The Heartbreaker Series: Books 1-3 by Evan Grace Page B

a great little bar and grill. I’m hungry for a burger and fries and a beer.”
    We walk through his kitchen and out a door I didn’t notice the last time I was here. It leads to what appears to be a mudroom with another door that leads to the garage.
    He opens the passenger door for me and I slip inside. As soon as he climbs in, I’m overcome by the scent of him. His scent is so intoxicating, my body kicks into overdrive. As we pull out of his driveway, it hits me that he didn’t even ask me if I wanted to come. I just followed him like a puppy.
    A short time later, we pull into the parking lot of Slugger’s Bar & Grill. It looks old and rundown, but there are lots of cars and trucks in the parking lot. Gabe parks the car, but before he can open the door for me, I climb out.
    He wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me inside the surprisingly busy bar. I’ve never seen a bar this packed on a Tuesday—except if St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo fell on one. We grab two empty seats at the bar.
    “Two cheeseburger baskets, fries, and then Bud Lights?” he asks me.
    “Yeah, that sounds really good.”
    The bartender comes over to us. She’s an older woman with bleached out hair and too much makeup. Of course, she immediately starts giving Gabe goo-goo eyes. “Hey, handsome. What can I get ya?”
    She leans forward, exposing her cleavage, and I can’t help the snort that escapes my mouth. The woman is completely ignoring me, and Gabe is trying not to laugh.
    “ We’ll have the cheeseburger baskets with fries and two Bud Lights.”
    Her eyes flick to mine. She doesn’t look thrilled to see me sitting here. She walks away and I look at Gabe. “You know she’s going to spit in my food, don’t you?”
    She returns with our beers and then walks away. Gabe is still standing and moves between my legs. My cheeks heat up with him so close. I expect him to try making out with me, but instead he asks me if I’m ready to start my job.
    “I am. I’m nervous too. I just don’t want to disappoint Jill. I mean, if it wasn’t for her, I don’t even know if I’d have a job yet.” I look deep into his eyes. “You know your sister’s amazing, right?”
    Gabe kisses my forehead. “Thank you for saying that. She is amazing. She is so much like our mom. She has such a big heart, but sometimes it’s too big. I worry about her getting hurt.”
    Why does he have to be so sweet? What can’t he be this huge dick who thinks his shit doesn’t stink?
    “So, what exactly do you do?” I ask him. “You’ve never really said and Jill just said you’re in real estate.”
    “I’m in real estate, in a sense. I buy properties, businesses, or homes and I flip them and sell them for profit. I have my own contractors I have agreements with, and supply companies too. Luckily, I saved wisely when I signed with the NFL and I was able to build my business slowly. I have a partner in California.”
    Our food arrives. He sits down next to me and I realize just how hungry I am. We’re both silent as we dig into our food. I don’t know what it is about bar food that makes it taste so damn good. I take a drink of my beer and can’t help but think that I’m going to have to hit the gym to work off this burger.
    By the time we both finish, the place has filled up. It must be a hangout spot for construction workers because a lot of the guys are wearing t-shirts advertising various construction companies. Gabe pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks down at it and back up at me.
    “I’ve got to take this. I’ll be right back.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead. I watch him walk away and admire his body. Most guys I know have flat asses, but not him. I just want to bite it.
    I shake my head and turn back to finish my beer. I’m drinking the last bit down when I feel a body right behind me. I turn my head and immediately see that it isn’t Gabe. “Could you back up just a little bit?” He’s totally in my space and