’s not committed to the club like I am.”
“No way. You’re my girl, Lo. The members love you. I’d be crazy to lose you. Don’t even give it another thought.”
Lola’s face lit up from her broad smile, and she stood to leave, obviously satisfied that she’d gotten what she came for. “Thank you, Stefan. It means so much that you appreciate me, and I know it will mean the world to my father. I can’t wait to tell him.”
I stood to add the finishing touch to my lie. Opening my arms, I walked toward Lola to hug her. “Come here. You know how much I need you here, Lo. Right?”
She wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my chest, hopefully content with what I’d said to her. “I do, Stefan. I do. I guess I was just feeling insecure.”
Tilting her chin up toward me, I flashed her my warmest smile as I stared down into her blue eyes, which once again stared sweetly up at me. “We okay?”
She nodded. “We’re okay. Thanks, Stefan.”
“Good. Now get out there and show everybody how it’s done.”
“Okay! See you out there in a minute? It’s getting late. I’m sure Shay can catch up when she gets here.”
“You got it. Just let me finish here and I’ll be right out. Do me a favor and round up everyone for me, okay?”
“I’m on it!” she chirped out, happy to have a hand in helping me.
Lola closed my office door, and I took a look at my phone again. No message or text from Shay. Where was she?
I gave her ten minutes more and headed out to the bar to hold my meeting. Lola had gotten everyone together, just as I’d asked her to, and there in the back standing alone was Shay. Something about her seemed off. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but she didn’t look right.
“Okay, everyone! Sorry about the delay, but I’m sure you didn’t miss my nightly talk much, right?”
Kerry spoke up and joked, “You know we love these little get-togethers, Stefan. We adore our boss.”
“Yeah, yeah. Listen up, everyone! Lola and Mika are at the front bar tonight.”
I’d barely gotten the words out and I felt Shay’s glare from all the way across the room. Quickly, I added, “And Mika, Lola’s your boss in this. I hear one problem and you’ll be gone. Are we clear?”
Mika nodded and forced a smile, which made me think that right at that moment she was fantasizing about stabbing me in the temple with the nearest sharp object. Lola beamed at my warning to the woman who’d not only been her competition behind the bar but in my office also. But when I looked over at Shay, her face showed that same strange look she’d worn since I came out of my office.
“Kerry and Jana will be at the back bar, and Shay will handle the fourth floor. Everyone else is status quo. Anyone has any questions, come see me. Let’s have a good night!”
The crowd dispersed, but Lola quickly moved toward me to let me know she didn’t think pairing her with Mika was a good idea. I calmed her and explained I didn’t intend on having any more problems with Mika, no matter what she thought would happen, but she clung to me long
enough that by the time I’d finally calmed her down enough for her to work, Shay had disappeared to the fourth floor.
Something in the way she looked at me from the moment she laid eyes on me tonight said something was wrong. Not that her not stopping to talk to me before heading upstairs was strange. Shay didn’t need me to hold her hand to do her job, but my gut told me there was a problem.
Of course, every member of the bar staff had some problem of their own I had to personally deal with, so by the time I could get to Shay and see what was wrong, it was after two a.m. As I hit the fourth floor, I saw her talking to Kane, instantly making a surge of jealousy course through me. It didn’t matter that my half-brother didn’t seem to want women in his life or bed, even on a temporary basis. Seeing him talking to her bothered me.
Maybe it was the idea that even though he was no rocket scientist, I had a sense she might think he was smarter than I was. Maybe she’d want someone like him, even with that dark, spooky thing he sported more often than not.
They stood there talking like they’d known each other for years, Kane leaning over the bar laughing at something she said and Shay cleaning up for the night but full of smiles for him. I felt like an intruder on some private moment I wasn’t welcome at.
Kane finally noticed me standing next to him and chucked me in the shoulder. “Hey, Stefan, what’s up baby brother?”
“Nothing, Kane. Just here to see how my bartender is doing tonight.”
“Your bartender. Hmmm…I think that’s my cue to leave.” He turned to face Shay again and smiled. “Have a good one. I’m glad I could help with your problem.”
“Thanks, Kane. I appreciate it.”
“Always. Just give me a holler if you need anything else, but I think you’ll be fine in Stefan’s capable hands.”
Shay flashed him one of those smiles I thought she only gave me, and I felt my face twist into a scowl as I watched him walk away with that smug look on his face I knew was meant to irritate me. I’d basically told him I was into Shay. Why was he butting in where he didn’t belong? And what the hell made her all lovey dovey with him?