Body Shot (Last Shot)(17)
“I want your number so I can get your new panties to you.”
“Oh.” She swallowed. “Right. But you really don’t have to.”
He laughed softly and pulled his cellphone out of a pocket. “What is it?”
She hesitated, but then recited the number and he entered it and saved it. “There. Come on, sexy girl.”
He took her hand and led her out of the office and back into the bar.
The world hadn’t ended. In fact, the bar was hopping. Christ, Marco and Cade were going to be pissed that he’d abandoned them for that long.
Hayden’s friend Carrie was surrounded by guys, laughing at something someone had said. Hayden slid back onto her stool and Carrie spun around. “Hayden! Where were you?”
“We were sampling more tequila,” Beck answered from behind the bar. “What did you think, Hayden?”
“It was amazing.” She met his eyes shyly.
“I thought so too.” He gave her a warm smile, then moved away to get back to work.
“Dude.” Down at the other end of the bar, Marco punched his shoulder. “What the hell? You’re not supposed to give the tequila away. The idea is to make money from this.”
Beck grinned. “Yeah, yeah.” He reached for some glasses.
“Uh…what’s hanging out of your pocket?”
Fuck. “Why are you looking at my ass?” He shoved his hand into the pocket to push the panties in deeper.
“Jesus. Seriously? You were fucking back there?”
Beck paused. Normally he’d wink and laugh about that. Not that he took a lot of girls back to the office for sex. Usually, that happened away from the bar. But it felt weird to make light of what had happened. Hayden had been so…innocent…it felt crude and insulting to say they’d been fucking back there, no matter that it was the truth. So he shrugged and set about making margaritas.
Chapter 5
“Where did you disappear to?”
Hayden swallowed and avoided Carrie’s eyes. “Um, Beck let me taste a special tequila they keep in the back.”
When Carrie said nothing, Hayden snuck a glance at her friend. Carrie’s eyes were bright from the alcohol and the fun of flirting, but also shrewd. Finally, Carrie leaned in closer and said, “You have whisker burn on your face.”
Hayden’s eyes flew open and she slapped a hand to her jaw. “I do not.”
“You sure do, honey.” Carrie grinned. “Was it good?”
Hayden sank her teeth into her lower lip. “Oh my God, yes.”
Carrie tilted her head and nodded knowingly. “Wow. Good for you!”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?”
“Er…”
“Sweet Jesus…Did you have…” Carrie slammed her mouth shut and glanced around. Then she took Hayden’s arm and marched her away from the crowded bar. “What happened back there?”
Hayden gave Carrie a guilty look. “I’m not sure.”
Carrie blinked. “You’re not that drunk, are you? You do know what happened?”
“Yes, yes, I know…but I mean, I don’t know why. Or how…how I let myself be so…”
“Slutty?”
Hayden’s mouth dropped open.
“You know I’m kidding.” Carrie rolled her eyes. “Having sex doesn’t make you a slut.” She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t feel slutty, do you?”
Hayden considered that. “No. I’m just more confused. I don’t do crazy, rash things like that. I’m all about the lists and the plans.”
“True. Holy hell. Well, we can talk more about this later, back at your place.”
They returned to the bar. Carrie flirted a little more with Brian and Will, drawing Hayden into the conversation. Excruciatingly aware of Beck behind the bar, Hayden forced herself to join in, smiling at the two guys.
They stayed another hour or so, then exchanged phone numbers with the guys. As Hayden entered a number into her phone, the back of her neck tingled and she looked up to see Beck staring at her, his eyebrows pulled down tight over his eyes, his mouth a thin line.
She gave him a “what?” look, then smiled, waved, and turned away. She and Carrie made their way out of the bar and turned down Grand Avenue to walk back to her place. The cool evening air brushed over Hayden’s skin as they walked, and she lifted her face to the breeze.
“Okay, now I want all the details. Did you seriously go back there with that hot bartender and screw him?”
Hayden gulped. “I did.”
“I can’t believe that! I’m so jealous.”
“Jealous?” Hayden shot her friend an incredulous glance.