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“We love you, C.J.,” Lynn giggles and I give her my signature wink.

  “Well at least someone does,” Erin’s voice croaks out a few people down. Immediately my eyes fall on her.

  She’s got on a short black dress, with a very high slit and a very low cut down the front along with a pair of black stiletto heels.

  Haven’t seen her since she came by my apartment a few days ago and let me break her into pieces with the tips of my fingers yet she comes in here looking like she just stepped out of a fucking Calvin Klein underwear commercial.

  “You mean besides you?” I toss back pulling out a couple beers for the guys beside her before I swipe their cards. With a huge smirk on my face I ask, “Come to see me?”

  “I work here,” she reminds me with a sneer pushing her long brown hair behind her ear. “Besides, I’m on a date.”

  What... The... Fuck?

  Picking up a bar rag to wipe up a spill I try to keep calm. “Is that right?”

  A blond guy in a suit, who reminds me of someone I would be up against in a courtroom, appears over her shoulder. His face looks familiar but regardless I feel a slow burn of jealousy in my veins.

  “Parker, you remember C.J.,” she points at me.

  “Yeah, the asshole who ruined our last date.” He bitterly smiles at me.

  She went out with him a few months ago. I thought I put an end to it when I had the restaurant cleared due to some fire codes that were suspected of being broken. You’re damn right I’m clever and smirking about it. Erin didn’t smirk about it though. She didn’t talk to me for two days initially. She couldn’t prove it was me, which pissed her off more, and she didn’t speak to me for an additional two. Still it was worth it.

  “Pleasure to see you again, Parker.” My hands reach for more glasses and continue taking orders. “Try not to blow this one like you did the last.”

  “I didn’t blow anything,” he angrily steps to the counter. I can’t help but smile.

  I do get a small kick out of fucking with this guy. Can you blame me? More importantly, Erin needs to know any other guy she tries to compare to me is gonna come up short. In multiple departments.

  “I’m guessing neither did she,” my remark is followed with me sliding a shot glass across to a customer.

  “C.J.!” She snaps.

  Ignoring her I toss the other bartender a beer for a customer and say, “If you didn’t ruin the first shot, why’d Erin wait months to agree to go out with you again?”

  “At least she’s willing to go out with me at all,” Parker sneers.

  Taking this asshole down now. Sit back and enjoy the show.

  “Well you can wine and dine her all you want, but I’m the one who gets to sixty nine her,” my remark causes Erin to scuff loudly.

  “C.J.!”

  With a cocky smile I lean on the bar. “But that’s beside the point. How about a friendly drinking bet?”

  Parker unbuttons his jacket and shoves his hands in his pants pockets. “What’s the bet?”

  “I can do more shots than you.”

  He looks unaffected. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  Erin pipes up. “You’re working, C.J. Did you forget?”

  “Hey Tara,” I call out to the other bartender. “Can you cover for me for like ten minutes?”

  “Got it,” she calls back tucking a bar rag in the pocket of her tight jeans.

  Shooting Erin a smirk I raise my eyebrows. “Better?”

  When she glares, I take out shot glasses and my bottle that I keep under the bar. Before Parker can question it, I inform him, “I drink bottom shelf vodka Frank won’t miss. You have your choice of whatever we’ve got. You look a top shelf kind of guy.”

  “I want Grey Goose.”

  “Clearly I was wrong,” I mumble and reach for the bottle. Immediately, I pour him a shot and then myself one. We clink.

  Feeling proud, he says, “Another.”

  I point to the bar. “Gotta pay for it first.”

  He slams a $100 bill on the bar. “I’ll put up another one when we reach this amount.”

  With another smile, I pour him another shot from his bottle and another from mine. About six shots later, he slows down and holds up a palm that he needs to stop. I watch him wobble and do my best to hold back my chuckles while spinning the glass around in my possession.

  “Need a minute?”

  Parker opens his mouth and quickly places his fist against it. After a deep breath he tosses his hands up. “You win.”

