Page 1 of Deny Me

Prologue

Pride filledme as I pulled into my best friend’s brother’s bar. Seeing the cursive writing spelling King’s above the heavy wooden doors reminded me how hard Jameson busted his ass, working constantly to make the bar a success, and it had paid off.

Ever since meeting Luella in college, I’d carried a small torch for her brother; ten years of pining for Jameson, mainly because he had rebuked me from the very beginning. Even though he denied every advance I made, his sister and I constantly messed with him and I flirted with him, just to try to get under his skin. He took life too seriously, and I couldn’t help the swell of joy I felt the few times he lost his patience with us, or even better: laughed.

That man needed to loosen up and stop denying himself all the fun the world had to offer.

Like me.

But because he was my best friend’s brother, I never pushed it too far. And even though Jameson dated casually, I knew he eventually wanted forever, and that just wasn’t my thing. Sex – and lots of good sex – was my thing. And nothing more than sex. I didn’t need a relationship or anyone serious in my life.

I silently pulled open the door and walked into the dim, empty bar. Jameson, Luella, and I met here every Sunday for a family lunch even though I wasn’t actually family. Because my family was on the other side of the country in California, Luella and Jameson had adopted me into their family traditions.

“Helllooooo? Is anyone home?”

I scanned my surroundings, trying to figure out where everyone was. I had seen Jameson’s truck in the lot, but I didn’t know if Lu had ridden with him. My eyes stopped on a light shining from the hallway leading to the kitchen.

While I weaved through the tables, my heels thumped quietly on the hardwood floors. I walked past the bar that was lit by the back lights above the liquor bottles on the wall and deposited my purse and jacket on the bar top. As I got closer to the back I could hear low rock music playing, probably muting my approach. Good. Maybe I could use the opportunity to fuck with Jameson.

The red pleats of my skater skirt swished around my thighs as I made my way back, and I thought about all the ways I could mess with Jamie-Boy. He hated when I called him that. All the more reason to.

Maybe I could pop out and scare him? Nah. Not good enough.

Maybe I could strip naked and watch the shock cross his face? Ha! A giggle slipped from my lips at the thought of the look on his face. But I didn’t know how alone we were. Lloyd, the chef, may be in the back, and while I loved messing with Jameson, I didn’t want to share my nudity with everyone.

I settled on heavy flirting. I loved the way he tried to fight me off and got so irritated when he couldn’t make me stop. His face would flush and his lips would pinch. I almost clapped my hands in giddiness at the thought of seeing his frustration.

With my shoulder pressed up against the door frame, I watched Jameson crouch over a box and enjoyed the way his back muscles rippled underneath his fitted gray t-shirt. Jameson was built like a Mack truck, standing broad at six-six.

I whistled, letting him know I was there. “Lift that box, baby and flex those muscles.”

Other than a twitch of his shoulders, he remained calm. He slowly stood with the box in his arms and turned, piercing me with his midnight blue eyes. They looked almost black from a distance, but I knew the depth of color they held. Right then, they looked irritated and bored all at the same time. I cocked my eyebrow and smirked in return.

My actions earned me an eye roll as he walked past me without saying a word, but he made sure his shoulder tapped mine on the way out. Jameson may have been annoyed with me, but he couldn’t turn down a challenge. It was what made messing with him so fun.

He set the box down outside the door on top of the others and turned to walk back into the room. But before he could walk past me I threw out another jab.

“Oooo, the strong silent type. C’mon Jameson, you know how much that turns me on.”

He stopped in the doorway, forcing me to press my back against the frame as he stared down at me. I had to arch my neck back to see his face. I always wondered what he thought when he rested his intense gaze on me like that. So focused. It hid so much, and it irritated me that he could be so calm. I bobbed my eyebrows suggestively and tried to bring his attention back to my comment.

Instead, he moved back into the room, speaking over his shoulder. “No one is here, Evelyn. Get a drink and wait at our usual table.”

I pursed my lips at his unusual surliness. I was sure he was going to rise to the challenge.

But Jameson knew I wouldn’t be easily deterred. We’d been playing these games long enough.

My heels clacked across the floor with authority as I followed him. “So, are we all alone? What a dream come true,” I purred, getting close enough to him to drag my fingers along his shoulder. The quick rise and fall of his back was my hint that he may not have been as unaffected by my touch as he wanted me to believe.

He stood to dislodge my hand, glancing at my breasts on the way up. The way his eyes lingered there gave me a rush of victory. When I pushed my chest out more, he lifted his eyes and flushed, knowing he was caught. Rather than saying anything, he continued staring at me, waiting for my next move. He knew I wasn’t done.

I licked my lips, bringing his attention to my mouth. I lifted my hand up to his broad shoulder and slowly dragged it down his pecs and ripped abs, wondering how far he would let me go. Would I be able to make it all the way and feel what this man kept hidden in his pants? Adrenaline tingled through my limbs at the possibility.

My hand made it to the button of his jeans before his snapped out to grip my wrist almost painfully.

I stepped into his space, letting my breasts brush against his abdomen. Even with my five-inch heels, I felt tiny compared to him. “Be rough with me, baby,” I breathed.

“I don’t feel like playing your games, Evelyn. So stop,” he reprimanded in his deep baritone voice. Yet, he hadn’t stepped away from me. The room wasn’t huge, but I had slipped between him and the wall and didn’t have much room to move. He, however, had all the space to walk away.