“Mom.”
Her mother held up her hands in surrender. “Fine, sit.” She motioned to a stool. “Let’s talk about the terrible woman your brother is dating. I’m telling you, she’s going to ruin his life.”
She stayed for an hour and caught up on all the family business while eating one of the pub’s signature loaded baked potatoes. No one said a word about her eating carbs, and she called that progress.
…
Liam worried about Cassie. She’d run out so fast, and it wasn’t like her to leave her laptop behind. He’d promised to close it up for her and take it upstairs. He was about to do that, when the title “Sex on the Bar” caught his eye. It was at the top of the page she’d been working on, and as he read it, anger churned deep within him.
Every fucking word they’d said the night before, and every action, was on the page.
While he understood she’d been drawing inspiration from their relationship, this was—too much. Personal. She’d gone too far. He’d be damned if he wanted what they’d done together shared with the world.
He gathered up her stuff and carried it upstairs. Then he sat down at his breakfast bar and read through the whole damn document. Everything else they’d done was in there, too. She’d changed the names, but there was no mistaking that she’d pulled it all from their time together.
Fuck.
He shoved a hand through his hair and started pacing. She wasn’t into him. It was really about sex, had been all along. And like a fool he’d fallen for her, hard.
When will I learn? Women couldn’t be trusted. Cassie was no different than his ex. She just took what she wanted and then—fuck. Shared it with the whole bloody world.
Tossing her laptop out the fucking window seemed like a good idea, but he stopped himself.
His chest tightened and he had to remind himself to breathe.
No. This was all temporary. That’s what she’d wanted and that’s what she’d fucking get.
…
An hour later, Cassie was back at the Boar. Laird, who had recovered from his injury, was manning the bar. It was the pre-happy hour crowd, so the brothers usually took a break.
She went through the alley and up the stairs. The door to Liam’s place was open, and she could hear them talking.
“Well, brother, you won the bet,” Finn said. “It’s been a month. I can’t believe you convinced her to date you this long. Though when she walked in, I actually thought she was some sort of bag lady. I almost called off the bet because I felt sorry for you. But she ended up being a beauty.”
Wait. What bet?
“She’s a nice girl,” Liam said. “We’ve had some fun.”
Cassie’s stomach clenched, and everything she’d just eaten threatened to leave her body in the worst possible way.
Nice? They’d just had sex on his bar—last night—and he’d told her she was the best ever.
But not the only.
Had he been leading her on this whole time? This was just some bet. He had to fuck the next homeless person who came around. Her confusion burned into anger and her hands fisted.
“I’ve gotten kind of used to having her around,” Finn said. “You could do worse, and have. She’s had some great ideas for the pub, and she’s smart and funny.”
“That she is.”
“So when are you going to break it off with her?”
There was a long pause. “Dunno. Soon, I guess.”
And she’d fallen for the asshole. All this time he was just using her for some stupid bet. If it weren’t for the fact that her laptop was in his place, she would have run away.
But she wasn’t that girl anymore. She didn’t need to shy away from confrontation. And this asshole deserved everything she was about to throw at him.
“So what was the wager?” she asked as she slipped through the doorway. “A month of lying to me. Using me. What was it you won, Liam?”
“Shit,” Finn said. “I’ll see you later.” Then he nearly ran out the door.
But Liam just leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. “My brother has to sign a prenup with the next girl he gets engaged to. The bet was I had to woo the next woman who walked through the door for a month. That was you.” He stared at her as if she’d done something wrong.
“So all of this, everything we did, it was for some bet?”
He shrugged.
Never in her life had she wanted to punch someone in the face. “The stuff you said, none of that was true.”
“I’m not sure you’d know what the truth is,” he said. Not moving a muscle.
What the fuck was wrong with him?
“You’re mad at me? For what? Being some pawn in a game you were playing with your brother?”
“I figure we’re even in that respect.”
“How so?”
“You’ve been writing every private conversation and putting them in your book. Every fucking word and deed. There’s inspiration and then there’s—I really was just practice. You weren’t lying about that at least.”
“I don’t—you read my book?”
“You left the laptop open, and at first I just took a peek. I was curious after I watched you run from my pub to the competition like the world was on fire.”
He saw her notes. Shit.
“You made me part of a fucking bet and you’re worried, even though I told you I was using our experiences for my book, that someone is going to think it’s you and me? For the record, you’ve said more than once that you were honored to be my inspiration. But maybe that was all a lie as well. What you read were notes. Ones that I keep to remind me of the things we did, but I don’t use them exactly that way.
“And no, I didn’t tell you that my mom and dad own the restaurant across the street, but I tried to. At least a half dozen times. You didn’t want to hear it. You know what? I don’t owe you shit. Fuck you, Liam. Fuck you. You used me. You made me think we had something special, but that was all a lie. This is why I don’t date or fuck anyone. Because all men do is mess with your head.”
She grabbed her laptop.
“Men? You’re the daughter of my top competitor and you didn’t think that might be important? And you’re sharing our personal business with the world.”
“You’re wrong about that last part. But I’m done explaining.”
