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"Oh come on, sweetheart, it’s my birthday, just one kiss"

My hand clauy’s and I bit o of her, asshole, before I tear the flesh from your hand and nail it to your balls"

He hissed in pain and jerked back froroaned, cradling the hand that was now covered in deep crescent-shaped eative situation? And what? Were we in some 80’s brat pack e security guy appeared behind him He did not look auy and his friends from the bar?"

He didn’t even ask why There had only been a few occasions where we’d had people tossed out, so Brian trusted my assessrowled and like the cowards they were, pale-faced and drunk off their asses, the three of the Jo tre hand on her shoulder "You okay?"

"Aye" She gave ht all around Steven dumped me earlier"

I winced knowing how much that had to hurt Jo and her little brother They lived together in a s care of their ue Syndroeous – used her looks to get herself ‘sugar daddies’ to help take care of them financially No h to do so more with her life, she was just full of insecurities The only confidence she did have was in her good looks and their ability to snag a guy to take care of her and her fa after her mom always trumped them and sooner or later they all eventually dumped her "I’, all you’ve got to do is ask"

I’d offered more times that I could count She always said no

"Nah" She shook her head and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek "I’ll find someone new I always do"

She wandered aith a slu about her when I really didn’t want to Jo was one of the rate on your nerves with her materialisht love pretty shoes but they took a backburner when it ca sure her kid brother and mom were okay Unfortunately, that loyalty also ot in her way, and be traainst her "I’ out"

I nodded, even though she couldn’t seewho her next victim would be Or was that whose victi ambled towards me two minutes later with a can of soda in hand Tall, dark-haired and good-looking, Craig probably pulled in just as many tips as Jo and I did He was a perennial flirt And he was good at it

"It’s su an eye around the quiet club before turning ain when August comes around" I didn’t have to explain I h Festival In August, the entire city was taken over by the fa all the best tables in all the best restaurants and there was always sofive steps into a five roaned and leaned closer to me "I’m bored" He flicked his eyes overme in the men’s toilets?"

He asked me this every shift

I always said no, and then told hi’ Jo instead His reply: ‘Been there, done that’ I was a friendly challenge and I think he honestly had deluded hi he’d one day conquer me

"Well? Do you?" A familiar soft voice asked fro in surprise to find Ellie on the other side of the bar Behind her was a guy I didn’t recognize and… Braden

Blanching instantly, still mortified from yesterday, I barely noted the carefully blank expression in his eyes as he watched Craig

Wrenching aze fro here?"

Ellie and I had, had dinner together the night before I’d told her Braden had stopped by, but I hadn’t told her about the whole naked thing She’d told me about her class, and I could understand why she’d reat tutor Her passion for art history was infectious and I found enuine interest

All and all, it had been a pleasant first dinner Ellie had asked ed to deflect back onto her I no that she was a big sister to half-siblings, Hannah (fourteen) and Declan (ten) Her h with her husband Clark Elodie was a part-tier at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, and Clark, a professor of classical history at the university It was clear froot the impression that Braden spent more time with this family than his own mother

At lunch today, Ellie and I had taken a break fro rooered our way through an episode of classic British co Served?’ and had bonded in co surprisingly fast but steady ground withup at my ith her brother? Well that was not cool Not that she knew aboutup with soht we’d stop by to say hi" She grinned at rader kind of way before she slanted theerlily huh? That was a nice place I noted Ellie’s pretty sequin dress It looked like soner It was the first ti next to her wearing another dapper suit as well as their companion, Adam, I felt a little out of sorts Despite all my money, I wasn’t used to the obviously stylish, ‘cocktails and crèuys were used to Somehow disappointed, I realized I did not fit in with this crowd