Steal My Breath (Elixir #1)

I
never used
to understand what people meant when they said life wasn’t black and white, because to me it was. Things were black or white, wrong or right. There was no in-between space or spectrum of colours.

Then I met Luke, and he taught me that we do exist in shades of colour. He also taught me that although we inhale light through this rainbow of brilliance, we also exhale dark. The colours of life can give us the best of times just as easily as they can crash us into the darkest days of our lives.

Luke will be forever etched into my heart.

This is our story.

I
’m not getting
any sex tonight.

I know my three-month sex drought is going to continue the minute the guy sitting across from me says, “I love that shade of pink you’re wearing. I have a tie that would match it well.”

No man should wear a pink tie.

In the history of ever.

I pick up my glass of wine and drain it before standing. “I don’t think we’re compatible, Rick. And while it’s been fun learning about all the puzzles you put together and the pink tie you own, I’ve been on so many dates lately that I just don’t have it in me to sit through another hour or more knowing we’re not going to see each other again.”

A pang of guilt hits me when his mouth drops open, but the sex-starved woman inside me screams, “Don’t do it! He’s not the one who will make your vagina happier than you can.” So I stand my ground and offer a quick apology, “I’m sorry I’m being so rude, but you’ll thank me when you do finally meet the one for you,” before making a hasty exit.

Fifteen minutes later, I enter Elixir, the bar that’s my home away from home, and exhale a long sigh of relief.

“You look like you’ve just dodged a bullet,” Avery, one of the bartenders, and my best friend, says as she reaches for the vodka she knows I’m going to ask for.

Slumping onto the barstool, I nod and rest my elbows on the counter. “Yep, I just had another date that was a complete waste of time. How many men do you think I’m going to have to go through to find the right one? Hell, at this point, I’d just settle for a guy I thought could offer me some hot sex for the night.” I take the vodka and Coke she passes me and drink nearly half the glass in one gulp.

Raising her brows, she says, “Tonight’s dude didn’t fit the bill for hot sex?”

“God, no. Not unless you’re into nerds who love to do puzzles and hardly ever go out except to Sunday lunch with their mother.” Seriously, the guy had almost put me to sleep.

“Shit, where do you find these men, Callie?”

“Online dating sites mostly. I’ve told you about them.” I watch the judgemental look flit across her face and mutter, “Don’t you judge me, Miss I-Never-Struggle-To-Get-Laid, we can’t all be as lucky as you.”

Her lips curl up into a smile, and when she laughs and draws the attention of every man in the bar, I want to slap the sexy out of her. But I love her like a sister and never begrudge her anything, especially because she’s had a hard life and as far as I’m concerned she deserves every good thing that comes her way.

She holds her hands up in a defensive gesture as a grin settles on her face. “No judging, promise.” Nodding at my glass, she says, “Finish that and I’ll make you one on me.”

A low whistle comes from behind, and I turn to find Tyler smiling at us. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Avery offer to buy someone a drink. Did Luke give the staff a discount today or something?”

Avery scoffs. “I’ve worked for your brother for a year now, and I’ve never known him to give out a staff discount once.”

“True,” Tyler agrees as his gaze zeros in on the new tattoo covering Avery’s wrist. He jerks his chin at it and asks, “What does your tattoo say?”

I narrow my eyes at him and take in the way he’s looking at Avery. These two should just get a room and be done with it, because they’ve been tiptoeing around each other for almost a year now. It’s clear even to the cat that wanders into the bar every now and then that they both want something to happen, and I’m not sure why Tyler doesn’t take charge and make her his. I’ve seen him in bossy mode with his women before, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s time for him to boss my best friend around.

“Avery!”

I jump at the sound of Luke’s voice.

That voice
. It causes my tummy to flutter with desire, and I quickly gulp the rest of my drink in an effort to settle my reaction because let’s face it, my voice doesn’t cause a similar response in Luke’s body. I need to put all thoughts of him out of my mind. Nothing is ever going to happen between us.

Avery’s head whips around so she can eye her boss. “Yes?” I secretly cheer her. As moody as Luke can be, she never lets him rattle her.

He stalks towards us, his brows furrowed. “Those guys down the back giving you any trouble?”

