Page 19 of From the Start

Harper snatches the bottle back. “Maybe moonshine isn’t a good idea. Shall I bring you some coffee?”

“Coffee?” Miles feigns throwing up. “I want moonshine.”

“And I don’t want to clean vomit up. You can’t always get what you want.”

“I’ll clean up any vomit,” I offer.

Zane rears back. “You’ll clean up vomit? You hate to clean up vomit. You’re a sympa- sympa…”

“Sympathetic vomiter,” Miles offers.

I shrug. “I can wear a face mask.”

“Whoa. You wear a face mask?” Miles leans close to meet my gaze and nearly headbutts me. “Are you trying to flirt?”

“Flirt?” Zane attempts to snort and ends up coughing instead.

I sigh. “Maybe coffee is a good idea after all.”

Miles stands. “Who is this man?” He points at me. I duck before he pokes me in my eye since his aim isn’t the best at the moment. “Does anyone know who this man is?”

“Dude, if you’ve forgotten I’m your brother, you’ve had enough to drink.”

“My brother? My brother?” He weaves and I pull him back down before he falls. “My brother doesn’t drink coffee in a bar.”

Everyone in the bar aims their gaze at me. My cheeks warm but I ignore it.

“I love coffee.”

“In the morning when you deign to arrive at the office,” Jaxon says.

Harper sets the bottle back on the table. “I don’t have time for this. If you want coffee, you can order at the bar.”

I grin at her. “Thank you for bringing the moonshine.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Why are you sober?”

Because I didn’t want to be under the influence when I saw her again.

“Thanks for noticing. I knew you liked me.” I wink.

She huffs. “Give it up, man-child.”

“Never, Slugger.”

She grunts before marching away. I keep my eyes on her ass. The woman has curves for days. Curves I want to explore with my hands and my tongue. My cock twitches. It’s tired of waiting. Too bad. It’s going to have to wait some more.

Harper isn’t some woman you pick up at a bar for a quickie. She’s a woman who needs to be wooed.

Speaking of wooing. I stand. “Excuse me.”

Eli groans. “Kai.”

I blink and give him my best innocent look. “What?”

“Give it up. Harper isn’t interested in you.”

“She wasn’t complaining when I carried her the other day.”