28 Dates by Stacey Lynn

Author:Stacey Lynn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2019-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Jonas

Telling Caitlin it was okay to meet her dates here is the absolutely, one hundred percent, worst fucking decision I’ve ever made in my life. For a moment, I wanted to ignore her, let her do her thing and stay out of the way.

But damn it all to hell, like I can resist being around her. So yeah, I had to go and torture myself, inhale her sweet flower scent that I know is from her shampoo because she doesn’t wear perfume. Hearing her say she was meeting someone else, when it used to be me she’d pull up a seat at the bar for, stung worse than I expected it to, especially since I knew it was a possibility. I’ve done a pretty damn good job of ducking into my office when I’ve seen her headed into Dirty’s in the last couple of weeks just so I didn’t have to torture myself with this. Tonight, escape isn’t possible.

This feels like I’ve gotten whacked by a two-by-four to the kneecaps.

And the guy she’s with? Total tool. He’s the guy who comes across as nice and smooth, charming and sweet. Then he hangs out with his bros from college, and a six-pack in, he’s lambasting everything that’s wrong with the world and how shit would just get right if women knew their place in it.

I’m a bartender. I’ve slung drinks from New York and Boston all the way to Portland since I left home at the age of eighteen. I’ve seen a thousand men just like him. Shiny and endearing until they’re not.

Watching Caitlin enjoy being with him? That makes it so much worse because I figured she’d read this guy coming from a mile away. And her laugh? Ice picks down my spine. It’s beautiful and boisterous and something she rarely shows because she’s so damn busy protecting her heart from people.

Tucker shoves me to the side, and I stumble once before remembering where the hell I am.

Behind the bar. At my bar. Which I own. Right. Fuck! She’s got me all screwed up in the unpleasant kind of way.

“Sorry,” I mutter.

“No worries, but you putting a stop to this bullshit?” Tucker asks as he fills a glass with ice.

“What? The douche Caitlin’s with?”

“No, dumbass. Acting like you don’t still want her even though I know if I let you leave this bar right now, you’d go over there and rip his head off with your bare hands.”

“Yeah, because she deserves better.”

The humor in Tucker’s expression flees. “Not sure that guy’s you, either, though, if you don’t get over this bullshit. You could stop it at any time.”

I told Tucker about my plan a few nights ago. I was in a surly mood, and he called me out, which sucks to have an employee like him so damn smart. He also called me an idiot then, so tonight he’s mostly thought this whole damn thing is fucking hilarious.

“Acting like a caveman doesn’t make you the better man, you know?”

“Shut up, Tucker.

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