Tap That

Whenever he saw Lindsey Leland, Beck had this absurd need to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe until…He grimaced then and cursed under his breath.

He just downright wanted her.

The protective nature of their relationship went way beyond friendship. And he was ready to acknowledge it.

His brother and Lindsey watched him curiously. Hell, he might as well fess up, if not to them at least to himself. He’d always looked out for her, even if it was from afar, because down deep he’d known that one day he’d let his agendas be known.

He cared for his sexy neighbor and wanted her for his own.

Grabbing a decorative pillow, he tossed it aside and turned down the bed. He then kicked off his boots and stretched out on the mattress, tucking his arms behind his head. Crossing his ankles, he stared down the length of his body, swearing that his cock twitched whenever she looked at him.

&nb

sp; “What do you think you’re doing?” Seth asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Sometimes his little brother had a hard time keeping up. Two years behind him, Seth would turn twenty-five in another month, but he didn’t look a day older than Lindsey.

“Seth, thank you for your generosity,” Lindsey said, avoiding eye contact with Beck. “I should probably go stay with my Aunt Lisa. She has a guestroom and would be offended if she realized I needed a place to stay and came here when I should’ve gone there.”

“You’re not leaving,” Beck said, wishing they already had the first kiss behind them. Not one to miss opportunities, he hopped up and stood before her. “Lindsey, you’ve had a rough night. Let us spoil you.” He took one step and then another. Cupping her nape, he dragged her forward. Brushing his lips across hers, he added, “Let us make you forget.”

She gasped but didn’t move. Without a delayed start or a pause in between, he lowered his lips to hers and took the first of many ravenous kisses, the kind of kisses that were destined to lead them into a round of heavy petting, a night of endless fucking.

Behind them, Seth cleared his throat. Halfway expecting Seth to interrupt them but not necessarily cut in, Beck was shocked when Seth pulled Lindsey away from him and wrapped his arms around her.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she curved her arms around Seth’s neck and laid one on him. She was the one to initiate the kiss and it didn’t stop with a simple meeting of mouths. She arched in Seth’s arms, rubbing that full rack against him.

Grating back a round of cursing, Beck ogled her backside, wanting to grab a handful of ass and just grope the hell out of her. His ideas turned into actions when his brother stopped abruptly. “Where do you see this going, Linds?”

Maybe she’d had time to think about the Stallards and nights like these. Perhaps she’d heard the gossip and realized what kind of women they enjoyed. Then again, perhaps Beck was overthinking this, too.

Perhaps all she sought then was comfort. Maybe she only wanted to spend one night alone with them. If that were the case, he wondered if she realized she was playing too close to the flame, standing too close to a fire destined to burn out of control.

A slow song resounded and Beck walked his fingers across air, hinting for his brother to back away. Seth reluctantly released her and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Thrusting his arms behind him, he flattened his hands next to his hips “Beck and I can agree on one thing. If you want to dance, Linds, you can start by dancing for us.”

“We’re back to this?”

“And we’re back to this,” Seth agreed.

“You don’t believe me.” Her bottom lip quivered. “I’m telling you the truth.”

Beck said, “I believe you went to that bar, applied for a job as a bartender, and then failed to read the fine print on a contract that clearly stated you would be required to go through six weeks of training, at the owner’s discretion.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t want a bartender mixing my drinks unless they knew what they were doing.”

“Thought you said you already taught yourself how to bartend,” Beck pointed out.

“I have, but the owner said they will need to go over the liquor laws and whatnot. There are certain requirements for all employees.”

“You didn’t pay attention to what you signed,” Beck said.

“What are you saying?” She looked too innocent, far too naïve, and Beck hated Bonzo all the more. Who did he think he was? Did he really believe that the Stallard brothers would just stand by and let him have his way with Lindsey?

“Did you read the contract or not?” Beck had read that damn agreement several times. There was a five-thousand-dollar fine attached, should the girls decide they didn’t want to work at the club. Bonzo Maldeni was shrewd as hell and apparently that one line held weight in a court of law due to the fitted “attire” he supposedly ordered for all employees—as if Bonzo dropped five grand on thongs and skimpy lingerie.

“Look, I called Bonzo and thanked him for the job. I told him I would call him in the future if my situation changed but for now, I’d have to pass on his kind offer. He was nice and told me he understood. He also said he’d heard something about the foreclosure and that he hoped I could get it all straightened out.”

“He said that?” Beck stroked his chin. “Bonzo is behind this, Linds. He is part of the investment group that’s been snatching up properties and developing subdivisions.”