Touching Scars(17)

I wasn’t in the mood to be chatty, but I wouldn’t be an asshole either. Shrugging, I said, “Been here for a few months, but I haven’t had much time besides going to work, going home, eating, and sleeping. Then I start the cycle all over again. I didn’t even know this place existed until last night.”

“Seriously? This town is barely a mile long. You can’t miss this place.”

“Like I said, I don’t get out much,” I said, staring him down.

He grunted, accepting my answer. “Well, welcome. I guess I don’t get out much either. My ass is always here keeping an eye on the bar and the girls.”

“Thanks,” I said. He handed me back my license and before I could think better of it, I asked him a question. “How long have you worked here?”

Beaver let his eyes roam the bar before he brought them back to me. “I’ve been here for a couple years now. Ed hired me after some prick got too grabby with that one over there,” he said, pointing in the direction of Katherine. “Ed’s the owner, if you didn’t meet him last night. Anyway, he’s getting a little too old to fend off the guys that can’t keep their hands to themselves. Now I work every night that Kat does. She’s like a daughter to him, so it’s her that he wants me to keep safe more than the other girls or the bar.” He leaned in a little closer and lowered his voice. “Right decision, if you ask me. If some dude comes in here, it’s always her they notice.”

Just thinking about some guy putting their hands on her made my blood boil. However, knowing that Ed put someone here to look after Katherine made me feel better. I’m sure with Beaver around, nobody messed with her. He was a big son of a bitch. I’m not afraid of anything, but if he came at me, I’d certainly flinch. Looking him over, I liked him. He kept my girl safe.

My girl?

Where that thought came from, I didn’t know, but I also didn’t get much time to think about it because it was as if I called her to look in my direction. She turned her beautiful hazel eyes my way and I felt my body being pulled towards her. Gulping, my feet took each step towards the stool that sat directly in front of her. I watched her watching me, searching her face for any sort of clue that she recognized me. I didn’t see any as I sat down. Her eyes never left mine. She followed my every move, as if she were as drawn to me as I was to her. I noticed her swallow, and her chest moved up and down with short breaths. She was nervous. When I blinked, it was as though the trance she’d been in broke, and she cleared her throat, looking away.

Katherine threw a white towel over her shoulder and walked over so she was standing directly in front of me. Her eyes seemed to harden before she said nonchalantly, “What can I get you?”

Her soft voice hit me straight in the gut. It didn’t fit her external appearance. The tattoos, her white shirt that was cut in the front to display a hell of a lot of cleavage, and eyes that were lined with too much black liner. What the fuck was I doing here?

“Crown and coke,” I told her in my own deep voice.

I saw her hand reach out and grab the counter when I spoke. I let my eyes travel up her arm to her face. When my gaze met hers, I saw her lips part. She was reacting to me, and I wondered if it was more than just attraction I could see she was obviously feeling. Did she recognize me?

Katherine turned her back to me, grabbed the bottle, and poured the amber liquid into a short glass. After topping it off with coke, she put it on the napkin she placed in front of me.

“You starting a tab? Otherwise, that’s five bucks.” She started wiping the counter down.

“That’s pretty cheap. You give me watered down whisky?” I asked.

She paused, leveling a glare at me. “Ed doesn’t run that kind of establishment, asshole. He keeps his prices low so he keeps his customers. You going to hand over a credit card or are you going to pay and head home?”

“Relax sweetheart, it was just a question,” I taunted.

“It was a question that insinuated my boss cheats his customers.” Her adorable dark brown eyebrow lifted.

“I’m sure he’d be happy to hear that his employee is hardcore and loyal to him.” I smirked at her.

She was quiet for a few beats before she leaned across the counter and got closer to me. Damn if it didn’t get me a little hard. With both hands braced on the hard surface, she said, “you know what? I think this one’s on the house. Enjoy it, mister. I’ll make sure Beaver over there,” her eyes flicked over to Beaver’s place at the front door, “shows you out.”

I couldn’t help the flat out grin that stretched across my face. “You kicking me out?”