Night Shift 2 Read online

  “Ma’am.” Becca leans over the bar, her feet coming off the ground as she does it. Becca points with her perfectly manicured red fingernail. When she catches Mary Elizabeth’s eye, she says, “He’ll take a double.”

  “As long as I’m not drinking alone.” I smirk.

  “Nah,” Callie says and pushes back the golden hair that has fallen over her shoulder, covering the straps of her white, sequin-covered cami. “My feet hurt too much to dance anymore. I’ll drink with you.”

  “Let me get you a chair.” I grab the stool on the other side of me and drag it behind her.

  She smiles up at me, her blue eyes sparkling as she sits down.

  “Let me get one for your friend too.”

  “I’m fine,” Becca says as I’m about to reach for another. “I’m not done dancing. I have my eye on a certain hottie out there.”

  Becca’s just as beautiful as Callie but with brown hair and dark eyes. I can’t explain what it is about Callie that draws me to her, but all I know is that when she’s around…no one else matters.

  “You can leave me here. I’m fine with him.” Callie motions toward me with her head. “I’m sure no one will bother me while he’s around.” She laughs.

  Becca’s glances at me over Callie’s shoulder, and her eyes narrow. “Are you sure you can trust him?”

  “Look at him,” Callie says through her laughter. “He’s more bark than bite.”

  “I don’t know.” Becca rubs her chin. “He has quite the reputation.”

  “He does?” Callie covers her mouth in mock shock.

  “He’s a killer, Cal. A lady-killer.” Becca snorts.

  Jesus. I can’t tell if they’re completely shit-faced or just fucking around at my expense.

  “Hey…” There’s a guy standing just a few feet away from Becca. His eyes are roaming her body as he licks his lips. There’s no doubt what he’s after.

  “Hey, handsome. How you doin’?” She sounds like Joey from Friends when she speaks to him.

  “Wanna dance, beautiful?” he asks, finally looking at her face.

  “Fuck yeah!” she yells and places her hand in his when he finally holds it out. She glances at us and bites her lip. “Have fun over here, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “That’s the ‘hottie.’” Callie motions toward them when they’re far enough away that she can’t be heard. “She’s a happy girl tonight.”

  “You don’t have to stay here with me. I’m fine by myself.”

  Her eyebrows draw together, and tiny lines form on her forehead. “I’m right where I want to be. I’m Callie, by the way. I don’t think we’ve ever been introduced.” She holds out her hand, and it’s so small I’m almost scared to touch it.

  Wrapping my fingers around her palm, I lift it to my lips. “Bruno.”

  She bats her eyelashes at me as I kiss the back of her hand. “Well, Bruno, what brings you here tonight?”

  She’s making small talk, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t mind it. Usually, I skip the formalities, but I’ve waited so long to speak to her that I’m a complete gentleman.

  Peering up from her hand, I smirk before I release it. “Just felt like letting loose tonight. You?”

  “Same.” She takes a swig of her Jack, staring at me over the glass, and I do the same.

  It’s slightly awkward. I’m not sure we have anything in common, and I don’t even know where to begin with her.

  She sets down her glass and slides her body a little closer to mine. “So what do you do, Bruno?”

  “A little of this and a little of that.” I’ve never had someone come right out and ask me. Most women I’m with know exactly who I am and don’t ask for any specifics. They know I won’t give details even if they did ask. Being part of the New York City underground doesn’t allow me to tell people exactly who I am.

  She chews on her bottom lip, causing the top one to jut out a little farther. “That’s a cagey answer.”

  I want to run my tongue along the ridges of her lips and feel their softness. “I’d tell you, but I’d have to kill you.”

  Callie’s mouth falls open, and her eyes widen. What’s funny to me is lost on her, and I wait for her to run away from me screaming.

  ***

  Chapter 2

  Callie

  He’s yanking my chain, right?

  He has to be.

  Sitting beside him, I think there’s a chance it’s possible. He’s kind of scary in that ultrasexy, made-for-Hollywood, bad-boy way. When he starts to laugh, a sense of relief washes over me.

