Page 42 of Bad Boy Crush
“Tell you later.” The more he wanted to kiss her. Every goddamn inch of her.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
He had complete confidence in his prowess as well as his manners. He was a gentleman but knew how to turn up the heat. Talk dirty. Give a woman half a dozen orgasms in a row. He had always been worthy of the woman he took to his bed—both before and after the sex.
He wanted that with Lou. Especially now that she’d seen him as something other than her friend, or worse, her ex-husband’s friend. But Ant didn’t want to be a forgettable one-night stand. He wasn’t going anywhere, whether that night happened more than once or never happened at all. Simply put, he wasn’t leaving her life voluntarily. Not again.
He’d die happy if he never heard the ice in her voice, like when she’d told him she didn’t want to talk to him, or saw the cold look in her eyes when she’d moved to the Cove and had bumped into him in public. He couldn’t handle that kind of rejection. Not again.
He swiped the last available parking space after a car vacated it and met Lou on the sidewalk as she climbed out of his truck. He opened the bar’s door for her, and music spilled out. Live band. Nice touch.
Inside Lou called out, “Beer?”
“Yes.” A few. Maybe a shot too.
Hunter and three frat-boy-looking dudes were stationed at the corner of the bar. May was sitting next to Lisa in the middle of the bar, an empty seat with a purse on it between them. May’s fingers were draped over a short glass as she leaned in to chat with Xavier, who ignored everyone to focus on her.
“May and Lisa are here,” Ant pointed out as Lisa waved and moved her purse from the empty seat she’d been saving.
“Hey lady!” Lisa hugged Lou. “Hello, Anthony.”
“Ladies.”
May hugged Lou next and waggled her fingers at Ant.
Not that there was a seat available for him anyway, but he preferred to stand. His energy was all over the place.
“Hey man.” Xavier reached over the bar to shake Ant’s hand. May sipped her drink and surreptitiously checked out the tattoos that tracked up the bartender’s arm. His thick reddish-blond beard and tats should have made him appear rough, but Xavier’s style was tidy. Neat. His hair was impeccably styled, which was a hell of a lot more than Ant could say for his own.
“Lou, what’ll you have?” Xavier asked.
“White wine.”
“You got it. Ant, same?”
“Very funny. Any new IPAs?”
Xavier rattled off a few options.
“Which one did you brew?”
“All of ’em.”
“Choose for me, in that case.” Ant tossed down a credit card to open a tab while Xavier poured their drinks. Ant liked the bartender. He hadn’t met him until he’d started working full-time at Salty a few years ago. Xav had made fast friends with Brady, and soon enough had been folded into the fray.
“Here you go.” Xavier set out beverage napkins before he placed the wineglass and mug on the bar, a detail Ant appreciated. He handed Ant’s credit card back. “The state champion told me he’s buying this round.”
“Is that so.” Ant turned his head to find Hunter raising his mug of beer. Ant raised his own, aware of Lou’s attention on the side of his head.
“Are we letting him do that?” she asked.
“All damn day if he wants to.”
thirteen
Ant didn’t seem to care who paid for the beer in his hand, but Lou was conflicted about drinking wine that Hunter had gifted her.
Hunter glanced her way every so often, his expression surly. Suddenly she understood why Ant was unbothered. Hunter had been trying to insult Ant by buying him pity drinks, but Ant hadn’t played into his hands. Ant guzzled down another long swallow, his lean on the bar casual. She met eyes with Hunter and raised her glass. He returned her smile with a sneer.