“Two Moscatos, please,” the woman ordered. Her hair fell in curls around her shoulders, and her fancy black dress was cut deep enough for me to enjoy her perky cleavage.

I grinned at her. “You got it.” I threw in a wink for good measure, because I knew it would make her blush. I was right. She giggled, stuffing a ten-dollar note into my tip jar. I handed her the wine, letting my fingers brush hers. “Enjoy those.”

She nodded, turning away, and handed a glass to her waiting friend. They whispered to each other, the woman glancing back at me over her shoulder. I’d already lost interest, though, and moved on to the next woman in line. Fuck, I loved my job. It was a revolving door of opportunities.

Reese appeared next to me and opened one of the beer taps, letting the amber liquid run into her waiting glass. “You’re extra popular today,” she said with a glance down my line. She was right. We’d only opened ten minutes ago, and I had at least a dozen people waiting already. “Got your sights on anyone yet?”

You. I almost said it out loud, but I was trying to behave. Reese had only started at the bar a few days ago, and I’d promised myself I’d be on my best behaviour. Except her long dark hair, deep brown eyes, and curves in all the right places didn’t make it easy. But still, I shouldn’t go there. I’d slept with the last bartender right before she quit, leaving all of us to work extra shifts until we could find a replacement. I owed it to the team to keep Reese around. Next week was one of the busiest on the calendar with the official kick off of the Spring Carnival, so I needed to hang onto her. The others would kill me if they were run off their feet because we were a bartender down again. They all seemed to like her. She fit in well and worked hard.

I shrugged at Reese. “Not yet, but it’s still early.”

She nodded, setting another beer down on a tray. “How’d you go the other night, anyway? Anything happen with that blond guy hanging around after shift?”

I laughed. “Are you asking as a mate? Or because you’re a tiny bit jealous?” I hoped it was the latter.

She rolled her eyes as she pushed a tray of beers across the bar top. “One—we aren’t mates. We’ve worked together for three whole days. And two—come on now, we both know I could have you if I wanted. What do I have to be jealous of?”

I grinned. Well, damn if she couldn’t read me like a book. My interest had been hovering around a seven, but with the way she kept giving it back to me, it had jumped to an eleven. I enjoyed our little back and forths, and I loved how she wasn’t afraid to put me in my place.

“So? How’d you go? You spent all shift flirting with that guy. I’m just wondering if you managed to seal the deal.”

I wriggled my eyebrows at her.

“Good for you.” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Did you tell him you’d be back here next shift flirting it up with someone new?”

I nodded. “I told him upfront how it is. Always do. You learn to recognise who’s up for it and who isn’t. But I make it worth their while.”

That earned me another eye roll, which I deserved.

“Yeah, I bet you do.”

“You could always find out personally, you know. Offer’s on the table any time you want it.”

Her hand stilled on the beer tap.

I looked over at her, surprised. My pulse picked up. Was she considering it? I’d been joking, but if she was interested, I sure as hell wouldn’t knock her back. I’d quit flirting with every man and woman in the room right now.

“I’ll let you know if I’m ever that desperate.” She flashed me that smile I was beginning to obsess over.

“Harsh, Reese. Harsh.”

“I’m sure you’ll live,” Reese dead-panned. She grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and made her way to the other side of the bar to serve a group of guys who’d been trying to get her attention for a while now. As she walked away, I watched the gentle sway of her ass longer than I should have.

We’d been flirting like this ever since her first shift. But pretty new bartenders had gotten me in trouble before, and there were plenty of other prospects here. Working at the racetrack had to be the easiest way to get laid. I had hot guys and sexy women to flirt with all day, as they drank and had a good time watching the horse races. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I needed to leave Reese alone.

Turning to my next customer, I stifled a groan as I recognised his handsome face. I’d woken up next to that face just a few days ago. My good mood vanished. “Are you here to see me?” I dropped my voice, so I wouldn’t draw attention to us. He nodded, giving me a tight smile.

Annoyance rose within me, but I tried to tamp it down. “Why? Didn’t you hear what I said the other night?”

“I’m just here to talk.” He bit his lip as he drummed his fingers on the bar top. “We need to talk.”

I sighed. I hadn’t picked him as a cling-on. Great. This was the exact scene I tried so hard to avoid. “No, we don’t. We had fun, Mason, but that’s it.”

He shook his head, thrusting his fingers through his short blond hair. “It’s not like that. Low, listen, I need to talk to you; it’s important.”

I leant in closer. “You knew how it was before we went back to your place. I’m sorry if you’re having one-night-stand regret now, but I’m at work. I can’t do this right now.”

Mason’s mouth dropped open a little, and guilt flooded me, settling uncomfortably in my stomach. I knew I was being harsh, but I’d learnt from past mistakes it was better to cut the clingy ones off before they could begin. It was awkward for everyone involved otherwise.

Anger distorted Mason’s handsome, boy-next-door features into someone different. He shook his head. “You’re an asshole, Low.”

He stalked to the door of the racecourse, yanking it open and letting it swing behind him. I watched him go for a second before turning back to my next customer. He was right. I was.