Negligee Behavior (10 page)

“The hell you do.”

Brandy blinked at the anger in his voice. Since he wouldn’t let go, she walked toward the entrance to the store before he created a scene—tugging him along after him.

Outside in the overwhelming heat, she turned on him with a determined glare.

“Listen to me. I need time to think.” She held up her hand when he began to argue. “And if you love me like you say you do—”
and God help me if you do,
“then you’ll give me this time.”

“Okay, you’re not making sense. I think we should go back to L.A. and see Doctor—”

“No. God, why aren’t you listening to me, Gordon? I need time.” Sweat beaded on her forehead and she took a few steps away from him. “I’m going to be real honest, you’re scaring me a bit.”

“Is this about the girl in the room? I promise—”

“No. Though that had to be the most screwed up thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” She shook her head and made a face. “I’m not sure we can fix this, Gordon. But if you even want one iota of consideration from me you’ll back the heck off and give me space.”

His face contorted into a shocking mask of rage before he wiped his hands down it and made an obvious attempt at patience.

“Listen, love muffin. You’re going to get your ass—”

“Everything okay, Brandy?” Val came jogging across the street and paused in front of them. She grinned and dropped her cigarette onto the ground, snuffing it out.

“Val.” Relief washed through her and she gripped the other woman’s hand. “We need to go. To those other shops across town.”

Val gave her a scrutinizing look and then nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Hold on a minute.” Gordon reached for her, but Val stepped between them.

“She’ll give you a call later, buddy. Maybe.” Leaning forward, her voice took on an edge. “But obviously right now she’s not in the mood to chat.”

Good lord, how embarrassing was it that she needed this petite little thing to defend her? But darn if she wasn’t grateful.

Val ushered her away from the store and back to her car.

“You know that guy?”

“Yes,” Brandy muttered. “I was dating him…think that’s over now.”

“Good call.” Val looked over her shoulder back at Gordon. “He’s creepy. And I’d bet my last cigarette he’s going to try and follow us. But don’t worry, I’ll lose him.”

Brandy gave a soft laugh, some of the tension dissipating. But she had to admit Val probably hit the nail on the head. Something wasn’t right with Gordon, and she really didn’t want to stick around to find out what.

Marco finished mixing up a Redheaded Slut and set the drink down in front of the woman standing at the bar.

“Thanks, hon.” She winked, tossing her platinum hair and went back to join her friends who’d come in for lunch.

She was cute, and a week ago he probably would have gotten her number. But today she did very little for him, she seemed too overdone. Too plastic.

In fact, all the woman at the table looked the same in their various styled black clothing and matching haircuts. Which wasn’t exactly a surprise. It was like half the women in Vegas were just clones of one another: blonde, fake tits, way too predictable.

Now Brandy. Brandy was like the antinorm. She was original, sort of like Val, but in her own conservative way. Maybe that’s why he was somewhat stuck on her. Whoever she was.

The earlier conversation with Val had been running through his head all day. Who the hell was she?

He checked the clock at the end of the bar. Three-thirty, they should be back any minute now.

The door swung open and he looked up to the entrance, hoping it would be them. No such luck.

Sebastian strode in and came straight to the counter, swinging one leg over a stool and sitting down.

“And how are things today? Is Val sick again?”

“Nope. She’s better today and came in here earlier to pick up her paycheck.”

“Champion.” Sebastian scanned the bar. “Ah, look at the table of chits over there. Don’t they look lovely?”

“Go for it. You’re not on the clock yet.”

“Ah, but you see even if I was,” Sebastian murmured, his accent coming out more. “I own the bar. I can do whatever the fuck I want, mate.”

“Co-own the bar. I believe that hole in my mass money market account would indicate that part of this place belongs to me.”

“Ah, right you are, my friend.”

Sebastian smiled at the group of giggling women who were watching them both at the bar.

“So where’s Fräulein Maria?”

Marco narrowed his eyes, refusing to be needled. “Brandy is out shopping for new clothes.”