  “You totally had me.” I snort and smack him on the arm. “I bet you’re an accountant.”

  He’d be the hottest fucking CPA I’d ever met if that’s the case. Every time we come to this club, I see him. I’ve always wondered what he does, but he seems to be a permanent fixture.

  “I work with money, but in no way am I an accountant.” My eyes never leave his mouth when he speaks. “What do you do?”

  Still staring at his mouth like an idiot—I’ll completely blame it on the alcohol later—I answer honestly. “I’m in college.”

  “Impressive,” he replies. “What are you studying?”

  “Biology.”

  “Ah, a smart girl.”

  I cringe at the compliment. In high school, some people thought I was nerdy because of my love of science, but I ignored them. The first time I looked through a microscope, I fell in love. There was nothing else I wanted to do with my life.

  “You could say that.” My cheeks flush, and I swallow hard, suddenly hot and parched. I guzzle the rest of my Jack, and I know I want more.

  The way Bruno looks at me makes me feel beautiful and wanted. He doesn’t hide his attraction, but neither do I. Dressed in dark blue jeans and a tight white dress shirt that has the first two buttons opened, he looks sexy as fuck. I wonder what’s underneath, picturing him naked as we sit here chatting.

  “Want another?” he asks when I set the empty glass on the bar.

  I should say no. I can already feel my legs and arms growing weaker and tingly. My mind’s a bit fuzzy, and I’m buzzing with nothing but happiness. All the stress of school has vanished, and I’m completely in the moment. “Yes, please.”

  When a handsome man—even a stranger like him—asks if I want another drink, this broke-ass college student does not say no. There’s something about him that’s hauntingly dark yet comforting all at once, and I’m not ready to say good-bye to him.

  As he motions to the bartender, I stare at him. I’m in straight-up stalker mode, tracing every contour of his face with my eyes. I want to touch him and see if the stubble on his face is as coarse as it looks. But I resist the urge by clasping my hands on top of the bar in front of me. His hooded eyes and the dark lighting of the club make it hard to determine their exact shade of brown. They almost look as dark as coal underneath his thick black eyelashes, which are way too long and full to be on any man.

  “Double or single?” he asks, catching me staring at him.

  “Double,” I say quickly because I’m embarrassed he caught me staring.

  He holds up two beautiful fingers. “Two doubles, Mary Elizabeth.” They’re thick, long, and well-groomed.

  Why in the hell did I say I wanted a double? I’m already past the point of no return. My face is starting to feel numb, but it doesn’t matter. It’s New Year’s Eve, and I deserve to celebrate the end of my semester before the next grueling session starts.

  “A toast?” he asks as he pushes the full glass of Jack in my direction.

  I lift the glass, which feels like it weighs a ton, and smile. “What shall we toast to?”

  “To new friends and a fresh start.” He smiles and clinks his glass against mine.

  “I’ll drink to that.” I’m transfixed by the way his lips wrap around the rim of the glass, their fullness enveloping it in the same way I wish he’d devour me.

  I don’t down the contents, but I take a hefty sip
as I wonder how we’ll part ways. I’ve waited for him to approach me since the first time I saw him, but he hasn’t. This may be my only chance to talk with him before we both go back to our real lives.

  “Ten,” the DJ yells into the microphone. “Find someone to kiss at midnight.”

  Bruno’s eyes find mine, and my stomach starts to flutter. We’re going to kiss. It’s almost midnight, and everyone gets kissed to ring in the New Year.

  “Five.” Every person in the bar is calling out the numbers with the DJ but us. We’re too lost in each other and what’s about to happen to speak.

  Setting his drink down on the bar and keeping his eyes locked on mine, Bruno steps closer.

  I swallow down the lump that’s formed in my throat and release my hand from the glass on the bar. My fingertips tingle at the thought of touching him, and my skin’s on fire from the heat his body’s throwing off.

  “Three.”

