Free Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1) by Brooke Blaine

extravagant cocktail dresses and sky-high heels that had me lusting with some serious shoe envy.  
    For my part, I stayed behind the bar with Amber, who was helping with the drinks since my usual wingwoman, Zoe, was out. Unlike other matchmaking companies, Val didn’t throw down a two-drink rule, which made it a more-than-profitable night for me. In addition to the variety of mixed drinks, the special tonight was a First Base boozy shake. Guaranteed to help some get lucky tonight. Hey, I do my part.  
    I was telling myself not to watch the door. Not to notice that a certain someone hadn’t showed up after all, which I would certainly hear no end of from Val later. Hunter probably didn’t own anything fit for tonight’s dress code, since he lived in jeans and t-shirts. But I wasn’t thinking about that—much.
    Focusing my attention back on the drink I was making, I added an extra cherry and slid it across the bar to an attractive forty-something guy who winked at me as he paid.  
    Dude. I just put a cherry in your drink. You’re not screaming overly masculine and sexy. I mean, he could’ve gone with Cognac.
    “Miss? Could I get a Cosmopolitan?”
    I shook my head and pointed at the specials on the counter sign. “If you’re looking for fruity, the Red-Headed Slut is probably up your alley.”
    The blond let out an exaggerated sigh and inspected her manicured nails. “Could you manage Grey Goose, because I only do top-shelf. Thanks.”
    She turned her back toward me before I could explain that it was Jäger and not vodka in the drink. Whatever. She’d never know the difference.  
    I caught Shayne looking at me and quickly rolling her eyes from where she was planted next to Val, and I smothered a laugh. We didn’t have to say anything, and we knew—bitches were crazy.
    Val clapped loudly to get everyone’s attention. “So the first thing we’re going to do this evening is—”
    The jingle of someone entering the front door had Val’s mouth opening and eyes narrowing like she was about to give a lecture, but when she turned around, all that came out was, “You’re late.”  
    As the handsome man came into view, it took me a moment to realize who it was, and when recognition dawned, my jaw dropped. With his hair styled back instead of flopping across his forehead, and wearing a tailored black suit and tie, Hunter was…
    Well, hell. He was kind of breathtaking, wasn’t he?
    His eyes found mine, and his lips lifted in greeting. I forced myself to close my mouth.  
    As he moved past Val toward the bar, she grabbed the crook of his arm. “Where do you think you’re going, fancy pants? Move your hot ass over to the right. You can get a drink later.”
    I was shocked to see Hunter without a smartass retort, and even more shocked when he did what she said. As he leaned against the wall with about twenty-five other guys, he crossed his arms and smirked at me.  
    What the hell does that look mean?
    “Excuse me, could you please add some whipped cream? It tastes too liquory.” The blond was back, pushing her Red-Headed Slut my way. Considering the contents of the glass were about half gone, I doubted she’d had to force it down. Whipped cream wasn’t an ingredient in the drink, but I added a couple swirls anyway. She probably wouldn’t be getting any other cream later with that attitude. Wink wink.  
    Val had split the men and women into groups of six, three of each sex, and was walking through the room observing and popping in to make conversation until the alcohol hit and the shyness went away.
    Shayne sighed as she leaned her hip on the bar. “That guy in the suspenders has already groped my arse twice. When I complained to Val, she told me he was probably just perfecting his squeeze for later.” She cut her eyes at me. “I should’ve told him to go play with hers, but he’d need four hands and gloves.”
    I picked up the shot glass of her favorite, Rattlesnake, from under the bar that I’d