“Ah, by herself?”

“Nope. With Val.”

“Are you shitting me? Val and Brandy?” Sebastian’s mouth twisted and he gave a short nod. “Interesting.”

“Val said something to me before she left.”

“Ah, she wants to shag you, doesn’t she?”

Marco laughed and shook her head. “No, you idiot, she doesn’t want to shag me.”

“But Brandy does.” Sebastian gave him a knowing look.

Marco grew serious. “Yes, I’m pretty sure Brandy does.”

“So why is that such a problem?”

Good question. And the only answer he had seemed pretty flimsy. “She’s vulnerable. Forty-eight hours ago she was standing at that altar ready to get married.”

“If the lass wants to shag you and you want to shag her, than I fail to see the problem.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Sure it is.” Sebastian leaned forward, steepling his hands on the bar. “You know what this is? This is your conscience coming out.”

Marco’s blood rushed faster and sweat broke out on the back of his neck. “No. I really don’t have a conscience. Never have. Which is why I made such a damn good defense attorney.”

“Everyone has a conscience, Marco. If you think about it, that conscience is exactly why you left your other career.” Sebastian shrugged. “Not that everyone you defended was actually guilty. You have to realize that deep down inside you’re not as big of a badass as you’d like to believe yourself to be.”

“I don’t want to have this conversation. Not today, not tomorrow and not even yesterday,” Marco grumbled, uneasy about going down that past emotional path. “In fact I did have a point before you steered this talk toward sex.”

“Ah, well then I apologize. You know I’m an activist for a healthy sex life.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of that.” Marco went to pour himself a glass of water.

Sebastian’s comments had gotten under his skin, like it or not. A few years ago he’d thought he’d known what he wanted in life. Had finally reached a place where he’d convinced himself he wanted to be. But he’d been fooling himself. Himself and his family. And he doubted his dad would ever forgive him for his choices.

“So what was your question then? Before I so rudely changed the subject.”

“Right. My question.” Marco took a drink of water and set the glass down on the counter. He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the counter. “Does Brandy look familiar to you?”

“Familiar? Well she worked here all last night, so I’m fairly certain I’d recognize the lass if I saw her walking down the street.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Right. Well, just having a bit of sport. No, I’d never seen her before last night. Not that I’m aware of anyway.”

“Hmm.”

“Why, what’s the deal?”

Marco shrugged. “No clue. Val made some kind of comment about me having no idea who Brandy was. Seemed to think it was the funniest thing in the world.”

“Are you serious?” Sebastian’s eyebrows rose. “Like we should know who she is or something?”

“Apparently.”

“Hmm.” Sebastian pursed his lips. “Who the hell is she?”

“No clue. A choir teacher, I thought.” He frowned, something pricking at his memory. “I’ve got it. She’s not just a choir teacher. She was getting married to that dentist on the reality show.”

“Which reality show?”

“
New You
.”

“Ah, that show is crap if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah it is. But is that it? Could that be what Val was trying to tell me? It seems a little bit anticlimactic.”

“Nice word choice, mate.”

“Shut it.” He shook his head. “There has to be more. I’m not convinced that there’s not more.”

“Well, you could just ask her.” Sebastian’s smile turned wicked. “Or lock Val in the walk-in freezer until she promises to tell you all she knows.”

“I’m liking that second option.” Marco stood and headed towards the back. “I’ll be back in a few. I’m going to check with Dave and see if he’s ready for the evening.”

“Try this on too.”

Brandy dodged the shirt that flew over the door of her dressing room and then scooped it up off the floor. It was tiny, black and the word
Bitch
in silver glitter graced the front.

“Um, Val, I’m not sure this is my style,” she called weakly from the safety of her room.

Her idea of going shopping at some trendy retail outlets had died a painful death. After that unsettling run-in with Gordon, Val had dragged her into every thrift shop and alternative store in Vegas. Despite protesting every item Val had tossed her way, the girl continued to bring them to her to try on.

