Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(53)

“I’m sure you’d love it if I got drunk.”

“Only if you promise to offer to suck my dick and swallow my come again.”

“Whoa!” Beck’s voice echoed through the club before I could answer. “Should I come back in a few minutes?”

“Oh my god!” I shoved West away from me, my cheeks flaming, and slammed my legs shut. My hands came up to cover my face and I bent forward while the bastard just laughed his ass off.

“I probably should have said that a little quieter,” he managed to eke out through each deep chuckle.

“You think?” I half shrieked at him. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life, West!”

Beck came into my line of sight, a mad grin on his face. “Enthusiasm in the bedroom. I have a lot of time for that. Especially when a woman’s as enthusiastic on her knees as she is on my face.”

Oh. My. God.

I’d been unwittingly dragged into the lair of two sex-mad men who had no problem embarrassing every woman nearby.

“Sorry,” Beck said. “We’re used to shameless hussies trying to pull our pants down. This blushing thing is new.” He reached forward and lightly poked my flaming cheek. “How does it stop? Is there a button?”

I hit his fingers away and buried my face in my hands.

“Aw, damn. You looked cute as f*ck.”

I kicked my leg out at him and connected with his shin.

West laughed as Beck let out a small stream of curses. “Leave her alone. She’s had a long day.”

“A long....enthusiastic day?” he asked.

I dropped my hands and glared at them both. “You want me to kick you again, Beck? I’ll show you enthusiasm.”

He leapt backward and held his hands out. “I’m good, gorgeous. Just teasing. It’s his fault.” He cocked his thumb toward West. “Now, I’ve got ideas and shit.”

“Yeah, well, keep your ‘ideas and shit’ to yourself.” West moved back toward me and grabbed my waist, pulling me down from the stage. It wasn’t particularly high, but whatever. He could do what he wanted, and he would. “Mia doesn’t need to hear about them.”

“Because you’ve already shared yours with her?” Beck retorted, his eyebrows raised.

“Do you want me to kick him again?” I asked West innocently, turning to face him.

He smiled at me, his eyes sparkling.

“I like her,” Beck announced, looking from me to West. “She’s feisty. Can we keep her?”

“Can you keep me?” My eyebrows shot up. “The hell am I? A puppy?”

“Don’t you have work to do?” West interjected, looking at him. “We need to get the month’s books to the accountant so everyone can be paid and I haven’t seen The Landing Strip’s.”

“Sheesh, Dad. I dropped it off to her this morning.”

“Her?”

“Yeah. Robert’s assistant. Nice girl.” Beck’s smile turned devilish. “I’ll find out how nice this week at dinner.”

West rolled his eyes then ran his hand down his face. “All right. Fine. I should have guessed that was the case. Do you have work to do or not?”

Beck’s gaze flitted to me. “Are you going to work?”

Jesus. It was like being in the middle of a childish argument.

“Yes,” West said tightly. “Fliers for the promotions. I want them here in a few days.”

“What about tonight? Are you working?”

“No. Tomorrow. That strange Monday night bachelorette party.” West ran his fingers through his hair. “Requested me, apparently.”

Lucky bitches.

But who had a bachelorette party on a Monday? That was the strangest thing I’d ever heard.

“Oh, and by the way, Beck,” West added, calling after him. “You’ll need to take over my shift here on Saturday night.”

“Why?” he frowned.

West looked at me, half smiling. “Someone’s taking me as a date to their best friend’s wedding.”

“You know he’s boring, right?” Beck asked me, pointing at him. “I’m the one you want to take to a wedding, not him.”

“Beck. Get out,” West ordered him. “Now.”

Beck walked to me and dropped a kiss on my cheek, watching West as his eyes narrowed. Then he disappeared without another word.

I stared at West. He was watching Beck go, and when the sound of the door shutting filled the air, he looked back to me. There was a small glint of possessiveness in his eyes, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

He dropped his head and put my things on the table. “Bastard’s doing it deliberately,” he muttered—mostly to himself.

“Doing what?”

“Flirting with you. Getting under my skin.”

“Oh. Right.” I sat at the table and opened my laptop. “Why is he doing that? I mean, I get the whole guy thing, but... Never mind. I’m rambling again.”

“He’s doing it to push me,” he said quietly, looking up and meeting my eyes. “Because he knows eventually I’ll give in.”

I was almost afraid to ask. “To what?”

“You’ll know if it happens.”