His green eyes meet mine and linger for a moment before shifting to Avery. While he’s discussing the guys with her, I run my gaze over his body. No one wears jeans quite the way Luke Hardy does. Perhaps that’s because no man has quite the ass he does. And the way his pecs and abs ripple under that grey T-shirt he’s wearing… I’ve had dreams about those muscles. Not to mention the dreams I’ve had where I thread my fingers through his dark hair and hold on while he f—

“Callie, are you plotting again?”

I snap my attention back to Avery, who is staring at me with a smug look. She knows I’m not plotting my next book; she knows full well that I’m thinking dirty thoughts about Luke.

Pasting a fake smile on my face, I nod. “Yes, plotting that book I’m writing about unrequited lust and a girl who desperately needs sex.” My eyes drift to Luke and I find him watching me in a way I’ve never seen him watch me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something different in his eyes. If it were any other guy, I’d say it was lust, but it’s Luke, and he’s never shown any interest in me.

Tyler chuckles. “I’ve told you, Callie, you want a guy to end that drought you’ve got going on, just say the word. I know a fuckload of guys who would love to help you out with that.”

Luke directs a scowl at Tyler before turning back to Avery. “I’ve gotta head out for fifteen minutes or so, but I’m concerned those assholes down the back will give you hell.”

She waves his concern away. “I’ll be fine, and besides, I have Callie here. She got her black belt in karate when she was younger, so I’m sure she can take them on if need be.” The wink she throws me confirms the sarcasm I sense in her words, and I play along.

“Absolutely,” I agree, crouching slightly and raising my arms in an X in front of me. Luke is so damn serious all the time, and he simply stares at me rather than cracking a smile or a laugh.

“Don’t go anywhere near those guys. Either of you.” Looking at Tyler, he asks, “Can you stick around while I’m gone?”

I shift off the stool and mutter, “Oh, for God’s sake, Luke, chill. We’re grown women and can take care of ourselves.” Without waiting for his response, I grab the new drink Avery has made me and begin heading to one of the tables away from the bar. As much as I’m attracted to the man, his overbearing and overprotective streak drives me insane sometimes.

As I’m settling into my seat, warm breath and a deep voice by my ear cause my tummy to flutter again. “Why do you always have to argue with everything I say?”

Oh my.

I want him just as much as I want to tell him where to go.

“Because you’re not always right,” I reply, swivelling to meet his gaze. He has one hand on the back of my chair and the other rests on the table. His body is slightly bent as he watches me, taking in what I’ve said. I fight not to drop my eyes to check out his arms, but a girl only has so much willpower, and I’m all out for today. For the rest of this week. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? When Luke’s around, I’m out of willpower for the rest of this year.

I drop my gaze.

For the love of God, why is one man blessed with so much?
Not only does he have those sexy green eyes that could lead me into sin, and that ass I could hold all day long, and abs to die for, he also has freaking arm muscles they could make porn movies about.

Please. Make. Him. Leave.

No, make him stay.

Make him stay for hours so I can stare.

And then stare some more.

Oh fuck, just let me lick those muscles.

“Callie.”

I blink.

Meeting his eyes again, I say, “What?” I’m so turned on I can barely wrap my lips around one word; I’m not sure how I’ll string a sentence together.

His face is near mine as he leans his body closer. The way his jaw clenches leads me to believe he’s frustrated, which is pretty much how he always is with me. In one conversation with Avery, I was voted the person most likely to frustrate Luke, and it seems I’ve managed to do it again today. “Stay away from those guys.” His gravelly voice fills the space around us, blocking everything else out, and for a moment, I’m suspended in time while I process everything hitting my senses.

His musky scent.

Mint on his breath.

His body close to mine.

The words out of his mouth.

“I’ll stay away from them,” I finally force out, doing my best to ignore the want shooting through my veins.

Surprise fills his features as his eyes widen. “Fuck, that’d be a first.” He’s right, but he’s probably also right about those guys, as much as it pains me to admit it. And while his bossy ways annoy me sometimes, in this instance, I know he’s only trying to look out for me.

He pushes off from the chair and stands straight. “I won’t be long. Do you think you and Avery can stay out of trouble while I’m gone?”

