AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fuck you. You’re not that much younger than I am.” I turned away from him and took the drink order from a chick who was practically leaning over the counter, her tits about to spill out of her too-small, bright pink top. She screamed desperation. Not my type. Her eyes briefly widened when she heard my Australian accent. If I were an asshole, that accent would let me take home a chick every night of the week, but I wasn’t looking for that. I wanted something substantial. Real.
Keep dreaming, motherfucker.
“Aren’t you yummy?” Pinky climbed onto the barstool, practically salivating over me as if I were the last drop of water in a desert.
“Thanks. It’s the accent, isn’t it?” I flashed her a wide grin and shoved my fingers through my brown hair, playing her game in hopes of a decent tip instead of a phone number. I would throw her digits in the trash the second she left the bar anyway.
“English?”
I hid my smirk and prayed some dumbass would catch her attention and give me a break from who I suspected was a stage five clinger. “Australian.”
A beautiful laugh floated through the air, and I glanced up at the group of ladies heading to the bar. The dark-haired beauty I’d spotted a few minutes ago was with them, smiling and giggling. I smoothed my black T-shirt and hoped I hadn’t sweated through my deodorant.
“I’ve got this round,” she said to her group of friends.
I looked over at Pinky and said, “I’ll give you a few moments to decide what drink you want.”
I strolled to the far end of the bar, captivated by her striking green eyes and raven-black hair. Her sun-kissed face showcased a sprinkle of freckles across her delicately upturned nose.
“What can I get for you?”
Her brow slightly rose right before she offered me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen.
“I need four different drinks, please. A mai tai, Long Island iced tea, an appletini, and a sex on the beach.”
“Which one is for you?” I grabbed the glasses I needed as I waited for her to respond.
“Uh, the sex on the beach.” She looked at the floor, and her cheeks slightly pinkened.
Was she as innocent as she came across, or was she just shy when she met someone new? She shoved her hand into her pocket and produced a blue hair tie. While I made the drinks, she gathered her hair into a messy bun, and I caught myself staring.
“Here ya go.” I placed the glasses in front of her.
“Thanks.” She slid her credit card to me.
“Yours is on the house.”
“That’s not necessary.” She tucked a wisp of stray hair behind her ear, offering me a shy smile.
“I wasn’t asking.” I gave her a wink before I walked away and glanced at the name on the card. Ella McCloud. Once I rang up the order, I returned to her.
“Here you go, Ella.”
She frowned. “How did you know my name?”
I waved her credit card before I slapped it on the bar along with the receipt, and she laughed.
“It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful lady.” I smiled.
Ella sank her teeth into her lower lip, stifling her giggle, those eyes of hers full of mischief and amusement. A delectable combination. She filled in a generous tip and scribbled her signature on the small piece of paper.
“Thanks again.” She gathered two of the drinks and handed them to her friends behind her.
Inwardly, I sighed. Ella McCloud had politely declined my flirtatious gesture by not flirting back or staying to talk, but it was for the best. My life was too dangerous and complicated. Plus, she looked like she was in her late twenties, maybe thirty, and she probably wasn’t into older men. My phone buzzed in the front pocket of my slacks, but I ignored it. If it was important, they could call back.
As Ella sauntered away, I appreciated the gentle sway of her hips and curves of her ass calling my name, and my cock strained against my jeans. It wasn’t just her physical beauty that mesmerized me—there was something different about her—a pull that drew me in. At the bar, I encountered numerous women, but none of them intrigued me as much as her. As she disappeared into the crowd, I wondered what secrets she hid beneath her beautiful exterior. Because everyone had secrets.
My phone vibrated again in my pocket, and I swore under my breath. After fishing it out, I stared at the screen, my forehead creasing with concern. I hurried to the backroom where Riley, the other bartender on duty, was heads down taking inventory. “Riley, I have to take this call. Can you cover for me?”
