Wed to the Bad Boy(5)

Whenever it got to be too much, I turned away from him.

“Dammit, Greyson. You always drain my pockets every time I come.” The one name Liam said after the third game. Greyson had won the first two. “Girlie, another old-fashioned,” he barked.

I nodded and got to work.

“What can I tell you, Liam. You need to practice your bluff. I can see right through it.” Greyson sounded amused, but Liam wasn’t.

I handed him his drink, but he grabbed my wrist. “You wanna sit for a spell, sweet-cheeks? I bet with your ass on my lap you’ll turn around my game.”

I glared at him and opened my mouth to speak, but Greyson spoke first. “Let her go. Now.”

It wasn’t calm or kind or joking the way he was before, no, his eyes were dark, his snarl vicious. Liam let go of my hand slowly, the way he would drop a gun, and then pushed me to the side.

“I didn’t mean to-” he started, but Greyson held up a hand.

“It’s fine. I apologize. Please do not touch the lady, she is working tonight as a server. Nothing more.” Greyson cleared his throat and dealt. “Another round?”

All the men nodded. He flung the cards out one at a time, his wrist snapping perfectly, his expression stoic. Everything he did, he did it with assertiveness. It didn’t matter if he was playing cards or taking a beating. He did it with the utmost authority. It was sexy.

He was sexy.

No, I can’t think of him that way. I chided myself. That would only lead me down a path of misery. Janson’s words echoed in my head. “That boy will chew you up and spit you out, and you’ll be helpless to stop it. They all are.”

He was right, I knew he was just from looking at Greyson here and now. He was dangerous. So why did he make my breath hitch every time he looked at me. I furrowed my brow and did my best to avoid him most of the night, look away when he was looking, stay out of his way whenever he got up. But somehow I always found myself staring at him.

Thinking about him.

“Well boys, I think I’m going to call it a night,” Jimmy stood and tipped his hat to me, “Ma’am.”

I smiled at him, and he turned and left, soon all the other men were filing out except for Greyson and Janson.

“Go, Janson, I want a word with our new little bartender,” Greyson said.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled.

“Yes, boss.” Janson left without looking at him, his eyes away from mine. Like he felt guilty.

“You know you look beautiful in that, don’t you?” His voice was low as he said it, husky. “You look beautiful, but it doesn’t suit you. It doesn’t suit your personality. Now that I see you in it I can only imagine a million other choices that would’ve looked better.”

I swallowed hard. “Sir?” I asked, trying to keep my mind on cleaning up. There were drink glasses and beer bottles scattered around to clean and ashtrays to dump. I busied myself with it, but he stood in front of me, blocking my path to the kitchen.

“Look at me, Jo,” he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Look at me.”

I glanced up into his eyes. They were so full of lust that I almost dropped the glasses I was carrying. I knew that mine were just a reflection of his. My whole body was on fire from watching him, from trying not to think about him and failing.

“What do you think about me?” he asked, his breath hot on my face, the mixture of sweet tobacco and alcohol alluring.

“You’re dangerous.”

“You are right.” He growled out each word and then wrapped an arm around my body. “I’m so dangerous. You really should leave.”

I nodded but stayed where I was. He was touching me, and I didn’t want it to end. “I really should.”

“No one is stopping you.” His mouth was so close to mine, so close. No one was stopping me, but I didn’t turn, I didn’t leave his embrace. I stood there, just looking up at him. He knew exactly what effect he was having on me, and he loved every single second of it.

“I-” Whatever protest I was going to make died away when his mouth came down onto mine. His hungry lips were pressing against mine, forcing them open so that he could explore me with his tongue. I was caught up in his kiss, not protesting, not pressing against him.

Finally, he pulled back.

“Leave. If you didn’t feel a single thing with that kiss, leave now. I won’t fault you, I won’t blame you. Or stay. I want you to.” Greyson said as he looked me over, smiling.

I was shaking, my legs barely able to hold me up off the ground.

“I want to.” Did that even come out of my mouth? I blinked and looked at him.