She stormed down the stairs and ran through the alley and onto the street. She had to get home before she cried. But it was hard because her stupid eyes were burning with tears already.
Yes. She should have told him the truth, but she’d been nothing more than some charity case to him. She was such a fool.
Ten minutes later she was home, another five and she was in her shower crying. After a half hour of that, she called Tansey to tell her everything. And thirty minutes later her friend was at her door with ice-cream, chocolate, and whiskey. Because wine wasn’t strong enough for this sort of broken heart.
“He’s an asshole, but this whole relationship was based on half truths,” Tansey said. “I know I told you not to do it so you could finish the book, but maybe you should have been upfront with him about who you were. Since you really seemed to be into him. And from the beginning, he told you he didn’t do relationships. Hell, you didn’t, either. I get that he hurt you, but you wrote an amazing fucking book. I say good riddance, and let’s make some money off his ass.”
“Wouldn’t you want to punch someone if they did this to you?” Cassie asked. “He was using me for some stupid bet. How am I always so gullible? He was too hot. I knew that. But he made me feel special. Like I was beautiful.” The tears fell again. She could have sworn there were no more left in her. “It was all a lie.”
“I own a shovel and I can borrow a car,” Tansey said as she poured them both some more whiskey.
“Now you’re speaking my language.” Cassie sniffled. They clinked glasses. “He actually thought I’d print verbatim everything we did. Now I kind of want to just shove it in his face. He didn’t seem
to understand that from the notes I create fiction. I mean at first, it was us, but then it all felt too intimate. I put that wall up and I still think it worked. Right?”
“Girl, it’s the best you’ve ever written. I think you know that.”
“You’re my agent. You have to say that.” She chugged the whiskey, even though it was fire going down her throat.
“Slow down, slugger. That shit isn’t cheap. And I’m the first person who tells you when the writing is shit. You know that. This guy helped open up your world. He got you over a rough time, and now you’re stronger and more beautiful than ever.”
She sighed. “I am. I’m awesome. And fuck him for not understanding that.”
Tansey laughed. “Yes. Fuck him. That’s what you did. Now it’s time to move on.”
Ugh. No. She would let go, but she was never dating again.
“Maybe I’ll get a cat. I think it bugs me most that he thinks I would share our most intimate moments. That’s not true—it’s that I believed him. He made me feel so good about myself and it was lie. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for that.”
Tansey shrugged. “I don’t understand why you care so much. Most people don’t understand how creatives work. I will say, being with him did help restore your writing mojo.”
Cassie smirked. “I want to write a horror book next, where a black widow lures men in and kills them in disgusting and horrible ways. I cared about him, Tansey.”
“It’s more than that,” she said.
A sob escaped. “Fuck. You’re right. I love the fucking bastard.” She glanced at the bottle of whiskey. “You’re going to need to find me some more of that.”
“Done,” Tansey said.
“Men suck.”
“Yes, they do.”
Chapter Fourteen
The pub had been closed an hour, but Liam leaned heavy on the bar, staring at the bottle of scotch.
“It’s not going to pour itself,” Finn said as he sat beside him. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to his fucking brother who fucked everything up for him.
“Shut the fuck up.”
Finn picked the bottle up and poured them both two fingers.
“Care to explain why you’re so upset? You were the one who bet on her. And I’m sorry about that. I had no idea she’d be sneaking up behind me.”
“Not your fault,” Liam said before swallowing the glass’s contents. “Well, it is. She’s the one who was lying.”
Finn poured him another.
“Still, that had to be rough for her to hear it that way. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I was part of a bet like that. A man who I thought cared about me was using me as a bet with his brother so he could keep control of his pub.”
“She was using me for sex so she could write her book. We’re even.”
“And you weren’t doing the same?”
Liam gave his brother the evil-eye. “Who the fuck’s side are you on?”
“Yours. Definitely yours. But you could see how, after she’d blossomed under your care, and it’s something we all saw, that it might hurt a bit that you made her feel like none of it was real.”
“It wasn’t, though. She’s the daughter of our competition. God knows what she’s told them. We’ll probably go under in less than six months. We’re dead in the water because I thought she was— Doesn’t matter. We’re fucked. They’ll know all our secrets now.”
Finn cleared his throat. “Right. Because we run on secrets around here. So that she helped bring in profits by changing up the menu. Softened the place by telling us to put family photos and Da and Mum’s romance on the wall and suggesting live music that’s sure to bring us more people than we can handle—that’s because she’s a spy for the competition. We’ve got more money in the till than we’ve ever had, thanks to her. But you’re right. She’s the worst.”
“Do you want a black eye?”
Holding up his hands, Finn backed away from the stool. “No harm, brother. No harm. I’m just saying that things aren’t always like they seem. Like you pretending that you haven’t lost your heart to the girl, but we know that isn’t true. Now the wonder of it all is when are you going to nut up and figure out you fucked this royally? And how are you going to make it right? Because you owe that lass an apology. We both do. She’s the best thing that ever happened to you and this bar. I’m not sure I’d ever seen you so happy.”
