“Juli?” That name perked me to immediate attention. “Julianna’s here?”
I followed Asher’s gaze to a dimly lit table in the back corner that bordered the dance floor. It was empty save for one individual, one of the loveliest individuals to grace the planet.
I have no clue how she did it, but Julianna Radcliffe always managed to look equal parts disdainfully untouchable and wet-dream sexy.
Tonight, her dress was pure sin. She wore a long, strapless light gray number that had a front slit, exposing a perfectly toned leg most the way up her thigh and a bustier top that hugged proud, ample breasts. The paleness of her dress made the tone of her skin appear even darker than usual, which made my stomach knot with tension because I yearned to investigate all that dark, dark skin, see how it felt under my hands, how it tasted against my tongue, how it trembled when I stroked it.
Yet I knew without a shadow of a doubt there was no way that would ever happen because that lady right there was a ball-breaker. You could tell it by the straight-backed, poised way she held herself as if she might as well be behind a boardroom table, doling out punishments to her inferior subordinates, and by the way she had no tolerance for stupidity or players. I swear, her stare alone could shrivel a guy’s family jewels to impotent nothingness. I usually had the itching urge to cover my junk whenever I talked to her.
And yet she was an irresistible challenge to idiots like me. Not just because she was model-worthy stunning, which she was. Nothing on her was ever out of place. But because her flawlessness always struck me with the urge to mess her up…in the best ways possible. I felt the need to be the exception to the rule, the one who got past her defenses and scaled that impossible mountain of poise and perfection.
“Fuck,” Brandt groaned.
I glanced at him, forcing my brain back to the problem at hand, that being Julianna and her inability to take her eyes off my newly married brother.
“Hasn’t it been months since you and she were over?” I asked, confused.
He sent me a sharp glance. “Over? We never started. There’s nothing to be over. Juli and I didn’t even finish the one date we went on.”
Asher sniffed. “Well, it looks as if she’s still willing to finish it.”
“Dammit.” Brandt glanced toward his wife. “I hope Sarah doesn’t see her watching me. I don’t want anything upsetting her on our wedding day.”
Asher shook his head. “So, why’d you even invite Juli?”
“I work with her.” Brandt moodily tugged at the collar of his tux.
It seemed odd to me that someone so classically beautiful worked in a nightclub as a bartender. To me, Julianna clearly belonged on a runway, displaying the latest fashion, or—
“It would’ve been strange to invite everyone else from the club and leave her out. Besides, we’re still friends. She’s probably my favorite coworker.”
“Hey,” Asher muttered, offended since he occasionally bartended at the Forbidden Nightclub with Brandt too.
Brandt rolled his eyes. “You don’t count.”
But that only seemed to confuse Asher more. “Why don’t I count?”
Ignoring him, Brandt brought his hand up to his mouth so he could chew on his thumbnail. “We need to distract her somehow. Someone needs to...” Trailing off, he turned slowly toward me, and the intent in his gaze was pretty damn clear.
I paused mid-sip. “Wait, what? You can’t possibly want me to distract her?”
“You’re the one who’s always flirting with her,” he hissed.
“Because she hates it,” I muttered right back. “It’s fun to piss her off and watch her blood pressure boil.” And seriously, it was. Knowing I could make such a flawlessly controlled woman like her come unhinged was an adrenaline rush every time.
On any other night, I would’ve loved nothing better than to go bug her and watch her lose her shit. I always felt the need to flirt and smile at her every chance I got. But the truth was I don’t think anyone had ever hated my personable, charming personality or adorable grin as much as she did. And tonight was not a good night for me to take on that kind of abuse. I needed a pick-me-up, so I had other plans, like hot wedding hookups and complete, drunken misbehavior.
Babysitting my brother’s not-even-ex was not on the agenda.
Brandt didn’t seem to care. “Then go piss her off like you do. Just...anything to keep her attention away from me. Shit, I thought she was over me. She said that ship had sailed. Doesn’t that mean the woman’s lost interest?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, you moron. It means she’s trying to save face and make you think she’s lost interest because she knows you already have. Jesus, it’s like you don’t understand women at all.”
“Shut up, asshole.” He smacked me on the back of the head. “I understand Sarah, and that’s all I need to understand. Now go over there and make Juli forget I even exist.”