the bar only seemed to get more crowded, all wishing a happy birthday to her sister.
Darren Black had seen her the moment she had walked in the bar behind Lissa. She looked even better than he remembered. She had filled out in all the right places. He only got a glimpse of her ass before she took a seat on a stool but he liked what he saw.
He didn’t question anymore why she was continually there in his thoughts. Or why he suddenly didn’t try to shut her out. Brady had always been different from the other women he knew. She didn’t put on a fake front and she didn’t try to fit into some mold. She was real and that was what he loved about her.
He still felt incredibly guilty for the way he had treated her in school. For the way they all had treated her. But it was a long time ago and she probably didn’t even think about it anymore. But he had noticed the change in her after that fateful day. He had tried to talk to her once but approaching her had been the equivalent of walking through a minefield.
Back then he didn’t take rejection well. Come to think of it he still didn’t.
But it hadn’t held her back. She certainly had done better for herself than most. But he always knew she would.
He was at the end of the bar in the shadows with a beer in his hand. It was the perfect spot to watch her as she ordered a drink. Lissa immediately abandoned her to join the group of friends who had gathered for her birthday on the dance floor. But Brady took it in stride, giving her sister a little wave as she moved away.
Darren shook his head when Jimmy, once a football player on his team and now the bartender, served Brady’s drink without any sort of acknowledgment. How could he not know who she was? Her hair was more than unforgettable. Jimmy’s loss and his gain.
Darren was glad she hadn’t changed her hair much. It was still the flame-red he remembered. She wore it longer and what once had been a mass of curls was brushed into submission. He immediately wanted to mess it up.
She had become the girl of his dreams. Her bright-green eyes and freckles had become incomparable to any other woman. All the others came up lacking. Including his ex-fiancée.
He read her books, even though they were romance novels, and they had filled his head with happily ever afters. He realized if his rough and tough football-playing friends ever found out, he would never live it down. But he was no longer a man who worried about such things. He did as he damn well pleased.
The older he got the more he wanted his own happy end. But not with just anyone. She would have to be special and he figured Brady was definitely worth a shot. Every woman in every story he read was her.
He knew her better than she would ever guess. Being best friends with her sister afforded him a lot of opportunities. He had been casually asking about her for months.
Since she had moved away right after high school he had been waiting for the right time to approach her when she was home. But she didn’t come home. Lissa’s thirtieth birthday was the perfect time to drop it in her ear that she should have Brady come home to celebrate. A good thing about Lissa was, when she had an idea she liked she didn’t let it go until she got her way.
He smiled at that. This time Lissa getting her way was only going to help him get what he wanted too. A chance to see Brady. Take her out. Get to know her better.
He was tired of the same old game of love ’em and leave ’em. It still seemed to work for his brother but Darren wanted something a little deeper than a quick roll.
He watched her for a few more minutes. He just couldn’t help it. Her hair shined golden under the lights at the bar and she glanced around uninterestedly. She looked bored and disappointed.
He could fix that. Stepping from the shadows, he turned to head in her direction.
“Darren, man! How are ya?”
Darren took his eyes off Brady and found his best friend from school standing in front of
Darren Black had seen her the moment she had walked in the bar behind Lissa. She looked even better than he remembered. She had filled out in all the right places. He only got a glimpse of her ass before she took a seat on a stool but he liked what he saw.
He didn’t question anymore why she was continually there in his thoughts. Or why he suddenly didn’t try to shut her out. Brady had always been different from the other women he knew. She didn’t put on a fake front and she didn’t try to fit into some mold. She was real and that was what he loved about her.
He still felt incredibly guilty for the way he had treated her in school. For the way they all had treated her. But it was a long time ago and she probably didn’t even think about it anymore. But he had noticed the change in her after that fateful day. He had tried to talk to her once but approaching her had been the equivalent of walking through a minefield.
Back then he didn’t take rejection well. Come to think of it he still didn’t.
But it hadn’t held her back. She certainly had done better for herself than most. But he always knew she would.
He was at the end of the bar in the shadows with a beer in his hand. It was the perfect spot to watch her as she ordered a drink. Lissa immediately abandoned her to join the group of friends who had gathered for her birthday on the dance floor. But Brady took it in stride, giving her sister a little wave as she moved away.
Darren shook his head when Jimmy, once a football player on his team and now the bartender, served Brady’s drink without any sort of acknowledgment. How could he not know who she was? Her hair was more than unforgettable. Jimmy’s loss and his gain.
Darren was glad she hadn’t changed her hair much. It was still the flame-red he remembered. She wore it longer and what once had been a mass of curls was brushed into submission. He immediately wanted to mess it up.
She had become the girl of his dreams. Her bright-green eyes and freckles had become incomparable to any other woman. All the others came up lacking. Including his ex-fiancée.
He read her books, even though they were romance novels, and they had filled his head with happily ever afters. He realized if his rough and tough football-playing friends ever found out, he would never live it down. But he was no longer a man who worried about such things. He did as he damn well pleased.
The older he got the more he wanted his own happy end. But not with just anyone. She would have to be special and he figured Brady was definitely worth a shot. Every woman in every story he read was her.
He knew her better than she would ever guess. Being best friends with her sister afforded him a lot of opportunities. He had been casually asking about her for months.
Since she had moved away right after high school he had been waiting for the right time to approach her when she was home. But she didn’t come home. Lissa’s thirtieth birthday was the perfect time to drop it in her ear that she should have Brady come home to celebrate. A good thing about Lissa was, when she had an idea she liked she didn’t let it go until she got her way.
He smiled at that. This time Lissa getting her way was only going to help him get what he wanted too. A chance to see Brady. Take her out. Get to know her better.
He was tired of the same old game of love ’em and leave ’em. It still seemed to work for his brother but Darren wanted something a little deeper than a quick roll.
He watched her for a few more minutes. He just couldn’t help it. Her hair shined golden under the lights at the bar and she glanced around uninterestedly. She looked bored and disappointed.
He could fix that. Stepping from the shadows, he turned to head in her direction.
“Darren, man! How are ya?”
Darren took his eyes off Brady and found his best friend from school standing in front of
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