Something to Prove

She walked toward the front of the bar and stared at a crowd. Not a few people standing around, but an actual crowd. Tables and stools were filled. Waitresses delivered trays full of drinks.

She couldn’t believe it. It was only their first night.

Making her way to the bar, she scanned the area, wondering if Keith had come in yet. A loud laugh caught her attention and she turned. There was Colin, pouring a beer and laughing so hard she couldn’t understand how he didn’t spill.

“You’re making that up,” he said as he slid the beer in front of a patron.

“No, really. She couldn’t help herself,” the man responded.

Elizabeth moved closer, drawn in by Colin’s easy smile. He leaned on the edge of the bar.

“Tell me your secret,” he said.

The man drank from his beer, giving Elizabeth her opening. “Hey, how’s it going?”

Colin straightened and his already-too-big smile broadened. “Do you need to ask? We’re a hit.”

His smile was contagious, and she tried to rein hers in, but couldn’t. She shouldn’t think that an hour of being busy made them a success, but it at least set the tone, right? She could enjoy this.

“How?” she asked.

“I told you, when you have a big family, use them. Moira loves to talk. She’s a gossip queen. I set her loose on social networks and this is the result.” He swept his long arm out toward the room.

“I hope she knows how much you owe her.”

He swung and smacked a towel against Elizabeth’s leg. “I owe her nothing. She did it because she loves me.”

“Hey, Colin,” a coy voice sang across the bar.

Elizabeth turned in time to see a woman and her friend both wagging fingers at him. “Looks like everybody loves you.”

“What can I say?” He walked away to continue pouring drinks.

She’d known Colin was a huge flirt. It shouldn’t surprise her that he had a following. Elizabeth watched everyone come and go and realized that she didn’t have a purpose. She didn’t know how to mix drinks. She could probably take some orders and deliver them, but she’d never been a waitress.

Her relative uselessness took the wind out of her sails. She should be used to it by now. It was the same with every business. She didn’t know why she thought this one would be different. Just because she dressed differently didn’t change the outcome.

She was still the boss. She was just doing it in jeans and a T-shirt. At least in her suit, she knew how to behave. It was the equivalent of a uniform, like armor. People viewed her as the boss. Dressed like this, she wasn’t sure what people saw or expected. She wasn’t sure herself.

She quietly walked back to her office. This was where she belonged, but she itched to be out front.

It was an odd feeling; she normally didn’t enjoy the interactions that came with running a business. She messed with papers on her desk and paced in the small area, looking for a reason to go back to the customers.

Alternating between pacing and wandering, Elizabeth wasted time. She greeted customers as they took their seats and introduced herself. She worked the room. It wasn’t the kind of social interaction she enjoyed, but at least she felt like she was part of something. As the hours passed, both her feet and her cheeks began to ache, but she pushed through.

Colin moved ceaselessly. She didn’t think he took a break all night, but he seemed to be having the time of his life. He was definitely in his element.

After ten o’clock, the crowd began to thin, and the pace slowed. Colin had said he wouldn’t need the waitresses to stay past eleven, and it looked like he knew what he was talking about. The girls counted their tips and checked to see what else needed to be done before heading out.

Irritation pricked at her because they should’ve checked with her, not Colin. She was the boss. It was the one thing she did well. She tamped the feeling down, knowing Colin wasn’t trying to take control. He’d hired them, so it was natural that they would report to him. She even forced a smile as they made their way to the door.

Colin poured another round for a couple of guys sitting at the bar and then his gaze found her.

“You can go home. I can close up.”

“No. I should be here.”

“You look beat.”

She straightened her back. They’d been there the same number of hours. Was he implying she couldn’t hack it? “I’m fine.”

In truth, she wasn’t fine. Her feet throbbed and her stomach burned. She’d avoided coffee all night to save her stomach, but it cost her wakefulness. The small sandwich she ate hours earlier had helped momentarily, but her stomach wouldn’t settle for any length of time. She knew she’d need to go to the doctor again.

On her way to the back to grab a rag for wiping down tables, she stopped in her office for some antacids. She chomped on the chalky tablets as she ran hot water over the rag and then went to clean.

