Page 4 of Bad Boy for Hire
“Thirty-seven isn’t old.” Brady slugged Xavier in the arm.
“Thirty-eight isn’t old either,” Ant argued.
Next to him, Lou grinned. “You make thirty-eight sexy, Anthony Renaldo.”
“Fuck yeah, I do.” Ant smiled before placing a lengthy kiss on his fiancée’s waiting lips.
If Xavier had been asked to put money on whether or not Lou would have forgiven Ant, let alone fallen in love with him, he would not have taken those odds. He’d never been so happy to be wrong.
“It’s no thirty-five.” Xavier grinned when he earned middle fingers from his buddies. When May’s laughter split the air, the rest of the party fell away. She never failed to hold his attention hostage. In Salty Dog more than a few times he’d nearly overflowed beer onto his shoes because his eyes had been on her and not the glass he’d been filling. Tonight, though, he could give her his full attention. And he intended to do just that.
“Bar is open!” he announced with a clap of his hands. “My new brew is like me, fun and easygoing, but potent. Tread lightly if you don’t want to puke on the lawn in a few hours.” More laughter came from his friends. “Food is by the grill and ready when you are. We have lobster, steak, and for you laymen, burgers and dogs. No shame. Eat what you like.”
“Vegetarian options?” someone called out.
“Like I would forget about you veg-heads.” Xavier slid his gaze over to May to soak in her stunning presence for a beat. “For you veg-heads,” he continued, “portobello mushrooms and avocado egg rolls!”
As his friends dispersed, some moving toward the food, others toward Brady to wish him a happy birthday, Xavier beelined for May. Who, if he wasn’t mistaken, batted her lashes as he approached.
“Lisa. May,” he greeted.
“Fancy setup,” Lisa said. “I told you they were the best.” She had recommended the catering staff he’d hired. Her knowledge of “the best” knew no bounds. As right-hand woman to the mayor, Lisa knew virtually everyone in town.
“The bar setup was all me,” he couldn’t help putting in. “But the bartenders are not half bad.”
“I’ll test that theory by ordering a complicated cocktail.” Lisa quirked her mouth, eager for a challenge.
“I want one of your beers,” May said. “Especially if they’re as potent as you.”
Here we go. Flirting with May wasn’t new territory and neither was her sliding him a compliment on occasion. They’d seemed to have settled in a safe zone of Look But Don’t Touch. “Okay, but be careful. You have a ride home?”
“Lisa. If she behaves herself.”
“No promises,” Lisa called over her shoulder as she crossed the lawn to the patio bar.
“I have plenty of space if you need to crash.” Xavier dipped his voice low. “I’ll give you the best room.”
May cocked her head, a sly smile curling her full mouth. “Let me guess. Is the best room yours?”
“King-size bed, floor-to-ceiling windows, bedsheets that cost more than my first car.”
“A tempting offer.” She folded her arms over her chest, and his eyes went to the gold bangles decorating one forearm. They clanged when she lifted one hand to pull a corkscrew curl away from her lip gloss.
God, he could kiss her. Just scoop her up in front of everyone and show her exactly what he was capable of if she gave him the green light. Instead, they stood a few feet apart, staring at each other and grinning like loons.
“In that case, allow me to pour your first beer.” He offered his arm. “Say the word, and I’ll make sure you don’t see the bottom of your cup tonight.”
She slipped her hand into his waiting arm, her fingers cool against his warmer skin. “You take your bartending gig very seriously.”
“When it comes to women as beautiful as you, my commitment is unparalleled.”
She rolled her eyes, and rightly so—he was laying it on thick. He liked that she trusted him and that they were able to be friends with this disruptive amount of sexual tension in the air.
Lisa bumped her hip into May’s, and May surreptitiously removed her hand from his arm. So, she wasn’t quite ready to out them as Friends Who Flirt. They’d get there.
He stepped behind the bar and began pouring beer into red plastic cups. “Hutch! Get your ass over here!” He sent May a smoldering look. “We’re emptying this keg in honor of Officer Brady Hutchins.”
Once the cups were passed around to Elliott and Brady, Ant and Lou, and Lisa and May, Xavier held his own cup aloft. “To the best damn police officer in Evergreen Cove.”
