Guy Hater (Fisher Brothers 2)

Just like when he’d mentioned that idea before, my temper flared. Jealousy tore through me at the thought of any other man touching her, let alone my own flesh and blood.

“Fuck yes, I mind. I mind a whole hell of a lot,” I growled, and the asshole laughed.

“Yeah, I know you do.” Ryan continued laughing while I wished I could shoot arrows from my eyes at his stupid mug.

“So, wait.” Nick leaned back, his brow furrowed. “Do you want to be single? After all, this is the first time you’ve been alone in ten years. Maybe you want to play the field before settling down again?”

I don’t.

At all.

Even though I’d been paired up with Shelby for the last decade, it hadn’t always felt that way, especially the last few years. It was weird to think about how alone you could feel when you technically weren’t alone; how you felt like you were missing a teammate, a partner, when one was sleeping next to you night after night. I supposed that was what being with the wrong person eventually started to feel like. You stopped seeing the person standing right in front of you because you no longer wanted what they had to offer.

“It makes sense,” Ryan added, now that his laughter had stopped. “No one would blame you if you wanted to take some time to be alone.”

Annoyed, I shook my head. “No. I don’t want to play the field. I don’t want to be single. I don’t care about any of that, okay?” Damn, I wished they’d shut up and get back to work. I should have known better.

“You’re going to win her back then, right? You have a plan?” Nick lit up like a toddler with a new toy.

I smirked. “Yeah. I’m going to get her.”

Nick whistled as Ryan asked, “How?”

I closed my eyes and willed myself to count to ten. “I don’t have to fill you two in on every single detail, you know?”

“He doesn’t have a plan,” Ryan said with certainty as he looked at Nick with disapproving eyes.

“After we close tonight, he will.” Nick rubbed his palms together and I bit my tongue, not wanting to argue any further with the two lunkheads.

I did have a plan, sort of, but I was being honest when I said I didn’t want to tell them every little thing about it. I had been biding my time, waiting for Shelby to move out before I did anything else in regard to Claudia. Refusing to push her further when my life hadn’t yet changed wasn’t something I was willing to do. I wouldn’t put her in a no-win situation again.

But now that Shelby was gone, all bets were off.

I couldn’t tell my brothers that, though. Not yet. They would want up-to-the-second details, and this was something I needed to do on my own, without anyone’s interference or opinion. After we closed the bar for the evening, I’d tell them exactly that. It was my job to go get the girl, not theirs.

The front door flew open, and I was relieved at the interruption as Jess and Rachel walked inside. They were just the distraction I needed. I pointed toward them, and Nick’s whole damn face lit up.

“Dear God, woman, do you walk around Santa Monica looking like that?” Nick shouted toward Jess, who instantly blushed and stumbled to a halt. “Rachel, you just let her walk around looking beautiful?”

Nick made his way from behind the bar and stalked toward his girl, talking the whole time. “This woman right here is what dreams are made of. I’m so damn lucky,” he said when he reached her, lifting her into his arms and planting a Hollywood-worthy kiss onto her lips as Rachel wrinkled her nose and moved a respectful distance away.

As usual, the entire bar watched transfixed. Some sighed at the sight, and a few people even clapped.

“Making us all look bad, man!” a guy called out.

Nick didn’t even look up. “Nah. You just gotta do better.” He kissed Jess one more time before setting her on her feet and smacking her on the ass.

The truth was, Nick really was making the entire male population look bad. But most people had no idea what Nick and Jess had been through as a couple, and how he never stopped making up for lost time. He hadn’t forgiven himself for what he’d put Jess through, and ever since, he spent every single day making sure she knew how thankful he was for the second chance she’d given him.

And now, I was able to relate to that concept more than I had ever thought possible.

Dream Frank

Claudia

Frank had haunted my dreams the past few nights.

Haunted wasn’t really the right word, not when the dreams were lust-filled, sex-riddled, and most definitely enjoyable. Frank visited me in my sleep, his hands roaming over every part of my body that I’d always wanted him to touch. In my dreams, I forgave him and fell into the taste of his kiss and the feel of his tongue on mine without question. Dream Frank was one hell of an attentive lover, and I woke up aroused on more than one occasion with a pillow between my legs.