Chapter 26
His life had become a living hell. Fake dating Jayna Sutton? What had he been thinking?
He hadn’t been.
Desperation had clouded his judgment as he tried to save his career. He’d been desperate enough to suggest they post pictures from their staged date the other day. Naturally, his brother Ben had stumbled upon them and wasted no time sharing the posts with everyone.
Derek stepped into Patty’s Pub, silently praying that not everyone inside had seen the photos. His gaze landed on Ben sitting at a table with his best friend, Connor. Ah, little Benji. At the very least, Ben owed him a beer or two for poking his nose where it didn’t belong.
“Did you card him, Ivy?” Derek asked the server as she set a pitcher of beer on Ben’s table. Dipping a couple of fingers into Ben’s water glass, he swiped them behind his brother’s ear. “He’s just a baby. Still wet behind the ears.”
“I’ll show you wet behind the ears,” Ben grumbled, shoving Derek’s hand away.
“Oh, bring it, lil bro,” Derek chuckled as he pulled out a chair, sitting uninvited. “Hey, Connor.”
“Hey, Derek,” Connor replied. “I hear that you’re dating Jayna Sutton.”
Derek shifted in the chair, narrowing his eyes at Ben. “Wonder where you heard that?”
“Two-date Brennan and Jayna Date-and-Dash dating is the talk of the town,” Ben grinned. “Heard she’s knocked up for real this time. ”
Derek sent Ben a shut-your-mouth glare before helping himself to the pitcher of beer, pouring a tall glass. A loud, distinctive laugh came from the corner of the bar. Only one person belonged to that obnoxious laugh: Jayna. He hid the groan with a long swallow of beer. Just his luck.
Connor turned and stared in her direction. “You are so damn lucky.”
Apparently, his definition of luck was vastly different. His gaze trailed after Connor’s, landing on Jayna and another woman engaged in a game of pool with two fresh-faced paramedic recruits. A long table, known as the first responders’ corner, sat adjacent to the pool table. It had become the gathering spot for the fire department, police service, paramedics, and ER staff after a long day shift.A few nurses sat there with a couple of paramedics including Lance.
“She’s so beautiful,” Connor gushed, his eyes still trained on Jayna. “And a great pool player.”
More like a pool shark. Those two young paramedics were about to have their asses handed to them. Derek squinted, attempting to see Jayna through Connor’s eyes. Tonight, she wore tight blue jeans, a vintage Black Sabbath t-shirt, and her hair was loose in tumbling waves.
Admittedly, she did look beautiful along with having great taste in bands. He watched as Jayna lifted the tumbler of whiskey, downing it before letting out a loud whoop. Nope, her annoying personality overrode her hotness.
"She can drink most men under the table," Connor gushed. "She's nothing like the women I date. They prefer wimpy, fruity drinks, and not a single one appreciates a good dirty joke. But Jayna? She tells the best dirty jokes. She's something else."
“Oh, she’s something else alright,” Derek agreed. Just what that something was, he wasn’t sure. She was rough around the edges, but she had cleaned up real nice for Nick’s wedding. She could be classy when she wanted. She just chose not to be.
Derek’s eyes traveled to the table of her co-workers. Lance sat at the far end, a deep scowl on his face. His eyes were trained on Greta, who was completely ignoring the man. If Jayna wanted to win Lance’s attention, she had a long way to go. If she wanted the man to believe she was done with casual dating, why the hell was she flirting with those paramedics who looked as young as Ben?
Jayna let out another annoying as hell hoot when she made the winning shot and high-fived the woman with her. Her eyes met his from across the room, and she flashed him an instant smile. He smiled back and then frowned. What was that feeling that just zapped through him? Excitement? No, impossible.
She strolled in his direction. “Hey boyfriend, love of my life,” she snorted at the last part. “Shove over and make room for your girlfriend.”
Dragging a chair from the table beside them, she squeezed in next to him. “Hi, Ben. Hey Connor. Don’t you boys look handsome tonight.”
Connor visibly blushed under her attention.
“Done hustling for the night?” His tone sounded sulky, and he had no idea why. Despite his better judgment, he leaned close, his mouth inches from her ear. He couldn’t help but notice that her hair smelled like lavender. She’d switched her shampoo again. The woman couldn’t make up her mind to save her life. What if she decided to bail on this fake dating scheme?
“What’s with flirting with those two baby paramedics?”
Her head turned, and she stared directly into his eyes. Her pink glossed lips were mere inches from his. “Jealous?”