  His eyes darken, and he towers over me when we’re just inches apart. He invades my senses. The warmth of his body and the musky spice of his skin wrap themselves around me and make my head spin.

  “Two.”

  Fuck, we’re going to kiss. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since Jimmy Tartaglia kissed me back in seventh grade. I lick my lips and ready myself for a quick kiss from the most handsome man in the bar.

  “One. Happy New Year!” Balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling like rain, and people all around us start to hug before locking lips.

  Everything around us fades, and the cheering crowd becomes distorted and indistinguishable to my ears. When Bruno wraps his hand around my neck and pulls me to him, I melt. It’s like something out of a movie. His warm breath skims across my lips, and I can’t look away, caught in his bedroom eyes as he stares at me.

  I’m intoxicated by his nearness, fucking drunk on this hunk of a man who’s about to kiss me. When his lips touch mine, I close my eyes and lose myself in him. At first, the kiss is tentative and soft, but it grows hungrier and more demanding with each passing second.

  My arms wrap around his neck, and my fingertips rest just below his hairline, tracing the soft skin of his neck as he pulls me closer. When his tongue sweeps across my lips, I open to him and get my first taste of him. He’s sweet with a hint of Jack on his velvet tongue as it dances with mine in the most erotic tango.

  His hard chest crushes my breasts, and there’s no space between us. What I thought was going to be a simple, friendly kiss has turned into something more, and I’m not sure I can stop myself even if he pulls away.

  I don’t know how long we stand there, entangled with each other as we ravage each other’s mouth. I inhale the air he feeds me and feel my already foggy brain becoming hazier. The man kisses perfectly. Just the right amount of tongue without being sloppy or careless, and his full lips press against mine with enough force that I know he wants more.

  When he finally pulls back, I feel like I’ve been sucker-punched. I want to believe it’s the alcohol, but it’s him.

  “Wanna get out of here?” he asks only inches from my lips.

  The only thing that comes to mind is the word yes, but I’m too shaky after such an earth-shattering kiss, so I just nod my head.

  “Do you need to tell your friend?”

  I hold up a finger and reach for my purse, but I end up knocking it on the floor. I bend over, coming face-to-face with a bulge in his pants so big that I’m a bit scared. The man is not only built like a Greek god, but his cock is something that can’t be described, and I haven’t even seen it unleashed.

  I type a quick message to Bec and let her know I’m leaving. I don’t tell her where I’m headed or whom I’m going with because she’ll freak out and make a big deal out of it. I want something just for me without having to rehash it for weeks.

  “I’m ready,” I say, jamming my phone back into my purse as I stand. My heart’s beating so hard it’s trying to climb out through my throat. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so nervous.

  I’m going home with Bruno… Oh my fucking god!

  ***

  Chapter 3

  Bruno

  “You going to drink that?” Callie asks, pointing at the bottle of Jack on the nightstand that has about a finger’s worth left. Her words are slurred, and her eyes are tiny slits.

  When we got back to my place, we continued drinking and haven’t stopped talking. It’s not what usually happens when I bring a woman back here, but Callie seems different. There’s goodness in her that I haven’t seen in others.

  Reaching over and grabbing the bottle, I set it in my lap. “No, but are you sure you want it?”

  “I’m sure.” She smiles lazily and reaches for the bottle.

  I yank it away, putting it just out of reach. “I think maybe you’ve had enough.” I’ve lost count of the number of drinks either of us has consumed, but I know tomorrow I’m going to feel it.

  She blinks, but her eyes don’t close together. “I’m a big girl.” She leans over my body and wraps her hand around the Jack. “Give it to me.”

  “You shouldn’t say such things to me. I’m liable to take it the wrong way.” I smirk down at her beautiful, angelic face.

  With her chest against mine, she moves her lips near mine, staring into my eyes. “Maybe I want you to take it that way.”

  “I’m not a good guy,” I tell her because I’m not sure she really has a grasp on the truth about me.

  Her blue eyes search mine. “I know. I’ve heard things about you.” There’s a playfulness to her words.

