HE COMES AT ME SLOWLY, sweat dripping from his hard body.
“No,” I grunt, while hitting backspace.
He comes at me slowly, sweat dripping from every rock-hard muscle. His eyes trail over my bare flesh as if he’s ready to taste every exposed inch of me.
“Whoa! Whoa! What the hell are you writing?”
My brother’s voice scares me, causing my heart to nearly jump to my throat. I didn’t have a chance to see him last night since he’s been so busy, and he decides to choose the worst possible time to show up out of nowhere.
Figures.
“What the hell, Xan!” I slam my computer shut and spin around to face him. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to read over someone’s shoulder? You don’t do that shit. I was in deep concentration. Now you just messed up the flow of the scene.”
“My bad,” he mumbles, while opening his soda. “Didn’t mean to disturb the porn scene in your head, little sis.”
“Oh, come on. That’s gross. Don’t ever let me hear that word come from your lips again.”
He eyes me over his can, while taking a long drink of his soda. I almost think he’s never going to stop for air. All that acid at once has to burn.
“What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were writing at the bar.”
“I was,” I complain. “Until Micah sent me home.”
Xan smirks, before finishing the rest of his soda off. “Oh yeah? Why?”
My brother looks entirely too happy right now. I’m guessing he had something to do with Micah popping by my table every damn time a guy showed up.
“Because the bartenders kept trying to pick me up. I wasn’t getting anything done, apparently. At least that’s what Micah said when he picked up my computer and sent me packing.”
“Good boy,” he whispers.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He kisses me on the head and walks back over to the door, stopping to look back at me. “I need to get back to the bar. Micah plays in an hour and I need to take over the staff. Those boys are fucking trouble unless you watch them twenty-four-seven. No lie. I promise we’ll do lunch or dinner soon and catch up.”
The image of Micah playing his guitar, naked, takes over my thoughts, and suddenly, writing can wait. I need to be at the bar to see him play.
I came here for entertainment and I have a feeling that he’s going to take the spotlight.
“I’ll be there then,” I say, opening my laptop back up. “I’ll just finish this scene and head out.”
“I thought you wanted to get your book done,” he quips with amusement. “Instead, you’d rather stress my ass out by hanging around at my bar full of horny jerkoffs?”
I take a second to think his words over. “Yeah. Isn’t that what siblings are for? Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you decided to open a bar full of hot, shirtless men serving beer. Just saying.”
He grunts. “I was hoping to keep you away for as long as I could. Just bring Jamie with you so you’re not alone. She’s been dying for you to get here. Call her.”
“Good idea. I haven’t seen her since she moved.”
“I guess I’ll see you soon. Just don’t fall for their stupid games. I’m serious. My guys are trouble.” He waves his hand at me, before rushing out of my room and down the stairs.
After he leaves, I stare at my computer for a good twenty minutes, but the words won’t come. “Damn you, Xan.”
I shut my computer down and call Jamie, before changing into a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top, with a bikini underneath.
The best thing about my brother’s bar is that you can drink a few beers and get a little tipsy, before running down to the beach to get wet and play in the water.
You can’t beat that . . .
Once Jamie arrives we do a little catching up on the last three years, before walking down to the beach and heading toward Vortex.
“I can’t believe you’re finally here. Do you have any idea how bored I’ve been without you?” Jamie asks, holding her blonde hair out of her face as the wind blows it everywhere, causing her to eat it while she talks.
Waving my arms around me, I laugh at her for even thinking she can trick me into believing that crap. “I’m sure you’ve been so bored without me; spending time on this beautiful beach, full of sexy, half-naked men. I have no idea how you’ve managed this long without me,” I tease.
She grins as a hot guy jogs past us, chasing after a Frisbee. “You’re right. I totally lied. Check out the abs on that one.” She lifts a brow, inspecting him. “But seriously though, you’re here now and we’re going to have a blast. I’ll make sure of it.”
Her words have me smiling, but my mind drifts to Micah, and suddenly, I’m curious.
“Do you know this Micah guy that my brother hangs out with?”
She stops dead in her tracks and starts fanning herself. “Who the hell doesn’t? He’s the sexiest man to hold a guitar.” When I turn back around, she’s following me again. “He’s pretty well known around here. For both his looks and his talent.”
“Yeah? But what do you know about him personally?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. Not much. Just that he’s been friends with Xan for a while now and that he moved here alone from Chicago. From what I hear, he’s saving up to open his own bar. One where live music is a nightly thing.”
“Yeah, well my brother failed to mention him to me, and I can’t help but wonder why. Especially the fact that he practically lives with him. What the hell is that about? We used to be close.”
Jamie shakes her head. “I’m not sure, but I have a pretty good idea.”
“Oh yeah? Why?”
