Jodi Redford - The Naughty List

She wagged a finger at him. “Sorry’s not going to cut it, Colton. I’m getting a little tired of constantly covering your butt.”

Bram’s eyes widened. Apparently he’d read between the lines. Good. He needed to either learn how to handle his bimbettes better, or keep his dick in his pants once in a while.

Olivia’s smile should have come with a frostbite warning. “Bram and I were in the middle of a conversation. He’ll have to help you later.”

Lacey blinked before narrowing her eyes. Oh hell no. The bitch did not just undermine me in my own damn restaurant. “No, I need him now.” Amazingly, she managed to keep her voice level and calm.

Flicking one long, platinum strand of hair over her shoulder, Olivia swept Lacey with a disdainful glance. “Please. We both know why you really came trotting over here.”

It was on the tip of Lacey’s tongue to say, Yeah, to save my best friend from Stalkerella. Frankly, she didn’t care if the truth pissed off Olivia, but like Bram, she didn’t want to draw any more attention than they had to. “I’m afraid you’ll have to enlighten me there.”

“We’ve all seen the way you drool over Bram. And Ryan.” Olivia’s high-pitched laugh was more headache inducing than a kennel full of yipping Pomeranians. “As if you’d have the slightest chance, honey. You couldn’t even keep your fiancé’s attention for long, could you?”

Lacey’s face went hot as fire before becoming icy cold. It was a strange sensation. She dimly heard Bram’s low, furious baritone reprimanding Olivia, but the damning words were already out there, hovering in the air like poisoned darts.

“You know why Dan left, don’t you? Because you’re boring. A goody-goody who doesn’t know the first thing about how to please a man. Or keep him happy.” Olivia’s obnoxious, tinkling laugh floated free. “Or should we say keep him period?”

Lacey didn’t bother correcting the misstatement about Dan being the one who left. It didn’t matter, and Olivia sure as hell didn’t care. Bitter acid sloshed in Lacey’s tummy, burning her esophagus. She swallowed, desperate to keep it down.

“I told you to shut. The. Fuck. Up.” Bram’s rugged, handsome features held a wealth of rage as his fingers dug into the powder blue cashmere covering Olivia’s arms. The woman’s heavily made-up eyes widened. Obviously she’d never experienced the full scope of Bram’s temper.

That made two of them. In the fifteen years she’d known Bram, Lacey hadn’t seen him lose it like this either. He’d always been the eternal goodtime boy. Full of light and laughter. In every way Bram was the polar opposite of Ry. He was a jokester and all-around ham, whereas Ry exuded quiet intensity. Even in looks the two men would never be mistaken for twins. Besides standing a good three inches taller than Ry’s solid six foot one, Bram had the sun-kissed, blond surfer-god vibe working for him in spades. Ry, on the other hand, looked more suited to a Harley than board shorts. Though God knows, he filled those out mighty fine too on the rare occasions he donned a pair.

But now Bram appeared to be getting in touch with his inner alpha. “If I ever hear you talk to Lacey that way again, so help me, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Comprende?”

Olivia gulped before nodding vigorously.

“Glad we have that clear. Now how about you leave before I have the bouncers escort you out?”

Her full, bottom lip turning down in a pout, Olivia curled her fingers around Bram’s forearms. “But I drove here specifically to see you. I’ve missed you, Brammy Bear.”

Brammy Bear? Oh barf.

“I’m not telling you this again. We’re no longer together. Don’t waste your time or mine anymore.” Not waiting for Olivia’s reply, Bram shouldered past her and grabbed Lacey by the elbow. He hauled her toward his and Ry’s office, his pace brisk. With her shorter legs, it took two steps to his one to keep up with him. He shoved open his door and followed her inside the cramped space before securing the lock to guarantee their privacy. The overwhelming, pungent smell of plastic greenery and cinnamon-spiked pinecones floated around them. Bram tunneled a hand through his spiky hair. “Shit. Lace, I’m sorry. Olivia’s an idiot.”

“It’s not your fault she’s a moron.” They both knew that wasn’t what he’d been apologizing for, but she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the real reason his expression looked agonized and uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, Bram didn’t feel so inclined. “She doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about. You’re not boring. Or a goody-goody. Dan was—is—a damn fool for what he did.”

“I know that.”

Bram stared into her eyes, apparently not completely buying her assertion. “Lace, you’re a desirable woman. Any man with half a brain wouldn’t do anything to fuck up his future with you.”

