“Looks like a dead drummer to me.”
“Oh, leave him be,” Asher told him mildly enough as he grabbed a napkin and wiped away his mess. “I told him to mess with you.”
But Ten was already climbing over the bar toward me, looking determined to maim.
Holy shit. I lurched in reverse, my eyes bugging with worry. But damn, one night in public, and two guys had already threatened to beat my ass.
Were men always this punchy?
Asher held up a hand and stepped between us. “Relax,” he ordered, his voice harsh. “Sticks is gay. He won’t seriously mess with Caroline.”
Ten jerked to a stop and sent Asher an incredulous glance before he turned back to me and narrowed his gaze into a suspicious scowl. “He didn’t sound very gay with the shit he was spouting about her.”
I held up both my hands. “I am. Trust me. I think you’re hotter than your wife is. Swear to God.” And just because it really had been fun to rile him, I stared after his wife and shrugged. “I mean, sure, she’s got a nice rack and all.” The perfect shape and size to drive a girl like me absolutely jealous. “But I’d rather see what you’re packing behind that zipper of yours.”
I turned back to send a meaningful leer to the front of his pants and noticed, huh, dude was sporting a nice-sized bulge. Maybe Jodi had been onto something when she’d made my man panties.
Ready for Ten to go all homophobe on me and tell me to back up off him, I was surprised when he merely grinned. “Hell, yes, you’d like to know.” He pointed to his fly. “This is a one-of-a-kind, grade-A awesome cock, right here.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Asher muttered.
Ten lifted an eyebrow and challenged him with a look. “What? Caroline can’t keep her hands off it. Or her mouth. Her * loves it too.” Then he finally narrowed his attention back on me. “And you...don’t even get near it, gay boy.”
Finally getting the response I’d been seeking, I grinned and winked at him.
He frowned even harder. But a split second later, a new grin broke across his face. Nudging my arm, he coaxed, “You think I’m hotter than Hart, don’t you? Come on, you can admit it.”
“Ehh...” Not that I wanted Asher to know just how attracted to him I was, but I kind of gave myself away with the incredulous look I sent Ten. So, since I’d already screwed myself, I just went with it and mildly answered, “I wouldn’t go that far.”
It wasn’t my intention to make Asher uncomfortable, but I just couldn’t lie about this. Too afraid to glance his way and check his expression, I focused my scowl on Ten for putting me in this position.
“Oh, whatever. I have a way better ass than he does.” He turned to let me see his backside.
I looked. I mean, how could I not? A hot guy was purposely showing me his tush bundled up in a pair of jeans, and yeah, he definitely had it going on back there. But even with the nice curvature Ten provided, there was just something about Asher’s cute, tight little buns of steel, framed within his narrow hips, that appealed to me more.
So I said, “No. You really don’t.”
Ten scowled. “Oh, whatever. You suck.”
Next to me, Asher roared with laughter. It was one of those open-bodied laughs where a guy had to tip his head back to let all the sound out. Beyond relieved that he wasn’t bothered by the things I’d just said about him, I grinned his way.
He smiled back and tapped me on the arm. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the guys. Don’t worry, they aren’t quite so...Ten.”
“Which means they’re lame,” Ten called as he hopped back behind the bar and turned to a customer waiting for service.
Asher and I weaved our way to the other end of the bar where a group of couples were gathered, Caroline—who I hated a lot less now that I knew she wasn’t Asher’s girlfriend—included.
“Guys.” He waved his hand, gaining the attention of about half a dozen people. “This is Sticks, the new drummer. I thought I’d introduce all new band members to you from now on, in case he turned out to be related to anyone.”
I glanced at him for that odd comment, but it made the others laugh.
And the finger-pointing began. “That’s Mason and Reese. Mason also works here, but it’s his night off. Same thing with Knox right there. And that lovely thing at his side is Felicity, who is a waitress here. Caroline, you’ve already met. We’re missing three more of the ladies, Eva, Zoey, and Aspen, because they opted to stay home with kiddos this evening. But I think Pick is around somewhere...”
He glanced toward the opening of the back hall before a voice spoke from our left, saying, “Right here.”
Asher and I both whirled that way, and I found a hot man smiling at me with a pierced lip and eyebrow ring.