Keep It Sexy (KIS Series Book 3) (6 page)

Chapter Six

Billie

I walked into Blush to discover Jade and another girl standing at the bar. Jade perked up when she saw me. She jumped over the bar, running to me for a hug.

“You’ll love it here.” She squealed as she wrapped her arms around me, and then we both froze when we heard yelling coming from the back of the room toward Christian’s office. We turned to see the other girl standing against the bar, just as surprised. Soon, a short man with a chef’s jacket and a thick mustache appeared as the swinging doors closed behind him.

“
Es Christian y Ava
?” the man asked Jade.

Jade nodded yes. Frowning, she took my hand and introduced me to the man and girl who were now standing next to each other.

“Jaime, this is Billie. She’s our new bartender and part-time waitress.” We said hello, and shook hands. “And this is Claudia, the other waitress,” Jade continued with a tone I knew all too well. She didn’t like her…at all.

Claudia was pretty enough, with healthy looking hair, clear skin, and a decent body…okay, she was fucking
gorgeous
. It appeared Christian only knew gorgeous women. That insecure feeling started to blossom once again in my stomach and I had to take a couple of seconds before greeting her.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. She smiled back sweetly…way too sweet.

“I’ll go tell Christian you’re here,” Jaime called as he headed away from us.

I glanced over to Jade, asking her with my eyes what was going on. She shrugged like she knew, but nothing specifically. Christian came out of the back behind Jaime, and the look in his gaze destroyed me. His warm brown eyes looked so sad and lost. The urge to help him stifled me. I knew right away I was royally fucked.

Minutes after Chris had emerged, so did the reason behind his sad eyes. Ava. I instantly recognized her from Jade’s Facebook pictures. We were introduced, and she was friendly enough, but I knew we would never be friends. There was a barrier behind her eyes and I didn’t care much to know why.

As the night progressed, we got so busy I had to concentrate on what the customers were ordering and ignore my coworkers. While preparing orders for a large table, I sang quietly to myself, knowing the bar was too loud for anyone to hear me. At least I thought no one heard me. I felt his stare burn into the side of my face. I was mid-chorus when I looked up at him.

“I’ve gone too far to turn…” I forgot the words to one of my favorite songs. The gaze he was unleashing took my breath away. He had to stop stealing my breath.
Thief.

“Wow,” he whispered, clearing his throat as he looked down and rubbed the back of his head. “Is it yours?” he asked. My face pinched in confusion. “The song, is it yours?”

“Oh, no.” I smiled, feeling my face heat up. “It’s Saving Abel, ‘Drowning.’”

“Ah,” he replied, shaking his head. “I don’t know who they are.” I giggled, handing over the tray full of drinks to Claudia. She glared at me and I smiled back.
Billie McAllister, killing bitches with kindness est. 1993.

“Here.” Christian handed me his phone. “Add it to my playlist. It’ll play throughout the bar.” Cautiously, I grabbed his phone from his hand and eyed him, perplexed.

“Are you sure? That doesn’t seem like the type of music that would play in a bar like this.”

Christian snorted. “Like I give a dusty fuck, go on add it.”

Just as a new group of rowdy college kids came up to the bar, Chris took their order and I did as I was told. Soon, the song was blasting through the bar speakers. Instantly, I was taken by the feeling only music seemed to give me. Centering me, the only way good music and lyrics can. I couldn’t help the massive smile on my face while I continued to work. I felt Christian’s stare on me, prompting me to look over, and there he went again—stealing from me.

“What?” I asked, suddenly shy. Christian moved closer, dropping his head to my ear and whispering. His presence and the smell of his cologne drugged me.

“If you smile like this every time we play this song, I want it on all night.” Surprised by his words, I pulled away just a little so our faces were breaths from our lips touching. It wasn’t my intention to be this close to him. I just wanted to see the sincerity coming through his voice in his eyes. And it
was
there.

My breathing became shallow and I refused to look down to his lips, because if I did he’d finally steal my last breath. So, I did the next best thing. I broke out into song. Singing, as I stepped away from a laughing Christian, my hands in the air. I heard someone on the other side of the bar join in, so I walked her way and we continued singing as a crowd formed of others who knew the song.

