Page 2 of Bossy Ex's Brother

“You and everyone else in here,” he said, but he must have sympathized with me because he grabbed a glass from the other side of the counter.

I gave him a grateful smile.

“What do you want?” he asked, and it stumped me for a second. I didn’t know much about alcohol, to be honest. I servedit all the time at the restaurant I used to work for but never really indulged myself.

“Um, I don’t know,” I said. “Just something to calm me down before I have to go home and face the real world.”

He stared at me curiously for a second, then spun around and said, “I know just the thing.”

I zoned out when I heard him start mixing up the drinks in the back, only to tune back in when he turned around and slid it over to me.

“Thank you.” I immediately reached into my purse to pull out a card, but he held up his hand.

“On the house,” he said, and I flashed him another smile.

“Thank you,” I repeated.

“You’re welcome.” There was definite interest in his eyes, but I looked away before he could linger any longer. I didn’t want to encourage him or give him the impression that I wanted any conversation. I just wanted to drown my sorrows and maybe stop thinking for a few seconds.

But even as I shot back the drink, the horrible events started coming back.

Truly, it started with my little sister, Beth, and the heated argument we had this morning. Beth was fine most times, but it seemed with each year after puberty, her acting out got worse. It started with not doing homework, then it advanced to talking back at teachers and landing in detention more often than not, and now I heard she was skipping school altogether. She’d tried to do it this morning too, but I caught her, which was what led to our big blowout. I wanted to ground her, but knowing Beth, it was useless. If I threatened to take away her phone, she’d just get another one. And if I grounded her, she’d just sneak out. She was impossible to control, and I was so damn tired of trying.

And then, that wasn’t even the worst part.

No, after that, I received a phone call from my little brother, Felix. He said that his scholarship was at risk because he was behind in a few classes, so fair warning to me. It was a terrifying thought. Felix losing his full scholarship meant I would have to foot the whole bill with money that I didn’t have.

Felix offered to drop out and come home, but I’d stressed to him not to even think about it. Felix was so smart and had worked so hard to get into that school. He couldn’t just lose it all like that. I wouldn’t let him. I assured him that I had the money to cover it, and it was only a half-lie. I didn’t have the moneyyet, but if I nailed my job interview in the afternoon, then I could count on a six-figure salary that would take care of his tuition.

Only the interview turned out to be a bust too.

I didn’t want to remember it, but I did anyway. I’d showed up for the interview, bright-eyed and prepared, with my notebook in hand, armed with some research of techniques I knew would improve their business. While I’d never stepped foot on a college campus, I’d taken a few free business courses online between shifts and accumulated as much knowledge as I could on management and marketing. It was hard to get anyone to take a chance on me with no degree and no portfolio until I finally heard back from the Italian restaurant owner yesterday and scheduled an interview. I was so excited about the opportunity that I didn’t sleep the whole night.

But, as it turned out during the interview, the man was less interested in what I had in my notebook and more so in what was under my skirt. And the creep dared to be bold about it, too, placing his hand suggestively on my knee and moving it upward.

I nearly clonked him on the head with my folder but restrained myself. If he called the cops on me, I wouldn’t be able to afford bail and had no proof of sexual assault. So I simply cursed him out and left.

So now, here I was, feeling violated, angry, and still unemployed.

“Another one,” I called to the bartender, already feeling the buzz of the current drink. He was right. It did calm me down, flowing smoothly down my throat and loosening up my muscles. Just one more would be great.

He poured me another glass, mixed it together, and passed it over to me.

I drank that one, too, just as fast as the first.

My glass was almost empty, and I was about to request another when suddenly, a heavy body slid into the stool beside me. “While I appreciate the business, I don’t think you should have any more.”

I glanced at him and had to stop myself from gaping a little.

The man was ridiculously handsome with sculpted cheekbones that looked like something off a statue. Even though I couldn’t make out the rest of his features very well in the dimly lit room, I could see that he was watching me intensely as though expecting a response from me. Oh, and he smelled divine. Combined with that voice…

Strong arousal curled in my stomach, something I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I always had to be careful with sex. My mother jumped from bed to bed, believing every man who told her he loved her. It was how she’d ended up with five children by five different men by the tender age of thirty.

I never wanted to be like her, so I didn’t usually do casual sex or one-night stands. Since I rarely dated as well, it had been months since I last had sex.

I didn’t think I missed it until this temptation walked in—handsome, available, and with a voice like smooth liquor.

“Santé,” I responded, cocking my glass to him. I earned an eyebrow raise and a smirk that caused a flutter in my stomach.There was something familiar about this guy, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

---