Page 14 of Of Course, Cutie
He laughed out loud again and stepped to the side to let me behind the bar. It was a tight space, and there was no possible way for me to squeeze past him without pressing my body into his. My front connected with his front, and now I was reacquainted with the rock-hard muscle under his gray t-shirt. We locked gazes for a hot second, and fire shot through my veins.
I gulped. I. Gulped. And Burke noticed and grinned at me. He gripped my bare shoulders and scooted me to the side like I weighed nothing. “Gotta get back to work, cutie. Be good back there.” His voice was impossibly deep and sexy.
I hurried into the back room and grabbed Sienna’s purse from the top shelf. I dug around until I located the tube of lipstick and took a deep breath before heading back out to the bar. Burke caught my arm. “Give me a little spin.”
I laughed and turned in a slow circle with my hands raised. “See? No smuggled bottles.”
Burke grinned. “I know. I just wanted to see your costume.”
Fuuuuck.Breathe, Charlie. Breathe. My cheeks flooded with heat as I slid past him again, this time with my backside against his front. “Be safe tonight.” His voice was low and right in my ear.
I thought about asking Matteo to stop back at my house so I could change my damn underwear.
“Will do!” I waved at Burke over my shoulder and gave him what I hoped was a flirty smile. I held up the lipstick for Matteo to inspect.
“Um, thanks for introducing me!” Matteo snapped as we walked away.
“Shit. Sorry. I got nervous.”
“Charlotte, you have to fuck that man!”
“Oh my god, Mattie! Shut up!” I hissed at my friend and glanced over my shoulder. There was no way Burke heard that, right? It was way too loud in here.
“Oh, relax! He can’t hear me!” Matteo rolled his eyes and looped his arm through mine. “But I’m not kidding. Fuck. Him.”
We walked through the bar, and I caught Sienna’s eye as she set up her stool and microphone on stage. She waved and smiled, and I mouthed, “Thank you!” holding the lipstick in the air. I turned back to Matteo. “Burke is thirty-five. He has a kid. He works for my brother. There is no way he sees me that way. It’s. Not. Happening.”
Matteo laughed out loud and pressed a kiss to my cheek as we walked. “Sweet. Heart. Trust me. When a man looks at a woman the way Burke just looked at you, sex is on the fucking table.”
Suddenly I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. “Charlotte Jane Cox! The hell are you wearing?” Evan sounded pissed.
I whipped around to face my brother, indignation filling me to the brim. He didn’t have to treat me like a child. “A costume, Evan!”
“Nope. No way. You’re covering that up before you go wherever the hell you think you’re going tonight.” He turned his angry gaze to Matteo. “Where are you taking her? Will there be straight assholes?”
Matteo bit his lip and gave my brother heart eyes. “Yes. I tried to stop her, but you know Charlotte.”
“Oh, fuck you, Mattie! You picked this outfit!”
Evan squared his jaw and pointed at Matteo. “Go wait in the car. You’re underage.” Then he gripped my arm and marched me back through the crowd. When we reached the bar, Burke looked up with raised eyebrows. “Excuse us,” Evan snapped and pulled me past Burke again to the back room. He grabbed a plain black t-shirt and yanked it over my head. The shirt was longer than my dress.
“Fuck, Evan!” I yelled. “I’m not wearing this!”
“Then you’re not going!” He yelled back at me.
“Why are you being such an ass?” I clenched my fists at my side.
“Why are you being so stupid?” Evan glared and folded his arms. “Charlie, you know what happens at fucking parties like that! Like hell I’m letting my little sister get groped and attacked by horny shitheads!”
“Maybe I want to get groped by shitheads!” I yelled and threw my hands up in the air. “I’m nineteen fucking years old! Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Isn’t that fucking normal, Evan? I haven’t felt normal for two damn years! I want to feel normal!” Tears burned the corners of my eyes.
I’d put my social life on pause the minute our dad got his diagnosis. Then I never fully turned it on again. I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to.
Evan opened his mouth to lecture me but closed it when he saw a tear slip down my cheek. “Shit. Charlie.” He held open his arms for me, and I collapsed against his chest. My brother stroked my hair and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I just… guys are assholes, and I want to protect you. I want to do what dad would have done.”
I pulled away from Evan and nodded, dabbing at my tears. He was right. Our dad would have lost his shit on me if I went to a party in this outfit. “This dress is so not me anyway.”
Evan smiled. “Not at all. You’re a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.”