Page 4 of Slow Burn

Elijah made his way upstairs. “I don’t want any distractions from my job.”

“I hear you.” Nash was serious for once. “I’ll drop the subject of you needing a fuck buddy, but I will not drop nagging you about coming out tonight. George is home, finally moved back. I can’t believe the two of you haven’t met yet. Meet me there by nine.”

Nash hung up and didn’t give much opportunity for Elijah to object to the plans, so he headed upstairs to shower and change.

Besides, he’d heard of George, who just graduated from medical school. He was excited to meet Nash’s little brother.

CHAPTER

TWO

COLGATE STREET WAS a ten-minute Uber ride from Elijah’s house, and when he was dropped off, it was a little after eight. Once he found out this was a night out to celebrate Nash’s brother, he opted to get a ride, so he didn’t need to worry about how many drinks he had. He was almost an hour early, so he could get something to eat before Nash was ordering rounds of drinks for George.

Weaving through the crowd, he took a seat at the bar. Patrick, the bartender, saw him and shouted out, “The usual?” to which Elijah just nodded. He enjoyed coming to Lighthouse because the staff knew his drink order.

A few minutes later, a whiskey on the rocks was slid over to him. Elijah brought his drink to his lips and took a sip. The first burn of the whiskey was replaced with warmth when he took his second sip.

Someone sat next to him, but he didn’t bother to look, not until he heard the sultry voice of a woman. “Wow, you didn’t even flinch. I’m impressed.”

He turned his head slightly to the left to catch a look at her. For the first time, Elijah debated his rule of not fucking the locals.

This woman oozed sex with her pouty lips, wavy blond hair, and deep green eyes. She cocked her head to the side.

“Do you also not talk?” the vixen questioned him with a smile.

Elijah swirled the whiskey in his glass. “You didn’t ask a question.”

She turned in her barstool to face him. Fuck, she was beautiful. “I’m celebrating tonight.”

“What are you celebrating?” Elijah asked, though he hadn’t fully turned to her yet.

“I got my first apartment,” she beamed. Damn, she was breathtaking. He swore his heart rate was going a million beats per minute. Her smile was perfection, lighting up the whole damn bar. “I need to brag because I have my own bedroom and an office.”

Elijah chuckled at her excitement. “That is something to celebrate. Are you drinking alone or with someone?”

“If you’re asking if I have a boyfriend, I don’t. But I have friends coming in about an hour,” the gorgeous woman told him, confirming two things.

First, a boyfriend wasn’t part of her equation. And two, she had some time alone before her friends arrived. This worked in his favor because he had some time to himself as well. Maybe he would skip out on meeting Nash’s brother. He’d understand if Elijah bailed because of a woman. The guy was just nagging him about getting laid.

She bit her full bottom lip for a second before she spoke again. “Are you here alone or waiting for someone?”

The bartender made eye contact with him, so he nudged his head to the left. A non-verbal message to let Patrick know to come over when he had a chance.

“Same as you. Since you are celebrating, how about I buy you a drink?” Elijah offered, hoping like hell she agreed.

Her tongue snuck out quickly to lick the corner of her mouth. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

“Maybe you should have led with that?” Elijah arched his eyebrow.

Patrick knocked on the bar to get his attention. “What can I get you?”

Elijah looked over at the woman, gesturing with one hand to the bartender for her to let him know what she wanted.

Again, with another damn lick to the corner of her mouth.

“I’ll have whatever he’s having. Plus, a water for each of us,” she ordered, and Patrick walked away to make their drinks. She flicked a stray piece of hair over her shoulder. “Are you celebrating tonight?”

He shook his head. “Though I am meeting my friend’s brother for the first time. Does that count as a celebration?”