  I’m resisting the urge to kiss her, and it’s driving me wild. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

  Her chest slides against mine as she crawls into my lap with a sly grin. “You’re nothing like I thought.”

  My hands find her ass. “What did you think?”

  “I don’t know.” She touches my bottom lip with her finger and traces the edge. “Not this.”

  “We don’t have to do this.” But it’s all I want. I’ve never wanted anyone more.

  “I want to.” She moves her mouth closer, hovering just out of reach. “Unless you don’t want to.”

  My fingers dig into the fleshy part of her ass and pull her tightly against my hard cock. “Baby, it’s all I can think about.”

  “Take me,” she whispers against my lips.

  A growl sounds in my throat, and I don’t need her to repeat her demand to make it happen. My fingers tangle in her hair, and I crush my lips to hers. I’m drunk, but not just on alcohol—Callie has made everything fuzzy, and the nearness of her has my brain on the fritz.

  If I were thinking clearly, I’d know this was a bad idea. But my aching cock, Jack Daniel’s, and her words make it hard not to act.

  All I can do is feel.

  Her softness.

  Her touch.

  Her breath brushing against my face with each moan.

  Her warmth against my body.

  There’s no room for anything else but that. Her hands slip under my shirt, and her fingernails press into my skin, sending chills everywhere.

  It’s all a whirlwind. Through blurry eyes and with tingling skin, we paw at each other, losing ourselves in each kiss and touch. I lose sight of where she begins and I end. We’re that consumed in each other—lost in a haze of passion and liquor.

  My mind is barely functioning, and every thought other than her vanishes.

  It’s pure, animalistic pleasure driving me forward, removing her clothing, and kissing her newly exposed skin. We’re both naked before long, and she’s under me. I’m nudging her legs open and settling on top of her.

  “Are you sure?” I whisper against her mouth.

  “Yes,” she says in the breathiest tone that conveys nothing but the same carnal want I feel. She pulls my face down to hers and seals her mouth over mine.

  Inching slowly inside of her, I wait for her body to adjust before slipping farther inside. Her legs wrap around my body, locking me against her, as if I
were going to slip away.

  We move together in perfect rhythm, pushing and pulling with each stroke. I’m cradling her body in my arms, one arm wrapped behind her back holding her around the waist, and the other under her shoulders as I pump into her.

  Time becomes a blur, and the sound of everything but us disappears. It’s only the two of us in this moment, consumed by each other and full of so much pleasure that I feel like my entire body is on fire.

  When she shatters in my arms, screaming her orgasm into my mouth, I fall too—joining her in the most electrifying release of my life. My body’s shaking, and sweat covers my skin as I rest my forehead against hers. I’m sucking in air, trying to find my breath, but it escapes me.

  She’s doing the same. Lost in the abyss of pleasure, floating somewhere between nirvana and reality but unsure where one begins and the other ends.

  I collapse next to her and close my eyes. She curls into my side, and for the first time in years, I feel calm and happy. I’m not sure how long we’re like this, but she crawls on top of me, rubbing her body against mine and whispering dirty things in my ear.

  Like I’m on autopilot, I grip her hips and move her body in a way to bring us both crashing over the edge again, faster than before.

  Both of us are too drunk to care that we just fucked twice without protection. We’re too busy trying to find our breath again and make the room stop spinning.

  We whisper to each other, confessing things about ourselves that we’ve never shared with others.

  “I’m not who people think,” I say, but it barely seems real.

  Her hand trails down my middle until coming to a rest just above my belly button. “Who are you?”

  “I’m one of the good guys. I just pretend to be Bruno.” The words slip from my lips easily with so much Jack in my system. If my mind were clear, I would never utter those words to anyone.

  “I’m not such a good girl either,” she tells me. “I’m kind of a bitch sometimes.”

  “It’s not the same, Callie.” My arm pulls her body closer to my side, and I bury my lips in her hair. “I’m an asshole to most people, but there’s a whole side of me you don’t know.”