“Nope!” He lowered his voice to prevent Ben and Connor from overhearing. “If the plan is to show Lance Romance that you’re in a committed relationship, then you shouldn’t be acting like a trollop.”
She leaned back, her lips pursing. “Trollop? Is that even a word anyone under the age of eighty uses? And I was not flirting. I was merely being myself.”
“Which is a big flirt.”
“You are so jealous.” A laugh escaped those shiny, full lips.
He forced his eyes off her lips. “I am not. Just saying that if you’re my girlfriend, then you should be acting like it.”
“You’re jealous,” she repeated, blowing him a kiss.
“Hi Jayna, I thought that was you.” A brunette woman stopped next to their table.
“Maisie, how are you?” An icy coolness entered Jayna’s voice.
“Great, I guess you heard that I’m engaged.” Maisie’s perfectly manicured nails were thrust out and the large diamond ring glinted in the light.
“No, I hadn’t,” Jayna shrugged indifferently, which caused a deep frown to mar Maisie’s heavily contoured face.
“Oh, well, I am. And I just signed myself and my fiancé Wentworth up for the karaoke contest tonight.” Maisie pointed to a table where a preppy-looking man sat.
“Well, congratulations, and good luck.” Jayna’s smile looked forced.
“We don’t need luck. We have it in the bag,” Maisie bragged. “Is it true that you two are dating?”
“Who would lie about a thing like that?” Derek chimed in. Jayna gave him a sharp kick.
“Have a great night, and I hope we can count on all of your votes.” Maisie gave a little wave as she walked away.
“She is still full of herself,” Jayna muttered.
“Thought she was a friend?” Derek leaned down and rubbed his shin.
“More like a frenemy,” Jayna’s eyes were trained on Maisie as she walked up on stage with her fiancé. “She insults me in the sweetest of voices and I compliment her with thinly veiled sarcasm.”
Derek couldn’t hold in the laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“That you think your sarcasm is thinly veiled,” he told her.
Her nose crunched up, and the left corner of her lip lifted. “Whatever!”
Jayna shook her head and frowned as Maisie began to belt out a very bad rendition of ‘Summer Nights.’ “Of course, she’d pick that song.” She shoved back her chair and stood. “I’ll be back. ”
“Don’t hurry,” he called after her and was awarded with the flip of her middle finger.
He continued to watch her walk toward the bar. The woman was too much. He should have stayed home. Pretending to be Jayna’s boyfriend would require much better acting skills than he possessed. He turned back to the stage, cringing as Maisie attempted to hit a high note. Why did any couple think that was a good song choice for karaoke? Why did any couple think karaoke was a good choice?
A shot glass landed in front of him, and he glanced up. Jayna set a glass in front of Ben and Connor as well before sitting down in the chair beside him.
“Bottoms up, boys.”
“What is it?” Derek stared at the clear liquid in the shot glass and the plate of lemon wedges.
“Tequila.”
“I don’t drink Tequila.” He shoved the glass back in her direction.
“It will make you a better singer.” Jayna used her right index finger to push the glass back in front of him.
“Why would I want to be a better singer?” He pushed the tequila toward her again.
“Because I just signed us up for the karaoke contest.” She waggled her brows at him and moved the glass in front of him once more.
“I don’t sing karaoke.” He pushed the shot glass to the center of the table, out of her reach.
“You do now.” Jayna leaned across the table and picked up the glass.
“No way. Not happening!”
“No problem.” Jayna placed the shot glass next to hers. “I just hope I don’t have a problem being available for your work thing next weekend.”
The threat was loud and clear. Damn her. He needed her to honor their agreement more than she needed him to. All she had to lose was a chance at winning the paramedic’s attention, but his career and ability to walk unassisted were at risk. The woman who couldn’t even decide which shampoo scent she liked could very well decide that Lance was not worth the trouble.
She moved the glass back in his direction. “Come on Dare, don’t be a wuss.”
Wuss? That was his word, one he used to describe his uptight older brother. No one called him a wuss. Ever!
“I am not a wuss. I just happen to think karaoke is lame. And I don’t do lame.”
“You also don’t do relationships,” Ben chimed in. “But look at you now.”
He shot his youngest brother another shut-your-mouth-before-I-shut-it-for-you look. “Why don’t you take my place, Ben?”
“No, I’m good.” Ben grinned.
“That is debatable,” he fired back before turning his attention to Jayna. “I am not drinking that poison. And you’ve got it wrong. It’s vodka that makes you a better singer, not tequila.”
