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Authors: Cj Azevedo

Tags: #love, #drama and romance, #contemporary adult romance, #mma romance

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BOOK: Without Doubt
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I have been privately crushing on Declan for
a while now, so I’m sort of freaking out. I don’t usually work the
bar during the week. Typically I’m in the office taking care of
daily tickets, balancing register receipts from the afternoon crowd
and paying bills. While I’m back there I also have access to the
monitors showcasing the security surveillance from inside the bar.
This is where I first spotted Declan James. I watched him through
the screen for weeks (yes, I know that’s creepy stalker status)
before I had the courage to ask Max’s son, Dustin, who he was.
Dustin gave me a quick rundown on what he knew of him and then very
firmly told me to stay away. I didn’t need his warning. It didn’t
matter if he was as good a person as the Pope himself—I didn’t and
couldn’t date.

I help out a few more tables before making
my way back to the bar. Max and his kids are the only others that
work the night shift. Tonight is usually Dustin’s shift, but he had
started a night class so I took it over for him.

I start restocking the beer fridge when I
get the feeling someone is watching me. I turn slowly to take in
the people in the bar and check for anything suspicious. When my
sight reaches the back of the room, I find the set of eyes that
make me stir.

Declan. Deep blue-green eyes set just below
dark furrowed brows. The piercing in his right brow shines under
the low overhead lighting above his table and makes me want to take
it between my teeth. Our gazes connect and he doesn’t look away.
The girl is still sitting on his lap and running her skanky hand up
and down his thigh. She has no idea that he’s been staring at me
for at least the last thirty seconds. Not being able to handle the
staring contest any longer, I smile at him. He doesn’t smile back
and it really doesn’t bother me. It probably should, but I have a
feeling that it’s not a negative emotion that makes him continue to
stare blankly.


Hey, hot stuff! I need
another beer, please!”


I told you what’s going
to happen if you keep calling me hot stuff! Knock it off!” I tell
Jerry as I reach into the cooler to grab him another bottle of
beer.


Ya, ya, I know. You’re
going to chop off my balls and serve ‘em to me for dinner. I get
it. Now give me my beer.” Jerry is usually here on the weekends
when I bartend, but I guess we both changed our schedules this
week. He’s a good-looking guy, a bit older than I am if I had to
guess, overly flirtatious but normally sweet.


As long as we understand
each other.” I slide the beer across the bar to him and he grabs it
with his left as he reaches to grab onto my wrist with his right. I
forgot to mention that he’s also too touchy-feely for my taste.
“Jerry,” I say firmly.


Baby, just let me take
you out. I know you’ll enjoy yourself. You have to stop denying me
sooner or later.”

We go through this same escapade every
weekend. This is nothing new. I tug my arm from his grasp and he
releases me easily enough. I start toward the other end of the bar
before calling out over my shoulder to him, “No, I don’t. And stop
callin’ me baby!” Most of the patrons are local regulars,
completely aware of Jerry’s ministrations, so anyone who is close
enough to hear our banter starts laughing and harassing Jerry.

I smile to myself as I think about sweet
overeager Jerry. He has no chance in hell in taking me out and he
knows this, but the man never gives up. When I reach the other end
of the bar, I am met with that same set of blue-green eyes from my
staring contest just a couple minutes ago.


Hi. What can I get you?”
I ask, trying insanely hard to shake these stupid nerves that have
appeared. I think I was able to keep the quivering from my voice. I
think.

Declan is standing at the end of the bar so
there is nothing between us. He leans forward just a bit and speaks
quietly. It’s not quite a whisper, but it’s definitely low and I
feel it vibrate straight through the center of my body. “Are you
all right?”

I don’t know why he chose
to ask me that.
Do I look ill? Did he over
hear someone say something about me?
My
brain is running through a million different possibilities but
nothing makes sense. “Yes… Are you?”

He laughs and stands straighter. The sound
of his laughter… Well, let’s just say it’s something that this girl
will be missing when she’s home and in bed alone tonight.