She gave a crooked smile. “Well there you go. Dan did have half a brain. Too bad he carted it around in the wrong head.” Not giving Bram an opportunity to voice any further pearls of wisdom, she turned toward the door and wrestled the lock open. She had to get out of there before she gave in to the tears prickling at the backs of her eyelids.

“Lace—”

She escaped the office and sealed off the remainder of Bram’s words by shutting the door behind her. Praying no one noticed her fierce trembling, she dashed toward the restrooms.

“I’m going to kill that damn Olivia.”

Ry rubbed the grogginess from his eyes as Bram snicked Lacey’s office door shut. It was a miracle Bram hadn’t slammed it, judging from the way he white-knuckled the knob. Ry cracked a yawn. “What’d psycho Barbie do now?”

“She brought up Dan. In front of Lacey.”

Ry stopped in mid-stretch. A growl slipped past his throat. “She did what?”

“She insinuated that the engagement ended because Lace was boring.”

“You’ve got to be shittin’ me.” He gave his head a shake. “Jesus, Olivia is one stupid broad.” It was beyond him what Bram had seen in her. Well, other than the obvious—enormous tits and legs that didn’t know the meaning of the word shut.

“You’ll get no argument from me there. I kicked her ass out and told her to stay gone. For good.”

Ry nodded. “Where’s Lace?”

“She ducked into the women’s restroom.” Bram’s eyes clouded. “She looked like she was seconds away from crying when she hightailed it away from me.”

Ry swore beneath his breath. It was a damn good thing Olivia had heeded Bram’s advice and not stuck around. Because she sure as shit didn’t want to cross Ry’s path right now.

Bram parked his butt on the arm of the couch. “Do you think we should send one of the waitresses to check on Lace?”

He met the agonized uncertainty in Bram’s eyes. No doubt it was a mirror of Ry’s own expression. Desperate as he was to ensure that she was okay, he remembered the pain Lacey went through following her decision to break her engagement. Most folks had been kind and sympathetic to the situation. But there’d been those who’d whispered and snickered behind her back. She’d tried her best to hold her head high and pretend those gossiping fuckers meant nothing to her. But he’d known better.

“No, we’ll give her a minute.” He wouldn’t draw any nosy attention to Lacey’s predicament if he could help it.

Bram nodded solemnly. They were silent for a long stretch, the tension slowly escalating with each tick of the wall clock situated near the Elvis painting. The uneasiness percolated in Ry’s gut. What if Lacey had taken off? She was in no condition to drive, not as upset as she likely was. He glanced toward her desk and noticed her purse was still on the floor. Okay, one problem solved. She couldn’t go anywhere without her keys.

Even as he processed the thought, the door swung open and Lacey walked inside the office. Her eyes looked red and puffy. Motherfucker. His chest vising, he leapt to his feet and wrapped her in his arms. He sensed her struggle to hold in more tears but eventually a soft sob escaped, nearly muffled by his shirt. Running his palms in soothing circles along her back, he kissed the top of her head. Bram stepped to the other side of Lacey and rubbed her trembling shoulders before also ducking and kissing her temple.

She sighed, accepting their comfort. Her hand clutched his waist, the other reaching for Bram. She snuggled close, her breasts pillowing against Ry’s chest. The delicious floral scent she always wore clung to every inch of her. Even her honey-blonde hair seemed to be infused with the luscious essence that was Lacey. The aroma invaded his senses, adding its own brand of torment as he reeled under the heady intoxication of her.

Christ, would there ever be a woman who affected him the same way as Lacey? Doubtful. God knows he’d searched all these years to find another to cure him of his obsession with the woman in his arms. He’d found plenty of willing participants more than happy to warm his sheets, but not one of them made his heart beat faster or left him woozy with punch-drunk love. A million times he’d wanted to make Lacey his, stake his claim. But he couldn’t.

Because of the man across from him. Bram.

Almost from the moment they’d both laid eyes on Lacey, they’d fallen hard. There’d only been one time he and Bram ever raised fists to each other. It happened the day they finally came clean about their feelings regarding Lacey. Being young and arrogant, Ry had fully expected to kick Bram’s ass, even though his best friend clearly held the advantage of additional height and muscle. But Bram hadn’t backed down. It’d infuriated Ry, until he realized the reason for Bram’s stubbornness. Bram was just as crazy about Lacey—he would have fought to the death for her. The knowledge had acted like a kick to the balls. For them both.