MadLoving (2 page)

“Hey, bro.” A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He resisted
the urge to wince, knowing Rabb would taunt him if he did. Sometimes his
brother didn’t know his own strength.

He turned and faced his brother who was a few inches shorter
then he, but wider and all of it muscle. “Hey, Rabbit,” he teased, calling him
by his real name and not the shortened version.

His brother scowled and gave him a one finger salute. Nevar
laughed and reluctantly Rabb smiled.

“That shipment of liquor come in?” Rabb asked.

Nevar held up his clipboard. “Just finished processing it.
The bar is stocked and the rest in locked in the stockroom.”

They ran the bar together, but they concentrated on
different areas. Nevar ran the day-to-day operation, while Rabb took care of
the bigger picture, dealing with the finances and government forms that came
with running a business.

“I’ll be in the office if you need me.” Rabb walked off, his
mind obviously already into his own paperwork.

They both worked the place several nights a week. Well,
Nevar was there pretty much every night. He liked overseeing all the details
that went in to running a first-class club such as Hatters, making sure things
were up to his standards.

Running a nightclub might not be everyone’s dream, but it
was his and Rabb’s. Their father had always joked that if it failed they could
go into the family business. Nevar shuddered. He loved his parents, truly he
did, but he did not want to be a tailor like his father or a milliner like his
mother.

Thankfully, their parents understood and encouraged their
sons to find their own way in life. That is, as long as they didn’t stray too
far.

He found it hilarious that their bar was situated below
ground level in a building that also housed his mother’s hat boutique and his
father’s tailor shop on the first floor and family apartments on the second and
third. But his family had owned the building for decades so the rent on the
club space was cheap. And it was in a prime location.

His parents had also contributed their skills to make the
unique uniforms the staff wore. His mother had a keen eye for style and had
helped them design the space. He loved them both dearly for helping to make his
dream a reality.

His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. He smiled
when he recognized the number. “Hey, Mom.”

“I made lasagna.” Her voice was as soft and smooth as silk,
but there was a definite command beneath it. He didn’t mind. His mother made
killer lasagna. “And bring your brother.”

Nevar laughed. “I will. See you in a bit.” He checked his
watch. Sure enough it was almost six. The crowds wouldn’t start rolling in for
a few hours yet and the staff knew where to find him if they needed him.

At least once a week, his mother demanded their presence at
dinner. Not that he minded. He loved his parents and appreciated how supportive
they both were. Nevar tucked his clipboard under his arm and headed to the
office to get his brother.

He stopped in front of one his favorite pieces in the entire
place, a framed page from one of the earliest copies of
Alice in Wonderland
.
He’d come across it at an estate sale when he was a just a kid and had
immediately wanted it. He’d spent all his allowance money and begged the rest
he’d needed from his mother in order to purchase it. He’d never regretted it
for a moment.

His mother understood. His family loved all things
Alice
in Wonderland
.

He stopped and admired the artwork and smiled. The Hatter
sat at the table with Alice and the March Hare. It was framed behind
unbreakable glass and hooked into an invisible security system to protect it.
It wasn’t that the piece was super expensive, it simply meant a lot to him.

A shiver went down his spine and he glanced over his
shoulder. No one there. He stared back at the picture and frowned. His skin
felt electrified and he was filled with a sense of expectation.

“You’ve been working too hard, buddy.” He strode down the
short hallway and pushed open the office door. “Mom wants us upstairs for
dinner. Lasagna,” he added before Rabb could say no.

“Okay.” His brother glanced up from his laptop. “I’ll be up
in five.”

Nevar set the clipboard on the desk. “Make sure you are. I
don’t want Mom to have to send me back down here for you.”

He left the office and passed by the artwork once more. Not
tingles this time, no sense of anticipation. “Definitely working too hard,” he
muttered.

He hadn’t dated in months. Hatter’s ate all his time. Plus,
it was hard to meet women. Sure there were dozens of women here every night,
but they were with dates or looking to score. Nevar was at a place in his life
where he wanted more.