  I inform him over the music, “Bathrooms are down the hall. Hang a left.”

  Quickly he nods and scurries away as I chuckle happily. More pissed off than before, Erin spins around ready to chew my head off when I lean over so my voice is in her ear. “Next time you want to play a game, Erin, make sure you find me a worthy opponent.”

  She pulls back and stares me in my eyes. “Why don’t you wreak of vodka?”

  “Because it’s an old trick I learned back in the day.” I slide the bottle under the bar.

  Her jaw drops and she squeaks, “Did you just hustle my date?”

  With a cocky smirk, I wink and return to my shift leaving her fuming and her cheeks heated.

  I know the lesson isn’t learned, but it’s a damn good start.

  My shift continues drama free and Parker free. Erin sticks around to doll up the Ring Side Girl for the fight and, as usual, to make sure Tara and I both look overly appealing so people want to spend more money. To say Erin is good at her job would be an understatement.

  As the cleaning crew trickles out of the bar, I say goodnight to Tara while continuing to clean the last of the glasses. Erin flops down on the stool across from me as Frank strolls out from around the back with his arms wrapped around a pair of giggling girls.

  He looks like something on back order from an 80’s porno right now.

  “Frank,” my tone warns.

  “Both are over 21. I checked.” He smiles at me and continues on his path towards the front door. “Lock up?”

  “Yeah,” I answer, stacking another glass.

  Once the door closes, it’s just Erin and me. I turn my back to her and lean against the bar as I dry another beer glass not saying a word. She clears her throat to try to grab my attention while I continue acting as if she’s not there.

  Silence bounces around until she caves. “You’re such an asshole.”

  Not turning around I sigh, “Seems to be your type.”

  She makes an annoyed noise. “I happen to like assholes.”

  “So I’ve seen.”

  “You had no right to run him off.”

  This time I turn around, place the glass down I was drying, and lean so I am inches from her face. “I had every right because you’re mine.”

  Quickly she argues, “No.”

  “The next time you tell me no, it’ll be before the words, don’t stop.” My declaration causes her breath to hitch before she lets out something that sounds like a soft cry. With a smile, I stack the glass with the others. “Want me to walk you to your car?”

  She simply nods, and I toss the rag in the laundry bucket to get washed later. Following Erin to the locker room where the female employees change for their shifts, I lean against the door frame as she saunters over to her locker, my eyes on her perky ass the entire time. My teeth sink into my bottom lip determined to keep my composure until she leans down to pick up her lip gloss that happens to roll out. Instantly my cock rises, ready to play. Instead of calming him down, I let him drag me over to Erin. A combination of punish fucking her for making me jealous and a ticking time bomb of my future catching up to me, on my mind. The moment she stands back up, I prop one hand against the lockers and pull her so her ass is pressed firmly against my hard on.

  Erin rolls her hips as she purrs, “C.J....”

  On a frustrated grumble I slip my hand under the backside of her dress, growling in her ear, “I’m gonna have you moaning my name in your sleep.”


  She rolls her hips again and my hand grabs a handful of her ass roughly. Looking over her shoulder, she bites her bottom lip seductively before demanding, “Prove it.”

  In one swift motion, my mouth devours hers, tongue on the same path of punishment my cock is about to be. To no surprise, her tongue fights against mine for dominance while my hands yank up her dress and pull down her G-string, my lips only pulling away long enough to remove her underwear. We continue dueling with our tongues. My fist bangs on the lockers in excited frustration that she just won’t submit. Erin starts rubbing her bare ass against the outside of my jeans. I give her a quick pop on it which causes her lips to fall from mine to let out a cry of ecstasy.

  Peering down at her, I cock a grin. “You like that?” When she doesn’t answer I pop her again and she lets out another mewl. “Answer.”

  “Fuck you,” is her response. I pop her again making her knees buckle while her head is thrown back, hair tickling my chest, sending an extra thrill through my body. She grinds her ass once more begging for another hit. After it’s received, she whines, “C.J....”