Yeah, I’m good. I just
saw that asshole grab you and wanted to make sure you were okay.”
He’s not laughing anymore; he’s glaring at poor Jerry.

I offer him a smile before I explain. I
don’t know this guy from Adam, but I feel the need to reassure him
for some reason. That and it looks like Jerry may need some
buffering. “That’s Jerry. He’s harmless. He comes in on the
weekends when I typically work, so I know him pretty well. Thanks,
though, I appreciate your concern.”


You’re welcome,” he says
gravely with one last glare towards poor Jerry before offering me a
devastating smile. “Do you have a name?”

Oh, God, he’s asking me for my name and for
a split second I can’t remember it. I’m not a lovesick teenager; I
have to get over this issue where he’s concerned and become immune
to him.


I do.”
But I’m not giving it to you,
I think to myself as I busy myself with wiping down the bar.
“Did you need another round?” I keep looking down at the bar,
hoping he’ll walk away because that immunity of mine hasn’t shown
its pretty little face yet.


Uh, yeah we do. Whenever
you get a minute; no rush. Thanks.”

I honestly can’t tell by the tone of his
voice how he’s reacting to me refusing him my name. Out of the
corner of my eye I watch him strut back to his table, where Barbie
looks irritated. That’s a bonus.

Chapter Three

Declan

Nobody at my table seems to know her name.
It’s driving me crazy. She brought our next round but didn’t look
my way once. I wonder what that means… she’s not interested? I kind
of doubt that. I can tell by her body language, the way her eyes
lose focus when they meet mine and her breathing accelerates as she
listens to me talk to her, that I affect her when I’m near her. I’d
waited to ask the guys if they knew her name until after she
dropped off our drinks in an attempt to avoid being completely
obvious, which also helped prevent them from making a big spectacle
in front of her. Now, I kind of wish they had made the spectacle—at
least then I might know her name.

I’ve been keeping a discreet eye and ear
towards the bar to see if I can over hear anything. She’s a hard
worker that’s for sure; the bar patrons are chatty with her and she
keeps up with them but hasn’t stopped moving once. She laughs
wholeheartedly and smiles the entire time, like there’s nowhere
else she would rather be. You have to admire that.

Max walks out from the back looking as jolly
as he usually does and bellows, “AVA!” as he walks straight up to
the beautiful, leggy blonde.

Ava.

She glances up and exchanges a few words,
then wipes down the bar one more time before she walks toward the
back. I see her go into the ladies’ room in the hallway before you
get back to the back office. Without thinking twice, I once again
remove Rachel from my lap and walk to the hallway. I set up post
leaning against the wall so she sees me as soon as she comes out,
but far enough back that nobody can see me standing here like a
creeper.

The door opens after just a couple minutes
and she comes out looking down at her shoes as she adjusts her
shirt. Everything about this girl is driving me wild. She finally
looks up just before she runs into me and freezes, a look of
surprise on her face. Her green eyes are wide and bright and the
faint blush on her cheeks deepens the longer she looks and doesn’t
speak. Her next movement is her eyes making the trip down and back
up again along my body. That one little movement…well, it’s
something I want her to continue, that’s for sure.


Ava,” I say quietly, a
smirk that I can’t seem to control playing on my lips.

She’s seems to have found her ground and
regroups. She stands taller and looks less distracted. She smiles
widely, which shows off one small dimple low on the right side of
her mouth. “Sterling. Ava Sterling. Good for you; didn’t take you
so long. Although I have to admit that I kind of thought you’d find
out a whole lot quicker than you did.” She shrugs her shoulders and
walks past me into a break room.

I turn to follow her and my eyes fall to the
delicious curves of her backside. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I could have
extracted the information straight from the source if I really
tried. On second thought, I doubt I would have had to try all that
hard,” I say to her back as I follow her into the room.

She stops abruptly and turns fiercely. “Oh
you cocky little—” She’s cut off from finishing that sentence when
her phone starts singing JT’s “Sexy Back.” Her eyes go wide again
and she searches furiously for her phone in her apron.