Most of the tables were in good shape. The waitresses had stayed on top of that as the night wore on. The quiet conversation between Colin and the customers centered on sports, but she wasn’t sure which sport they were talking about. She half listened as she straightened chairs. She was disappointed Keith had missed their opening. The turnout would’ve impressed him.

She didn’t know why it should matter. Impressing Keith wouldn’t change how their father viewed things. She needed to amaze her dad. Doubt crept into her. Would turning a profit in this rinky-dink bar be enough? She’d already created million-dollar businesses for him, and he obviously didn’t care about this place.

A hand landed on her shoulder. She twitched and turned to find Colin looming beside her.

“Are you okay?”

She blinked rapidly. How long had she been standing in the same spot? “I’m fine. Just thinking. And you’re right, I am tired.”

“You can go. I’ll handle this.”

The temptation tugged at her, but she didn’t respond.

“You’ve put in a shitload of hours over the past couple of weeks. Give yourself a break and get a good night’s sleep.” He stroked the back of his hand over her cheek.

The gentle gesture took her by surprise. His strong, capable hands drew her attention. A surge of desire to have those hands roam her body zinged her. “I’ll be fine,” she croaked out.

“At least take a break. Have a seat at the bar and talk to us.” He tilted his head toward the bar and grabbed her hand.

The warmth and strength of his grasp blurred her focus. Damn, she must be really tired if holding hands turned her on. She stumbled and hoped he didn’t notice. Unfortunately, he did. He tightened his grip and waited until her butt was planted on a bar stool before he let go.

The bar was immaculate. She didn’t know how he managed to keep it clean and organized while serving all of the customers. She wished she could’ve done more to help.

The idea struck like a flash. He could teach her.

Colin moved to the other side of the bar carrying a stool for himself. He eased onto it and a look of relief crossed his face. He must’ve been every bit as exhausted as she was; he was just better at hiding it.

“You have a strange smile on your face.”

She felt her sore cheeks widen. “Teach me to bartend.”

“What?”

“I was pretty useless tonight. I want to take a more active role here.”

His laugh rang out, drawing attention from the men at the other end of the bar.

Her smile disappeared as the tension in her jaw returned. “You don’t think I can handle it?”

“I’m sure you can handle whatever comes your way.”

His gaze darkened for a flicker, and the heat pooling in her stomach had nothing to do with acid. She wasn’t so sure she could handle Colin if he came her way.

“Then what’s so funny?”

“That you think you need a more active role. You’ve been busting your ass getting everything in line. You handle the paperwork and organization and bills. Why the hell would you want to bartend too?”

She shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea.” She began to question her sanity. Maybe the exhaustion was affecting her thought process. Bartending wasn’t a skill she’d need as CEO.

He leaned forward on the bar, like she’d seen him do multiple times throughout the evening. “Maybe you’re onto something.”

The two remaining customers pushed off their stools.

Colin rose. “Have a good one, guys. Thanks for coming in.”

They waved him off and headed out the door. He took their empty glasses and put them in the sink. He swiped the dollar bills they’d left and tucked them into an overflowing glass beside the register. She’d thought the waitresses made out in tips, but it looked like they had nothing on Colin.

When he returned to the stool across from her, she said, “You were saying?”

“We make a pretty good team.”

Her cheeks warmed as she nodded.

“But we’re divided in our jobs. I have mine and you have yours. I think it would be smart for us to have some experience doing the other’s jobs.”

She narrowed her eyes. What was he getting at?

“I’ll teach you the basics of bartending and you teach me the basics of office crap.”

The smile returned to her face. One thing she liked about Colin was that he didn’t hide how he felt. “Office crap? Is that how you view my job?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“Then why would you want to learn it?”

“I plan to have my own bar someday, and I’ll have to handle the office as well as the bartending to succeed.”

“Didn’t you learn it working with your brother?”

A flash of something crossed his face. He masked it quickly, but it was unpleasant.

