Page 26 of Compelled Obedience

“Hmmm… well, I snore.”

I could tell she was trying to keep from laughing. “Since I have no intentions of finding out if that’s true, I’m good to go in with you. As long as you don’t turn out to be a creeper. I have plenty of those in my life.”

“Last time I checked, I wasn’t.” What she’d just said was another slight indication about her life.

And one that immediately made me bristle.

When I reached for the handle, she gave me a hard look, purposely reaching for it herself. The moment our fingers connected, a slight strangled moan left her lips. She instantly recoiled her hand, making a fist as if the connection had seared her fingertips.

I was shocked at the vibrations coursing through me. Rarely if ever had I had such an intense reaction to a single touch. After a slight hesitation, she managed to throw open the door, immediately stopping once inside. The expression on her face made me smile.

Her tension faded, her smile becoming genuine. Evidently, I’d passed a test. Still, she remained quiet as I led her toward the bar. There were five other customers in the cozy facility, only one sitting on the other side of the aged wooden surface. After selecting a barstool, she glanced around the perimeter, laughing softly under her breath.

“What’s so funny?” I asked as I leaned against the edge.

“You really expect me to believe you come in here often?”

The place would be considered a dive by anyone’s standards. From the cheesy wooden panels on the walls stealing the yellowish light to the wooden tables and chairs that had been around for at least two decades, the bar was dingy at best. The three dartboards that made up the only artistic decoration in the place screamed of a need for renovation. But the place was comfortable, a reminder of the very bar Jameson, Lachlan, and I had enjoyed during college.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Why would I? You could go anywhere, including all the fancy-dancy locations where the beautiful people go and the cocktails cost twenty bucks apiece.”

“So you’re calling me a liar,” I teased.

“Yeah, I am. Or you’re trying to make me think you’re a regular person and not a hotshot billionaire. The reason why is what’s troubling.”

As if I’d planned it, Joe popped out from the back, his eyes lighting up when he noticed I’d brought someone with me.

“Hey, my man, Grant,” he said as he thrust out his hand. “Second time this week. And you brought someone far better looking than you.”

I shook his hand and he couldn’t have ripped it away any faster, turning his full attention to my beautiful companion.

“Joe, this is Kerri. Be careful. She does bite.”

She threw me a hateful look and accepted his hand, her eyes opening wide when he pulled her knuckles to his lips.

“Then I deem her perfect for you, buddy.”

Kerri shook her head. “Oh, he and I aren’t together. Trust me.”

“Ouch,” Joe said, chuckling as he glanced at me. “Formidable too. I’d say a match made in heaven.”

“I don’t know about that. What’s good today?” I asked.

“I made a mean seared salmon salad.” Joe’s grin was wider than normal, winking at Kerri when he let go of her hand.

“Sounds delicious but we’ll start with a drink first. And the peanuts of course.”

Joe tapped the bar. “What would you like, Miss Kerri?”

“Do you have any wine? I don’t normally drink in the middle of the day, but I have a feeling I’ll need one.”

“Red or white?”

“Red.”

Joe’s laugh was more jovial than normal. “Then red it is. I know you want, my man. Oh, and Grant really isn’t such a bad guy after you get to know him.”

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