Brooklyn (Corked and Tapped Book 3) Read online

  Mike sat up straighter and turned toward her. “What I’m telling you is that Owen is not a rebound kind of guy. Not with you anyway. If that’s what you’re thinking, don’t do it.”

  Wow. That was blunt. And confusing. And what did he mean when he said not with me? She squirmed on the stool, tucking her fingers under her thighs. Jade had pointed out Owen had been waiting for her, and now Mike warned her that Owen was apparently interested in more than sex; Brooklyn didn’t know what to think.

  She was shocked by how close he was to his coworkers and how much they cared about him. It felt awkward to be reprimanded as if she were a bad girl, when the truth was very different.

  Except, perhaps, when it came to Owen. He did make her feel naughty. There was no denying it. However, it was in a good way. The intensity of his gaze made her feel sexy. The way he’d held her pressed against the door in the store room had made her hornier than she’d ever been.

  She had developed a friendship with Owen over the last year. In a way, she’d been on a hundred pseudo dates with him. Granted, he knew far more about her than she knew about him—as was made apparent when he told her he’d been in the military—but she intended to rectify that ASAP.

  She knew the important things. He was a great guy. Attentive. Kind. Loyal. Respectful. Not to mention sexy, built, dominating, and panty-melting.

  He was also heading her direction again. “Mike. What lies are you feeding Brooklyn?” He wasn’t laughing, though it appeared he was trying desperately to sound humorous.

  Mike stood and turned to face the bar. “No lies. I was just checking to see how she was doing.” He tugged the hem of his black T-shirt down and continued speaking, his gaze on Owen. “Devin said she’ll close for you if you want to cut out early.”

  Owen nodded. “Thank you. Appreciate it.” A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. The mouth that had thoroughly devoured her not too long ago. The mouth she wanted to feel all over her body before the night was done. “Don’t you have a woman waiting for you in your office?” Owen asked, glancing toward the hallway. “Seems like you’ve got better things to do with your time than harass Brooklyn.”

  Brooklyn knew Mike and Owen were close friends, close enough they could toss these kinds of barbs back and forth without hurting feelings.

  Mike shot Owen a half-hearted glare. “That’s none of your business.”

  Owen smirked and turned to respond to a customer.

  What was that all about? Brooklyn wondered, but she wasn’t about to ask. Did Mike have a woman in his office? Interesting. She hadn’t known him to entertain women in his bar. The way Owen referred to the mystery woman made Brooklyn curious. A curiosity that most likely wasn’t going to be sated.

  Mike pointed at the stool she sat on. “Be careful. That seat has some crazy powers.”

  “What do you mean?” Brooklyn asked, chuckling.

  “I sat there last week, and let’s just say, I’m not sorry about the path it led me down. Then another couple came in and the guy sat on it. The two of them looked like they might actually have sex right here in the bar, they were so into each other. Now you’re in it, and I’ve got to say, you have the same starry-eyed expression that goes with the stool.” He laughed and walked away.

  Chapter 5

  Brooklyn stared at Mike’s back for a moment and then turned to watch Owen working again.

  She continued to ponder Mike’s warning, however. Was Owen interested in her for more than something casual? She had to admit she was surprised. No way would she permit herself to hope for more than this one night. Except, both Mike and Jade had told her Owen had been waiting on her and that he wasn’t a rebound sort of guy. She wasn’t sure she had the confidence to believe what they said was true, though. Tonight was the first night since she’d been coming here that he’d made his interest clear, and the man hadn’t asked her on a date for next Saturday. He’d asked her to go home with him. Tonight. For sex. That was the only offer on the table, she reminded herself. An offer she was beyond excited about. Even if she secretly hoped it might lead to more.

  She could understand where the warnings were coming from, however. After all, she did not look like the sort of person who would be genuinely interested in a relationship with the man behind the bar who was currently looking at her as if he were going to strip off her dress and lick every inch of her body the first chance he got.

