Cheat (Karma Inc. Book 1) by Gillian Zane Page A

sure to touch his back and his arm a few times as I greeted him and listened to him tell me some random story about his afternoon. I laughed at the right times. I smiled coyly. I chewed on my lip for effect.
    He had to think I was receptive to his charms. From the looks he was giving me, he was eating it up.
    By the middle of the shift, he wasn’t allowing me to just flirt, it was a put-up or shut-up kind of thing. I had to hold him off until we closed the bar, even though he was making constant attempts at engaging me behind the bar. A few times he came up behind me, a hand on my hip, his breath on my neck and a whispered compliment in my ear. As the night got later and the crowd got thinner, his attention was for me alone.
    He caught me wiping down my station. His hand pulled me against him, his body pressed against my back from knee to shoulder.
    “Cassidy, I would never have you pegged as a tease,” his deep voice accused in my ear.
    “I’m not a tease, Bishop.” I pressed back into him, keeping up the charade.
    “Fuck,” he groaned as I snaked my arm around him from behind and pulled him closer. “I want to close down the bar now, so we can get some alone time.”
    “Patience, I need the tips,” I whispered back and scooted from between him and the counter.
    “You’re killing me, Cassidy,” Bishop said with a grin as he readjusted himself with no shame.
    “Bartender!” a man down at his side of the bar called and Bishop rolled his eyes and walked backwards to his side, giving me puppy dog eyes the entire time, like I could send everyone away just so we could screw.
    I waved him off and went back to doing my job. Both of them. For a Thursday night the bar was relatively low-key. It was the start of Spring Break and everyone seemed to be out of town, in places that were sunnier and had sand. The few people who were still here were miserable. The bar was dead. It was the perfect time to take a vacation, which was why Bishop was leaving tonight with his sister. He told me between patrons he was looking forward to getting in on some of that Spring Break action himself. Even with the pregnant girlfriend in tow. Well, he didn’t mention that last part, I only thought it.
    Even with the slow night I watched Bishop shove a good deal of cash into his pockets. He was taking a good deal of our tip pool and cash that was meant for the bar. He was also getting a little sloppy. He must have thought he had me under his thumb and I was too smitten to notice his thievery. He was also about to go on vacation, he needed the extra grip, which was making him take more chances.
    By one a.m. the bar was dead. We could usually keep it open until almost three, but there was no point in keeping it open just for the few stranglers that were playing darts and sipping on cheap domestics.
    “Hey guys, we’re closing down early,” Bishop called to the last patrons. They grumbled but took down their darts and headed out the door. Bishop went to the front door and turned the signs off. The bouncer and bar back had cut out an hour ago when the crowd thinned. We were closed.
    I started to clean my station, but Bishop had other things on his mind. Again the move from behind, placing his hands on my hips and drawing me close. He must have some kind of bent over the bar fantasy because he was on repeat.
    “Teasing or not, now?” He held onto me tight. I ground back into him, letting my back arch against his body.
    “Not,” I purred and he had me turned around and facing him in a second. His mouth found mine. He was intent on claiming me and not with romance. His kiss was hurried and aggressive. I would have mistaken it for passion if I didn’t have him figured out. He knew he was rushed for time. He knew his sister would be here soon. One quickie before the family gets here. Bastard .
    I concentrated on him. On slowing down his hectic pace. I thought, slow, slow, slow. Don’t worry about time, there’s plenty of time. It worked. His