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“Sorry for being so longwinded.”
Rafe snickered at Max’s words. “As if you’ve ever been longwinded, man.”
She patted Max’s shoulder. “I asked.” The thoughtful nature of his answer came as a pleasant surprise. There was depth there, to both of them. As she went to take the order from impatient customers, she realized it was always a surprise when anyone did that in a bar—really answered a question in a serious way, a way that made you think. And Rafe’s response went a long way to making her think about her own preconceptions of bikers. The man had reasons for being in the club that made sense to him, just as Max did. She knew they saw themselves as a brotherhood of sorts, of course, but the concept of the club being a family that shared values would never have occurred to her.
“Are those guys hitting on you?”
She glanced at Brad, surprised that he was breaking the agreement. Clearly her talking to them was a trigger for him. “No. As a matter of fact, they didn’t even start the conversation. They were answering a question I asked them.”
He looked surprised. “A question? What did you ask them?”
“That’s none of your business, Brad, is it?”
“I guess not. I just thought…”
“I told you I’d have a drink with you if you left me alone while I’m working. Now you want to cross-examine me. If you aren’t going to keep the bargain…”
He looked embarrassed. “Sorry. I’ll shut up.”
She went back to work feeling disappointed in Brad. She hadn’t expected much from him in the first place, but what right did he have to monitor who she talked to? Even if he thought he had a right to venture an opinion, he didn’t seem to be able to hold his tongue until they got together after work.
There was something else, too. She’d seen something in his face that bothered her—a slyness that suggested he was up to something. It was the kind of look a kid got when he was scheming and then couldn’t figure out how his mother knew he was up to something. He had no idea that he was tipping his hand. Brad might not be a kid, but emotionally he was stunted.
She’d need to watch her step with him. Even having a drink with him in the bar might not be as innocuous as he wanted her to think it was. In fact, he’d made a point of suggesting it was safe, not a date.
She remembered the guys’ warning about Brad. She thought about the way he painted himself as a mysterious and sinister character. Maybe that was how he saw himself. Well, all she knew was that Rafe and Max seemed to read people pretty well, and their measure of Brad tallied with her own.
Now she glanced over at the bikers and gave them each a quick smile. Unfortunately, she saw, Brad noticed.
The closer itcame to the end of her shift, the more the look on Brad’s face bothered her. Whatever his intention was, he was eagerly anticipating it.
When she brought Rafe and Max second beers, Rafe let her know that he’d noticed too. “What’s up with the clown?” he asked.
She smiled. “He came in all apologetic and wanting to buy me a drink when I get off shift. Just sit here and have one drink.”
His face fell. “We were going to ask the same thing. Maybe it’s official buy Simone a drink night.”
Her eyes widened. “A drink with both of you?” The guys looked a little awkward, but they slowly nodded. Maybe they only meant a drink to be friendly. Bikers weren’t into sharing women, right? Unless they were the one being shared by a harem of women.
Why did that idea suddenly make her angry? She had no right to be possessive of either of them.
She cleared her throat and tried to focus. “He said he felt bad, and it seemed spiteful to not accept an apology.”
“If that’s what he really has in mind,” said Max.
These bikers seemed to read her mind far too often for her comfort.
“It’s just one drink, right here at Sam’s.”
Rafe looked around, and she was certain he was sizing it up as if he’d never seen the place before. Max was looking only at her while Rafe took the measure of it the way a soldier did a battlefield. When he looked back at her there was a coldness in his eyes that instantly softened. “It’s your call.”
She liked the way he said it. Clearly the idea of her having a drink with Brad bothered Rafe, but he wasn’t going to play the role of a jealous rival or even a concerned big brother. “Yes, it very much is.”
“Though we don’t have to like it,” said Max softly.
She pretended not to hear that as she got busy again. While serving, it was hard to think about much of anything, but her mind kept returning to the tantalizing possibility they were both interested in her. Were they going to ask her to choose? There was no way they had any clue about her secret fantasies, so surely, that was their plan. Would she be bold enough to make a counteroffer?
Finally, midnight came, and Simone went in the office to punch out. “Heading right home?” Sam asked.