  She squirmed on her seat again. The intensity in the room could be cut with a knife.

  The reality was she wasn’t a judgmental sort of person. And she certainly had no right to be. The last man she’d fallen for and married had presented as a hard-working contractor who adored her. He had portrayed a false front, and Brooklyn had paid the price.

  She would never make that sort of mistake again. Owen was nothing like Ed. He was the polar opposite in fact. And when she considered the words of advice she’d received from his coworkers in the last hour, she had to admit Mike and Jade had elevated Owen to a pedestal that was pretty high.

  Brooklyn might look demure on the outside, and sure, her life was not filled with wild exciting adventures of any sort—especially sexual—but it was past time she made some changes. Starting tonight. Starting with Owen.

  She adjusted herself on the stool again, imagining what kind of lover he might be. On the one hand, he was obviously gentle, thoughtful, and attentive. On the other hand, she’d seen a rough, dominant side of him in the store room. And she’d loved every second.

  Owen came to her again, that maddening smirk in place. “You’re squirming, baby.”

  She blushed. He wasn’t wrong. Plus, she found she loved the way he’d started calling her baby. She set her elbows on the bar and leaned her chin on them. “Maybe the stool is uncomfortable.”

  “Or…” he leaned closer, “…maybe you’re thinking about what I’m going to do with you when I get off work.”

  She smiled. “Or that.”

  He chuckled as he wiped off a glass and lifted to hang it above his head. “Five more minutes.”

  She sat up straighter. “Really?” she asked, glancing around. She hadn’t realized the bar was slowly thinning out. It was getting late.

  He chuckled again. “Did you want to stay longer? It would be rude of you to hog the lucky stool any longer. You should let someone else sit there.”

  She giggled. “I heard the lore. You think I should look around and pick someone to replace me here who looks worthy or in need of a good time?”

  Owen was no longer looking at her, though. His gaze was trained across the room.

  She turned around to see what he was looking at. Jade was near the entrance speaking to two men. She was totally out of sorts too, rocking back and forth from one foot to the other. Brooklyn had never seen Jade with a man, nor had she seen her flustered.

  “Interesting,” Owen stated. “Whoever they are, they should probably take your stool and the one next to it,” he joked.

  Brooklyn was still staring at the door, smiling, when another couple stepped inside. She nearly fainted. She felt all the warmth drain from her face.

  Ed was here. And he wasn’t alone either. He was with a woman. She was hanging on his arm as if he were the greatest human alive. She was also giggling, and he was smiling at her indulgently. Had he ever once looked at Brooklyn that way?

  She couldn’t move or breathe, nor could she tear her eyes off him. She’d never seen him in this bar in a year. What the hell was he doing here?

  And then the situation went from bad to worse.

  Owen wandered to the middle of the bar and spoke over the lingering crowd. “Eddie, how’s it going?”

  Brooklyn’s heart stopped. What the hell? Owen knew her ex? Her head was swimming as she tried to process that information. Meanwhile, Ed saddled up to the bar several yards away from Brooklyn with his flavor of the week. Owen leaned his elbows on the bar and laughed at something Ed must have said.

  Suddenly, it was more than Brooklyn could take.


  The world had gone insane. There was no way in hell she could stay here another moment. Any excitement she’d felt from flirting with Owen all evening vanished in seconds. He knew Ed. Well enough to call him by his nickname and have a conversation with him.

  Brooklyn slid to the floor, grabbed her purse and her divorce papers, and spun around to flee the room, hoping to make it around the corner, into the hallway, and out the back door without being detected.

  She moved fast, her face heating. Furious. With herself. With Ed. With the universe. Why couldn’t something good happen to her for once? Why did it have to turn out that Owen was friends with Ed, and he clearly liked the guy?

  As Brooklyn was rounding the corner to the hallway, finally making it safely out of Ed’s line of sight, Mike bumped into her. He’d been coming from the other direction. He grabbed her biceps to steady her, and he frowned. “You okay?”

