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"I swear, this man doesn't know the meaning of boundaries," Lisa grumbles as Brett hands her a glass. "He's so freaking possessive all the time. I'm his secretary, not his servant."
"Tell you what, honey," Sheila says soothingly as she takes Lisa by the arm and slides out of her seat. "How about you and I go sit at the booth over there—” she nods to the furthest booth away from the bar. “—and plan our next text to Mr. Grizzly?"
I burst out laughing. "Am I ever going to hear this story? Or have I officially been demoted from best friend?"
Sheila waives me off. "Maybe later." Then she looks up at me, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Brett, you'll keep our birthday girl company, right?"
Brett gives Sheila a mock salute. "Absolutely, commander. You can count on me to keep our precious Sylvia entertained," he declares.
I press my lips together to keep myself from smiling.
The slight nerdiness of Brett's comment somehow makes me like him even more. I've always found intelligence to be the sexiest trait a man can have. There's something incredibly appealing about a guy who can challenge my thoughts.
Before I know it, Sheila ushers Lisa into a booth in the far corner. And now, I'm alone at the bar with Brett.
"So, Sylvia, tell me about these rumors," Brett says as he leans forward on the counter. "What are all the locals saying about my baby brother's new bar?"
I raise an eyebrow at him. "I thought you said the two of you were twins."
Brett shrugs. "I'm older by two minutes. Now, you were saying?"
I stir my drink. "Well, I've mainly heard the usual things. The wild parties, the incredible drink specials..." I give him a coy smile, "The hot bartenders."
Brett chuckles and smooths out his shirt, "Well, at least one of those rumors is true. Although, like I said before. I'm just filling in for my brother tonight."
"I see," I say slowly. "What do you do when you aren't filling in for your brother?"
"Well, I don't usually find myself behind a bar, I can tell you that much. My day job's a little...different. I work for an investment firm in Houston. I'm only in town for the weekend."
I give him a flirty wink. "That's still kind of like bartending, though, right? Blending portfolios instead of cocktails?"
For a second, an unreadable expression flashes across Brett's face.
"Yeah. I guess so," he muses absently. "And, what about you? No, wait, let me guess." He taps his chin and studies me for a moment. Finally, he says, "You're…a chef?"
My cheeks flush pink, and a wave of embarrassment washes over me. I knew I smelled like cupcakes.
"Uh, yeah. Something like that." I laugh nervously. "H-how could you tell?"
Brett gives me a warm smile. "Your earrings."
To my surprise, he reaches across the counter and gently cups my face in his hand. Then, he brushes my hair back with his thumb and tilts my cheek to the side so he can get a better look at my ear.
"These little aprons are cute," he murmurs.
His touch sends a pleasant shiver down my body, and I can't help the cheesy grin that spreads across my face as he dips his head dangerously close to mine.
"Thanks," I say softly. "They were a gift."
"I like them."
I'm acutely aware of Brett's hand still cupping my face, the heat of his skin seeping into mine, his thumb lightly tracing my ear lobe. My heart is pounding in my chest like a wild drum. It's disconcerting, this sudden influx of feelings, but at the same time, it's thrilling.
He's thrilling.
It's been a long time since I've allowed myself to feel this, to let myself be vulnerable. But with Brett, it feels different. It feels safe. It feels right.
I see his gaze drop to mouth. And then he whispers, "Got any plans later, birthday girl?"
