“Another night, another cold beer at Winchester’s,” I mumble as I glance around Blue Bay’s favorite watering hole. I drain the amber liquid from my bottle and let it hit the dented, wooden table with an unnecessary thud. I give an exaggerated sigh and pick at the label, ready to call it a night until I feel a set of eyes drilling into the side of my head. I turn to my brother Jared and arch a brow. “Do you have a problem?”
“Yeah, I do. I’m tired of all your fucking moping. What the hell is the matter with you, anyway? It’s nine o’clock, and you look like you’re ready to crawl into bed…alone,” he says, his gaze sliding to the cute brunette two tables over.
A single Owens boy spending a Saturday without a woman between the sheets is unheard of, I know. I also know my little brother will be hooking up with that well-dressed cutie tonight, or any one of the other pampered rich girls who spends their summers here in Blue Bay, Connecticut. They return every year to tan and toy with the local boys, only to up and leave for their real lives come fall. I’ve been home now for two years, retired from the MMA circuit to help out in the family construction business after our father died, and I can’t deny that I’ve bedded my share of women wanting a summer fling. I also can’t deny that I knew better than to get attached, and a no-strings summer hook-up was, well…a hell of a lot of fun.
Was?
Fuck, man, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I used to love the attention in the cage, love the string of ladies waiting for a piece of me after a hard-earned fight. But lately, I don’t know… My older brothers Sean and Jamie are proving the Owens boys do have staying power. Who would have thought? Not me. Yet they’re both married with kids. Heck, Sean’s wife Summer is pregnant with their second child. I sure as hell hope it’s a girl. If not, Grandma Nellie will be after me to get settled and finally give her the great granddaughter she’s been wanting. I guess I used to be opposed to marriage, but lately I’m wondering how it would look on me. That thought brings on a bark of laughter.
My God, the eight Owens boys, five brothers and three cousins, have reputations a mile long. Apparently, we have authority issues, and the outsiders who have summer cottages here on the ocean have been warned to stay away by none other than Officer Walker. He and my late dad go way back, and the dispute between the two never ended with Dad’s death. Nope, it extended to the eight Owens boys. He just better back the fuck off and keep his hands off my nephews as they grow up.
“Are you going to answer me?” Jared asks, holding his hand up to Stacey, gesturing for another round of beers. “The last time I saw you this down was when Rock Roberts beat your ass and stole your UFC middleweight title.” I glare at my brother. Now why would he bring that up? I’d been hoping to leave the circuit with a bang, but Rock had other plans. “That girl over there is staring at you. Why aren’t you going for it?”
Oh, just that maybe I’m getting played out, and while marriage is looking better and better, I’m a well-known MMA fighter—the bad boy women like to have fun with but wouldn’t dare bring home to daddy.
Jared continues to glare at me, and I’m about to tell him to fuck off and mind his own damn business when the heavy wooden door swings open and hits the wall with an undignified thud. All eyes turn to the gorgeous blonde sporting big blue eyes the size of saucers as she jumps out of the way before the door swings back and slams shut against her small frame.
Dressed in skintight jeans that hug sweet curves, and a T-shirt that cups gorgeous tits, she glances around, almost frantically, and something niggles in the back of my brain as I take her in. Do I know her? Has she summered here before? I’m not sure, but there’s one thing I am certain of—she’s never been in my bed. That’s not something I’d forget in a hurry.
She glances over her shoulder, like she’s running from the devil himself and every protective instinct I possess roars to