Chapter 4
Brooke walked down the steps of the apartment building and turned right at the sidewalk.
There were several catcalls as she moved through the neighborhood.
She put up with it often, but she didn’t mind since she knew she looked hot.
She wasn’t shallow, it was just a fact. Her sister might have gotten all the brains, but she got the looks. She would take that offering any day.
She moved across the street to wait at the T station. It was such a pain to get to the best bars since Fox insisted they move from their old neighborhood to this slightly nicer one.
He thought her son needed better options for preschool. Why should she have to uproot her life for Ethan? One preschool was as good as the next. Besides, this neighborhood was too far from the best nightlife and too close to his sister.
She tapped her foot with impatience until the train pulled up.
She could have insisted on Fox lending her his truck to get there, but parking was always a nightmare.
Besides, she didn’t want him to know where she was.
She wasn’t positive if he could track where the truck went, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
She stepped into the train car and looked around. A man who looked college-aged slid across the seat so she would have the place next to him.
She sat down and crossed one leg over the other, rewarding him with a generous view of her thigh.
He barely took his gaze off of it until she stood as the train pulled up at her stop.
It would be nothing to go home with him.
That sounded so boring in her head though.
No, she was looking for something more exciting.
The bar where she headed was two blocks over from the T station. She threw her purse over her shoulder and headed that way. She knew the moment she entered the door that it was going to be a good night. The music was thumping, and the place was packed with people.
There was an empty seat next to a reasonably good-looking man at the bar, so she slid onto it.
“Hi,” he offered. “You waiting for someone?” Not very original, but that didn’t bother her.
“I was supposed to meet a girlfriend here, but she just texted me and said she had to stay home with her sick kid. I guess I should just head back home. It’s a shame really, we were looking forward to catching up. I haven’t seen her since college.”
“Oh, what college?”
“BU, of course. Is there any other?”
“That’s where I went!” he exclaimed. He was almost too easy. She could tell the difference between a Boston College, Boston University, and Harvard man just by the way they dressed. This guy even had a Terriers tattoo on his forearm.
“Oh my gosh, no!” she answered. She had never attended college a day in her life, but he didn’t need to know that. Rule one when picking up a man was to find something in common with them—or at least pretend to.
“You have to let me buy you a drink.”
“Maybe just one.” She smiled at him as he grinned back.
“I’ll just have whatever you’re having.” He motioned to the bartender who set two bottles of Guinness in front of them.
He held his beer up to tap against hers.
She obliged before taking a dainty sip. Without a doubt, she could drink this guy under the table, but she needed her wits about her tonight.
“Live around here?” he asked, setting his beer on the bar.
“Yeah, not too far. You?”
“I’m just here on business. I headed back to Hartford after college.”
She supposed he was trying to impress her, but every good Massachusetts native agreed on one simple fact. Everywhere else sucked. No one in their right mind from Boston would be impressed by that.
“That’s impressive. What do you do in Hartford?” she asked, batting her eyelashes. It was cliché but worked every time.
“I work for an enviromental law firm.”
“Wow, that must be so fulfilling. Helping the enviroment and everything.” She had no idea what that was, but it didn’t matter. Men were all the same. She laid her hand on his arm for emphasis. It had the desired effect. She could see the lust in his gaze as he let it linger on her body.
Turning to face him, she let her legs fall slightly open. She almost laughed when his eyes grew wide. “You must be important if they sent you here all by yourself.”
“I’m actually here with one of the senior partners, but he’s back at the hotel. Claims he’s too old for the bar scene.”
“How could anyone be too old for this?” She leaned a little closer as she lowered her voice. It created a much more intimate experience, and she wanted all the intimacy she could force on his mind.
“That’s what I said, but he begged off anyway. As long as I’m in the lobby tomorrow in time to go to the airport, he doesn’t care what I do.” She brushed her breasts against his arm as she leaned in again to listen.
“I bet he’s a good boss.” The second rule was to make sure he wasn’t in the bar with anyone. Who would notice if he left with someone? How long before they wondered where he was? She wasn’t worried about a wife, however. She would be back in the city.
“He’s not bad. I’ve had worse.”
“I know what you mean. The man I work for now is a real piece of work. One of those who still believes it’s fine to cop a feel when he’s near you. You know what I mean?”
“That’s awful. You should report him to HR.”
“Maybe I should,” she said, her brows pulled into a thoughtful frown as if putting serious thought into it. “Thanks, I think you’re right. I’ll do that first thing on Monday.”
She watched as he puffed his chest out a little. Men liked a woman who came across as too stupid to figure out things on their own. She’d learned that early in her life.
“I’m glad I sat down next to you when my friend couldn’t make it,” she added.