“Ryan likes to keep me in the front. I’m a better draw for the ladies than he is, especially now that he’s married.” He gave her the best flirty smile in his arsenal. When did she become adept at distinguishing his smiles?

“You should know by now that your seductive smiles don’t work on me.” Her voice was steady, and she hoped she sounded convincing. He’d never leave her alone if he knew the truth.

“I beg to differ. I haven’t been using my full charm on you. No female can resist.”

Her pulse spiked. If this wasn’t already his full charm, she was in trouble.

He tilted his head, examining her. He pushed back from the bar. “Let’s get started.”

Colin slid off the stool, hoping to conceal his hard-on.

“Wh-what?”

Her stammer caught him off guard. Elizabeth never stuttered. “Come over to this side and I’ll give you your first lesson.”

The prettiest shade of pink swept across her cheeks. Her wide-eyed gaze slammed into him. His throat worked, swallowing nothing as he tried to find his voice. This was a mistake. “What do you want to learn first?”

Her chest lowered as she expelled a breath. “Oh. Now?”

“Why not? We’re open for another hour, unless you want to close early?”

“No, but shouldn’t we have customers if I’m going to pour drinks?”

“It’ll be fine. Come on. We’ll start with beer.” He followed her trek around the bar. Her movements were hesitant. Seeing Elizabeth unsure of something tilted the room. She never lacked confidence. He softened his smile. “No worries. It’s just beer.”

She returned a smile as she joined him. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Nerves fluttered in his stomach. He knew his job, but he’d never had to teach it to anyone. He strode to the taps. “On the left, we have imports, on the right, domestic.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “I know how to read.”

“I’m giving you the tour so you know where to find everything. I’ve set it up the way I like it.”

She swung her arm out for him to continue. As he pointed out which glasses were used for which kind of drink and explained the organization of the liquor, his stomach eased. She listened intently, and he imagined that she really wanted to take notes.

He stood to the side of the tap. “Grab a glass.”

She pulled one from the green rubber mat where it had been drying and turned it right side up.

“Pull the handle, on. Flip it up, off.”

The pink returned to her flesh, and once again he found himself wanting to stroke it to see if it was as warm as it looked. She cleared her throat and yanked the tap.

“Whoa.” He grabbed the handle and thrust it back in place. Obviously, she’d never even watched someone pull a beer.

She looked at the beer in her hand, more than half foam. He took the glass and set it down. “No one wants a glass of foam. Let’s try again.”

He handed her a fresh glass and she stood in front of the tap, but made no move to pour.

“It doesn’t bite.” Against his better judgment, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her body, doing his best to limit contact. He helped her tilt the glass with one hand and his other rested on top of hers on the handle.

“Easy,” he said as he moved their hands to pull the tap. “You tilt the glass to keep the head small.”

Her back was mere inches from him and her hair tickled his nose. She’d worn it up again, exposing her long neck. Cinnamon scent drifted up. If he dipped his head just a little, he could taste the soft skin. His mouth watered and he thought her breath quickened.

Suddenly, his hand was wet as she yelped, “Hey.”

He jerked the handle to stop the tap. He’d forgotten about the beer and the glass had overflowed. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Turning away to grab a towel, he checked his thoughts. Elizabeth was not a piece of ass for a one-night stand. She was his business partner, and she’d made it clear they would never be anything more.

“Here.” He thrust a dry towel into her hand.

“Thanks,” she said, but she didn’t look pissed off. She looked . . . amused. “Can I pour you one?”

“Huh?”

“A beer. I think we should celebrate. We had a great night, it’s time to close, and I learned how to pour a beer.” She paused, a grin lighting her face. “Not very successfully mind you, but I poured.”

“I’ll have a pop. Sorry about the spill. I got distracted.” His gaze wandered down the length of her.

He scooped ice into a glass and turned toward the pop spigot. Once the glass was filled, he faced Elizabeth with his raised glass. “To success.”

She clinked her glass against his and took a gulp of beer. Her nose crinkled and she set the glass down. “I hate beer.”

“Then why drink it?”

“Because I poured it. It was my first, and it seemed like I should.”

“Do you always do what you’re supposed to?”