“Look at you. You’re gorgeous, talented and young. Then look at Micah. Also gorgeous, talented and young. And he gets any and every girl his little heart desires. I’m sure he just wanted to keep you at a distance, worried that you’d fall for him and get hurt.” She claps excitedly once the bar comes into view. “Look at this crowd tonight. It’s the busiest on the nights that he plays.”
“Wow!” I look around in surprise at how much the bar filled up in such a short amount of time. It’s a huge change from this afternoon. “This is pretty amazing. I’m excited now. He must put on a good show to attract this many people.”
“Oh honey . . . his voice is orgasmic. Let’s hurry and grab a few drinks so we can get a spot close to the stage. If there are any left.”
While walking up to the outside bar, my brother spots me from the other side and nods to me, before continuing his conversation with a group of girls that are practically hanging all over him.
“Go over to Colby’s side. He’s faster,” Jamie says, pulling me through the crowd. “And he’s the hottest one here besides Micah and your brother.”
“My brother?” I roll my eyes and stick close to her until we make our way up to Colby.
“Yeah, your brother. He’s extremely hot.” She shivers. “Those tattoos and abs make me want to run my tongue all over every inch of his hard body.”
“Gross, Jamie! I did not need to hear that.”
As soon as Colby notices me, he leans over the bar and grabs my hand, pulling my attention away from Jamie. “You ready for that date, babe?”
Smiling, I pull my hand out of his. “Nice try, playboy. How about a beer instead?”
“Make that two,” Jamie chimes in. “And can you get them from the furthest back?”
Lifting a brow, he walks over to the cooler and bends down.
“Mmmm . . .” Jamie moans. “Keep looking, stud. We want the coldest ones. Dig deeper. Much deeper.”
A minute later, Colby turns around, holding two beers in his hand. “Did you girls enjoy the view?” he asks, smirking, while sliding our beers in front of us.
“Very much so. Your ass is fantastic,” Jamie responds. She grabs her beer and tosses some cash down. “Thanks. Keep the change.”
I don’t even get a chance to throw down a tip myself, before she grabs my arm and starts pulling me back through the crowd.
The last couple of tables close to the stage are now crowded with people, but when we get past that crowd, I see Micah leaning against a table that sits right in front of the stage.
As our eyes meet, he nods, and mouths for me to come to him.
Watching those lips move and having to focus on them to see what he’s saying only makes me notice more just how damn sexy they truly are.
“Over here.” I tug Jamie toward the table Micah’s leaning against.
With his arms crossed over his chest, he watches me the whole time. I do mean every single step.
“Your brother told me you were coming.” He uncrosses his arms and pulls out the chairs for us. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”
Keeping his gaze glued to mine, he slowly yanks his shirt over his head, as if doing a strip tease, and tosses it down, before walking away and heading to the stage.
“Damn,” Jamie says with wide eyes. “Can he keep his eyes on me like that, please? What was that about? And did he just strip for you?”
“No. That was not for me.” I shrug my shoulders and take a seat, my heart still racing from the look in his eyes as he stripped his shirt off. “Him and my stupid brother are being overly protective, as if I can’t handle a few horny bartenders. That’s all.”
She takes a sip of her beer while watching Micah take a seat and tune his guitar. The way his long hair flows over his shoulders has it impossible to take your eyes away. “I’m staying at your place tonight,” she says, not bothering to look at me when she speaks. “I promise not to stare too hard at the boys.”
Rolling my eyes, I tilt back my beer and set my eyes on the stage, then kick my sandals off. “You’re not good at keeping promises,” I mumble.
“Doesn’t keep me from making them,” she teases.
“Good to see you, Jamie.”
Jamie looks up from the sound of my brother’s voice close by, blushing.
He’s standing right behind her, peering over her shoulder; so close that their bodies are touching.
She swallows, before pulling herself together. “Good to see you too, Alexander. It’s been a few months.”
“You’re looking good. Glad to see you’re back home.” He walks over to me and hands me some kind of pager type thing. “Push this if you need anything. It’s connected to Colby’s buzzer. I don’t want you fighting your way through the crowd every time you girls need a drink.”
“Seriously?” I look down at the buzzer. “That’s all we have to do?”
“VIP . . . little sis. I got you ladies.” He rubs the top of my head. “Just don’t fucking abuse it or I’ll have to take it away. Got me?” Smiling, he backs away. “Enjoy the show.”
I can’t help but to laugh when the girls clearly check him out as he rushes past them to get some work done, or whatever it is that he’s in a hurry to do.
“Dude . . . your brother is pretty awesome. You know that, right?”
“I guess,” I mumble, smiling. “It’s a good thing I take after him then, right?”
Jamie shrugs. “Eh.”
“Screw off!” Laughing, I toss my beer label at her and then freeze when Micah speaks into the mic, getting the attention of the crowd.