In two hours of shopping Brandy had only purchased one long plaid skirt that she’d found for cheap.

She’d also begged Val to stop at a Sugar and Spice, and had made a lightening quick trip inside to pick up a good amount of panties and bras to get her through the next few weeks, or however long she’d be hiding out. Fortunately the girl ringing her up hadn’t even batted an eye when she’d told them who she was.

She fingered the newest top Val had brought her and sighed. Why try it on when there was absolutely no way she planned to buy it?

Her dressing room door flew open and she shrieked, covering herself with the tiny excuse for a shirt.

“Okay, here’s the deal.”

“Shut the door! I’m naked!”

“You’re not naked.” Val rolled her eyes but obediently closed the door to the dressing room. “You’ve got a bra and underwear on.”

“That’s pretty much naked!”

“In my world that’s considered overdressed.”

Brandy tugged the shirt on, her cheeks burning with a blush.

“Okay, Brandy, we need to talk.”

“About what?” She gave Val a suspicious look while pulling on a short skirt from the stack of clothes she hadn’t yet tried on.

“You and this matronly image you insist on presenting to the world.”

Brandy hesitated in zipping up the skirt. “What do you mean by matronly?”

“The way you dress, Brandy. My grandmother has better fashion sense than you do.”

Brandy blinked in disbelief. “I’m sorry, but I think this
Bitch
shirt might be better suited to you.”

“Very well put.” Val laughed. “I like this side of you. I knew you had a little bit of fire buried under that perfectly polite personality.”

“Val! I have fire.” Oh God, had she just yelled that?
I have fire?
Who the heck yells
I have fire?

“Yes, you do.” Val folded her arms across her chest. “You wear undergarments that would make a whore blush, yet you insist on covering yourself from head to toe in the frumpiest clothes.”

Her blush deepened. They were going to talk about her underwear? Oh God, this had gone from bad to worse. “Well, the undergarments I can explain,” she muttered, raising a hand to her forehead.

Val softened. “I know you can, Brandy. Actually, let’s just get that out. I know.”

Brandy hesitated. How much did Val know? “You…you know?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip and looked away.

“Yes, Brandy, I know exactly who you are,” Val went on seriously. “And I was hoping you could hook me up with that purple satin-and-lace garter belt that just came out in the summer collection. That shit is hot, but way out of my price range.”

Relief flooded through her. It had happened. Someone now knew who she was, and hadn’t called the trashiest tabloid to cash in on her.

“I’m sure I can get you one,” she promised with a smile and sat down on the lone chair in the room. “So you know my little secret. Did you…did you tell Marco or Sebastian?”

“No. They don’t have a clue, but they’ll figure it out. You’re all over the local news.” Val went to the mirror and toyed with her hair. “So, you’re kind of hot for Marco, aren’t ya?”

“Hot for him?”

“Yeah, meaning you’d like him to be boning you.”

She gave a weak laugh. “Oh. Yes, I suppose I would. Am I that obvious?”

“Yes. And then some.” Val tweaked her purple bangs and then turned back around. “Unless you guys are already boning?”

Brandy’s shoulders sagged. “No. I wish. He’s kissed me a couple of times, and…” She bit her lip.
I will not tell her about him grabbing my breasts.
“And fooled around a bit, but he never seems to want to take it further.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me. Nobody wants to sleep with a woman who reminds them of their grandma.”

“Oh! Will you stop with the grandma reference already? I get it. Nobody likes my shirt.”

“It’s not just the shirt.” Val sighed. “You’ve just got to realize something. Marco is a bit rough around the edges. He likes his women a little more…”

“Bad girl?” She wrinkled her nose.

“No, you don’t have to be bad necessarily. But you are going to loosen up a little.” She reached down and picked up Brandy’s cat shirt. “I was kidding about the grandma comment, but it has a little bit of truth to it. He’s going to feel like he’s taking advantage of you when you’ve got such a squeaky clean image.”

“Squeaky clean?”