“Pretty much.” She took another sip of beer.

He grabbed the glass and poured it down the drain. “Life’s too short to do what you hate.”

“Hey, buddy, you owe me three fifty for that.”

He laughed. “Put it on my tab. Can I get you a glass of wine or something else?”

“No, it’s late and we have clean-up to do.” She turned and began wiping down his already clean bar.

“I have these last few glasses to wash and the floor to sweep. Everything else is done.”

“Oh. Then I’ll grab the broom.” She shifted her body and angled to move around him.

His arm reached out and landed on her hip. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession.

“What are you doing?”

He didn’t respond with his voice. He let his body answer. Pulling her close, he tasted her lips, the tang of beer lingering. He angled his head and licked, hoping she would open her mouth. She complied, and he slid inside her slick warmth.

One of her hands rested on his at her hip, the other fisted in his shirt. She rocked against him with a slight moan. He turned them so that she backed up to the bar. Trailing kisses down her neck, he tasted the skin at her pulse. She threw her head back to give him more access and in doing so thrust her hips into his groin.

As if he wasn’t turned on enough, his dick hardened and strained against his jeans, looking for release. He tugged at her shirt, and his hands caressed the warm skin of her torso and glided up to find her full breasts.

God, he wanted to get her naked.

A sound trilled from behind her and she jerked, smacking her shoulder into his head. He pulled away and rubbed the sore spot. Getting involved with this woman was definitely dangerous.

Her eyes stared, darkened with desire, and he knew the blush on her skin was because of lust. Her chest heaved as she straightened from the bar. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a phone. She scanned the screen and inhaled deeply.

“I have to take this.” Seriousness returned to her face.

“I’m sure whoever it is can wait.” He wasn’t sure he could.

The phone stopped.

“No, I have to call him back.” She slid along the bar to get out of his reach.

Him? Maybe she wasn’t just serious, maybe she felt guilty. “Are you married?”

“What?” She shook her head. “No.” The grip on the phone tightened.

“Then what is so important you have to interrupt what we were doing?”

The muscle in her jaw twitched, and he knew he’d fucked up. Again.

“What we were doing was wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. It will complicate things. You should be grateful you were saved by the bell. Literally.”

“Do you really believe I was the one who was saved?”

The phone rang again. She pressed the button and began talking as she walked away.

He snatched the towel from the bar and wiped everything down again. Nice going, asshole. Way to control your dick. Elizabeth was right. They shouldn’t have been making out. How many times had she told him that they were business partners and that was all?

But she didn’t push me away.

That thought had him adjusting his crotch again. She was every bit as attracted to him as he was to her. They were both adults. Why couldn’t they enjoy each other’s company?

He wasn’t looking for another one-night stand, but Elizabeth wouldn’t be a permanent fixture either. She would be a nice distraction while he worked on getting his life in order. Besides, if he showed her a really good time, she might even cut him a deal when he asked to buy the bar.

“Hi, Keith. I thought you were coming in tonight.” She forced the words out slowly in an effort to sound natural instead of like a lust-crazed teenager.

“I had to take care of something for Dad. Surprisingly, he didn’t want to interrupt your vacation.”

“Did you tell him?” Her stomach fluttered.

“Nope. I’ll leave that up to you. How did tonight go?”

She leaned a hip on her desk. “Great. We had a crowd. A real crowd.”

“That’s good. I’m glad it’s working out.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m tired, Elizabeth. I just wanted to let you know that I didn’t forget about you tonight. I’ll stop by tomorrow morning and you can tell me all about it.”

He sounded beat, and she wondered what had happened that Keith needed to handle. Her brain scanned the few properties they owned in Chicago. Nothing popped. “Thanks for checking in. We’ll talk later.”

“Definitely tomorrow. I want all the details.”

She clicked off the phone. Keith had sounded really interested in her success. Like when they’d first started working with Dad. She took a deep breath. Suspicion crept back in. Keith had something up his sleeve. He was a great brother, but he hadn’t been supportive of her jobs in years. He was always afraid she’d get the upper hand.

