LITMIR.BIZ

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the meantime, what can I get you to drink?”

      “Negra Modelo.” Looking around, he pointed toward the prime spot in the back next to the pool table. “Make it two. And a pitcher of Bud.”

      “You’re that thirsty?” Then her big blue eyes widened. “Or is your brother joining you?”

      “You look worried,” he said with a laugh. “Don’t be. I’ll keep him in line.”

      “But who’s going to keep you in line?” she teased, handing him the first of the two beers to take with him.

      “Why ask the impossible?” he shot back with a wink, tucking a five into the oversized glass mug next to the register.

      Zane made his way to the table in a flurry of greetings, a few backslaps and one intriguing offer from a woman he remembered as having amazing flexibility. A scowling redhead walking out of the back room caught his attention as he slid into the chair facing the doors.

      “Hey there, Dianne,” he greeted the bar owner, noting the older woman was looking as badass as ever with that narrow-eyed expression of warning. “How’s it going?”

      “Well, well, if it isn’t one of the Bad Bennett Brothers,” she returned with sharp smile, casting a cautious look over the crowd. Scouting for troublemakers, he figured. “I heard you boys would be in town. I figured you’d hit my place.”

      “Nowhere better to go for a good time.”

      “Where’s Xander?”

      “How do you know I’m not Xander?” he said with a wink.

      “First, you’ve got that scruffy thing going on, and everyone knows that Zane hates to shave and does so as little as possible when he’s on leave.” She ticked one finger in the air. “Second, of the two of you, Xander’s the gentleman.”

      He was? Zane arched one brow. What the hell did that make him?

      “And third, of the two of you, Xander watches patiently while Zane always looks like he’s about to pounce.” Three fingers in the air, she paused to give him a wide-eyed smirk. “Well?”

      “Well,” Zane said, folding his hands behind his head as he leaned the chair back to rest on the rear legs, “I think it’s safe to say that we’ve lost our mystique around these parts.”

      “Oh, don’t worry about that.” Dianne patted his shoulders. “There’s plenty of mystery left. Enough to intrigue any number of women in town. I’m sure there’ll be a long line of them thrilled to enjoy some of that mystery you spread around. Just don’t be starting fights in my bar.”

      “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured as she walked away.

      Tipping back his beer, he pondered his lack of enthusiasm over spreading mystery. He liked—no, actually he loved—exchanging orgasms with all manner of single ladies. Tall ones, short ones, sassy ones, intense ones. His only hard-and-fast rule other than their being single was to keep the exchanges to one night—or in extreme circumstances, maybe an entire weekend.

      But there was something about the idea of women lining up, just waiting. Where was the thrill in that?

      He sucked down the rest of his beer, wishing it’d wash away the taste of dissatisfaction.

      “Bennett!”

      “Harris,” Zane greeted, shoving to his feet to wrap one arm around the other man’s shoulder and giving him a thump on the back. “Check you out. Mr. Big Shot bank manager, Little League coach and, what did I hear? You’re running for the city council?”

      “You forgot head of the reunion committee,” Mike said, dimples flashing as he grinned. “Dude, you really should think about stepping it up and doing something for your community.”

      “You really should think about kissing his butt,” injected Kyle Daley as he joined them. “Like a SEAL needs your advice on anything besides how to pick out a tie?”

      “The only advice you have is how to look pretty,” Mike shot back as Zane greeted Kyle with the same back-thumping hello.

      “Yo, Zane,” Joe Beck called out as he wove his way through the thickening crowd. “About time you came back to entertain us.”

      “Where’s Xander?” Kyle asked, grabbing a chair with one hand, gesturing for a beer with the other.

      “He’ll be here. What about Lenny?” Zane wondered, looking around for the last member of the group of guys he and Xander had run with since grade school. “I thought he was joining us.”

      “He’ll be here. He got stuck working the afternoon shift at the gas station.”

      “What happened to his job at the power plant?”

      “Lost it.” Joe grimaced as he pulled up his own chair. “His old lady kicked him out, too. He’s renting that apartment over the bakery, trying to get back on his feet.”

      “Over the bakery? I thought your sister lived up there.” Zane shot a look at Mike, whose parents owned the bakery.

      “She does, but there are two apartments up there.” Mike shrugged. “This way Lenny’s got a place he can afford and Viv isn’t on her own.”

      “Still playing overprotective big brother? Aren’t you worried about letting a dog like Len loose around your baby sister?”

      The three men laughed, Mike’s sounding a little forced.

      “Lenny’s scared of Vivian,” Kyle explained. Before he could elaborate, Zane’s brother sauntered into the pub. As the others called out greetings, Zane eyed his twin.

      Yeah, he could see why Dianne claimed Xander was a gentleman. Nobody would mistake them for brothers, but while Xander looked just as capable of kicking serious ass, he was approachable. And approach they did, especially the women.

      Relaxing now that his back was covered, Zane started on his second beer and prepared to have a good time. Life was always good when Xander was around.

      An hour and two pitchers of beer later, the six of them had commandeered the pool table. Par for the course, the insults were flying right along with the laughter.

      “Whew, I’d like to take her out,” Lenny said, watching a stacked blonde saunter past them toward the ladies’ room. “She’s turned me down four times, though. But she’s giving you the do-me look, Xander. You gonna go for it?”

      Xander glanced over, noted the hot inspection the blonde was giving him and the invitation in her eyes, then turned back to the pool table.

      “Nope. Zane went out with her a few years ago.”

      “So?”

      “Bennett brothers don’t share,” Joe reminded the others. “Remember? Any chick one of them does—dates, I mean,” he corrected at Xander’s arch look, “is on the other’s do-not-touch list.”

      “Is that why the two of you live on opposite coasts? To keep the field clear for the other?”

      “No. It’s so we can spread the joy of the Bennett brothers around. Our little favor to womankind,” Zane joked.

      “Methinks it’s challenge time,” Kyle said, draining his fourth beer and reaching for the pitcher.

      “Haven’t you grown up yet?” Xander asked, his attention on the table as he executed a wicked bank shot.

      “C’mon, it’s tradition.”

      “He’s got a point,” Kyle remarked from his position at the table, feet propped on an empty chair as he waited to play the winner. “We’ve been issuing challenges since second grade when Joe dared the two of you to jump off the dugout to see who could land closest to the pitcher’s mound.”

      “Or Mike’s cookie challenge. The one where Xander beat you by eating four-dozen snickerdoodles.”

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