  Somehow I grab a condom from my wallet, drop my pants, my boxers and roll it on my shaft in what feels like record time. The moment it’s covered I sink into her balls deep on a mighty plunge, her moan being enough encouragement for me to slip my hand around to rub my thumb across her clit that’s dripping wet. A pleased sigh comes from her and I slide my pierced dick all the way out before roughly shoving it back in. There’s no vacillation about my decision to take her harshly from behind. And with no objection from her end, I pump into her again and again, with each thrust, my name tumbles from her lips as she begs for more.

  Fuck, is this what Heaven feels like?

  Feeling her pussy muscles tighten clearly ready to come, I slow down, and pull my cock far back when she whimpers, “No. Don’t stop....”

  Victorious I grumble in her ear, “Told ya.”

  “Bastard,” she croaks out as my dick slams back as deep as it was before.

  My thumb rubs her clit rapidly and Erin’s right back on the edge, falling over it quickly, putting my dick in a vice grip as my fists pounds the lockers again doing my best to hold out on my own happy ending.

  With my fingers digging into her hips, I continue to push until she looks over her shoulder and coos, “Your turn.”

  That’s all it takes before I let out a low roar as I come the hardest I ever have.

  Holy. Shit. Are you seeing spots too?

  Our breaths are slowing down and I rest my head against her shoulder, my dick is slowly pulling out of her. I stare down at her reddened ass and smirk at my handiwork, knowing I’ll be on her mind long after this.

  Backing up, I pull off the rubber, tie it, and trash it. Erin adjusts her dress before she turns to lean her back against the now dented lockers.

  Am I gonna have to pay for that? Fuck it. He can take it out of my paycheck.

  On a sigh she asks, “Dinner tomorrow?”

  “I have plans for dinner,” I say prepared to explain completely, but hear Kellar’s words throbbing in the back of mind.

  “Oh.” There’s a flash of something in her eyes.

  Guess I’m not the only one who doesn’t do well with rejection.

  “That’s cool,” she quickly brushes it off, pulling her hair to one side of her face. “What’s her name?”

  “Not a date, babe.” I shove my dick back in pants and buckle back up.

  “Ugh. Don’t call me that.”

  Strolling back over, I put my hands on her hips. “I’ve got plans for dinner, but how about you meet me at my place for dessert?”

  Erin slides a hand up my chest. Playfully she says, “Depends. What’s for dessert?”

  Without missing a beat I reply, “You.”

  Lord, help me, I thought I was in fucking trouble before but now that I’ve had her...there’s no fucking way I’m getting out of this alive. She’s gonna be the death of me, maybe not physically, but everything else is guaranteed. Shit...you already knew that didn’t you?

  Chapter 8

  Erin

  He smiles from his position on top of me, his cock teasing my entrance, making me groan. “You get off on torturing me?”

  “I get off on fucking you.” Just the tip of his pierced dick slips inside me. My eyes roll back into my head as he pulls out again. “Now be a good girl and moan my name.”

  “C.J.,” I whimper out loud.

  “Well that’s new,” a voice says and my eyes shoot open to see Maxx staring down at me, hands on her pregnant belly.

  Grunting at seeing her in my room I cover my face with a pillow. “Go away.”

  “You promised to take me shopping for baby stuff,” she reminds me.

  Something tiny pulls inside me and I shut my eyes tightly. “Is that today?”

  “Yup.” Maxx pulls the pillow off my head. “But if you want we can stay home, eat ice cream, and talk about why you’re moaning C.J.’s name in your sleep.”

  Not a word out of you.

  “Personally I like option ‘B’ better.”

  “That’s not an option,” I roll my head to look at her. “And I wasn’t moaning that jerk’s name.”

  “You closed with him last night,” she states. Curious, I raise my eyebrows asking how she knows. “I may be too pregnant to show up for fights, but I have my sources.”

  “Tony barely qualifies as something more than a nerd. Definitely not a source.”

