Page 9 of Heroes & Hitmen
She frowns, obviously not appreciating the joke but tossing the shot back, nonetheless. I do the same, the tequila going down like gasoline and bad decisions.
She rolls her eyes as she sets her glass down on the bar. “That the best you’ve got?”
I lean in, a laugh rumbling in my chest. “Not even close, babe.”
Her lips twitch like she’s fighting a smile, and just like that, I know I’ve got her.
It’s gonna be a good fucking night.
CHAPTER 4
Miley
“So, you come here often?”Ares asks as he sets his empty shot glass back on the bar, that lazy smirk sliding back into place on his alarmingly handsome face.
He’s hot as fuck, I’ll give him that. It’s impossible not to notice the sharpness of his features or the intensity in his dark eyes as he tilts his head in question, clearly thinking this act of his is making me swoon.
It’s not.I pegged him an arrogant asshole from the moment he slid up beside me at the bar, acting as if he just needed a drink and wasn’t eye-fucking me from across the room a minute earlier. Ironically, the fact that he’s such an insufferable prick is the reason I’m still humoring the guy. If I can’t stand Ares Raines, then there’s no chance in hell I’ll be catching feelings for him.
“Not really,” I murmur, shifting on my barstool as I glance past him to scan the crowd. Jordan dragged me out tonight, but of course she’s already pulled a vanishing act. Probably off hooking up with some random dude just to prove a point.
Honestly, I’m not sure if I resent or envy her for it. Maybe a little of both. What I do know is that Jordan lives her life unapologetically, making the most of every day she’s got left before she’s inevitably sold off in one of Alpha’s business deals, while I’ve spent my whole life keeping my head down and following the rules. I used to judge my sister for the way she fought back, but now that my days of freedom are numbered, I finally understand where shewas coming from. And I’ve realized that I have some fight in me, too.
“What are your usual spots, then?” Ares presses, carding his fingers through his hair. It’s longer on top, intentionally messy in that deliciously rugged way that many men attempt, but few can actually pull off.Hedoes. And while I’ve never been particularly attracted to red hair on guys, Ares Raines somehow makes it work. The warm auburn hue suits him, the dusting of rust-colored stubble on his square jaw only adding to his roguish appeal.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I sigh as I fiddle with the little straw in my drink, already bored with this line of questioning. “I don’t really go out to the bars much.”
“What brings you out tonight, then?” he asks, leaning back and resting a casual elbow against the bar top.
While I loathe this kind of vapid small talk, I can’t deny that I’m enjoying the view. He’s pure muscle under that shirt, the kind of build that just screams power and control. Paired with his dominant Alpha energy, I’m betting he knows a thing or two about taking charge in the bedroom.
In fact, I’m counting on it.
“My sister dragged me out,” I admit, doing another quick scan of the room for the elusive woman in question. “Said I needed to get laid.”
He chokes on the sip of beer he was taking, wiping his mouth on the back of a hand and chuckling through his cough as he tries to play it off. “Oh yeah?” he asks, grinning like a devil. “Got anyone in mind?”
I shrug, making a show of glancing around the bar again. When my eyes settle back on Ares, the bastard just grins even wider, like he thinks he’s won something.
“Maybe,” I say, deliberately vague, then take a slow sip of my drink.
He lifts his beer, eyes locked on mine over the rim as he takes a swig, looking far too pleased with himself.
I’ve got him exactly where I want him. Now I just have to decide how soon I feel like making my exit.
“Could be fate,” he remarks, setting his beer bottle down with a wink. “You know, the two of us ending up here tonight.”
He delivers the line like he thinks it’s smooth.It’s not.But I’ll give him credit– it’s charming in the worst kind of way.
I roll my eyes. “Fate’s got a weird sense of humor, then.”
Ares leans in slightly, enough to make it intimate, but not invasive. “Come on, admit it,” he murmurs. “You’re glad I came over.”
“Glad might be a stretch,” I snort.
“You didn’t tell me to fuck off.”
“Yet.”