Standing at her desk, she stared at her closed door. The nervous flutters returned, and she popped another antacid. How was she going to get out of here? She didn’t think she could face Colin again.

This time, she was every bit as involved in the kiss. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t enjoy it or that it wouldn’t have gone further if the phone hadn’t rung. Keith had saved her from making a fool of herself. That would’ve gone over well with Dad. Make me CEO. Ignore that I slept with my business partner.

She hung her head.

Turning back to her desk, she reached for the bottle of antacids. Damn, only the green ones were left. They should really sell a bottle with only the pink ones. She grabbed a green and chewed. She could handle this. She and Colin were adults who happened to let things get a little out of hand.

They could control their hormones.

She swung her office door open and strode back into the bar. Colin looked up from where he was sweeping the floor.

“Sorry about that.” My mind more so than my body. “That was my brother.”

“Something wrong?”

“No.” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “Look, I’m not sure what’s going on between us, but we need to keep it in check. It’s unethical and unprofessional for us to be doing . . . that.”

“We’re adults, and it’s not like you’re my superior. I promise not to sue you for sexual harassment.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t. But I think it would be best if we kept everything platonic.”

“I think you’re wrong.”

“Sorry you feel that way. I like you, I really do, but I don’t have time to start something here. I need to keep moving forward to get the work done.”

He leaned against the broom handle, bending the bristles to the floor. “You know what they say about all work and no play.”

“I’ll take my chances. Do you need any help here?”

“No, I’ll lock up. What time do you want me here tomorrow?”

Keith had said he’d stop by in the morning. She debated whether she wanted them to meet. “We don’t open until four, but I’d like you to work with Mike to make sure he knows what he’s doing.”

“Okay, see you in the afternoon.”

Elizabeth grabbed her keys and purse from the office and left, turning over Colin’s words in her head. They were both adults, and she hadn’t had any kind of companionship at all lately. She shoved the illicit thought from her mind. It would be too complicated for her to get involved with Colin, even short-term. Risking her career wasn’t worth it.

She drove back to her hotel and smiled at the smooth ride. Colin had talked her into trading her business suit for a T-shirt, but she’d kept the Mercedes. No one paid any attention to the car she drove. And even if they did, so what? She owned the bar. She didn’t need to fit in.

Her phone rang as she pulled into the hotel parking lot. Mom? She never called this late. It would interfere with her beauty sleep. “Hi, Mom. What’s wrong?”

“Is that any way to greet me? Who said anything was wrong?” Her mother’s voice was strained.

“You never call this late. It’s the middle of the night.”

A quiet sigh eased across the line. “It’s your father.”

Elizabeth slammed the car into park. “Is he okay?”

“Yes. No. He promised he’d retire by the end of the year, but he keeps acquiring more buildings and businesses. You need to talk to him.”

Elizabeth rested her head on the steering wheel. For a moment, she’d thought something bad had happened, and now she realized it was just her mom’s usual high-strung nature. “Even if he does retire, the business will continue. He keeps acquiring so that everyone who works for him continues to have a job. Have you talked to him? Did he say that he wouldn’t retire?”

“Well, no, but shouldn’t he be easing away from the business? I expected that by this time he’d be spending more time with me.”

Cue the woe-is-me speech. Elizabeth was too tired to listen today. “Talk to him, Mom. Keith and I are more than ready to take over.”

“You? I thought we decided that Keith would run the business. He has a family to support after all.”

“And how does that make him more qualified? I have more time in the field than he does. I’ve brokered as many deals as he has. I’m every bit as qualified to take over the company, and I’m really tired of you thinking I’m not, simply because I’m female.”

Silence met her. She barely heard her mother’s breathing on the other end, but Elizabeth knew her mother hadn’t hung up. That would be rude and her mother was nothing if not totally polite.

“I never said you were unable to take over. I just think that Keith is a more appropriate choice.”

“I know what you think. You’ve made it abundantly clear. I’m tired of this conversation. I’ll talk to you later.” She clicked off before her mother could say anything more. She began to think that running the family business wouldn’t be all she’d thought it would be. Maybe branching out on her own would be the way to go.