I motion to the chair I’m standing next to
for permission to sit down and she nods her head yes as she answers
the phone.


Hi.” Her voice is low and
she sits down in the chair next to me as she angles her face toward
the ground. Probably trying to block me from hearing her
conversation. “Yeah, it’s going good. Um, I am actually sitting
with…” she looks over to me and raises her eyebrows at me so I say
my name, “with a friend,” she says hurriedly, blushing profusely.
“Maybe… Ok, yes. Can I call you tomorrow?” She pauses and sighs.
“Please don’t do this right now. I’m serious.” She looks like she’s
getting frustrated, but she’s not mad. It actually seems like she’s
trying not to laugh. “I won’t get home until 2:30 in the morning;
you get up too early. I’ll just call you tomorrow morning.” She
listens for a minute and then sighs loudly before replying, “Fine,
you win, I’ll call you as soon as I get home. Promise.” She listens
for just one second before turning her face away and whispering
(but I can still hear her), “I know what you’re doing and it’s not
funny, so stop. No, I’m not saying that. Stop. Goodnight. Bye.” She
slides her phone back into her apron then stands and walks to the
counter where she starts to prepare a Cup Noodles. “Sorry about
that.” She sucks in her bottom lip and just looks at me.


Boyfriend? And what the
hell are you doing?” I ask, pointing to the noodles. I’m hoping
like hell it wasn’t her boyfriend and a little disgusted at her
choice of a meal.


That? No, that is a long
story. And I’m making a quick dinner. Don’t judge.” She speaks
slowly as she removes her gaze from me and starts pouring hot water
into the Styrofoam cup.


I have time,” I state
boldly as I reach my hands behind my head and stretch my legs
out.


But I don’t. Is there a
reason you waited to follow me back here, stalker?”


Stalker?
Ouch.”

She just lifts her dainty eyebrow and
slightly cocks her head.


I thought you should know
that I found out your name.”


That’s all?” she asks
innocently, clearly not believing a word I said.


Uh, no. That’s not all.”
I rub my hands down my face and lean forward on my elbows. This is
going to be my first time asking a girl out on a date
ever
and it’s not
sitting well with me. The situation fits me like last year’s sports
coat. In other words, it doesn’t. “Can I take you out, Ava? Maybe
for dinner one night next week?”

She smiles softly at me and it lights her
face up tremendously; not that she needs any brightening; she’s
beautiful. “Thank you for asking, Declan, but I can’t. I appreciate
the offer, though.”


Can I ask why you can’t
go to dinner with me?” I’m not really sure how to handle this
situation. I never expected to get shot down the one and only time
I asked a girl out. I’m not going to take no for an answer, but I
don’t know how to proceed without being a pushy prick
either.


I’m sure you’re not used
to hearing the word ‘no,’ but I really can’t. I don’t date and
dinner is classified as a date in anyone’s book.” She drops her
head, folding her hands and twiddling her thumbs.


I don’t date either, but
I want to take you out. Go out with me?” I ask, giving her my
well-practiced sexy smirk but not letting go of the skepticism I’m
sure is shining brightly from my eyes.

She laughs. I’m tied in knots stressing out
over losing this battle between her and I and she’s laughing.


Oh my! You really haven’t
ever been turned down before, have you? I’m sorry for laughing;
don’t take it personally. I don’t not date like you don’t date, I
really,
really
don’t date. Ever. I’m extremely busy, Declan. I have more
responsibilities than you have ever thought of having. I don’t have
time to date.”


Well, that’s a shame,
Ava.” Unable to handle the fact that I can’t convince her, I stand
and cross the room to stand directly in front of her. I lift her
chin up to look down into her eyes before speaking. I hear her
breath catch as our eyes meet and I take extreme caution to keep
control of myself. “You need to eat healthier,” I say, borderline
embarrassed that those were the words my brain chose to spit out of
my mouth. Nevertheless, I continue. “Those noodles aren’t only
nasty, but they’re terrible for you. Have you seen how much sodium
is in there?”

BOOK: Without Doubt
8.57Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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