Aphrodite

CHAPTER 14

Brett was serving like a champion, pouring three drinks at once whiletaking cash and using his hip to close the cash register. I waited patiently tocatch his attention. I was in no hurry, Kat and I had been dancing for anhour already, and I needed a break and another shot. We'd chugged backthree tequilas when we arrived, and I was due for another.A hand slammed down in front of me. "Emily, been a while. Where'veyou been, hot stuff?"For all the commotion, Brett looked damn calm. His blue eyes flickeredwith amusement as he poured a Stella from the bar tap and slid it down thebar, all the while his attention never wavered from me."Still recovering from our last night out." Kat and I were here a coupleweeks ago, and the tequila shots didn't sit so well the next day, especiallywhen having to ride Havoc and working with four rescue horses. We madeit a habit to come to the bar twice a month and stay at the condo, so wecould see Matt. Matt was so busy with Avalanche that we rarely saw himnow. We'd also go see Georgie who recently wasn't making it out to thefarm as often to see us."So, you saying no more tequila tonight, sweetie?"I tilted my head and raised my brows. Brett laughed and poured me ashot. He was nearly always serving at Avalanche. Kat swore Brett onlyworked there to pick up chicks, as during the day he was a real estatetycoon. It was hard to imagine the blond with the unruly curls and dashingblue eyes wearing a business suit.I put down a twenty. "Nice try, Emily."

"It's a tip." Matt insisted we get our drinks for free, but I still tried topay whenever I was here. The bar was kind of like therapy for me, beingaround men, dancing and losing myself to the music. The first dozen timeswe'd come here it had been disastrous. The second I felt a man near me Ifelt the fear, the terror that I'd be kidnapped and then forced into that worldagain. I'd have given up if Kat hadn't continued to push me to come backagain and again. We'd dance and she'd keep close to me and talk to me orsing and make me laugh. Slowly over time the terror lessoned until I beganlooking forward to going out and dancing again."Don't need the money. Where's Kat?"I gestured to the dance floor, and Brett glanced over then rolled his eyesand shook his head which unleashed a curl that dangled in front of his face.I followed his gaze and saw Kat rubbing erotically against some guy, hishands up under her shirt."She's going to land herself in deep one of these times. And I'm bettingit'll be tonight.""Why's that?" I asked. Kat was always a flirt, but there was somethingin the way she treated men that I thought was different in the last coupleyears. It wasn't like she enjoyed their attention, although she certainlylooked like she did. It was more ... like she needed it and yet hated it at thesame time.

Brett shrugged while pouring a rum and Coke. He plopped a lime in itthen slid it to a young guy a few seats away from me. "Just a feelin' is all."I noticed he was still watching Kat. "Why don't you date her?"Brett threw his head back and laughed. "Not touching that sweet ass.Number one, don't want or need a relationship. Number two, overprotectivebrother, and number three, she belongs to Ream. And he's back. I'd like tokeep my teeth." What? Ream? The guy from Logan's old band? I'd nevermet him, but had heard his name when I researched Logan on the Internetback when we met and Logan had mentioned Ream was a friend of Deck's.Brett leaned forward, propping his elbows on the bar. "Better keep aclose eye on your girl tonight. She stirs up too much trouble with Reamhere ... He won't like it. Don't think she even knows he's back yet. Theband has kept it hush-hush." The band used to have a large fan base inToronto a few years ago, but she'd thought they'd stopped playing whenLogan went to Mexico. Maybe they'd found a new lead singer. Brett tookanother order and moved down the bar.

Before I had a chance to ask, Kat bumped me with her hip and grabbedthe guy's beer next to us and chugged half of it. She ran her finger down hisshoulder as he stared at her open mouthed. "Thanks, babe." Her voice wassultry and sweet, and it was enough to have the guy drooling instead ofcomplaining."Ream? You've been seeing Ream?"Kat's face fell for a brief second before she covered it up with a half smile. "We hooked up, Emily—briefly, really brief, like not-even-worth mentioning brief. When you and Sculpt ... Well, when you were gone hewas around. Helped out, you know with moving to the farm and shit.