No Weddings (19 page)

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Seriously, the flu?”

“No shit. Cherise
and
Kyle. Scott is on vacation. We only have Lisa. And you know the bar can’t run on one bartender on a Friday night.”

“Tell those two to stop swapping spit. And licking shopping carts.” I sighed. “Fuck.”

“I know, man. Listen, I gotta go. We’re flying down in two hours. I’ll be back Sunday.”

I groaned as he closed my bedroom door. Face-planted on the bed, I reached for my phone, sliding my hand blindly on the nightstand. When I pulled it under the covers, the light glared painfully bright under the sheets.

I squinted until I found Hannah’s number. “Hey.”

A pause stretched on the other end, then a soft, “Hey.”

“Sorry to bother you so early.”

“It’s almost noon, Cade.”

“Mmm-hmm. Early.”

“Get out of bed, lazy ass. You’ve got a date to take me on tonight.”

“Yeah, about that. I’ve got to reschedule.”

At her silence, I wasted no time in explaining. Including blaming Ben. And spit swapping. And shopping carts.

She laughed. “It’s okay. We’ll make it for next weekend.”

“Can’t. That night is McGinty’s.” We had an event for St. Patrick’s Day at a local bar.

“Oh, I forgot.”

I stared at the ceiling, thinking about my calendar. “How about the following Friday night?”

“Not Saturday?”

I groaned. “Can’t wait that long.”

A soft laugh. “Not one more day to Saturday?”

“No. I
will
die if it’s not Friday night.”

I should cancel one of the weekday dinners; it would serve Ben right for having his family’s wedding be the reason my sex life got postponed. Mase would get over it. But Hannah looked forward to dinners at my place. I’d begun to think she needed the adoptive family contact. And with three siblings of my own, I related.

“Well, okay. I wouldn’t want you to die. I’m going to miss you, though.”

I sighed. This day sucked ass already. “I’m going to miss you too.”

“I bought a killer dress.”

“Yeah? So I was fated to die anyway?”

She giggled. “Death by dress.”

“Potato sack, baby. Remember, it’s the woman under the dress.”

“So the low-cut number skimming my breasts, just for you, should be discarded?”

I swallowed hard.

“It has a super-short hemline.”

I inhaled deeply. “How short?”

Her voice lowered. “Like you can’t tear your eyes away, hoping-for-a-peek short.”

“Damn. Keep the dress on ice.”

“I also have a pair of matching strappy black stilettos…”

“Stop. I’m already dying. And I’m now hanging up the phone before you tell me what’s underneath it.”

Laughter chimed out as I disconnected.

Okay, maybe waiting wasn’t the end of the world. Hannah made waiting worthwhile.

W
all-to-wall people filled the dance floor. We were bursting at the seams and threatened to risk the wrath of the fire marshal if we weren’t careful. Bar glasses clinked as we restocked to keep up with the demand. The night broke sales records after another “polar vortex” deep-freeze for days on end had given the entire Eastern Seaboard cabin fever.

“It’s stretching back about a block.” Mark, our floor manager and, at the moment, lead doorman, informed me regularly on the hour how long the line was.

“And our VIP sections?”

“Packed to the maximum. Trey took care of that already.”

I nodded, pouring another tray of drinks, trying to keep up with orders. “Perfect. And tell the guys to stay on their toes. Anyone even looks the wrong way, they’re out in favor of waiting patrons.”

“Got it, boss. I mean, Cade.” He laughed, honoring my request at discretion. When I was on shift, except for when decisions needed to be made, I was one of the team.

A quick nod at the best security money could buy, and he was out, keeping the club running at its optimum and protecting the patrons.

Although it made sense for me or Ben to take a floor manager role, we didn’t want to be tied down to the club. The idea was to create a business that could run on its own, and we followed a formula we’d created to accomplish that goal. Our hands-on involvement in the last year had been as efficiency experts, examining and streamlining every process. And with the hiring of extra bartenders, we’d been able to pull back quite a bit, letting the rest of the employees take the reins.