But tonight there was lasagna, family and work.

Allison paused just inside the front door of Hatter’s and
got her first look around the place. It was only nine, early by New York
standards, but already the club was almost full.

A huge bar occupied one long wall of the space with ornate
iron stools perched in front of it. Along the other long wall there were a
series of booths, the seats covered in what looked to be red velvet. Scattered
throughout the space were tiny café-sized tables, again in wrought iron with
chairs covered in red velvet cushions. It gave the place almost a boudoir
feeling—decadent, sensual.

“Excuse me.” A waitress pushed by Allison with a tray full
of drinks for one of the booths. She stepped out of the woman’s way, her eyes
widening at the uniform the waitress was wearing.

The dress had a tight blue bodice with a hint of white lace
peeking out along the bust line. The skirt part was flared and had layers of
white lace beneath it and fell only halfway to the woman’s knees. Striped
white-and-black stockings and three-inch black heels completed the outfit. It
was obviously a sexy variation of Alice from the book.

Allison couldn’t help but smile. She sidled toward the bar,
all the while scanning for Barb and the other women from work. The décor was
certainly different. There were framed oversized playing cards on the walls and
on a glass shelf above the bar was a series of delicate china teapots and cups.
Like the tea party, she realized. Several of the light fixtures that hung over
the bar were in the shape of top hats.

The space was whimsical, yet surprisingly sophisticated.

Even the bartenders were in uniform. They were wearing black
pants, snow white shirts and vests. The vests were embroidered with the logo of
the bar—a top hat with a playing card stuck in the band—and were also decorated
with various playing cards, all hearts.

This was exactly what she needed. A few hours with friends
in a fun atmosphere. Music pulsed through the room, the heavy beat vibrating
through the rustic wooden floorboards. There seemed to be a dance floor at the
far end of the bar just beyond the seating. The lighting was dimmer there and
red and white lights pulsed in time to the music.

She made her way across the room, slipping between occupied
tables and patrons on their way to the dance floor or bar. She slid onto one of
the tall stools and set her bag on top of the smooth oak bar.

One of the bartenders approached her. “What can I get you,
pretty lady?”

Oh, he was a smooth one all right. He was tall and lean, but
there were definitely muscles under that shirt. She could see some of them
since several of the buttons were undone. The sleeves were also rolled back to
expose strong forearms.

His black hair fell in a straight curtain almost to his shoulders
and his eyes almost appeared black in the light. He looked more like a pirate
than a Mad Hatter.

And he made her entire body tingle. The first tingles she’d
had since her breakup. Maybe that meant she was truly past the hurt that
Bradley had inflicted upon her. And darn it, she was more than ready to feel
something.

It wasn’t in her nature to flirt. Maybe it was the fun
atmosphere in the club, maybe it was the new haircut or the sexy dress.
Whatever the reason, Allison went completely out of character and smiled back,
giving a little dip of her head to acknowledge his compliment. “What do you
recommend?”

He tilted his head to one side and studied her intently.
“Hmm, you look like the kind of woman who’d enjoy an amaretto tea.”

“Tea?” Not exactly a sexy drink and definitely not what
she’d been expecting.

“Of course.” He rested both elbows on the bar and leaned in
closer. “We offer all sorts of specialty teas, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, hot
and cold drinks.” His deep voice was smooth as silk. It seeped inside her,
warming parts of her that had been cold for a very long time.

He reached beneath the bar and brought out a small laminated
menu, which listed a variety of tea drinks. “We couldn’t call ourselves
Hatter’s if we didn’t. This place is one giant, continuous tea party.”

She laughed, enjoying the banter and the man himself. He
really was lovely to look at with his quick grin and dark eyes. The longer she
stared at him, the more her body came alive. Her breasts felt slightly swollen
and her nipples tight. Any other time she’d be embarrassed. But not here and
not now.

“Tell me about the amaretto tea?” She leaned one elbow on
the bar, putting herself a little closer to him. She caught a whiff of his
aftershave and almost melted. It was spicy without being overpowering. She had
to resist leaning closer. It was all too easy to imagine nuzzling his neck.

