suggestion—or intervention rather—before sighing, “But I wouldn’t want to corrupt the poor man.” She tossed a positively carnal wink Aidan’s way. “Yet.”
The guys roared and elbowed their theatrically smitten drummer.
Dani joined the laughs for a bit before ruffling Rylan’s hair and making her exit, giving a green light for the small group of band bunnies hovering nearby to swoop in. Despite the guys’ hard rule of never getting cozy with groupies, she still liked giving them space to enjoy the bunny attention.
Zigzagging down the crowded stairwell back to the bar, Dani greeted a few regulars before heading over to her usual tending area behind the bar and sliding a sideways glance over at Xoey. “So…looks like hell freezing over hasn’t changed the temperature between you and Aidan one bit.” She snickered at Xoey’s petulant glower. “Told you that mistletoe make-out session you two had last month was just going to make everything worse.”
“And I told you I’m not taking love life advice from a woman who doesn’t have a life outside of this brewpub,” hissed Xoey, flicking off Dani’s teasing—literally—before coming to an abrupt halt.
Whatever riveting thing she’d just spotted made her thorny expression suddenly slow-melt away to…amusement. Highly suspicious. Dani’s eyes narrowed as Xoey began chastising her with the same ole lecture, with seemingly new objectives, “The amount you’ve been working this year is obscene, Dani. Far worse than your usual recreational workaholism. You are simply too hot to be going through an eleven-month dryspell.”
Dani felt color flood her cheeks as she shot a look around at everyone within earshot before sending Xoey a keep-talking-and-I’ll-kill-you look.
Ignoring it, Xoey steamrolled on, eyes alit with best friend mischief. “As the foremost objector to your recent unhealthy lifestyle choices, I’m duty-bound to point out that—” she stabbed her finger, ever so indiscreetly, at the criminally good-looking man a few tables down from them— “panty-melting chiseled goodness over there is back again. And he definitely wants you all kinds of naked right now.”
* * * * *
LUKE BRADFORD didn’t know why the almost irrationally sexy bartender in the too-tight top was pointing at him and frankly, he didn’t much care. It was the one with the killer smile beside her, the brunette he’d caught fleeting glimpses of the last few weeks—even chatted with once or twice in passing—that gripped his attention yet again. She was tucking her sleek, dark chocolate hair behind an ear in seemingly shy reflex and he just sat there with the round he’d just bought the guys, unable to take his eyes off her.
“Holy shit,” breathed Isaac, jabbing him in the gut. “I think that goddess at the bar is pointing at you. Do you know her?”
Luke could barely hear him. Or much of anything for that matter. The echoed statement from their other friends at the table that the woman was way too much for Isaac to handle? Practically white noise. The rest of the sounds all around him? Becoming more muted by the second.
His sole focus remained on the other bartender—the hardest working one there by his estimation. Even as her friend was telling her something that obviously involved him, the woman hardly paused long enough to spare a quick glance in his direction.
Just as well. He wasn’t sure he would’ve survived a lengthier look than that. Though she’d doused it quickly, a sizzling, ultra feminine awareness had flared in her eyes in the brief moment they’d met his, and now a sweet, honest-to-god farm-girl blush was pinking her cheeks.
Man, oh man, was he in trouble.
If the girl next door had an unpredictable, feisty twin sister, this woman would be her. With her adorably stubborn frown and quiet, kitten gaze still mulishly refusing to look directly at him again, she was drawing him in—hook, line, and sinker.
Luke stopped trying to
The guys roared and elbowed their theatrically smitten drummer.
Dani joined the laughs for a bit before ruffling Rylan’s hair and making her exit, giving a green light for the small group of band bunnies hovering nearby to swoop in. Despite the guys’ hard rule of never getting cozy with groupies, she still liked giving them space to enjoy the bunny attention.
Zigzagging down the crowded stairwell back to the bar, Dani greeted a few regulars before heading over to her usual tending area behind the bar and sliding a sideways glance over at Xoey. “So…looks like hell freezing over hasn’t changed the temperature between you and Aidan one bit.” She snickered at Xoey’s petulant glower. “Told you that mistletoe make-out session you two had last month was just going to make everything worse.”
“And I told you I’m not taking love life advice from a woman who doesn’t have a life outside of this brewpub,” hissed Xoey, flicking off Dani’s teasing—literally—before coming to an abrupt halt.
Whatever riveting thing she’d just spotted made her thorny expression suddenly slow-melt away to…amusement. Highly suspicious. Dani’s eyes narrowed as Xoey began chastising her with the same ole lecture, with seemingly new objectives, “The amount you’ve been working this year is obscene, Dani. Far worse than your usual recreational workaholism. You are simply too hot to be going through an eleven-month dryspell.”
Dani felt color flood her cheeks as she shot a look around at everyone within earshot before sending Xoey a keep-talking-and-I’ll-kill-you look.
Ignoring it, Xoey steamrolled on, eyes alit with best friend mischief. “As the foremost objector to your recent unhealthy lifestyle choices, I’m duty-bound to point out that—” she stabbed her finger, ever so indiscreetly, at the criminally good-looking man a few tables down from them— “panty-melting chiseled goodness over there is back again. And he definitely wants you all kinds of naked right now.”
* * * * *
LUKE BRADFORD didn’t know why the almost irrationally sexy bartender in the too-tight top was pointing at him and frankly, he didn’t much care. It was the one with the killer smile beside her, the brunette he’d caught fleeting glimpses of the last few weeks—even chatted with once or twice in passing—that gripped his attention yet again. She was tucking her sleek, dark chocolate hair behind an ear in seemingly shy reflex and he just sat there with the round he’d just bought the guys, unable to take his eyes off her.
“Holy shit,” breathed Isaac, jabbing him in the gut. “I think that goddess at the bar is pointing at you. Do you know her?”
Luke could barely hear him. Or much of anything for that matter. The echoed statement from their other friends at the table that the woman was way too much for Isaac to handle? Practically white noise. The rest of the sounds all around him? Becoming more muted by the second.
His sole focus remained on the other bartender—the hardest working one there by his estimation. Even as her friend was telling her something that obviously involved him, the woman hardly paused long enough to spare a quick glance in his direction.
Just as well. He wasn’t sure he would’ve survived a lengthier look than that. Though she’d doused it quickly, a sizzling, ultra feminine awareness had flared in her eyes in the brief moment they’d met his, and now a sweet, honest-to-god farm-girl blush was pinking her cheeks.
Man, oh man, was he in trouble.
If the girl next door had an unpredictable, feisty twin sister, this woman would be her. With her adorably stubborn frown and quiet, kitten gaze still mulishly refusing to look directly at him again, she was drawing him in—hook, line, and sinker.
Luke stopped trying to
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