I noticed too late that the guitar in the background was missing, and I looked over at Christian’s awed face. He jerked his head for me to continue when he noticed I was going quiet. He had stopped the music so everyone could hear me sing. He wasn’t doing it as something malicious but so he could hear
me
.

Jade noticed, climbing on top of the bar and singing with the rest of us. Christian stumbled over to me; he picked me up and put me right next to my best friend.
Great, now we’re Coyote Ugly
.

Jade played the air guitar and I pretended to have a microphone in my hand while a third of the bar sang along. This was insane. We finished the song with half the bar cheering us on and a big round of applause. Everyone shouted when Jade and I bowed like idiots, ending our performance.

“Don’t forget to tip your bartender,” she yelled with a wink.

Christian helped Jade off the bar, and she bent her knees with one hand in Christian’s and the other on the slab of wood before jumping down. He then stepped closer to me and I expected him to extend his hand but when his big fingers wrapped around my hips and lifted me off the bar like I was made out of air, I gasped. Instinctively, I held onto his broad shoulders and quickly regretted it. I could feel the solid muscles underneath his t-shirt and the heat from his skin through the fabric. As soon as my feet touched the floor I let go of him and smiled up at him nervously.

“Thanks.” I laughed, feeling like a ball of nervous energy.

“No, thank you, c
hiquita
.” His voice had dropped in a husky whisper as he winked and walked to the other side of the bar. I trembled when his body touched mine.

Shit. I’m in trouble.

Chapter Seven

Christian

Billie was getting under my skin and we’d only just met. Not to mention there was still this tug of war inside my heart because of Ava. It really was a bad idea hiring her. She was a constant reminder of my past life, of what I had left behind, the recklessness and the stupidity. I didn’t want that anymore.

My office wasn’t anything to brag about, but I was proud. I’d always wanted a bar of my own. I had turned my illegal business into a legit one. I wanted to be proud of something and this bar was it. Letting out a heavy sigh, I ran my hands over my face. I dropped my elbows to my desk and leaned forward.

I closed my eyes so I could concentrate on the memory of Billie’s voice the other night. She sang beautifully. The words captured my attention and wouldn’t let go until she finished. I was so dazed I didn’t hear the knock on my door before it swung open. Angel walked inside like he owned the damn place. With his trademark shit-stirring smile, he opened his arms.

“Hey, princess,” he mocked. Standing, I walked in his direction, grabbing my crotch.

“Yeah, I have your princess right here.” We laughed, and I gave him a hug with a firm pat on the back. “How ya been, man?”

Angel was a tall dude with lanky limbs. He had to eat double the protein of a normal man to bulk up. I constantly gave him shit about it. Growing up, he was one of the few white boys on our block. The fact he had bright blond hair made him an instant target. Rome and I were never big on bullying so when we stumbled on him getting beaten up, we jumped in and helped him. We soon found out he wasn’t defenseless, just out numbered. Angel was one of the few guys I would think twice about getting into a fight with.

“I’ve been good, man. Busy with work, you know.” He stepped away.

“Yeah, man, I hear ya. Sit down, let’s catch up.” I gestured to the chair across my desk.

“Nah, man, let’s grab a bite elsewhere.”

“Yeah, okay.” Today was my day off, but I was always at the bar. I had Ava and Jade there, while Billie waitressed.

As we walked through the main room, Angel ran over to the bar to jokingly harass Ava. Billie was serving a table their food when she saw me come toward her. She smiled at the customers then turned to walk my way. She was in the black top and black skirt uniform but under her skirt she wore gray and black argyle tights with red and black Vans. I chuckled.
Imagine that.

“Nice shoes,” I said when she was close enough to hear me. Her eyebrows pinched in that adorable way and she looked down. I angled my feet so she could see I was also wearing red Vans. She grinned but didn’t look me in the eyes.

“Great minds think alike.”

I moved my head to the side, wanting her to look at me but she wouldn’t.

“Billie McAllister,” Angel said with an accusing tone, and we turned to him, surprised by his presence. It was like we were both in our own little world. I frowned instantly, and Billie’s head snapped up to see Angel. She looked at him like she was trying to figure out where she knew him from, but didn’t say anything about it.