  “Shut up and tell me what happened.”

  “Nothing,” I lie.

  You....you hush. You saw nothing. You heard nothing. And no my legs are not trembling for his touch again. That’s just a random new twitch I have.

  “So how was he?”

  “I have to shower.” I toss the blanket off me and hop out of bed. Maxx opens her mouth to counter but before she has the chance I point a stern finger at her. “And if you ask me his cock size, I swear, pregnant or not, I will make you cry.”

  She flops on my bed giggling as I disappear into the shower.

  After I quickly shower and change, I drive the two of us to the baby outlet store and begin walking around the place looking for gender neutral colors since she has decided to wait to know the sex of the baby until she actually has it.

  I know you’re thinking it too. Crazy.

  “I hate yellow for babies,” I inform her gagging at a yellow onesie pointing back to the shelf. “Why do you have to be so Amish?”

  “Really? Amish?”

  “What else do you call someone who refuses to know what they’re having?”

  “Old fashion.”

  “Cave woman.”

  Maxx giggles and elbows me in the side before grabbing a set of baby blue bibs that say ‘My Daddy is Better Than Yours’. Overly excited, she dangles it in my face and declares, “I have to have these!”

  “You’re such a nerd,” I roll my eyes.

  She only wants it because she has the same saying on her boyfriend book shirts. Oh stop. Don’t encourage it.

  “And there’s a good chance my baby is going to be a nerd.” She tosses the item in the basket. “Logan’s already got a mini him. I kind of want a mini me.”

  “Why do you want minis? What about a brand new baby that doesn’t want to grow up to get hit in the face, or hide in books?” The joke causes Maxx to smile and rub her tummy again. I swallow the twinge of emotion that’s crawling up. “Did you guys paint the baby’s room already?”

  “Believe it or not since Dean’s school is closed for teacher in-service, he and Logan actually got up early to do it today.”

  “Really? The two people who think that the sun rises at noon and not a minute before willingly got up early to do manual labor rather than play video games? Isn’t this one of the signs of the apocalypse?”

  Maxx laughs again and uses her mocha colored hand to touch the oversized hair bows that we all know are ridiculously cute but pointless in a baby’s hair or lack thereof. “I swear, the clos
er this baby gets the more active they’re both determined to be about it.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?” I shake my head at polka dots.

  The baby doesn’t need to look like an Easter egg, but between that and the damn pastel colors she keeps picking, it doesn’t stand a chance.

  “It is unless it’s 3:00 a.m and you’re being woken up because your husband decides he found the perfect rocking chair online or you’re in the middle of an all-day Supernatural marathon and your son decides now would be a good time to explain to him the differences in diaper brands because he’s not convinced by the commercial that Huggies is going to be the best for his sibling.” I erupt in laughter while she shakes her head dropping bottles in the basket. “They’re driving me nuts....I love them both, but for God’s sake it’s like the idea has turned them into...into...”

  “A father and son,” I answer and wrap an arm around her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “You know they both had shitty fathers growing up, so I think they’re over compensating now. It’s cute.”

  Baffled, Maxx raises an eyebrow. “Did you really just say cute? You called Logan cute?”

  Quickly, I drop my arm. “God, no! Of course not. The action is cute. Kellar’s like a broken rib. Just painful and inconvenient.”

  She snickers and I stop to stare at another onesie. This one is a black and white zebra print and I quietly wonder if things had gone just a little different, would this be the kind of thing my own kid would wear?

  Shit. You didn’t hear that. Ignore that last sentence. Hey did you see that giant teddy bear over there?

  Chapter 9

  C.J.

  Approaching the table where Stuart is sitting, I unbutton my black business suit jacket and slide down into the seat of the high class restaurant that is sending chills up my spine.

  The place I took Erin for dinner was at the highest level of nice that I’m willingly willing to go. Just being in this kind of place makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I do everything I can to avoid places like this—

  “This was garbage,” a blonde woman sneers at the waiter.