I pout at him. “I’ll have you know that the trouble we got into last time you left us alone was
not
our fault.” It truly wasn’t. Well, maybe just a teensy, tiny part of it was, but I’d never openly admit that to Luke.

His brows rise. “Callie, the newspaper headlines the next day read, ‘Coyote Ugly Comes To Town’. You and Avery turned my bar into an almost strip club while you served customers drinks from the top of the bar rather than from behind it. How the hell can that be anyone else’s fault?” This happened three months ago, and it’s a relief to hear the small amount of humour in his voice because a month ago, there was no humour to be found. He’s obviously moving past it.

Standing, I place my hand on my hip. “You weren’t here, Luke. You didn’t see the shit going on between some of the customers. They were gearing up for a fight, so I did the only thing I could think of. Dancing on the bar worked a treat, diverting their attention from each other.”

Shaking his head, he mutters, “You could have just called the cops to come and deal with them.”

I don’t want to get into this with him so I let him have this one. “It was a good thing you came back when you did, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess it was.” He points his finger at me. “No bar-top dancing tonight.”

Resisting the urge to poke my tongue at him, I nod and shoo him away. “Go! Tyler and I will keep Avery out of trouble.”

After another few moments in which he stares at me in silence, he finally gives me a nod and leaves. I can’t help myself; I check out his ass again.

God.

I need to get laid.

A
fter I finish
my waitressing gig at Grind the next day, I drown the buzz of the café out as I sit staring at my laptop. I stayed here in case they get busy and need me. Plus, I prefer the atmosphere of the café rather than the quiet of my apartment. I’m trying to improve my online dating profile, and as I read what I currently have, I’m bored by it. I can only imagine how bored potential dates would be.

25

Single.

Female.

Working my way to dream career of novelist.

Loves yoga, reading, spending time with friends.

Fuck.

I press delete on the keyboard and in frustration type out a new dating profile.

Desperate for sex.

Earns shit money waitressing while desperately trying to get a publishing deal.

Only does yoga to keep core muscles strong – trust me, guys thank me when they fuck me.

Hangs out with the three friends I have.

Reads too much because gets no sex.

Did I mention desperate for sex?

“Really?” A familiar voice sounds from behind me.

I snap my laptop shut and look up to find Luke moving from behind towards the seat across from me. My heart makes itself known as it begins to beat faster and I swallow down the dryness in my throat.

God, why does he always affect me so much?

He sits at my table, and his eyebrows pull in. “I thought you were working today.”

“My shift got cut in half again because it wasn’t busy enough. Figured I’d stay and write here in case they did get busy and needed me.” Story of my life—my income is dwindling to epically low amounts.

His frown grows deeper. “How are you covering your bills?”

“Let’s just say, my savings are taking a hit. I probably should look for a new job.” I hate the idea of looking for a new job and am fairly sure I’ll have to be homeless before I go down that path. Change and I do not go together well, often to my detriment.

He leans back in his seat and runs his fingers through his hair. “Shit, Callie.”

My heart does a little dance at the concern for me I can see on his face and hear in his voice. I’ve known Luke for a year, and he’s always been somewhat of a mystery to me. What I do know is that he’s a few years older than me, and inherited Elixir from his father. His past is somewhat sketchy, and he’s never shared much about it with us. Avery worked for his father for a year before Luke inherited the bar and Luke wasn’t on the scene until his father died. Locals gossip about him, but no solid information has come to light. All I know for sure is that Luke Hardy is honest and takes care of those closest to him, and that’s all that matters to me.

“Why don’t you take on some shifts at Elixir? God knows, I could do with the help after losing a staff member yesterday. And by the way, thanks for helping Avery out last night while I left for a while.”

Do I really want to work for the man I’ve been secretly crushing on for almost a year?

I hesitate. Avoiding his suggestion, I opt to talk about Avery instead. “No worries. Those guys behaved themselves so there were no problems. And we had Tyler watching out, too. Dude, you need to talk to your brother about Avery. He clearly wants her.”

“Why are you changing the subject?” His eyes don’t leave me, and this unnerves me even more. He’s watching me so closely it almost feels intimate.