As Aspen snagged hers and began to chug, I hooked my thumb Ten’s way. “Noel, I can’t even begin to imagine why you let this guy marry your sister.”
He sighed and sent Ten a hard scowl as if to ask what he’d said about Caroline this time. But Ten only grinned.
Noel turned back to me. “Unfortunately, he snuck her off behind my back, and they eloped.”
My eyebrows spiked. “Really?”
Noel motioned to Ten. “Why do you think half his face is so mangled?”
Ten snorted. “Oh, whatever, fucker. You only wish you could make this much art.” Glancing at me, he said, “I fell into a river.”
“Ahh.” I sipped on my straw, studying his scars. There really did seem to be an artistic bent to them. And the coloring was... Wait. “Do you have a black eye?”
He sent me a proud smirk. “You like it? I swear, this is my favorite shiner yet.”
I shook my head, confused. “Huh?”
“Ten has a habit of getting black eyes from people,” Aspen explained before she glanced at him. “Who gave you this one?”
“Hmm. Sorry, that’s confidential.” His gaze strayed to the new guy. “But I’ll tell you...I’m seriously impressed with his right hook.”
I glanced that way too, but the bartender’s back was to us as he counted out bills from the cash register. He seemed massively wide. And his arms... God, those things were ridiculous. If he’d been the one to throw the punch, then I didn’t doubt Ten; I bet he could pack a mean blow.
I turned back to my crew when Asher stamped another kiss to my cheek. “I gotta get back to work,” he announced. “But really, I can be next in line if you want. I have good teeth, a pretty smile, and the best damn singing voice you’ll ever hear.”
I laughed and shoved at his arm, because I knew he was as serious about dating me as Ten was about making me his number three. These guys thought of me as a sister, someone to tease and protect. Not girlfriend material. “Get back to work, Rock Star,” I told him.
He grinned and saluted me, then took off. Ten disappeared seconds later, leaving Aspen and me at the bar to get back to work on our drinks. We talked and laughed and after another Godzilla-sized Bahama Mama each, we danced. Mason bumped into us at one point, and even he had to give me a hug in sympathy, telling me he’d send his woman Reese around to cheer me up sometime.
Hours later, I decided I loved this place. I loved the noise and music, and every single one of the hunky brotherly bartenders who went out of their way to cheer me up. I sat slumped on a stool at the bar, leaning a little too heavily against Aspen as I polished off my umpteenth drink and made a decision. Since this was an important enough declaration, I had to lift a proprietary finger into the air as I made it. “Tha’s it. I’m done with men. Forever and ever.”
“That new bartender keeps checking you out,” Aspen slurred into my ear, not listening to a freaking word I’d just said.
“Huh?” I glanced over, but he was already in the process of turning away. I scowled at his backside, even though he had a nice one. A very nice one. Hmm. It figured. I think only the sexiest men alive were allowed to bartend at Forbidden. It had to be some kind of decree written somewhere, or something.
My drinking buddy nudged my elbow. “So? What do you think? I think he’s yummy.”
I sent her an incredulous glance because I’d never heard her appreciate anyone’s sexiness except Noel’s before, and every freaking bartender who worked at Forbidden was hotter than sin.
When she wiggled her eyebrows, letting me know she’d had one too many to drink, I snorted out a laugh. Aspen was adorable and hilarious when she drank.
She leaned into me and whispered loudly, “I think you should ask him if you can ride his disco stick. You know, to help you repound from Cameron.”
I snorted and slapped a hand over my mouth. “You mean, rebound?”
“Tha’s what I said.” Her brow crinkled with confusion. “Wasn’t it?”