“Not the point,” he ground out.
Derek nodded. “Sorry, man. You’re right. What are you going to do?”
“Finish this shift, then get the hell out of here.”
He held out his fist and they pounded. “I need to take a break. Can you
handle this by yourself for thirty?”
“You got it.”
Brody returned his tray to the bar, then returned to Lia’s table. She was
still sitting just where he’d left her, her glass empty on the table in front of her.
“Hey,” he said softly. He didn’t treat women like this normally, but he wanted to be a little more gentle with Lia. She’d always seemed so fragile to him. “Did you want another drink?”
Lia shook her head. “I shouldn’t have had that one. I’m taking my sister
home tonight.”
He nodded, then held out his hand to her. “Do you still want to take that break with me?”
“I thought you said it was in half an hour.” Despite her clear confusion,
she stood up, sliding her hand in his.
“I’m taking mine a little earlier,” he lied smoothly. “Come on. I know where we can talk in private.”
He led her around the crowd of her sister’s friends, past the private bar
and into one of three private bathroom stalls. He grimaced as soon as he shut the door and locked it. He didn’t want to be doing this in a bathroom, but it was private and quiet.
Lia looked around at the plush private bathroom and felt her pulse flutter. They were locked in here together—her and Brody—and the thought made her heart squeeze in her chest. To distract herself from the god in front of her, she took stock of the space. It was big enough for a stall, a sink, and a small chair. She stood there, hugging her arms, unsure what to do. Did she sit? Did she stand? What if he only brought her there to ask her questions about one of her sister’s friends? They were all more beautiful than her. More liberated about sex too. It wasn’t like she was a virgin, but after losing her virginity to her college sweetheart who had then turned around and cheated on her, she wasn’t too quick to jump in the sack with just anyone.
Unless it was Brody.
He still starred in her fantasies, only she’d had to fill in the blanks from
her memories of him at school. Now she was seeing what he’d grown up to be and he was more than her imagination had been able to conjure.
“Jesus, you’re gorgeous.”
She blinked, replaying his words to her. “W-what?”
He scrubbed a hand through his hair, his biceps and pecs flexing and
relaxing, flexing and relaxing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but it’s true, Lia. You’re gorgeous.”
She dropped her eyes to the ground, the blush that was creeping up her neck too hot for her to ignore. “You don’t have to say that,” she told him, peering up from under her lashes.
“Why wouldn’t I? It’s true.” He took a half step closer, almost touching
her. She could feel the heat of his body and wanted to close the distance, to put her hands on him. She licked her lips and he watched her do it, his eyes growing hot and hungry.
“Would it be okay if I kissed you?”
He didn’t wait for her reply. Pressing his mouth to hers, he swept his