“Well, it has amaretto in hot tea, finished with a dollop of
chilled whipped cream.” His voice was low and deep, intimate.

The way he said whipped cream had her creaming her panties.
Good lord, the man should come with a warning label. He raised an eyebrow in
question and she realized he was waiting for her answer while she was sitting
there like an idiot, staring at him.

“Okay,” she quickly agreed. Embarrassment washed over her
and she turned her gaze away and checked out the crowd, searching for her
friends. She should know better than to try to flirt. Some women could do it,
but she always ended up feeling like a fool.

The light was dimmer around the booths so she had to squint
to see. No sign of Barb and the rest of her friends yet. Probably too early.
Allison had finished dinner and had decided to come straight to the club.

The place really was incredible. The walls were painted
black and red with white accents, but it wasn’t tacky. It stopped just this
side of cheap, seeming fun and almost classy. It was quite a trick.

She finally turned her attention back to the bar. The
bartender was farther down working on her drink. She took a deep breath to
settle the butterflies in her stomach. “Easy, girl,” she muttered. It was one
thing to harmlessly flirt, another to get herself worked up over a complete
stranger.

She took her time and studied the bar setup. There were
glass and brass accents and all the glasses were stamped with the name of the
club and a random playing card, always hearts. The napkins were the same.
Another small touch, but it added to the overall theme.

The bartender came back and placed her drink in front of her
with a light flourish. “Here you are, my lady.” He held out his hand. “By the
way, I’m Nevar.”

Her stomach jumped, but she held out her hand and watched as
it was engulfed in a much larger one. “I’m Allison.”

One corner of his mouth turned up in a slow smile. “It’s a
pleasure to meet you, Allison.”

Nevar knew he was acting like an idiot, but he couldn’t take
his eyes off the woman seated at the end of the bar. He never hit on female
customers. Never. And he deflected them whenever they tried to get too
friendly. Oh, he didn’t mind some light flirting or banter, that was expected
and all in fun. But this was different.

He’d noticed her the moment she’d walked into the bar. Felt
her. A tingle had gone down his spine just the way it had early today. He’d
turned and seen her standing just inside the door, looking a little uncertain.
He’d half expected her to turn and leave and probably would have vaulted over
the bar and chased after her if she had.

And wouldn’t that have given his brother and staff something
to razz him about.

But there was no way he could have let her go without
meeting her.

“How much?”

He frowned, wondering what he’d missed in the conversation.

She motioned to the steaming amaretto tea. “How much?”

He shook his head. “No charge. This is your first time here,
isn’t it?”

Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”

Because he would have remembered her if he’d seen her. And
if he said that out loud she’d probably run. It made him sound like he had the
potential to be a creepy stalker. “It was the way you were looking at
everything. Can always tell a first-timer.” That sounded much better.

She laughed and the sound rushed through his body and
straight to his toes. It also did interesting things to another portion of his
anatomy. His pants were suddenly much too tight.

“This place really is amazing. I almost didn’t come
tonight.”

“Are you meeting someone?”
Please say no
, he thought.

She nodded and his heart dropped. “Some girlfriends from
work.”

And his heart jumped and started racing again. Of course,
that didn’t mean she didn’t have a boyfriend.

He reached out and touched her hand, stroking his fingers
across her wrist and halfway up her arm. “Try the drink and see if you like
it.”

He felt her body jolt beneath his touch and he almost did a
fist pump. She felt the attraction between them as much as he did. He reined in
his excitement and sent her an encouraging smile.

Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted the drink and
sipped. “Mmm, it’s wonderful.” She licked her lips and Nevar almost groaned
aloud. His cock throbbed and he was glad he was behind the bar where she
couldn’t see the bulge in the front of his pants or she’d run for sure. It was
too easy to picture her lush lips wrapped around his straining dick.

He’d had his share of women, had been in a serious
relationship or two over the years, but he’d never felt such an instant
attraction to a woman before.

