I could tie a bow with my eyes closed. However, being this close to her, I take my time with each loop. “There’s no need to be nervous. You’re gonna do great, Pay.” After tying the bow, I place my hands on her waist, but only for a moment before usingthat momentum to back up before I do a crazy thing like pull her against me and never let her go.
Slowly, she spins to face me. “Thanks, Rhy.” She steps out to the side and poses with her hands on her hips and gives a wide smile. “So, how do I look? Like an exceptional server who’s not a complete novice, right?”
“Absolutely.” I smile, crossing my arms. I nod toward the door to scoot her out of here. “Good luck,” I say just as she exits, so I don’t know if she even heard me. I clap my hands together, ready to focus and get into the zone as I walk around to the other side of the kitchen. The kitchen has always been my safe space, and now I feel as though I’m slightly off-kilter about having her in here. But I can do this—as long as I keep telling myself that enough, I can make that happen, right?
The front of the house stays open till two, but we close the kitchen down around nine. Ollie and the other bartender, Logan,typically take care of everything. If there’s a sizeable crowd, they will sometimes leave a server on for a little longer, but tonight, they let both Payton and Sara Bethlose early.
“You did great tonight, Payton. Go home and give that little one a huge kiss,” Sara Beth says as she grabs her bag and tosses it over her shoulder.
“You need an escort out to the parking lot, Sara Beth?”
She shakes her head. “Nope, I’m headed out front to meet some friends who stopped by before my shift ended. But thanksfor the offer. You’re always so chivalrous, Rhy. Please never change.”
I shrug. It’s not really chivalry, but more so common sense to walk a woman out in a dark parking lot.
Sara Beth throws up a small wave as she walks out of the kitchen. “See you guys later.”
Payton takes her time gathering her things. She moves her head from side to side, stretching out her neck. Her skin looks so tempting that I want to sink my teeth into her soft flesh.
“You should take a hot bubble bath when you get home.”
She whips her head around, her ponytail whipping around so fast it smacks her in the face, and she blinks, steadying herself. “Excuse me?”
I squeeze my eyes shut.Fuck. Why did you say that aloud?Clearing my throat, I attempt to dig myself out of this hole. “I just meant you look sore. You keep doing that thing with your neck.” I don’t mention that I noticed her doing it every time she came into the kitchen to pick up an order. Then I might have to admit how much I paid attention to her all night. “I would assume a nice hot bubble bath might help.”
All blood rushes to my cock at the second time I’ve mentioned a bath, where she would be completely naked, dripping.Fuck.I bite the inner part of my cheek till I taste copper to keep from saying anything else. I swear I’m usually a lot smoother than this, but I just seem to lose my mind when she’s around.
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think being on my feet all night would be so different from holding Gabby all night. But I’m pretty much dead on my feet at the moment. A hot bath sounds amazing, actually.” Payton pauses for a second, and the world falls away while we just stare at each other.Stop looking at her, jackass.Pay is the first to break our staring contest and clears her throat. “Well, I should get home and check on things. Make sure Gabby didn’t make Mom run for the hills.”
I laugh. “Nah, she spoils the shit out of that little girl. I’m sure you’ll have to pry her out of your mom’s arms. Your mom hadn’t stopped talking about her excitement about you guys moving back in since you told her.” The house has been empty since Payton left for college.
Payton stays silent.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” I place my hand on the small of her back as we leave the kitchen. Thanks to the narrow hallway, our shoulders brush each other. I almost wish the walk to the back parking lot where the staff parks was much further away. I don’t want to break the contact between us. It all ends far too soon.
“Are you not leaving, too?” Payton glances down and notices I didn’t bring my keys out, too.
“Nah, I typically stick around a little longer, give a good cleaning to the kitchen, and, well, just—hang out, I guess.” I grip the back of my neck. “I guess it just comes with not having anyone important at home to get to.”
“Right.” Payton fidgets with her keys in her hands when she stops outside her vehicle. “Well, good night, Rhy. Thank you for walking me out.” She hesitates but then quickly presses up on her toes and presses her lips to my cheek. My body tenses, but before I can even blink, she pulls back and enters her car.
Frozen in place with the memory of her lips on my skin, I watch her pull out of the lot. I don’t move a muscle or release a breath until her brake lights disappear from view.
Chapter 7
Rhyland
When I walk into the kitchen, I find Payton bending over the counter, reading something.Jesus Christ, stop staring at her ass, Rhyland,I scold myself. But it’s hard not to when the material of her black pants clings just right around her curves.
How would she react if I just walked up behind her and palmed her ass?Fuck, find anything else to focus on before you get hard as fuck in your own kitchen.Tonight, I’ll continue the ritual I do every night she’s worked and have a standing date where my cock meets my hand, and they live happily ever after. I’m like a fucking teenage boy, not a man in his late twenties.
My eyes search for anything else to focus on but land back on Payton. Wait, is that a newspaper she’s reading? That piques my interest.
“Whatcha doing?”
She looks up, and the dejected look on her face splits me in two. I go into full-blown white-knight mode, closing the distance between us.
“Well, I came up blank on my online search, so hoping to find something in here.” She lifts the newspaper, confirming my suspicion. Huh, I hadn’t realized people still actually placed ads.