“Last time I heard, you were in Vegas,” Angel continued.

“I was, and now I’m back. It was good seeing you, but I gotta get back to work.” She smiled, moving around us and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked. He shrugged.

“Dunno, let’s go.”

We sat across from each other, digging into our massive burritos from a restaurant across the street. As I was taking another bite, Angel took a drink of his Corona before wiping his face with a crumpled napkin.

“How’s Ma doing?” he asked. He loved my mother like she was his own. She was the reason why he didn’t starve growing up. I looked at him and smirked swallowing my bite.

“You tell me.” I knew he called her three times a week. Angel grunted.

“Why didn’t you tell me Rome has a hearing?” he asked. I leaned back on my chair, taking a sip from my beer. I hated spending money on liquor when it wasn’t for my bar.

“She wanted to tell you herself.” I smirked. It was bullshit. I just didn’t want to tell Angel. Telling more people made it real. And I wasn’t ready to confront that.

“Yeah, okay,” Angel grumbled, knowing I was lying. “And he’ll be staying at a halfway house if and when he gets released?”

“Yup.”

“Where at?” he mumbled with a mouth full of food.

“Harden, I guess.”

“No shit?” Angel laughed and coughed as if he almost choked on his spit. “Damn.” He took a drink of his beer. “Speaking of Harden, you’re a dumb fucker for hiring Billie.”

“Why?” I asked, sitting up.

“Uh, because she’s Billie McAllister.”

My face pinched. “Yeah? And?”

“Daughter of Don McAllister.” When I still looked confused, he added, “Don
Grifter
McAllister?”

Awe, shit
. When recognition flashed on my face, Angel burst out laughing.

“There it is. You’re a dumb fuck.”

Don McAllister was well known throughout the lower income neighborhoods around Denver. He wasn’t violent, but he was a crafty son of a bitch, and had a lot of friends who didn’t mind being violent on his behalf. Don conned his way out of everything and everyone.

“I didn’t know he had a daughter,” I said, still in shock.

“Yeah, only Billie. I’m surprised he doesn’t have more.”

I was intrigued with this information. Not because of Don but it was giving me a little more insight on Billie.

“You mentioned she was in Vegas. What for?” I asked, looking at the foil the burrito was wrapped in. I was trying to sound indifferent, and I thought I was doing a good job until I glanced up to see Angel’s stupefied face and his beer midway to his mouth.

“Nope,” he said, slamming down his bottle. He lifted his hand, gesturing to the waitress for the check. “Are you stupid or has the ink from all those tattoos finally seeped into your head?”

“Angel, what the fuck are you talking about?”

He shook his head in disbelief and laughed like he couldn’t believe he had to explain it to me. “She’s a McAllister, Chris, like some sort of fucking royalty in Harden. Nobody fucks around with her or her brothers. People are terrified of that family. Don isn’t a violent man, but he keeps people around who are. So you, Mr. Fuck-Them-Then-Leave-Them, can’t be stupid enough to mess around with her. Unless you
want
your bar to burn down. In that case, by all means continue to give her those puppy eyes of yours.”

I scoffed, pretending my heart wasn’t jackhammering my chest. “It’s not even like that.”

“Sure it isn’t, and let me guess, because you’re
in love with Ava?”

“I am,” I answered coolly.
Because I was…yeah, I was. I am.

“No, fool, see…” He leaned forward with an index finger in the air. “Lust isn’t love. You think you love her because of all the times you fucked, and all the freaky shit she’s into because you think another girl won’t do what she does, and what you feel with her you won’t feel with anyone else. But you’re wrong, because all you feel for Ava is purely physical. That entire year she was gone, did you think twice about going up to Vail to visit her?” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “No, you didn’t, you never even thought about her, and if you did it was about the times you screwed her.
Lust
isn’t
love
, son.”

By the time Angel finished his rant, my thoughts were racing a thousand miles a minute. I was trying to compute his words. With a satisfied grin, Angel sat back as the waitress came over with the check, handing it to Angel. He shook his head as he took a swig from his beer, then pointed the long neck at me.

“Oh no, sweetheart, this dumb fuck’s paying.”