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“What?” I glanced at him, confused, until he pointed Caroline’s way again. That’s when I noticed Blondie was with her. The fucker really thought I’d been staring at her instead of his sister.
I groaned. This was not working. I opened my mouth to call off the bet with Hart and tell Gamble in no uncertain terms that I was not carrying around a flame for Hamilton’s woman when Hart cursed from behind me. Then he spoke up louder, saying, “Hey, Ten. I’m closing the bet, now. I got four numbers. Can you beat that?”
I glanced at him, scowling. “You’re stopping it now?”
When he nodded, I rolled my eyes. “You all piss me the fuck off. You know that?”
Fed up with the both of them, I whirled away from the bar and marched off. I wanted to go to Caroline, but I couldn’t. Which only infuriated me more. When she caught my eye, I kept walking, feeling shitty about having to blow her off.
I’d just taken an order from another table when Hart caught my arm. “Man, I didn’t know Caroline was going to show up tonight. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“Fuck off.” I shrugged him away and marched back to the bar to put in my orders. I made sure to stop at Lowe’s end instead of Gamble’s, though. As he fixed me up with a full tray to deliver to my customers, I glanced around the place. I spotted Blondie where she’d waylaid Ham and was greeting him with a hug and kiss. But Caroline was no longer with her. So I kept scanning. Where the hell had she gone?
When I finally spotted her, she’d already found me. She strolled through the crowd of people and tables as she headed in my direction, and dear God...I had no idea she owned a skirt that short, or top that tight and low-cut. My insides heated. I wanted everyone else in the place to just disappear so I could lay her out on top of the bar and feast upon her.
But Gamble called out her name and crooked his finger beckoning her to him. She turned away from me, and something inside me growled with displeasure.
I watched her skip to her brother at the other end of the bar. He crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke to her, probably giving her some kind of lecture. In return, she set her hands on her hips and said something back, something smart-mouthed and defensive would be my guess. But instead of growing pissed, Gamble merely chuckled and then reached for her to pull her half across the bar so he could hug her, which made her skirt ride higher up the back of her thighs to damn near show the entire club what color of panties she was wearing. As she smiled and hugged him back, I glanced away.
It was times like this that made it so much harder to do the shit I was doing behind his back. If only his sister had been anyone but Caroline, I was sure I never would’ve had a problem keeping my hands off her. But she was just so...her.
“Here you go.” Lowe set the last of my drink requests on my tray and I picked it up, sending one last longing glance Caroline’s way. She was looking my way again, sadly, as if she was beginning to realize I wasn’t going to approach her. Not here.
I turned away, more miserable than ever.
When I returned to the bar, she was no longer there. I had to scan quickly before I caught sight of her near a table full of men and women, where some ugly motherfucker was looking a little too interested in her tits as he smiled and laughed at whatever she was saying.
I cracked my knuckles, wanting to slaughter him, whoever he was.
But then Hart approached their table and stole her attention away from the ugly mo-fo. Except that didn’t settle my jealousy in the least.
Seriously, the fucker was openly flirting with her, right in front of Gamble. And Gamble—the douche—did nothing, didn’t even twitch an eyelash. I couldn’t mention Caroline’s name around him without him nearly busting my balls and warning me away from her, but Hart could damn near stick his hand up her short little skirt in front of him and he completely ignored it?
It was no fucking fair.
I stewed and ground my teeth as I took another order. I’d just delivered a round of slippery nipples to a group of rowdy drunk chicks—one of whom grabbed my ass when she slid my tip into my back pocket—when I spotted Caroline entering the hall that led back to the offices and bathrooms.
Not about to let this opportunity slip by, I hurried after her.
There were about a dozen people blocking my way, but I dodged around them and caught Caroline’s arm right before she could enter the ladies’ room.
“Wha...?” She spun around to confront me, her eyes flashing wide when she saw it was me.
Changing directions, I tugged her along until we reached the door to Pick’s office. I didn’t even bother to turn on a light. As soon as I had her inside and the door shut, I pushed her against it and pinned her there. Then I kissed the piss out of her. Her mouth clung to mine and her fingers clutched my shirt.