Page 5 of Brighter than the Boss
"You saving that barstool?" A husky voice pulled me away from the game on the screen, not surprised to see the brunette staring back at me. Like I said, they just fell in my lap.
"Yep. I'm saving it for the girl going home with me tonight." I lifted an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't offer to explain further.
Before I'd blinked, she'd sat her gorgeous ass down on the barstool, a wide smile on her face. See? Street smart. She'd just secured her ride for the night.
"I'm Callie, you?" She offered her hand, bracelets jangling and long pink nails flashing.
I took her hand in mine, enjoying the feel of her softness against my rough calloused skin. God, I loved women. I loved everything about them. The way they smelled, the way they felt, the way they looked, the way they moaned my name when they came.
"Cain." I kept her hand in mine and signaled to the bartender for another round. "Have a drink with me."
It wasn't a question and she knew it, offering a wink instead of an answer. She pressed up closer than necessary, making sure I felt her curves, felt the invitation she was giving.
Before long, she was half in my lap, her lips on mine, her hands wandering all over my body. She was good, the artful way she kissed telling me she'd had plenty of experience. I could tell the night would be a fun way to celebrate my birthday, and if I had to keep my eyes open to make sure my mind knew I was kissing a brunette, not a short blonde, that would have to do.
We kept at it for awhile, my heart not into it, but my body on autopilot. I finally set her back from me, paid my bill, and grabbed her hand, pulling her outside the bar with me. By the time we'd walked the four blocks to my house, the buzz had left me alone with my thoughts. The girl was too tall, too experienced, and suddenly not at all what I really wanted. Before our evening could continue, I had to open my own bottle of whiskey, slamming it down way too fast. Tomorrow morning would be brutal, but for tonight, I could take my aggressions out on a willing woman and lose myself in the sensations.
My brain would get with the program soon and I wouldn't ever think of Sunny again. Just a couple more days, another bottle of whiskey, and a few more brunettes.
I was sure of it.
3
Sunny
I felt like I was in stealth mode all day, watching where I went, looking around to spot a dark head of hair standing above the rest. The only way to get through the day was to actively ignore Cain, to pretend that nothing had happened. And I couldn't do that if I had to look him in the eye, or even worse, carry on a conversation with him. The man was too handsome for his own good. Although handsome wasn't really enough of a descriptor for Cain.
He was just plain hot.
Muscles that begged to be touched, a commanding presence that melted my insides, and a jaw line I wanted to stare at for days. You could see the tail end of tattoos where the collar of his polo ended. Tattoos I wanted to trace with my tongue. Then I was imagining him naked, but I got so hot and flustered one of my coworkers was concerned I was developing heatstroke one afternoon.
Ignore him. That's the only way I could get through the day.
As luck would have it, when I thought I was home free, having reached the end of my shift without so much as a glance of his gorgeous body, I rounded the corner to get to the infamous locker room when I almost ran into his back. Like a total freaker, I twirled around on soft feet and went the other way, cringing the whole time, hoping he hadn't heard me. I reached the front desk area of Lifeguard Headquarters and realized I was screwed. I needed to get into my locker to get my bag, which held my keys, so I could leave, but the only way into the locker room included a drive-by Cain sighting. And I couldn't just loiter at the front desk. It was end of shift, so he'd be coming by here eventually to get to the parking lot.
"Holy fudge sticks, how do I get myself into this crap?" I muttered, standing perilously close to a fake potted plant that was actually a nice hiding place for someone of my stature. If only I'd worn camouflage instead of a bright red lifeguard swimsuit. My hands were in my hair, as if pulling on the strands would solve the mystery of what the heckeroo I was supposed to do in this awkward situation.
"You alright?" A deep drawl behind me sent shivers up my spine and filled my stomach with dread. Or butterflies. I couldn't really tell.
My eyes felt like they were bugging out of my head before I reined them in and schooled my features into a bored, breezy look. I spun around and nearly lost it again when I saw Cain standing there, arms folded across his big chest. Cheese and crackers, the man was ridiculously hot. I know we've gone over it, but it bears repeating. He was probably leaving a trail of female tears and unrequited lust everywhere he went, oblivious to the broken hearts and dented self-esteem he left in his wake.
"Yeah, yeah. Good. I was, uh, just wondering, uh..." I rolled my eyes, attempting a lie. "I just couldn't remember where I put my keys." I chuckled, sure it came out totally normal sounding.
His eyes narrowed at me, his face made of granite. "So your first thought was you'd left them in this plant?"
My cheeks were suspiciously warm. I shrugged. "Well, my first thought was the locker room, but then I remembered I'd been talking to the girl at the front desk this morning and stopped to admire this beautiful plant." I glanced over at the fake palm, seeing its shabby pot and dust-covered palm fronds, my heart sinking at the plausibility of my words. "So, I, uh, thought maybe they'd fallen out of my bag. You know?"
More silence greeted me. He hadn't moved a muscle, his hard eyes feeling like a lead weight over every square inch of my skin. I wanted to hide. Maybe dig a hole and see if it went to China. Or maybe somewhere a little more open and bright. Like Australia. Australia would do.
I jumped back, a big smile plastered to my face and made my exit. "But they're not there so I guess I'll check the locker room next. See ya!"
I hustled down the hallway, my face burning and my heart in my throat. The shame was choking me, knowing I'd just acted like a total nut in front of my boss, the man who'd had his fingers—
No, you know what? I wasn't going there. I was done thinking about that moment. Done obsessing over it, done cringing until I felt as big as my precious Chili dog. I would not be reduced to a chastised little girl because of something that wasn't my fault.
I flung open the locker room door, thankful I'd reached a place to hide, where Cain's stare couldn't reach me. My bag was in my locker, waiting for me to collect it, my keys with the pepper spray attached to them hooked to the side. I collapsed on a bench, deciding to wait it out as long as I had to, to make sure Cain was gone by the time I left the building.
How was I going to do this every day? It would get better over time, right? I mean, the mind-numbing shame would subside at some point and we'd be able to work together. We just had to. I was certain of it.