  She nodded, trying to get past him, not wanting to speak or explain. She just wanted to get the hell out of the bar. Now.

  Mike didn’t release her. “Brooklyn?”

  She lifted her gaze, knowing she was not able to hide her anger and hurt and frustration. “Please, Mike, let me go.”

  He searched her face for another second, stepping aside with a nod. Before she made it out the back door, she heard him calling Owen’s name. Great.

  She only lived a block away. She had walked here. And now she walked quickly across the parking lot toward her building. Please, God, let me get away. There was no reason to believe she wouldn’t. Who would give enough of a damn to come after her?

  “Brooklyn?” Owen’s voice startled her from the distance of the building. Apparently, he had followed her. Mike was fast, and Owen was even faster.

  She ignored him and walked quicker, considering the wisdom of actually running. At least she wasn’t wearing heels. Nope. Not sensible, good, pure Brooklyn. She had on simple black sandals.

  “Brooklyn,” he called out again from closer.

  Damn. He wasn’t going to let her go. She spun around and watched as he jogged her direction. His expression was filled with concern. He didn’t stop until he reached her.

  She didn’t want to speak to him, but she had no other options. It wasn’t like she could escape this confrontation.

  He drew in a breath. “What happened? Mike said you looked upset. I see he was right.”

  “Nothing. I just need to get home. I’ll see you another day.” Not. She turned around and started walking again.

  Owen jogged past her and spun to face her, walking backward. “What the hell, Brooklyn? Don’t try to tell me nothing happened. That’s bullshit. One second you were fine, and now you’re clearly pissed. Talk to me.”

  She stopped walking and stared at the ground. At her stupid sensible shoes and her conservative dress. She wasn’t made to play in Owen’s world. She’d thought at one point she was right for Ed, and she’d made a horrible mistake. What the hell made her think she should jump right back into the dating game ten seconds after her divorce was finalized, and that a man like Owen would want her?

  Owen stepped closer. His hand came out to stroke her cheek gently. Just one finger. “Baby, talk to me. Please.”

  She lifted her gaze, fighting the stupid tears that now gathered. “How long have you known Ed?”

  He froze. “Ed? You mean Eddie? The guy at the…” He stopped speaking and jerked back a step. “Fuck. That guy is your ex?”

  “The one and only.” She stared at his chest. Why did Owen have to be built and sexy and attractive? He was on super friendly terms with an asshole. A guy she had told him all about, a guy he claimed to despise. Did he really not know it?

  “Jesus,” he murmured. “Baby, God. I’m so sorry.” He lifted a hand, and ran it through his dark hair.

  She slowly tipped her head back. “Sorry for what?”

  “Sorry he hurt you. Sorry he came into the bar while you were there. But why are you running from me?”

  “You were awfully friendly with him,” she pointed out.

  His eyes widened. “Brooklyn, I’m a bartender. I’m friendly with all the regulars. It’s my job. I had no idea he was your ex. I never would have chatted him up if I’d known he was your damn ex.”

  “He’s a regular?” Obviously, but she was still trying to make sense of this.

  “Yes. He usually comes in Tuesday nights. Often with different women each time.” Owen winced. “God, fuck, what a shitbag. He claimed he was off on Wednesdays. I honestly had no idea who he was.”

  That explained why she never saw him when she came in on weekends. She never came on a school night. “He comes with different women?” she clarified for no reason other than self-flagellation.

  Owen slowly nodded and took another step toward her, his hand reaching out again. He touched her wrist with the tips of his fingers as if testing the waters. “Yes. I’m so sorry. He’s as bad as you said. There are a couple of regulars who can’t seem to stick with one woman. Jade and the other waitstaff call them the walking STIs.”

  Brooklyn snorted as the tension eased from her shoulders, realizing she’d overreacted, and she leaned forward, setting her forehead against his chest.