“Are you ladies ready?”
The crowd screams. Myself included.
“Damn,” he smirks, before looking around, his eyes landing on me. “It’s not often I make the ladies scream while still wearing my jeans. I can’t imagine how loud it’d be if I weren’t wearing these.”
The girls start screaming even louder, yelling at him to take his jeans off.
I stay quiet this time, even though inside I wish they were off too.
“Sorry, ladies. We have rules here . . . unfortunately.” He laughs into the mic and it’s so damn deep and sexy that I shift in my seat and sip my beer to distract myself. “I’m feeling like some Shinedown tonight. Here’s one of my favorites. It’s called I Dare You.”
The crowd quiets down as soon as he starts playing and all eyes are on him.
I honestly can’t pull my eyes away as I watch his fingers move, pulling the strings of his guitar.
The way the muscles in his arms flex as he plays has me completely zoning in on him. Every part of him.
Until his lips move and the most beautiful sound comes out, working me up and instantly causing me to sweat.
It’s crazy just how good he really is.
“He’s soooooo good,” Jamie points out. “I feel like it’s been forever since I heard him play. We need to come here every week together while you’re here. You game?”
Needing another drink to hopefully calm my now racing thoughts, I press the buzzer.
A few times.
“You need another beer? I need another beer. Is it hot out here?” I say quickly. “I need out of this stupid shirt.”
In a hurry to cool off, I pull my shirt off and set it down next to me in my seat.
“Better?” Jamie questions with amusement.
“Yeah.” Micah is now watching me as he sings. There are probably a hundred girls in this damn crowd, yet he’s looking right the hell at me, as if he can’t look away. “No.” I shake my head. “Not really. I think I’m having a heatstroke or something. I need liquid and fast.”
Colby appears over my shoulder, nearly scaring the crap out of me as he holds out two beers. “You know . . . this is almost like calling me, which you can do later tonight.”
“Oh, is it? I bet you say that to all the girls that hold this special buzzer,” Jamie teases. “It’s a shame we didn’t get to watch you fetch these beers though.”
“You’re telling me, babe. I feel sorry for you both.” He winks at me and then backs away when Micah glares at him from the stage.
It’s easy to see who the boss is around here, because Colby instantly walks away and returns to work.
Micah’s gaze lands on me for a few short seconds, before finally turning away to look down at his guitar.
Knowing that Whitney will kill me if she knows I watched a hot guy perform at my brother’s bar and not capture it, I take a quick photo to send to her.
A text comes through from her a few minutes later.
Whitney: Holy-beautiful-long-haired babe. He is gorgeous. I wonder if Ethan would be pissed if I make this my screensaver. I guess we’ll see . . .
I laugh at her response but tuck my phone away, not wanting to miss any of Micah’s performance.
He plays three more songs, causing the crowd to fall more and more in love with him and his voice. He then says goodnight to everyone and hops off the stage to grab a water bottle and pour it over his sweat-covered body.
His eyes lock with mine as he rubs the water down his chest and arms, before reaching for his shirt and walking away through the crowd.
I swear he gets stopped every step that he takes. These women are ready to eat him alive. Literally. I think one even tried to lick him when he walked past her.
It’s ridiculous.
“What the hell?” I finish off my last beer and stand up. “Are the women always like this around here?”
Jamie stands up and stretches. “Not always.” She smiles. “They’re worse sometimes. I swear you’d think this was a strip club the way they feel all over these boys.”
“Interesting,” I whisper. “I should just write about my brother’s damn bar.”
“You should,” she responds. “Do you have any idea how much action goes on around here?”
“Nope. My brother doesn’t tell me shit.”
She grins like a madman. “Well, you’re about to see some shit this summer. Let’s get out of here.” She tosses her empty bottle in the nearby trash. “I have to work for a few hours tomorrow morning.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “I need to get some writing done.”
When I get back to my brother’s house, I grab my laptop and bring it out back by the pool.
I’ve been writing for a good hour, suddenly feeling inspired, before a splash causes me to jerk back and look up.
Standing up, I glance into the pool to see a hard, muscled back, swimming through the water.
My gaze stays glued to Micah’s back, until he emerges from the water, exposing his toned, naked butt.
“Holy shit! Come on, Micah,” I scream, as he climbs out of the pool while covering his junk with both of his hands. “Why are you naked . . . again?”
“A little warning,” he whispers next to my ear. “Stay away from the pool after I get home from playing.” He moves in closer, his lips brushing under my ear. “Unless you want to get wet.”
My entire body quivers as I watch him walk away and let himself into the house.
Why does his body and hair being wet have to make him even sexier?
I’m angry that he treats me this way, yet so damn turned on by it.
Maybe I’m just angry at myself.
Angry at myself for wanting his body so damn bad, knowing that I can’t have it . . .