Liam roared as he jumped out of his seat, and then he stumbled a bit. Finn was behind the bar before Liam could get himself straightened out.
“I’m done with the advice, but maybe you should get some rest, brother,” Finn said. “Stop drinking our profits and get your fucking head on straight. I know all about falling in love, and I promise you this is exactly that. But this is the kind that sticks. The kind that Mum and Da have. And you’re a fucking idiot for letting her go.”
Before he could pull his arm back to punch his brother, Finn was gone. No way could Liam make it up the stairs to chase him. In fact, the corner booth was looking mighty comfortable. The idea of sleeping in his bed without her, hell no. The sheets still had her cinnamon and vanilla scent. Damn if he didn’t want to wash her away quite yet.
He stumbled to the booth and put his head on his arms. “Just gonna shut my eyes for a few minutes,” he said to no one. Then the whirl of a beautiful face crying out his name as she came apart in his arms had him pounding his head on the hard wood.
Fuck it. He closed his eyes and wished her away, but it didn’t work.
The next morning, Liam awoke to cold water being splashed on his face and his brother laughing like a fucking hyena.
“Hair of the dog.” He handed Liam a glass of tomato juice with God-only-knew-what mixed in. And a bag with a burger and fries from one of the local diners.
Foggy-brained, he couldn’t really get up the energy to smash his brother’s face in. He chugged the juice and then shoved the burger in his face.
“How’s the future looking today?” Finn asked.
Liam shot him the finger.
“That good. Well, I feel like you need a plan to get your woman back. So maybe you want to start there. But first, a shower and shave because you look and smell like shit.”
Liam shot him the finger again. But the man had a point.
Clarity had come with the morning sun.
What had she done that was so wrong other than give him her heart and soul? And yes, she’d kept who she was a secret, but he remembered that she’d tried to tell him something a couple of times, and he’d change the subject or tell her it didn’t matter. She was light and loveliness and had changed his life for the better. She was game for almost anything, and for the first time in a long time, he’d had fun. He enjoyed her company.
He was in fucking love.
“Shite.”
“And there it is,” Finn said. “What are you going to do?”
“I love her.”
“I know. Like I said, arsehole, what are you going to do?”
He stood, a bit wobbly, and glanced across the street. “Shower. Shave. And then prostrate myself and beg her to come back.”
His brother chuckled. “And when that doesn’t work?”
“It’ll work, arsehole.”
God, he hoped so.
…
“Explain to me again why we are here?” Cassie asked as they stood outside the asshole’s pub. It had been a week and she was still so mad at him for what he’d done. He’d ruined everything. Sure, maybe she’d had a bit to do with the mistrust, but still. They’d both made mistakes. He was the one who had to act like a toddler about it.
And dammit, even though she hated him, she missed the fuck out of him.
“His exact words were, ‘If you don’t want me to sue the fucking pants off you for using my words in her sexfest of a book, you’ll have her here at seven p.m. on Friday night.’ He’s sexy sounding even when he’s being a jerk,” Tansey said.
“Your Irish accent is quite possibly the wo
rst I’ve ever heard.” Cassie sighed. “And this is some kind of trick. He’s going to make fun of me or humiliate me in some way. I can’t go in there.” Her stomach was filled with bees, an entire hive buzzing around, her nerves a jangled mess.
“If he does, I’ll take him down myself. I’ve got a nasty right hook,” Tansey said. “Remember when I dated that MMA fighter? He taught me some great moves.”
Cassie rubbed her temples. It didn’t help that one of the waiters watched her from the door of the pub across the street. Probably reporting every move she made back to her parents. It was even more appalling because they all knew what had happened. Her mother had sent over a cake to the house with some milk, like she was ten and her best friend had moved away.
Ugh. Would she ever not be Roly Poly?
Though she had eaten half the cake, which was probably why she had a sugar headache at the moment. “I need coffee. Can’t we just go get some coffee? I’ll even pay.”
Tansey snorted. “Right. Look. He promised that if I got you here and you stayed for fifteen minutes, he wouldn’t sue. And since I don’t want to change a word of that near-perfect book of yours, we’re going to play nice. I swear, if he does anything mean or assholic, I will mess him up. Okay?”
“No. But I’m going to do this. I won’t let him see that he hurt me. He isn’t worth it. I’m amazing and you dressed me up, so I look hot as shit. He’s going to wish he’d begged me to come back.” She wore dark jeans with boots and a cute red top. They’d spent half the day at the spa getting their hair and nails done.
She felt better than she had in a week. She could do this.
“That’s my girl. Let’s go.”
The Boar was different. There was fresh paint and they’d added more pictures to the walls. Some of the regulars were in the photos. The seating arrangement had been changed up to make room for a small stage at the front. It was weird seeing her ideas come to fruition.
“Darling, come sit with us.”
What the… “Mom?”
Her mother, father, and brother were at one of the bigger booths.
“What the hell are they doing here?” she asked Tansey as they moved toward her family. Had she stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone? This whole thing gave her anxiety. She glanced up to make sure pig’s blood wasn’t about to spill on her or something.
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