Page 49 of Brim Over Boot
Now? Every man I set eyes on, it’s all I can ask myself.
I can thank—or blame—Noah for that.
Remi gets my attention as we reach the bar.‘Jack and coke,’he signs.‘Just one.’
I nod and wait for the bartender to notice us, which takes a minute. He’s a big guy, nearly the size of the bouncer. Rugged-looking. Tattoos over his arms, like Noah.
Fuck Noah.
Even though the bartender is subjectively handsome, there’s no…spark. No desire to kiss him as he comes our way, hitching his head up in a nod. “What’ll you have?” he asks over the music.
“Jack and coke and just Jack,” I tell the guy.
He knocks the bar top and walks off.
Remi pulls my attention.‘See anyone?’
I pinch my fingers in a quick‘no’before looking around again.‘I don’t know what my type is. I’m so confused.’
Remi gives my arm a squeeze, his expression telling meyou’ll figure it out. I huff and turn back to the bar just in time to accept our drinks. After paying, Remi and I work our way toward the edge of the room, standing in a small open pocket of space beside the dance floor. We sip our whiskeys, eyes roaming, me doing my damndest to findattractionlurking somewhere in this mess.
A punch to my shoulder has me looking over at my brother.‘You’re trying too hard,’he signs pointedly, moving his body to the beat of the music.‘Stop thinking. Just…feel.’
Just feel. I can do that. I nod, loosening my shoulders and downing the rest of my drink. I look out over the busy club again, not seeking out faces this time. Instead, I watch the way people dance. The bodies moving together, hands grabbing, the imitation of sex. I let myself look freely at the men grinding against one another, remembering the feel of Noah’s hands pressing me down, his body blanketing mine like a furnace, his teeth nipping at my neck and the feel of his crotch pressed to my ass.
Fuck.
I wipe my thoughts and try again. Men dancing. Grinding. Groping. Hands slipping over denim. Noah guiding me to get myself off.
God fucking—
“Hey,” some guy all but shouts, giving Remi a once-over that has me grimacing because,Jesus, that’s my baby brother. “Wanna dance?”
Remi leans closer to him to both say and sign, “I’m Deaf.”
It’s a challenge, whether or not the guy knows it.
The newcomer blinks once before doing a couple stilted dance moves and then opening his hands wide in a questioning gesture. Remi snorts and nods, the stranger having passed his test. He checks in with me, an eyebrow raised.
I flick my hands in a reassuring,‘Go. Dance. Have fun. I’ll find you later.’
Remi nods, following the guy out onto the dance floor. I watch only long enough to decide I don’t need to see that, thank you very much, and then I set out through the crowd, determined to find someone who revs my engine.Stop thinking. Feel.
I get approached by several men as I wander, their hands grabbing me in question. I stop only long enough to suss out how I’m feeling. Which is…lackluster.
I don’t fucking get it. IknowI liked what happened with Noah. So why the hell doesn’t the thought of doing that with any of these men thrill me? Why doesn’t it get my blood pumping? Why doesn’t it make my cock ache? Why did it have to be—
Holy Jesus.
Noah fucking King.
Standing at the edge of the room.
With some guy’shandunderneath his shirt.
I’m storming over before I’ve even registered the movement of my feet. My blood sure is pumping now, righteous indignation coursing through me.
Because howdarehe. How fucking dare he!
