Page 4 of Her Grumpy Bartender

Nothing in my research said he played at his own bar.

My mind swirled with a thousand questions.

With a deep breath, I pushed them all to the side and shifted my attention away from Max. “Hey, Don, can you show me where that schedule book is?”

“Sure thing, Gemma. Follow me,” Don said with a wave of his hand.

Before Max could utter a word, I took off after Don, curiosity settling deep in my bones.

After booking more time slots, I didn’t leave. Instead, I watched Max perform.

He played insanely well, and I had the same questions for him. Why wasn’theselling records? He could make it on his own. That was how good he was.

When the performance was over, I waited for him to exit the stage. When he saw me, he flashed me that same cocky smirk. I wanted to smack it, nokissit, off his face.

“I know, I suck,” Max teased.

I placed my hands on my waist and stuck one hip out. I echoed his same words from earlier. “You’re a talented musician. I’m surprised you’re not producing records.”

Max’s eyes grew dark and narrowed. “Yeah, well, guess that wasn’t in the cards for me either,” he snapped.

Somehow, his rude tone didn’t deter me. In fact, it was a turn-on. Everything about him was a turn-on. And that was what pissed me off. He had no right being so damn sexy.

“If you try hard enough, anything’s possible, right?”

Max chuckled. A low, deep growl-like sound that vibrated straight through my core. “You think you’re being funny?” He stepped closer again, this time our bodies brushing together.

“Nope. Just offering some…advice, I’d say. Have a good night, Max. Thanks again for the opportunity to play.” I turned to leave, yet there was his hand wrapped around my wrist again.

This time, he pulled me flush against him, one of his hands resting on my lower back as he pressed our bodies together.

As the last call lights in the bar came on, Max kissed me in front of everyone.

The mysterious, grumpy bartender kissed me.

And I loved every delicious second of it.

CHAPTER THREE

Max

“Stay put.I’ll be right back,” I said to Gemma, leading her into my office and plopping her down in my chair.

I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, but I couldn’t let her leave. Not yet.

I dismissed my staff early and did a half-ass job of closing the place. But I didn’t care. I could clean in the morning. Right now, I needed my lips on her skin. And I wasn’t a patient man.

Fifteen minutes later, I walked into my office and stopped for a moment, leaning my tall frame against the doorway. I committed the scene to memory, making mental snapshot images of the gorgeous, curvy, sexy, talented single mom sitting in my chair, looking like she needed a good, hard fucking.

But Gemma didn’t seem to feel the same way. She jumped to her feet and grabbed her guitar, throwing the strap over her shoulder. “I shouldn’t be here. I need to go.”

“Why shouldn’t you?”

“I have a daughter I need to get home to and…” Gemma bit her bottom lip, sucking the plump flesh in and back out. My cock strained in my pants, desperately wanting to be set free.

“Yeah, you’re right. I just thought the single mom might want to have some fun…” I shot her a devilish grin while my eyes trailed down her sexy body once more.

I should’ve stopped myself. I was being an idiot, letting my dick control the situation, needing a good lay after months and months of nothing, but since when did I hook up with people in town? Especially a woman who’d just booked several gigs here. A woman I could see myself falling for. A woman who’d flip my world upside down and take my heart with it.

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