Let It Snow(63)

Jake motioned towards the computer. “How’s it going?”

“Good. Really good,” she beamed, and Jake honestly couldn’t be happier for her.

“And how are things with Maxim’s Most Eligible Bachelor?” Jake asked even though it didn’t take a psychic to figure out the answer.

“Good.” Nikki’s smile grew even brighter as she added, “And he won’t be an eligible bachelor for much longer.”

“True. Poor guy,” Jake said, teasing his sister.

“Shut up,” Nikki said as she swatted his arm, reverting to their go-to comeback as kids. “A lucky guy is what he is.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

Jake turned and saw Tessa standing beside the table, and like always, his heart picked up speed. His eyes dropped to her jeans, the ones his hand had been inside just a few hours earlier.

“Mike,” Nikki smiled up at Tessa.

“Oh, yes he is,” Tessa nodded in agreement. “I was just checking if you needed anything. I didn’t want to bother you before. You looked busy.”

“I would love a Coke.” Nikki let her head fall back dramatically. “I need a caffeine fix.”

“Got it.” Tessa smiled as she looked over at Jake. “What about you?”

“What about me?” he asked as her brilliant blue eyes landed on him and awareness sizzled between them.

“Do you need anything?” A blush crept up her cheeks, and Jake noticed her giving him the don’t-you-dare-start stare.

“Yes. I need something.” His eyes wandered down Tessa’s body.

“To drink,” Tessa clarified in her I’m-serious-knock-it-off tone. Jake loved that tone. In fact, he lived to hear that tone. It was sexy as hell to him for some reason.

“Oh, to drink,” Jake said as if he’d had no idea that was what she had been asking him about. “No, I’m good. Thanks,” he added with a wink, and she shook her head, trying not to smile as she walked back behind the bar.

His eyes followed her until he could no longer see one of his very favorite things in the world to look at—her jean-covered ass. Well, her ass in any state, really. Naked was preferable, and later tonight, he was planning on seeing it in that exact state.

When he glanced back at his sister, she was squinting her eyes at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Looking at you two is like looking into the sun. You’re so hot that I couldn’t look away, but now it’s burned into my retinas,” Nikki said as if she were in pain.

Now it was his turn to sound like a middle-schooler. Jake smiled as he told her, “Shut up, smartass.”

*

Tessa could not believe how Jake was acting. No, scratch that—she could. He always liked to push the envelope with her. He had always loved to walk that fine line between embarrassing her just a little bit and making her mad. Sometimes he stepped over the invisible line that separated the two, but as always with Jake, one smile and a kiss and all would be forgiven.

If Tessa looked up ‘irresistible’ in the dictionary, she was sure that she would find a picture of Jake smiling with his trademark wink. She shook her head back and forth as she grabbed some glasses and filled the orders she’d taken out on the floor.

Two cranberry and vodkas, three Jack and Cokes, a Tequila Sunrise, five Snake Bite shots, and finally Nikki’s Coke. She placed the drinks along with the bottles of beers she needed to deliver on a tray, grabbed it, and held it high, turning sideways as she slid between the small opening between the end of the bar and the wall.

First, she stopped by her V.I.P. table and dropped off Nikki’s Coke. Sure, she’d been the last person to give her an order, so logic would dictate that she should be the last one served, but screw logic. Nikki got her drink first.

Then she made her rounds without incident, dropping off the Jack and Cokes, cran and vodkas, and the Tequila Sunrise. Finally, she ended at the table with the twenty-something pricks who’d ordered the shots and beers. She dropped them off without making eye contact and quickly began to move away from the table.

Tessa didn’t mind dealing with drunk guys, even if they were hitting on her. But these a-holes were taking inappropriate commenting to a whole new level. Just as she pivoted away from said a-holes, one of them reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“Hey now, not so fast, blondie,” the red shirt a-hole said as he rubbed his thumb across her wrist, making her skin crawl.

Tessa tried to keep her patience as she turned back around and pulled her arm away from him. “I have to get back to work, boys.” She monitored her tone, making sure to keep it light, but her patience was wearing extremely thin.