It's been such a long week. Why not get a little plastered and spend some time here before I need to confront my damnably sexy step-brother?
Why not cut loose and stop worrying this confusion boiling my brain? God, why not find out if there's more to this blonde boy with the sexy accent besides a nice distraction from Ty?
I can't make up my mind. One minute, I wish he'd lay me down and fuck me before Ty does, and the next I'm steaming for nobody else but big brother.
God. What the hell is wrong with me?
I slam my empty glass on the counter. “Another.”
Karl laughs louder. His eyes are on my tits and I don't even care. He stares, not even hiding it, and I give my body a nice long stretch. It's refreshing to cut away from all the family drama, plus the new job.
This night isn't going like I expected. My head's so warm, burning up with alcohol now. I'm about to add some more fuel to the fire.
Two more shots, and everything whirls, melting into a blurry puddle of drunken goodness. I'm starting to worry why I haven't seen him yet. Ty was supposed to greet me shortly after the fight – does he even know we're back here?
My diligent bartender holds the bottle up again when my glass empties, but I put my hand up. “Where's Ty? Is he really going to be okay?”
“He's being checked over. We always have a medic standing by for these events in case anyone ends up seriously hurt. I think you understand, Claire, what we're doing here is risky, but we do everything we can to minimize the chances of any lasting injuries.”
He slams down his own drink. Grabbing the bottle, he steps out from behind the bar and takes the stool next to me – a little too close for comfort. Still, I give him a smile as he refills my glass. This time, he's not taking no for an answer, and neither is the pleasurable urge to drink more building in my head.#p#分页标题#e#
“Are the fights always so violent? I'm amazed he hasn't broken bones by now.” In fact, I'm wondering if an undiagnosed brain injury explains Ty's crude, impulsive behavior.
Karl tightens his lips and waves a hand, dashing my concerns. “No. The boss knows what he's doing. He's trained for years, and he doesn't slack on anything. I'm not sure why Fat Boy had the edge for a little while. That's never happened before. Tyler's mind has been somewhere else lately. He's not himself.”
Not himself. The Swede's words stop me cold. I remember how my step-brother stared at me while he was in the ring, his eyes blazing with a determination even fiercer than I'd seen when he was right in my face the other morning.
We were so close. I touched his rock hard torso, and I didn't want to stop.
Closer than any real brother and sister have any business being. It's suddenly cold in the lounge, or maybe the vodka's heat overloads my stomach. A shiver rolls off my back.
Karl's big arm goes around me and pulls me close. I'm so shocked my face almost hits the bar.
Okay, it's been fun fantasizing about him. He's obviously a safe and sane choice stacked up against Ty. But with my mind drifting back to the asshole who's the entire reason why I'm here at Club Zing tonight, I don't think I really want to sleep with Ty's underling.
I gently reach out and give his arm a push while I pull away. My other hand reaches for the vodka, just what I need to cover up the awkwardness. Ugh.
Okay, scratch those crazy thoughts about getting closer to this guy. I don't trust him. I kinda want to get up and go out on my own.
“I think I need to take off soon, Karl,” I say softly. “I need to find Ty.”
“What's the matter, lovely?” There's venom in his voice. “Don't you ever want to do anything besides talk about your brother?”
“I...I don't know.”
I really don't.
Karl laughs coldly. “Ah, you're quite a tease, aren't you? I've dealt with women like you before. I fucking know what you really want, princess. Let's go.”
Snarling, he grabs my wrist and pulls me off the bench. I'm too blitzed by the latest vodka pouring into my veins to fight back. Shit, I barely realize what's happening, only that my knees are moving on auto. I can't stop as he leads me through a metal door next to the private bar, into a chilly room stacked high with liquor crates.
I thought we were isolated before, but now? Not good.
The door clicks shut and he pushes me against the wall. I'm about to scream when his hand covers my mouth. His breath stinks. We lock eyes.
What the fuck's going on? Why's he gone all Jekyll and Hyde? I remember all the drinks he knocked down during the fight. The only time he even paused was when it looked like Ty would lose.
I've heard of mean drunks before, but I've never really seen one until now. He called me a tease too. Surely, he can't really believe I owe him something, much less sex?