“You could’ve been a cast member of
The Brady Bunch
.” Val waggled a finger at her. “But that’s easily changed—if you let me play dress up with you. I mean, check yourself out in that outfit, Brandy.”

Brandy chewed her lip and looked at herself in the mirror for the first time—really looked at the outfit she was wearing. Her jaw went slack and air left her lungs in a rush.

“That’s right. You look hot. You have a great rack, Brandy. That shirt will make the boys go nuts. Marco, especially.”

“Do you think so?” She twisted to the side and glanced over her body. “My breasts don’t look too…?”

“Big? Honey, they are what they are. You’ve got big knockers. Stop hiding them.”

Brandy couldn’t tear herself away from her reflection. Yes, her breasts really did look big under the shirt, but they didn’t look bad. They looked…sexy. She had curves. Curves she’d always tried to hide under the baggy shirts. Curves she’d resented after growing up watching the tall, stick-thin Sugar and Spice models.

“Here,” Val kneeled down and adjusted the denim skirt, pushing it a bit higher. “And you’ve got great legs too. Show them off a little instead of covering every square inch.”

She stood back up and they both stared at her new outfit in the mirror.

Val squeezed her shoulder. “Well, what do you think?”

“It’s amazing. I think I like it. I do look a little sexier.”

“A little? Honey, that eight dollars in tips yesterday will be a joke when you clock off tonight. You are going to be a popular girl at the bar.”

Brandy squealed and did a little dance, excited about the idea of being considered a sexy girl in the room. She sobered quickly when she looked at the shirt again.

“Although, Val, I’m not sure how I feel about profanity on my shirt.”

“So we’ll find you one without it. There’re plenty of options.” Val grinned. “In fact, now that I know you’re up for a makeover, let me pick out a few more outfits.”

A makeover? Brandy’s mouth parted in surprise. Yes, that’s essentially what this was. And surprisingly, she wasn’t too bugged by the idea. In fact, it would aid her in the effort to stay low profile. Everyone would be looking for the old Brandy. Nobody would recognize her if she went all out and got made over.

“Val?” She stopped the other woman before she could open the door.

“Yup?”

“Do you think we have time to get my hair cut too?”

Val laughed and winked. “You read my mind, kid.”

Marco pushed through the swinging doors that led from the kitchen to the front of the bar, hoping the ladies were back by now. He was considering a quick chat with Brandy before she clocked in.

Sebastian must have turned the music up, because classic rock blared from the speakers throughout the bar. It helped add to the relaxed end of the weekend atmosphere that lingered throughout the room.

Marco walked around the floor, checking just how full up they were. He caught sight of purple hair weaving through the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. Well there was one less worry off his back, Val was here now. Although he didn’t see Brandy anywhere.

Hmm. But there, of course, was Sebastian flirting with some young sexy woman. He shook his head. Although, he had to give Sebastian credit for straying from his usual blondes.

This woman was all curves and had no fear of showing them. In fact, she was probably the sexiest woman in the bar hands down right now.

This was the type of women he used to lust after, before his tastes had changed to the more drab look Brandy sported. Marco let his attention linger on her.

Long legs clad in fishnet stockings stretched out from beneath a tiny black miniskirt. Her profile was to him and he could see her full breasts pressed against the tiny white tank top.

A hand rested on her hip and she tucked a curl of her short hair behind her ear. Sebastian said something and she giggled in response.

The sound sent a frisson of unease through him. That laugh…

“She looks hot, huh?” Val came up behind him and elbowed him in the side.

No. It couldn’t be. “Who looks hot?” The words were just a formality. He knew who it was now.

The woman, still laughing, turned and looked toward the bar where he and Val were standing. Those familiar blue eyes, now heavily outlined with makeup, narrowed slightly.

Blood rushed through his veins, pounded in his head and caused his vision to blur
. No way.

“So what do you think? We shopped all…” Val was trying to speak to him, but her words sounded distorted and slow in his ears.

