As they moved off still bantering back and forth to unlock the front doors, Mason glanced my way. “You weren’t kidding about the cup thing, were you?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “No. No,
I wasn’t.”
He paled. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
***
Half an hour later, we were already overcrowded with chicks slurping down their fifty-percent frou-frou drinks and horny dicks hoping to reap the benefits. I watched the new guy make a sale, smiling uneasily at a girl who handed him her phone number along with her cash payment. Once she turned her back, he tossed the slip of paper discretely into the trash.
Easing up to his side when he reached for the wrong nozzle to make a Tom Collins for the next girl who was unable to take her eyes off him, I silently corrected him, physically taking his hand to reach for the right lever. “Jesus, you’re popular tonight. I’m supposed to be the big deal around here, but every single woman who comes up to the bar passes right over me to check you out.” Must be a fresh meat thing.
With a roll of his eyes, he muttered, “Have at ’em. I’m not interested.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I could tell.”
About to inform him he could field them my way the next time some randy girl wanted to hand out her number, I caught sight of a familiar face approaching the bar. Relieved to know someone was here to see me, not Lowe, I leapt forward with a ready smile. “There’s my favorite groupie.” Reaching across the bar to catch Tianna by the back of the neck and haul her halfway across the counter for a quick but deliciously dirty kiss, I smiled appreciatively at her.
“Hey, Noel baby,” she said, distracted, immediately pulling away from me so she could crane her head and peer around me to get a look at Lowe. “Who’s the new guy?”
When her eyes glittered with straight-up lust, I gritted my teeth and seared Lowe with a lethal glance. He only smirked as if amused by my jealousy. His loose-shouldered shrug seemed to say, Hey, what do you want me to do about it?
No way was I letting go of my favorite football groupie. So I turned back to Tianna and lied through my teeth. “That’s Milo. Just got out of the pen. He’s married with three kids.”
But the lie didn’t seem to deter her in the least. She kept staring and even tossed her hair before wiggling her fingers at him in a cutesy wave before introducing herself.
Fuck. I didn’t think the guy was that good-looking, but apparently he was some kind of freaking catnip for women. The bastard.
Tianna’s stalkerish stare seemed to skeeve him out though, because he helpfully added, “Four kids. We have another one on the way.”
I grinned, deciding he might be okay after all.
“Where’s your friend tonight?” I asked Tianna, taking her hand to play with her fingers and coax her attention back to me. “You guys still keeping my rain check on that threesome you offered me?”
Tianna finally tore her gaze away from Lowe. “Oh, sorry. Marci had dance class tonight. So we’ll have to do it another time. But yeah, don’t worry. She’s still good for it. I swear that girl’s panties have been wet for you for months. Ever since I introduced you two during that party after the last football game, she will not stop talking about you. It’s actually annoying.”
“So, she talks about me, huh?” A slow grin spread across my face, my ego suitably fed, knowing someone still preferred me over freaking Mason Lowe. And her name was Marci. Cute.
“Well, I hate to make a girl suffer. What say you hook us up sometime? Soon.”
“Sure.” Her gaze returned to Lowe as she kept talking to me. “You going to that frat party next weekend?”
“Next weekend?” I groaned. “You’re killing me here, Tianna. I need something before next weekend.”
She let out a harassed sigh and sent me a scowl. “Okay, fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
“You’re the best.” I hauled her in for another quick kiss. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just make sure to bring your new friend there to the party too, and I’ll pay you back…big time.” She ran a fingernail down my cheek as her face lit with a devious smile.
I was about to tell her not to even try with Lowe, he seemed attached to his girlfriend, but Ten appeared behind her. “Tianna!” He gave her a loud slap on the ass. “You ready to give me another go yet?”
Snorting, Tianna spun around to cross her arms over her chest and glare. “I haven’t lost my mind yet, so…hell no. Touch me again, and I’ll kick your nuts up into your throat.”
As she stormed away, I let out a low whistle and winced at the mere thought. Ten had some kind of talent. He was the only guy I knew who could piss off the queen of casual sex. Tianna never got mad at any guy, for anything. Made me wonder what the hell he’d done to offend her. Then again, he was Ten. The possibilities were endless.
After watching her march away, he turned to grin at me. “She totally wants me. She was asking about me, wasn’t she?”