Chapter 5
FIVE
PUCK
The second my gaze found her stare, a grin spread across my face.
While I wasn’t sure if she caught it, the flush that rose up her cheeks and her calves told a very different story.
I’d always had a way with women, especially those who enjoyed the bad boy type.
And the great thing about being a bad boy was that most women weren’t inclined to take me home to Mommy and Daddy.
Which meant I never had to have the “what are we” conversation.
While that made for a lonely life sometimes, I preferred it that way.
Watching the O.G. guys in my crew put their women through this utter hell was enough to keep me away from starting relationships that put others in danger.
But as the girls continued to pile up on top of the tables to dance, grind, and collect their meager sums of money for shaking their asses, my eyes raked over the beautiful redhead that didn’t yet understand the role I’d play in her life.
The role of ruining every other piece of dick that every threw itself in her direction.
“Hey there, handsome,” a woman slurred.
She caught my attention just before she dropped directly into my lap.
I tried my best not to grimace. She reeked of pot and booze, her fake tits hard against my chest. Her blonde hair came from a bottle instead of her parents; her jet-black roots had grown out at least three or four inches.
Her mascara was running, and her purple lipstick had been dragged around her face a bit.
She was much too fake and much too drunk for my liking.
While I knew she’d be an easy lay, she wasn’t what I wanted.
I enjoyed my women real and vulnerable.
And sober.
“Wanna have a good time tonight?” the blonde whispered in my ear.
She cupped my crotch, and I closed my eyes, trying to figure out how the hell to get out of this politely.
I didn’t want to cause a ruckus in a place that didn’t know me, especially with the scowl I usually held on my face.
I’d been in too many bar fights because people read too much into my resting bitch face.
The last thing I needed was to beat down some asshole who wanted to stand up for some drunk tourist while I was trying to nail the redhead perched at the bar with her second—no, third—margarita.
And just as the blonde dipped down to kiss the nape of my neck, the redhead turned her gaze back toward me.
Before quickly turning away.
“Fuck,” I growled.
The blonde squeezed my cock again. “You like that?”
I placed my hands on her shoulders and eased her away from me. “I’m flattered, really. But—”
She scoffed as she stood up. “Whatever. You were my last-ditch effort anyway.”
I chuckled. “Sorry your night didn’t turn out well.”
She waved her hand in the air as she stumbled away. “Whatever, dickhead.”
I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to fix the damage that had already been done, but I had to try.
So, I stood to my feet, tossed some money onto the table for the stuff I had purchased, then carved a pathway up to the redhead’s side.
I had to know her name. It would torture me for the rest of my days if I didn’t at least catch her name.
But just as I went to take a seat next to her, some blond-tipped douchebag slid in front of me.
Stealing not only my seat, but my thunder, too.
“Hey there, gorgeous. What brings you here tonight?”
The redhead peeked over at him as I stood behind the guy, grinning over his shoulder. Her eyes caught mine and her cheeks flushed such a deep shade of red that it rivaled the color of her eyebrows, making me wonder if I could get the rest of her body to flush that much.
Then, the guy peered over his shoulder at me. “Uh, do you mind?”
I nodded. “Yes, I do. That was my seat you just took.”
He winked at me. “I don’t see your name on it.”
“Actually,” the redhead said, “I was holding it for him. Just in case he grew the balls to come take it.”
I chuckled. “You don’t need to worry about the size of my balls, beautiful.”
The guy tried to up the ante. “Well, you don’t need to worry about the size of my dick. It’s more than enough for you for tonight.”
The redhead quirked an eyebrow. “Really, now? Care to prove that?”
The guy leaned closer to her. “I’ve got a back room open with our name on it.”
The redhead giggled. “And here I thought you were brave enough to whip it out and show me.”
I curled my lips over my teeth to keep from laughing in the man’s ear, but it seemed as if this woman was just as fiery as the hair on top of her head. I loved that, actually. A woman with spunk and fight meant a very good night to come if I could just get this guy out from between the two of us.
“I mean, I can if you want me to,” the guy said.
The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “Go ahead. I’m waiting.”
I barked with laughter. “Good luck, my man.”
He glared at me over his shoulder. “Why don’t you go fuck off somewhere else?”
I shrugged. “Why don’t you whip it out? We’ll have a little contest.”
She giggled. “I think I like the sound of that. If my best friend can get singles thrown at her all night by dancing, I’m sure I can judge a couple of dicks.”
The guy reached out and tried to take her hand. “Or you can come with me, and I’ll let your imagination run wild while my tongue does all of the work between your legs.”
The second she pulled away from him, I poised myself, ready for the attack. If he thought he could touch her without her permission, he sure as hell had another think coming. But what happened next happened so quickly that all I registered was the guy’s head slamming against the bar.
Before he fell unconscious and slid to the floor at my feet.