Jax nods and gulps. “Come on,” he says to his sister and his wife.
Once again, my instincts take over. I start talking before I’ve decided what I’m going to say. The words just sort of come.
“Why don’t you and Julia stay and hang out? You can do the whole happy couple routine, while I make sure Bethany gets home safely. I’ll take her for a slice at Enzo’s. Let the bread soak up some of that booze. Get some water in her.”
Jax’s eyes shoot lasers at me.
“I’ll be a gentleman,” I assure him, knowing exactly what my lieutenant’s thinking.
I’m not bullshitting him either. I just want to spend more time with his sister and get to know her better. There is nothing in the code that prohibits me from doing so. In fact, I don’t think the code has ever been officially written.
Jax is clearly thinking about it. He looks at Julia. She makes a noncommittal face, which is basically an endorsement of my proposal.
Jax sighs. “Fine. But you betterbe true to your word, DeStefano.”
As I lead Bethany out of the bar, she leans into me and steadies herself by clutching my elbow. “I hope you’re not too muchof a gentleman,” she says, looking up at me with a naughty grin, which transforms my desire into a raging inferno.
It’s a cold night, and as we exit onto the sidewalk, I’m grateful for the fact. Maybe I’ll actually be able to cool off — although if I’m being honest, anything short of jumping into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan won’t be enough.
6
Bethany
I thinkI might’ve had a little too much to drink.
And dancing on the bar? Maybe not the best idea. Or the classiest. But it did get everyone’s attention. Most of all Joey’s.
I’ve seen him before at Jax’s work barbecues, but I’ve never really talked to him. Looking at him up close, his eyes are hazel, with an almost golden tinge. It’s like the fires he puts out have somehow made it into his irises. And his hair — I feel a twinge of lust looking at his locks. They’re long and kind of grungy, and looked brown under the dim lights of the bar. But under the Enzo’s lighting, I see his wild locks have a coppery hue.
My very own Tarzan. And with arms like his, I bet he could swing from vine to vine with ease.
Walking here in an inebriated state — not to mention while wearing heels — I stumbled a lot. Each time, Joey caught me, wrapping me up in those magnificent arms of his. Let me just say this right now. I love my body and I wouldn’t ever want to trade it in for a slimmer model, but it can be hard finding a guy who makes me feel small and feminine. A girl could definitely get used to feeling that way.
My eyes travel to his biceps. They’re huge and covered in tattoos. Yeah, he’d have no trouble at all tossing me around in the bedroom.
But does he want to?
Hard to say.
Back at the bar, after he caught me, I could’ve sworn we had a moment. The way he looked at me — his eyes wide open and filled with wonder — as though he discovered treasure. It made my heart skip a beat.
But now he seems to be distant.
I’m not sure why. He’s being nice, but not exactly flirting back.
I grab a second slice of pizza and moan as I chew. “Oh, my gawwwd, I feel like drunk pizza is one of the best things in life.”
“I think you mean top three,” Joey says, and gives me a wry, lopsided grin.
“Yeah, I totally meant that. I just didn’t want you to judge me.”
“Hey, no judgment here. I like a woman with a healthy appetite. Besides, after all that dancing, you have to refuel, right?” Joey winks at me and grabs himself a slice.
I feel like the pizza’s soaking up some of the alcohol in my system. But the clearer my head gets, the more mortified I feel for how I behaved. Jax and Julia must hate me right now.
I cover my face with my hands. The shame is really starting to set in.
“Are you okay?” Joey asks, leaning forward.