  He immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll tell Mike we aren’t going to serve him any longer. And if he disagrees, he’ll have to accept the fact that the next time I see that guy, I’m going to break his nose.” He kissed the top of her head.

  She swallowed the tears, not wanting to shed a single one for Ed the asshole. He was not worth it. It took her nearly a full minute to pull herself together enough to speak again, and she was grateful Owen didn’t say a word or pressure her until she was ready. “I overreacted.”

  “Not at all. I can’t imagine the shock of seeing him walk in, with another woman no less, and then finding out I knew him. Totally understandable.”

  She lifted her face. “I don’t deserve you.”

  He smiled. “You do deserve me. And you have me. Brooklyn, we’ve been friends for a year. At least I’d like to think we have. I’ve watched you tear yourself down over that asshole over and over again. He damaged your self-esteem. He did everything he could to make you feel like you weren’t worthy or valuable. Tonight is the first time you came in with your head held high. I could tell immediately you were feeling more confident. It was like the woman I always knew was there finally decided to show herself. Don’t let that asshole win. Erase him from your memory. Let me show you how you should be treated. Come home with me, please?”

  She hesitated for less than a second before nodding. Her heart was racing. She couldn’t believe how much Owen had thought about her over the past year.

  He blew out a long breath and then took her hand and led her to the rear of the bar. Next to the back door she’d come through was a motorcycle. He pointed at it. “That’s mine. Wait for me here? I need to tell Mike I’m leaving and suggest that perhaps he might want to have the bouncers escort Eddie out the front door.”

  She nodded.

  Chapter 6

  Brooklyn was still shaking as he jogged back inside. It gave her a minute to pull herself more fully back together. She was still stunned to have seen Ed in the bar, but she didn’t intend to give him another second of her life. She was done with him. Permanently. If he wanted to go out with a different woman every week, that was not her problem or concern.

  Owen wanted her. He’d patiently waited for her to pull her shit together and be available for him. She couldn’t believe this was happening.

  She took several deep breaths and stepped closer to the bike and ran her hand along the seat. She smiled. Riding on this with Owen was something she was very much looking forward to.

  The back door opened again, and Owen emerged. He looked relieved when he found her still standing there. “You didn’t leave.”

  “No.”

  He closed the distance and took her hands. “I’ve had the best evening in a long time flirting
and teasing you. If you want me to take you home, I will. You’re under no obligation to go home with me just because we’ve spent the evening engaging in sexual banter. I totally understand if you’re too shaken up to leave with me.”

  She tipped her head back. “Not changing my mind. Not giving that asshole my power. Are you having second thoughts?”

  He tipped his head back and laughed. “I’ve waited a year for this. No second thoughts.”

  “I wish you’d said something before today. I had no idea.”

  He shook his head. “Wasn’t going to make a move until you were free of your ex and emotionally able to move on and ask for what you want. There was no sense toying with you if you weren’t really ready.”

  “How very noble of you.” She smiled and stood taller, determined not to mess this up. She was no longer the innocent, prim woman who’d fallen for Ed’s lines and permitted herself to get lured into his traps and lies. She was stronger now, more confident, and she wanted whatever this thing with Owen might be. She wanted him to rock her world. She knew with certainty he could.

  He shrugged and then bent his knees slightly, still holding her shoulders, and met her eye to eye. “I’m not going to lie. I’m burning for you. I’ve wanted you in my bed for a long time.”

  Her knees almost buckled. She might have fainted if he hadn’t held her steady. He was so confident and cocky. Exactly as she’d spent a year fantasizing he would be. “What are we waiting for?”

  He gifted her with another half grin, grabbed a helmet from the box on the back of his bike, and settled it on her head, carefully fastening it in place. He lifted his own helmet from the front seat and put it on next.

  She was shaking from both the adrenaline rush of her first motorcycle ride and the thought of what would happen after they reached their destination. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “My place, if that’s okay with you.”

  She nodded and glanced down at her skirt. “Shit. How am I going to ride in this dress?”