I shut my office door once inside, flick on the light, and lean against my desk, my lungs emptying on a sigh.
It’s a bar, not a strip club, kids.Jesus, I sound like an old man, as opposed to the twenty-seven-year-old I am.
I run a hand down my face as I wait for them to leave. I really didnotneed this tonight. Behind the door, I hear Cherry squeal with humiliation at the other two. God, I hope she doesn’t hate me now, thinking I’m some mean old boss sending them home.
The sounds of chairs scraping, frantic footsteps, and doors swinging echo as they all grab their stuff from the staff room. It’s not until I hear the back door closing and the bar empty of hushed voices that I start my search through the piles of random crap on my desk for my laptop which I’d accidentally left in my office – the reason I popped down here tonight from my apartment above the bar. I couldn’t sleep knowing I hadn’t replied to that email yet. What it could mean for me and my life here.
Though, I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep at all now I’m going to have Cherry Hensley playing through my head.Twerking.
No – I’mnotgoing to think about that.
Grabbing my laptop from my desk, I walk back out intothe bar, only to stop short at the sight of Cherry, bag on her shoulder, leaning against one of the tables. The fairy lights and a couple of still-lit candles on the tables reflect off her black hair, making it look like the starry sky. A teasing slither of tan skin separates the faded jeans hugging her hips and long, slender legs from her tight black tank top.
She nibbles one of her nails, staring at the ground, until she hears me approach and swiftly whips her head up. Her cherry-red lips press together, brows dropping. Silence hovers between us for a few beats. Just like it always does when we first see each other.
‘Everything alright, Baby Hensley?’ I eventually ask, moving myself to behind the bar to check everything is tidied up, and putting a physical barrier between us.
The flutter of her lashes almost conceals her quick eye roll at the nickname – the same one I’ve teased her with since she was a kid. The one that reminds me who she is – the baby of the Hensley clan. Memories of Wyatt and me staring down any man that has had the audacity to check her out since she started working at the bar filter into my mind.
‘I’m sorry,’ she says, teeth tugging on her bottom lip again.
I shrug. ‘Don’t be, it’s cool.’
‘I don’t normally do things like that, though.’ Cherry pushes off the table and shuffles towards the bar, forcing me backwards against the counter.
When she reaches the bar, she swings her bag up onto it and—
The bag goes toppling off, plummeting to the ground in front of me, its contents spilling across the floor. Herphone and purse hit my feet as a notebook and some paper also scatter out.
Cherry curses and rushes around the bar to join me as I drop to the floor to shove everything back in her bag. I assume the paper fell out of her notebook, so I go to file it back inside when I catch the title sprawled across the top, each word a different colour:Montana’s Super-Hot and Crazy Bucket List for Cherry.
Oh, this looks like some top-tier material to tease her for.
‘What the hell is this?’ I snort, coming to a stand.
‘Oh my God, no!’ Cherry lunges towards me to grab the paper, but I lift it up out of her reach. Her hands scramble against me, trying to snatch the paper, forcing me to hold her back with my arm, laughing. She begs, ‘Duke, no, please!’
Her nails graze my bicep and forearm as she continues to battle against me, whining. I ignore the slight rush of pleasure that courses through me. It’s moments like these when I have to drop into the familiar role of her older brother’s friend who enjoys annoying her, as if she was my own little sister.
So that I’m not crossing any lines.
So that I don’t end up losing anyone else.
When Cherry wails again, I twist around to block her and hold the paper above my head to start reading through, picking out random ones on the list. ‘Learn to roller-skate, get a tattoo, wild swim at night.’
Her hands grapple against my shoulder, trying to tug me around. Her chest presses against me, curves melting against my body. ‘Duke, I’m begging you—’
‘Break into somewhere,’ I wheeze out, unable to imagine Cherry doing anything criminal ever. This is the best thing I’ve ever read. I wish I could show Wyatt and the others. ‘Go speed dating, have a firework kiss, have a guy give me an org—’
The rest of the word comes out strangled.
A sharp gasp sounds behind me and Cherry freezes. I think I can actuallyfeelher cringing. I let myself take one more glance down the paper and immediately regret it when I see what follows:
Have a one night stand
Have sex in a car
Have sex in a pool
