Braden. “He bothers me. Last time he was in here he stared at you like he owned you, and tonight is no different. Something going on with you two?”
“Not a thing. I told you—I don’t need a sugar daddy.”
Craig’s eyes narrowed and he turned back to me, his face splitting into a mischievous smile. “Maybe I need a sugar momma.” And then he was kissing me, one hand wrapping around the back of my neck to keep me there while his tongue slipped into my mouth and his body pressed close. Shock kept me in my place and then the surprisingly nice feel of his lips on mine. Craig knew how to kiss, that was for sure. The catcalls and cheers broke through the moment and I pulled back, pressing a hand against his chest.
“Uh…” I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. “What just happened?”
Craig winked at me. “Just pissing off Mr. Money over there and having a hot time doing it.”
I shook my head in disbelief and shoved him away, catching Alistair’s grin as Craig swaggered by him, obviously pleased with himself. As I returned to preparing my friends’ drinks I forced myself not to look up. I didn’t want to know if Craig was right about Braden. I didn’t want to acknowledge whatever feelings he might have for me and vice versa. But damn, it pleased me to know someone else had noticed his interest in me other than a hopeful, die-hard romantic like Ellie. At least I knew I wasn’t seeing things.
And wasn’t I just a confused bundle of hormones?
Putting the drinks on a tray, I stepped out of the bar and ignored a ‘hey, sweetheart’ from a customer who’d obviously caught the Craig Show, and dodged around people so I could get the drinks to Ellie & Co without spilling a drop.
“Here you go.” I put the tray on the table and started passing the drinks out.
“Uh, what was that?” Ellie asked me wide-eyed as she took her drink from me.
I don’t know what possessed me to think that playing dumb was the way to go. “What was what?”
Adam grunted. “The guy with his tongue down your throat?”
I couldn’t even look at Braden because I could feel his burning gaze… well… burning into me. I shrugged. “It’s just Craig.”
And then I fled before they could ask me anything more.
But Craig wasn’t happy with just sticking his tongue in my mouth. For the next forty minutes, he upped the flirting, kissing my neck, patting my ass, teasing me mercilessly with sex talk.
I guess not being more upset about him kissing me let him think he could. And the truth is, I didn’t do anything to make him think otherwise. I’d decided I wanted to send Braden a message.
We were not friends.
And we were never going to be anything more than not friends.
So we were… nothing.
“Break time, Joss!” Alistair swatted me on the behind with a dishrag as he came in off of his break.
I sighed. “I’m going to take that damn thing off you if you don’t stop using it as a weapon. Seriously, was that necessary?”
He grinned at me. “What? Would you have preferred my tongue in your mouth?”
“Funny.” I swung around on my toes and strolled out of the back of the bar and into the staff area. There was a small locker room with a couch, a candy machine and some magazines. A door to the right led into the manager’s office, but Su was only ever in every second weekend because she worked full-time during the week. When you closed Su’s door, the noise from the bar disappeared. Head buzzing, adrenaline pumping because of Braden and Craig, I slipped inside with a can of Coke and slumped against her desk.
Encouraging Craig was a bad idea. We’d always joked around but tonight he’d crossed the line and I’d let him, and it was all because Braden was messing with my head. I hated the punch to my gut when I thought Donna was his date. I hated that he knew I’d felt something. I hated that I suspected he’d orchestrated the whole thing.
I had to find a way to let him know once and for all that nothing was ever going to happen between us.
My eyes snapped up from their hook on the carpet when Su’s door opened, and I straightened, the butterflies in my stomach raging to life as Braden stepped inside and closed the door.