Without realizing he’d taken a step, he moved closer to them until he could hear her and Sebastian’s conversation.

Brandy giggled. “I know, I look—”

“Like one of those teachers that a teenage boy wants to shag,” Sebastian finished for her.

Her mouth rounded and Marco watched a blush steal up her cheeks. Which was probably the only thing that convinced him it was truly Brandy.

“I was actually just going to say that I look a little different.” She gave that familiar shy smile. “But thank you, Sebastian. I think.”

Sebastian leaned forward and whispered something into her ear and her expression turned hesitant.

Total, unwarranted jealousy exploded inside Marco and he strode the last few steps toward them.

Brandy’s gaze drifted his way and she must have seen the fury on his face, because she gasped and took a few frantic steps backward.

Sebastian stepped in front of his path, placing himself between Marco and Brandy.

“Hello, mate. Brandy was just about to start her shift. Why don’t you let her be for now?”

Marco’s jaw went rigid. “Why don’t
you
step aside?”

“Marco.”

“Step aside.”

Sebastian hesitated, his eyes narrowing. He cursed and spun away, leaving Brandy wide open.

“We need to talk.”

“Oh. Now? Are you sure? I already clocked in.” Her tongue darted out and ran over glossy red lips. “Perhaps you should wait for my break?”

“Perhaps not. Now, Brandy.” He reached out to grab her wrist and then cursed, fisting his hands against his side so he wouldn’t touch her. “I want to see you in the back office.”

He waited for her to give a hesitant nod and then she walked past him toward the back. He glanced down at the tight leather skirt and cursed.
That ass
. In the hotel room he’d got a good feel of her hips, but hadn’t imagined this. That ass could not belong to Brandy.

“Damn, Marco, where’d you find that sweet little thing?”

“Watch it.” Marco turned a fierce glare on one of regulars.

The man lifted his hands in the air with a laugh. “Sorry, buddy. Didn’t realize she was off-limits.”

Marco bit back a growl and set off after Brandy. He slammed through the double doors that led to the back, sending them smashing into the wall.

Dave shot him an alarmed look and nearly dropped the burger he’d just lifted onto a spatula.

Ignoring him, Marco strode back to the office and shut the door behind him. Still steaming, he went behind the desk and sat down in the refined leather chair.

Brandy sat on the other side of the desk, her hands folded primly on her knees and a confused expression on her face.

“Marco? What’s going on?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, picturing her again in the cat shirt, hoping it would settle his blood pressure. Make his dick a little less hard.

“Marco?”

He opened his eyes. Short, glossy curls framed her face. The makeup she had on made all her features more defined. Why hadn’t he noticed how pretty her pale blue eyes were before?

Her cheeks seemed to have a glow to them, and her lips…What before had been the one exotic feature on her face was now downright sinful.

She was utterly gorgeous.

“Val gave me a bit of a makeover.” She shifted in her heels, as if she still weren’t quite used to them. “Do you think it’s too much?”

“Yes.” The word erupted from him.

Her expression crumpled into complete devastation. “Oh.”

“Why did you do it, Brandy?”

“I wanted to be…” She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say more. Finally she looked down and gave a stiff shrug. “Because I thought it was time for a change.”

He gave her another once-over. Not only was she wearing the tiny leather skirt, but the tank top was so thin that it clearly showed her peaked nipples beneath her bra.

If she walked back out there, with all those curves barely covered up, she’d be like the last beer on Super Bowl Sunday. She’d have every man in the joint fighting over her.

He shook his head, knowing and not caring that he was about to get seriously out of line. “I can’t let you go back out there looking like that. Where’s the cat shirt?”

“The cat shirt?” Her cheeks filled with color, uncertainly flickered in her eyes. “I thought you hated it.”

“No. It’s fucking great. Put it back on.”

She hesitated and then lifted her chin. “I think this new look gives me a sexier image. Which should be good for business. Val said—”

“I don’t really care what Val said.” And damn it, she did look sexy. But who the hell was she was trying to look sexy for?