“True, but tequila makes you invincible,” Jayna smirked. “You’re not chicken, are you?”
“Chicken?” No one ever called him chicken either. “Never. Tequila tastes like ass and karaoke makes you look and sound like an ass.”
“Good thing you’re already an ass, then. You have nothing to worry about.” Jayna let out another loud snort and grabbed his left arm, twisting it over.
His breath hitched as her head dropped and her tongue traced a tantalizing path along his wrist. What the hell? Confusion, along with arousal, warred in his mind as he watched her sprinkle salt on the moistened area of his wrist.
“Tequila is so much fun to drink. It is the most sensual of all the shots,” her voice was low and gravelly, sending shock waves through his body.
With a swift motion, she licked off the salt before tossing her head back and downing the contents of the shot glass with practiced ease. Connor’s loud exclamation broke through the haze he found himself in. Derek couldn’t tear his gaze away from Jayna.
Jayna made a show of slowly sucking the lemon wedge, staring into his eyes. He swallowed hard.
“Hot damn,” Connor exclaimed.
Hot damn was right. But this was merely a physical reaction, nothing more. Any woman with her looks and confidence would have caused his body to react in the same way.
Her triumphant grin brought him back to earth. Jayna wasn’t just any woman. She was annoying and abrasive. Her eyes were still locked on his, the silent challenge issued. If she wanted to play games, then she was about to learn that she had just met her match.
He reached over and grabbed Jayna’s wrist. He copied what she’d done to him, but added in a little bite and smiled against her wrist as he felt her jump. He dumped salt on her wrist, but instead of licking it off, he just left it there and downed the shot glass in front of him. It took all his willpower to restrain himself from grimacing. He picked up the lemon wedge and tossed it at his brother’s head.
The DJ called their name, and he stood grabbing Jayna’s hand.
“Let’s do this.” As the words left his lips, he cringed. He was in a fabricated relationship, fueled by tequila, and now coerced into karaoke. Three things that had been taboo just last week. But he hated losing more. Dare Brennan never backed down from a challenge. He could only hope Jayna hadn’t picked another lame song from Grease.
They stepped up on stage. “Just what are we singing?” he hissed.
“In Spite of Ourselves.” She took two microphones from the DJ.
“The John Prine song?” he didn’t bother to hide the surprise in his voice.
Jayna handed him the microphone, a smirk playing on her lips as he begrudgingly took it.
“I hate you,” he mouthed .
“Right back at you,” she whispered, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
She damn well knew that he hated karaoke. This wasn’t about beating Maisie. Oh no, this was payback, pure and simple. As the opening chords of the song filled the air, his apprehension mounted. He really should have stayed home. Karaoke sucked. As did humiliating himself in front of a bar full of people. He turned his attention to the monitor. Great, his part was first. He closed his eyes for a moment, forcing his nerves to settle, and began to sing the opening lines. Ben and Connor let out wolf whistles. His brother was really asking for it.
Yet as he continued singing, a smile formed. He turned in Jayna’s direction as he sang the next lyric in a loud, clear voice. He substituted her name into the lyrics. “Jayna likes to get it on like a bunny.” This song was hilarious.
He noticed the shock on her face. She had not expected that he would have a good voice and he couldn’t help but feel more than a little satisfaction. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped forward, lifting the microphone. Her voice was soft and sultry as she effortlessly hit the notes.
She ran a finger seductively down his arm as she sang about him sniffing her undies and not being too sharp. Oh, game on.
He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close for the chorus. Their voices blended perfectly, and the crowd cheered loudly. His smile increased as she looked up at him.
With each verse, he grew more comfortable. They improvised, adding their own humorous twists to the lyrics, much to the delight of the crowd. Jayna leaned her back against him, rubbing her body up and down. When did she become so sexy? Wow, she was really turning it on. He sucked in a deep breath, forcing his hormones to settle down. She was trying to get him worked up on purpose.
As they reached the final chorus, he realized that he wasn’t hating this. Even though he did indeed hate karaoke, and this woman gyrating all over him, their connection in this moment was undeniably powerful. They finished the song to thunderous applause, singing the final lyric about spiting their noses right off their faces. Derek couldn’t help but wonder if that might be a real risk because in this moment he was really into Jayna.
Maybe it was the adrenaline rush from the cheers of the crowd, or the tequila shooter that made him do it. Whatever the reason, he dipped Jayna backward and kissed her. Not just kissed her, but really kissed her. Kissed her senseless. He kissed her like he didn’t want to stop.