Page 15 of Tempt Me

“No, but they would.”

“Please.” Ruby rolls her eyes. “Your brothers are useless. Okay, fine, that’s not true. If you were in danger, I have no doubt that they’d come to your rescue, but they didn’t.”

“Did your brothers buy you a new phone?” Emily asks with a smirk on her lips.

“No.” They’re beating a dead horse here. Yes, Dominic did those things, but it didn’t mean anything.

“That’s right. Dominic did. Speaking of Dominic, look who’s here.” Ruby tips her head toward the other end of the bar. My brother, Ben, Xavier, and Dominic, with a bunch of girls. One of them is Tabitha, a cute redhead that Brock would flirt with when we were dating, but she never gave him the time of day.

“Always with a flock of fans.” This topic of conversation isn’t going to be any better than the last three. Seeing Dominic with girls drooling all over him isn’t a better subject. “He might be worried about me, but that’s where his interest begins and ends–as a pseudo little sister. He’s obsessed with this girl at the tattoo shop, and if she was stupid and turned him down, he still isn’t going to go home alone.”

“I don’t know why Brock was so jealous of Dominic.” Emily studies him like he’s a science experiment. “I mean, he’s stacked, tatted, probably has piercings on his junk, but he’s never going to go anywhere.”

My back bristles. “Dominic is one of the top tattoo artists at Twisted Ink. He’s a brilliant artist. I bet he’s good enough to be in an art exhibit. It’s not like he has to be a doctor to be a respectable adult. Whoever he’s dating is lucky to have him. He’s loyal, kind, smart, and could get with any woman in the bar if he put his mind to it.”

“Interesting.” The corners of Emily’s mouth arch upward and heat flames over my face.

Fuck me. I spent the past minute gushing over him, and there’s no way out of it. I clear my throat as the band announces the first song of the night and some of the crowd moves to the dance floor. “He’s like a big brother to me, so of course, I’d sing his praises.”

“Of course you would.” Ruby laughs and lifts her drink as I guzzle mine and wish the floor would open so I could crawl underground and disappear. “Because you sing your brothers praises all day long.”

Son of a bitch. “Fine, so I have a stupid crush on him. It won’t amount to anything,” I sigh and drop my shoulders, sinking farther into the cushions. “I really thought I was over him, but then he has to go defend me to Brock and bring me a phone like he cares whether I’m safe or not.”

My gaze slips over to Dominic, who’s watching me. When I catch his gaze, he nods slightly and refocuses his attention on the girls in front of him.

Ruby squeezes my hand. “You’ve been in love with Dominic for years, and Brock felt it. That’s why he was so angry with you. And jealous all the time. Brock thought he could sweep you off your feet with his looks, good job, and political aspirations, but you only had eyes for Dominic. Someone he sees as insignificant.”

Visions of endless arguments with Brock about my brothers’ friends flood through my brain. Brock hated all of them because I’ve known them since grade school, but he was intimidated by Dominic the most. And it didn’t help that I couldn’t orgasm while having sex with him. He accused me of wishing I was with Dominic rather than him.

Heat floods across my skin, leaving me feeling itchy. He wasn’t wrong. Give me two minutes with a Dominic fantasy, and I can go off like a rocket. Two hours with Brock’s stubby fingers and sloppy mouth? All I wanted to do was take a shower and go home.

But it isn’t going to happen. Dominic is out of my league. I’m the little sister. The annoying goodie-two-shoes, and he’s the hot jock with tattoos and bulging muscles. He’d laugh in my face if I asked him out. Hell, he doesn’t even date–he hooks up and moves on.

“No.” I straighten my back and sit high in my seat. “I’m over my childish fantasies of Dominic.”

The waitress stops at our table and hands me another drink. I frown at her as I open my wallet. “I didn’t order another drink.” And if I did, I’d order a round for all of us.

“A guy at the bar bought it for you.”

“Who?” I scan the bar looking for anyone staring in our direction but don’t see anyone.

She wrinkles her nose and tosses her long red ponytail over her shoulder. “He said you’d know who it was from.” She shrugs as if she’s bored with the conversation. “He’s here a lot. Blond hair, blue eyes, kind of a dumb jock look.”

“Brock,” Emily and Ruby say together as every hair on the back of my neck stands up. Where is he, and why won’t he leave me alone?

“Yeah, I think that’s him. Or Brian. Or maybe his name was Bob. There are too many guys around this place, and they alllook the same at this point.” The waitress spins on her heel and disappears into the crowd.

“I’m going to throw up.” I shove the drink to the end of the table as bubbles swirl to the top. He clearly didn’t get the message to leave me alone.

“That man is a loose cannon.” Ruby taps her fingernails on the table. “We’ve got to do something to get rid of him.”

For several minutes, we discuss creative ways of ridding the world of Brock while scanning the crowd for him to no avail. He either left after ordering the drink, or he’s hiding and enjoying freaking me out.

“So, if you’re over Dominic…” Emily grins mischievously and bites her bottom lip. “When this guy here asks you to dance, you’ll take him up on it?”

My head whips around as Xavier saunters over to the table, looking like a GQ model and winks. “Hey, darlin’.” He shifts his attention to my friends. “Girls, you’re all looking lovely tonight.” His gaze stays a little longer on Ruby as she flushes. “Ruby, is that a new haircut?”

“Yes.” She grips her drink like it’s a lifeline.

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