I glanced over at Lisa, who was a blur pouring drinks at the other end of the bar. A hard worker and ethical beyond question, she’d become an invaluable asset.

“So, Cherise and Kyle? They been hooking up?” Not that it was any of my business who the employees dated, and due to Pennsylvania law, we didn’t prohibit workplace romance. But it helped to know what was going on to be able to properly manage the situation—for short-staffing issues just like this.

Lisa shrugged. “Not sure. Don’t know if it was mouth-to-mouth, shared glasses, or a runaway sneeze. Just know she looked like death warmed over last night, and he said he couldn’t get out of bed this morning.”

Customers at the bar were pushing in three deep. The waitresses never stopped moving, sending in electronic orders through our tablet system, then picking up trays when the orders were filled.

“Next week, I’m holding a flu shot clinic here.”

Lisa laughed. “Good luck with that. I won’t go near a needle while conscious.”

After doing a speed-pour round of shots on a tray, I dropped her a deadpan look. “Unconscious can be arranged.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll be in line right behind you.”

Damn. Did women know men hated needles? And the sight of blood. A natural aversion to being stabbed is built into male DNA.

Lisa stared out into the crowd. “Uh, Cade. Look to your three o’clock. You’ve got fans.”

Glancing toward the dance floor, I spotted a quartet of brunettes on the outer edge who turned heads through the crowd behind them like a wake behind a jet boat. I swallowed hard, shocked motionless for the seconds it took me to process who I saw.

Hannah.

Wearing a dress exactly as she’d described, she was a vision, all toned legs, high heels, and devastating curves. Flanking her were Kiki, Kristen, and Kendall.

“Forget the flu shot; I may not survive the night. Cover for me, I’m taking ten.” Without waiting for a reply, I stepped out onto the floor.

Oblivious to the wrath she’d provoked, Hannah laughed at something Kendall said. Pissed the hell off, I strode forward with my blood boiling in my veins. Everyone in my path must’ve sensed the imminent danger, because people moved out of my way with every step.

What was it with women and pushing men’s buttons?

I get that a woman wants to look attractive. News flash: you already do. We see it. But apparently to women, owning their own beauty isn’t enough. They arm all the weapons in their arsenal to gain the attention of every Y chromosome within a ten-mile radius. Why do they go to all the trouble? Validation.

Meanwhile, biology dictates survival of the fittest; battles ensue, wars are fought, and somewhere amid all the carnage, a victor emerges to claim his female. All because said female just wanted to go out and feel pretty that night.

Well, if my females wanted to play with fire, they deserved all the heat they got from me.

By the time I reached the group that seemed intent on testing my limits, I’d gone DEFCON 1. With my hands clenched into fists at my sides, I didn’t touch Hannah. Didn’t trust myself to not throw her over my shoulder and run off, hiding her from all the men present…on the planet.

Yep. This was what women did to men. They brought out the caveman in our species.

I did nothing to restrain the fury in my voice. “What are you doing here?”

Innocent eyes blinked up at me, growing wider as she sensed my rage. A warning bell fired off somewhere inside my head, but it was drowned out by the rush of blood pounding past my ears.

She stepped closer, whispering between us as she gazed up with sparkling eyes. “I missed you, Cade. I couldn’t go all night without seeing you.”

Her soft words and sweet expression caused hairline fractures in my steel bravado. I pinched my eyes shut, taking a deep breath and counting to three. When I opened them, I scanned the faces of my three sisters. They all stood behind Hannah, expressions anything but innocent.

I growled, scowling at them. A stunt like this was classic Michaelson-Three harassment. Parade around the one sex kitten Cade couldn’t have in front of him. Sisterly torture at its finest.

Only they had no idea Hannah and I were several steps ahead of them.

A twinge of guilt panged through me at deceiving them, at breaking my promise to them, hell, at fraternizing—the very thing I’d just been bitching about with regard to Cherise and Kyle.