There was a dollop of cream on the corner of her mouth.
Unable to stop himself, he ran his forefinger over the sweet cream, brought it
to his mouth and sucked. He’d much rather have licked the cream off, but that
would have probably earned him a slap in the face.

And rightfully so.

“Mmm, it is wonderful.” He echoed her words, but they had a
totally different meaning. She liked the drink, but he loved the taste of her.

She swallowed heavily and the pulse in her neck fluttered.

“You working or talking?”

Nevar seriously considering killing his little brother and
making himself an only child. “I’m talking to the lady.” His voice was hard,
warning his brother to back off. “I’m taking a break.”

Rabb leaned against the bar and studied Allison. “You must
be something special.”

“No, I’m not.” Allison was flustered by all the male
attention. The other man was a few inches shorter than Nevar, wider and more
heavily muscled. His hair was dark brown, but there were enough similarities in
their facial structure for her to wonder if they were related somehow.

Nevar confirmed that with his next words. “Allison, this
nuisance is my brother Rabb.”

“Rabb?” That was an odd name. Of course, so was Nevar.

“Rabb Hatter at your service.” He lifted one of Allison’s
hands and kissed the back of it.

She frowned and tugged her hand back. “Hatter, for real?”
Then a thought occurred to her. “You own this place?”

“Yes and yes,” Rabb confirmed. “Well we own it together.” He
slapped Nevar on the back. “If you’re going to be on a break, I’d better get to
work. Nice meeting you, Allison.”

“Your name really is Hatter?” She wasn’t sure if Rabb was
simply teasing her.

“Yup, that’s us. The Hatter brothers.” He reached out and tucked
a short strand of hair behind her ear. “And what’s your last name?”

Allison wasn’t sure she should tell him, but decided it
wasn’t that big a deal. “Lewis.”

Nevar threw back his head and laughed. Allison was
spellbound by the strong column of his neck and his deep, unrestrained
laughter. She just didn’t know what the joke was. He finally stopped and shook
his head. “I knew I’d like you from the moment you walked in.”

“I don’t understand.” To cover her nervousness, she picked
up the tall glass and sipped her drink. It was cooler now, so she had a huge
gulp, hoping the alcohol would settle her.

“Let me show you.” Nevar motioned with his hand. “Come
around to the other end of the bar.”

Allison hesitated, but hitched her shawl over her shoulders,
grabbed her purse and her drink and slid out of her seat. She walked around the
front of the bar while he worked his way down to the other end. He raised one
end of the bar and exited, had a word with his brother and then met her.

He was taller than she’d thought. At least several inches
over six feet. He made her feel positively short and she was wearing heels.
Standing next to him, she could smell his yummy cologne again. It was spicy and
exotic, like the man himself. There were secrets behind those eyes.

“You okay?” His dark eyes were filled with concern and that
immediately made her feel better. Nevar was a stranger who didn’t feel like
one. That was disconcerting, especially for a woman like her. She didn’t have
one-night stands, didn’t want to jump a man the moment she met him. At least
she hadn’t been until she met Nevar.

There was just something about him that called to her.

“Allison?”

“Oh, I’m fine.” She hooked the thin strap of her purse over
her shoulder so she could cup her drink in both hands.

“Come this way.” It took them a few minutes to get across
the room. A lot of people seemed to know Nevar and wanted to say hello or chat
for a moment. He was always polite, but she senses his growing impatience.

She sipped her drink while she watched him interacting with
people. He was good with them, genuinely seemed to like them. She preferred
working behind the scenes, but Nevar was in his element at the center of
things.

Everyone here seemed to be enjoying themselves. Couples were
dancing to the sultry, pulsing rhythms of the music. She liked that the dance
floor was on the far end of the bar. The music was at a good level, allowing
friends to hear one another when they were at the tables, at least the ones
farthest away from the dance floor.

The waitresses and waiters moved around people and tables,
serving up drinks of all kinds. There seemed to be a variety of club snacks
coming out from an unseen kitchen somewhere.