“Another martini?” the bartender asks as he reaches for my empty glass. My head is already swimming,

“No, thank you.”

“Oh, come on, titch. Have another,” Tyler says.

I glance around Tyler. Benson’s leaned against the counter, chatting up some really young girl. Vee’s on the dancefloor with Brandi—this is just a few co-workers going out for Happy Hour. That’s it. I’m still not exactly sure how he talked me into this, but what this is not—it is not a date.

A petite brunette squeezes between Tyler and Benson. I watch her gaze drift between the two of them. “Oh, wow!” She says, a deep smile setting her face. “I know you two.”

“Oh, really?” Benson says, smiling like a pervert.

“Yeah. Benson Long and,” she bites down on her lip as she coyly bats her fake eyelashes at Tyler, “And Mr. Johnny Depth.”

Tyler rubs his hand over the back of his neck and Benson throws his hands in the air. “Mr.? He gets the mister?”

She giggles. “You guys do some amazing work.”

Unaware that I am doing it, I roll my eyes. I turn to face the bar and flag down the bartender. Grinning, he leans over the bar. “Change your mind, huh?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I think another martini would be good.”

He nods and grabs the mixer. The brunette is smiling at Tyler, swaying from side to side and giving him some serious fuck-me eyes. Benson says something to her, and she giggles. It’s this high pitch, hyena sounding noise. She places her hand on Tyler’s arm, feeling over his muscles—still giggling. I roll my eyes again because I’m evidently thirteen. I turn back to the bar and it’s while I’m staring at the illuminated bottles of liquor, I realize she recognized them—as porn stars. And I am with said porn stars. People recognize them, then they see me with them. Oh, fucking great! The bartender slides my drink in front of me and just as I’m taking my first sip, I feel fingers skim along the small of my back.

“I thought you said you didn’t want another drink?”

I turn around to find Tyler smirking.

“I changed my mind.” Taking another gulp, I shrug. The girl is staring at us while Benson attempts to sweet-talk her.

“Told her you were my girlfriend,” Tyler says, grabbing my martini and taking a drink.

“What? Why?”

Laughing, he grins. “Well, one, because it annoys you. Two, she’s like a grown-up version of Ellen Frampton.”

A short-lived giggle floats from my mouth as I watch her. “God, she is. I hated Ellen Frampton.”

“I know. I liked that you hated her.”

I narrow my gaze at him.

“I did,” he says. “You were always so jealous, titch.”

“No, she used to get naked in front of her window for you. It was disgusting.”

“Oh, and you didn’t do the same thing?” He laughs.

“No, you fucking pervert.”

“That’s a lie. I beat off several times to you prancing around in front of your window naked when we were teenagers.”

I shake my head. “That’s fucked up.”

He cocks a brow. “It is what it is,” he says, taking my martini to have another sip.

“There’s an entire bar behind you.” I grab the drink from his hand. “Order your own martini.”

He drops his chin to his chest, laughing before he glances back up from his lowered head. “It’s so fun to piss you off. I almost forgot how much fun it was.”

“You’re such an ass.”

“I’m an ass, you’re jealous.”

“Fuck you.”

“I appreciate the propositions, but really, they are inappropriate.”

“You’re inappropriate.”

“Your face is inappropriate.”

Glaring at him, I groan. “Your two-inch dick is inappropriate.”

He throws his head back laughing. “Your one-inch mouth is inappropriate.”

The man next to us shoots an annoyed look in our direction. I dump the rest of my drink into my mouth and swallow, trying not to laugh because we are so juvenile.

Tyler leans up against the bar and grabs me by the waist, nodding toward the brunette. “But what is really inappropriate is that you are jealous of that girl.”

I attempt to pull away from him. “I hate you.”

“Oh, come on now. Just pretend you like me so I don’t look like a liar.”

“Well, you are. We’re how old, Tyler? Have your balls not dropped enough for you tell the girl you’re not interested?”

His eyes narrow, a slight smirk playing on his lips. “This is more fun.” His fingers dig deeper into my waist, and now we’re staring at each other. My heart’s slamming against my chest. One hand skims along my side. Tyler bites down on his lip as he pushes a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “This is how it’s supposed to be with us.” He cups the back of my head in his hand. “Push and pull. You know that, titch.”

Part of me knows he’s right. As much as I want to pretend, time did nothing to make me love him less. I watch his eyes slowly flick down to my lips, and I catch his Adam’s apple move as he swallows. The hustle and bustle of the bar around us fades into a faint hum. All I can focus on right now is him. On us. On how fucked up this is.

His fingers twist in my hair as he inches his face toward mine. “I pull….” His mouth is right in front of mine. I can feel their warmth. “You push,” he says, his lips so close to my mouth I can taste his words.

I know better than this. I do. The thing about Tyler is, I’ve always known better, but he has a magnetic pull that just won’t let me get away. He gently rubs his thumb over my jaw, and it’s like that motion forces my eyes to shut. His full bottom lip rolls over mine, and my body goes limp in his hold. “You gonna push, titch?” he whispers before releasing me from his grip.

My eyes fly open, my heart pounding in the back of my throat, and that fucker is smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey, Johnny,” Benson calls as he shoulders his way through the crowded bar area, the brunette clutching to his arm. “We’re gonna go over to the Lotus Club. Wanna come?”

“Nah. I think we’ll just head home.”

Grinning, Benson’s gaze swings over to me. “Okay.”

Brandi and Vee are right behind him now. “You’re not gonna come?” Brandi whines. “Oh, come on, Johnny. Please.”

“No, just wanna go home.”

She pouts before turning around and following the rest of our group out of the door. And now it’s just him and me. No coworkers. And all I can think about is kissing him.