tense.
“I’ll get my own drink, thanks,” I say to him quietly, never taking my eyes off of my brothers.
The guy follows my stare and looks between my brothers and me, taking in the situation, and I wonder if it’s my imagination or if I see a ghost of a smile pass across his lips. “No, I insist,” he says, leaning closer to me, and I feel my heart beat a little faster in response. “I’m Brian,” he says after a beat, holding out his hand.
“Casey,” I reply, looking at his hand but not shaking it. “Casey Stone,” I tell him, and from his expression I can tell that he already knows who I am. “And if my brothers see someone from The Eagles talking to me, they’re not likely to be very happy, are they?” I ask him, smiling sweetly but enjoying the fact that I’ve seen right through his game. “So if you’re trying to piss them off, you’re doing a pretty good job so far,” I tell him.
“Smart and beautiful,” Brian says under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear. “You got me.” He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I may have come over here just to see if I could rile your brothers up a little bit, but that’s not why I’m still here,” he admits.
“And why is that?” I ask, looking up at him from under my dark lashes, smiling and knowing that I’m flirting with someone that there is no way my family would allow me to be seen with.
“Well, you’re pretty easy on the eyes to start with,” Brian replies, openly staring at my long legs and the denim mini-skirt that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. “And it turns out that you have a brain in that beautiful brunette head of yours,” he says, “and that’s rarer than you might think around here,” he adds a little bitterly.
Before I can agree and tell him that I can’t wait to get out of this place either, Aaron’s voice comes from behind me: “This guy bothering you Case?” he asks, looking threateningly at Brian. Aaron is eight years older than me; he’s head of the family and the oldest of the Stone boys.
“No, it’s fine, Aaron, he was just getting me a drink and then he was going to leave,” I say, looking pointedly at Brian.
“I hadn’t realized it was illegal to speak to a beautiful woman in this place,” Brian says lazily, like Aaron’s challenge isn’t even worth his time. But from the way he’s taking in his surroundings I can tell he’s figuring out his exit options in case things get too hairy.
“She’s not a ‘beautiful woman,’ she’s my sister,” Aaron replies, and I see my other two brothers start to get up from the table looking like they’re getting ready for action.
“Well gee, thanks big bro,” I joke, trying to diffuse the situation. “But Brian really is just about to leave,” I say firmly, looking at him. “Please go,” I whisper, quietly enough for Brian to hear me but no one else.
He looks down at me and for one dreadful, wonderful moment I think he may be about to kiss me. But he just gives me a gentle smile and steps away from the bar, raising his hands. “Great to meet you, Casey. Aaron—always a pleasure,” he says sarcastically and makes his way slowly out the door. I don’t start breathing again until I hear a motorbike engine roar into life and then drive away.
“You alright?” Jake, my middle brother asks as he quickly comes to my side with Max, and I’m suddenly surrounded by the full force of the Stone boys.
“I’m fine. You guys didn’t have to make such a big deal about it. We were just talking,” I tell them. I don’t add that I wanted to do way more than just talk to Brian.
“He’s an Eagle, Case, he shouldn’t even have been in here,” Jake tells me. “And I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
“I’m 21 guys, I’m not a kid anymore,” I remind them all, and I catch a look of understanding from Max. He’s my twin,
“I’ll get my own drink, thanks,” I say to him quietly, never taking my eyes off of my brothers.
The guy follows my stare and looks between my brothers and me, taking in the situation, and I wonder if it’s my imagination or if I see a ghost of a smile pass across his lips. “No, I insist,” he says, leaning closer to me, and I feel my heart beat a little faster in response. “I’m Brian,” he says after a beat, holding out his hand.
“Casey,” I reply, looking at his hand but not shaking it. “Casey Stone,” I tell him, and from his expression I can tell that he already knows who I am. “And if my brothers see someone from The Eagles talking to me, they’re not likely to be very happy, are they?” I ask him, smiling sweetly but enjoying the fact that I’ve seen right through his game. “So if you’re trying to piss them off, you’re doing a pretty good job so far,” I tell him.
“Smart and beautiful,” Brian says under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear. “You got me.” He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I may have come over here just to see if I could rile your brothers up a little bit, but that’s not why I’m still here,” he admits.
“And why is that?” I ask, looking up at him from under my dark lashes, smiling and knowing that I’m flirting with someone that there is no way my family would allow me to be seen with.
“Well, you’re pretty easy on the eyes to start with,” Brian replies, openly staring at my long legs and the denim mini-skirt that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. “And it turns out that you have a brain in that beautiful brunette head of yours,” he says, “and that’s rarer than you might think around here,” he adds a little bitterly.
Before I can agree and tell him that I can’t wait to get out of this place either, Aaron’s voice comes from behind me: “This guy bothering you Case?” he asks, looking threateningly at Brian. Aaron is eight years older than me; he’s head of the family and the oldest of the Stone boys.
“No, it’s fine, Aaron, he was just getting me a drink and then he was going to leave,” I say, looking pointedly at Brian.
“I hadn’t realized it was illegal to speak to a beautiful woman in this place,” Brian says lazily, like Aaron’s challenge isn’t even worth his time. But from the way he’s taking in his surroundings I can tell he’s figuring out his exit options in case things get too hairy.
“She’s not a ‘beautiful woman,’ she’s my sister,” Aaron replies, and I see my other two brothers start to get up from the table looking like they’re getting ready for action.
“Well gee, thanks big bro,” I joke, trying to diffuse the situation. “But Brian really is just about to leave,” I say firmly, looking at him. “Please go,” I whisper, quietly enough for Brian to hear me but no one else.
He looks down at me and for one dreadful, wonderful moment I think he may be about to kiss me. But he just gives me a gentle smile and steps away from the bar, raising his hands. “Great to meet you, Casey. Aaron—always a pleasure,” he says sarcastically and makes his way slowly out the door. I don’t start breathing again until I hear a motorbike engine roar into life and then drive away.
“You alright?” Jake, my middle brother asks as he quickly comes to my side with Max, and I’m suddenly surrounded by the full force of the Stone boys.
“I’m fine. You guys didn’t have to make such a big deal about it. We were just talking,” I tell them. I don’t add that I wanted to do way more than just talk to Brian.
“He’s an Eagle, Case, he shouldn’t even have been in here,” Jake tells me. “And I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
“I’m 21 guys, I’m not a kid anymore,” I remind them all, and I catch a look of understanding from Max. He’s my twin,
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