“Me too. Let me get us another round.” He motioned for the bartender again. “What do you think, shall we be bold?” She shrugged. “Let’s have a round of whiskey shots to go along with our beer.” The bartender nodded and moved back down the bar.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re trying to get me drunk.” She squeezed his biceps this time. He immediately tried to flex it.
“Just trying to show you a good time, since you were stood up,” he answered. “I’m sorry you missed your friend, just not too sorry.”
The bartender returned with fresh beer and whiskey in shot glasses. She used the moment of distraction to slide her nearly full beer down the bar before picking up the fresh one. As much as she would like to drink herself into oblivion, she didn’t dare.
They tapped glasses before she took another sip. This time she drank the whiskey knowing he would notice if it went untouched.
“Have you ever tried a boilermaker?” she asked. “I had a friend in college who used to drink them.”
“Why not? I say, what happens in Boston stays in Boston.” When his beer was finished, he ordered them each a boilermaker. There was no way she planned on finishing it, but he should be hammered soon.
She watched as the shot glass was dropped in the glass of draft beer. He tilted it to his lips as she cheered him on. He finished it in one long draw.
“That was incredible,” she said, pretending to sway against him.
Her hand landed on his upper thigh as she steadied herself.
It was obvious by the bulge straining the front of his slacks, that he was into her, even after all the alcohol.
She placed her lips next to his ear to whisper.
“I need to go to the ladies. Don’t run off. ”
She turned to the back of the room and walked away. There was no reason to check if he was watching her, she knew he would be.
She pushed inside the restroom even though she didn’t have to go. She did anyway since she was already there. After washing her hands, she checked her makeup in the mirror and then stepped back out.
Just as she thought he would be, he was leaning against the wall in the dark hallway. All of these guys were exactly the same. As predictable as snow in February.
“Hi,” he said again. She would roll her eyes, but then she’d have to start all over again.
“Hi,” she responded, stepping up to him.
“Come here often?” He gave her a goofy grin, so she giggled like an idiot. Then he was pulling her against him, and his lips were on hers.
He spun her against the wall before he was back on her. Her head smacked the wall, but he didn’t seem to notice. At no point had he asked if she was okay with what he was doing. She would kick him in the groin just for good measure, but she had something better in mind for him.
“Not here,” she moaned when his hands ran under her skirt to grip her ass. “If they catch us, I’ll get kicked out, and I like this place.” She stuck out her bottom lip when he pulled back to see if she was serious. “Come on, I know where the back door is.”
Taking his hand, she pulled him down the hallway and around a corner. At the back, past the offices, was a crash door without a working alarm. She pressed through it, drawing him out behind her. The moment the door slammed behind them, he had her back pressed against the rough brick wall.
His hand ran under her shirt to pinch her nipple to a hard point. She would cry out, but she could hold out a little longer. “Damn, you’re sexy,” he moaned in her mouth. His breath smelled like a distillery, and he tasted like dirty socks.
He was too busy pawing her like a horny teenager to realize that she hadn’t responded in kind. Pulling her knee up to his hip, he pressed his length against her in a grinding motion.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he pulled back in shock before his eyes rolled back in his head.
His body went soft, and he slumped into a set of arms behind him.
A hypodermic syringe was yanked from his neck.
She bent over to check if he was still breathing. He was…unfortunately for him.
“About damn time you showed up,” she snarled, standing back up.
“I was enjoying the show. Were you not?” the deep voice said. A dark gaze stared over the top of the unconscious man directly into her soul. “Help me get him to the car.”
“Why do I have to help?” she whined. She knew the tone would get her punished later. At least she was hoping it would.
“Because if you keep insisting on these big ones, it’s the least you can do.”
With a snort, she tucked the man’s arm over her shoulder. The car wasn’t far down the alley, just enough to be out of sight. By the time they reached it, she had broken into a sweat. They rolled the man into the trunk with a grunt.
“Now I’m all sticky,” she complained. He grabbed her by the throat and thrust her against the car. His eyes blazed as he pressed his mouth to hers. This man she kissed back like her life depended on it. Maybe it did. Somehow, she could never get enough of him.
“Get in the car, little bitch,” he hissed, turning her loose. He wrenched open the car door, and she scrambled to get inside as quickly as she could. The door slammed. He crossed in front of the hood and slid in next to her.
With a smile that would scare the most stalwart of men, he turned the key in the ignition. They pulled out of the alley and headed toward the warehouses along the water.
Brooke couldn’t help the excitement building inside her. It was the same every time she met him behind a pub with an easy mark. This was a good one she knew. He would reward her well for this find.
Her body burned with the thought of what he would do to her. The game had just begun. Now the ball was in his court.