My sisters’ smug expressions obliterated any remorse I might’ve felt.

Holding my patience on a tight leash, I stared down at Hannah. “If you want to stay, if you want me to live through the night, I need you to come with me.” I took her hand as her smile widened.

Okay. She was forgiven.

I looked back at the she-demons, glaring fiery daggers at them. They were not.

On my way back, the crush of the crowd forced us off to the side. I led the way, keeping a tight hold of Hannah’s hand behind me as we crossed the room to my end of the bar. With no empty barstools, I did the only thing I could.

Turning to the two ladies warming the stools on the end, I addressed them. “I need your seats, ladies. How about a round on me?”

Their eyes brightened, and they nodded.

I looked at the sugar-frosted martini glasses with only an inch of yellow liquid remaining. “Lemon drops?”

“Yep. Two, please.”

“Comin’ right up. Give me just a minute.”

They moved off their leather seats, stepping off to the side, and I led Hannah to the stool on the end. As she scooted her ass back onto the seat, my eyes drifted down to the bottom of the slinky black dress she wore.

“Jesus Christ, Hannah. You weren’t kidding about that skirt. You better be wearing something under that.” I forcibly swiveled her body toward the bar, so the only thing that would have a view beneath that dress was rusty metal sheeting.

Her eyes twinkled. “I sure am.”

Great. Now my imagination ran the gamut of possibilities. I dropped my lips to her ear. “Something tiny, I hope.”

She turned her head, her lips brushing against the shell of my ear. A shiver traveled down my spine. “Very.”

Taking a deep breath, I pulled back, staring into eyes that had turned a dark emerald. “You look amazing.”

She blushed. “Thank you. It’s all for you.”

I arched a brow. “No it’s not. You’re here displaying your sexy-as-fuck body for all to see and enjoy. Please. Protect me and stay here. That way I don’t have to pummel any man stupid enough to touch you. Or look at you.”

She cocked her head, laughing at my words, unaware of the incredible restraint in my tone. But she nodded, sparing me from having an aneurism right in front of her.

“You and I are
so
going to have a talk later about the birds and the bees.”

On a single coughed laugh, she shook her head. “I’ve already gone way past that talk.”

I leaned in fast, causing her to startle backward to avoid a banging collision of foreheads. “You need a refresher.”

She scrunched her face at me in an adorable way.

I pointed a stern finger, glaring at her. “I’m watching you.”

“That’s the idea.” She smirked.

“Fuck, woman. I’m beginning to think you need a spanking more than a talk.”

Interest glittered in her eyes as she inhaled slowly.

“Orders are backing up! You coming back, Cade?” Lisa’s distress call splashed ice water on the heated flirting.

“Don’t move.” I stared hard at Hannah.

“I promise to not even go pee without your permission.”

I nodded, satisfied. “What’ll you have?”

Her gaze traveled to the empty glasses of the two other girls. “Those looked good.”

“Three lemon drops, coming up.”

In the ninety seconds it took me to sugar dust the rims and mix the three drinks, Hannah had not only involved herself in a laughter-filled conversation with the girls whose place she’d taken, but had also been surrounded by my sisters.

As I slid the three drinks in front of Hannah and her new friends, I shot another frosty glare at my sisters. They’d caused this clusterfuck to happen. All my life, they’d made it their mission to cause me strife anytime opportunity presented.

“Awww, c’mon, Cade. We were just trying to cheer you up.” Kiki dripped out the words with a sweet tone.

She fooled no one.

“Uh-huh. Just you remember, payback’s a bitch. Kincade Michaelson’s retribution is calculated and scarring.”

All three of their expressions fell. Kendall turned white. Yeah. They realized how far they’d pissed me off tonight. And when I got this mad, I waited. I cooled off. I planned. And then, things got brutal. Wars were started in the Michaelson household in the aftermath.

Kristen wrapped an arm around Hannah as she took a first sip of her drink. “We were only helping out a
friend
and our brother. We didn’t want you two to be separated because of a little ol’ wedding.”