“That’s right. I’m home…for good.”
I want to let out my own whoop hearing that but manage to tamp it down and give her a wink instead before I start backing away. There’ll be time now, time to talk about our past and our future. All that matters is she’s home and she is staying. I hustle to the kitchen, dump the dirty plates and empties and get back behind the bar to sling more beer and shots. It’s a good night business-wise. Fuck it, it’s a great night all the way around. I can’t contain it. She’s staying. She’s fucking staying!
Clearly, my regulars aren’t used to my smiling and it occurs to me that I must come across as a grumpy fucker because I’m bombarded with questions about my good mood. I just wave them away and keep an eye on the floor tables and the busy pool tables but really, it’s just an excuse to watch Rain.
Maggie’s pulled her onto the dance floor that’s about half full and my tongue almost hangs out when Rain turns her back to the bar and does a little shimmy to the song playing. Her ass makes me want to bite and the bare expanse of skin up her spine makes me want to lick. I lose myself in the fantasy of her and all the things I want to do to that body long enough that I don’t see Chase and Luke come in and squeeze up to the bar.
Chase snaps his fingers in front of my face, breaking me out of my lust-induced trance.
“What the fuck man? Are you high?”
I slide my eyes over to his annoyed face and tilt my head in Rainy’s direction with a smirk. “Yes, but not in the way you mean.”
He and Luke both turn to where my head pointed and have two very different reactions. Luke settles back against the bar with a small smile hovering over his lips as he clocks her every move. Chase, well, he just scowls and turns his back to her. I bark out a laugh and pull two beers for them.
“Let it go, man. She’s staying in town, for good.”
He doesn’t respond as he snatches the beer and tips it back, downing half in one long pull.
The song ends and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shiver’ comes on. Almost as if on cue – multiple people start calling out my name. I laugh and shake my head at first but catch Rain’s eyes as she looks my way in confusion and decide right there that I’ll give her a little show. The line dance was some TikTok trend going around and one night after way too many shots and probably a couple of joints, I joined in and learned the steps. I’m told it’s one of those things girls find hot and based on the offers I got at the end of that night, it’s true.
When I pull the bar towel from my shoulder and toss it down a cheer rings out and I make my way around the bar and over to the dance floor to get in line but my eyes never leave Rain’s as she backs up and sits at her table.
Rain
Whatever this is, the crowd is loving it. I’m confused at first until he starts to move and then I’m trying not to melt off my seat. Jesus on a crutch can that man move. The way he dips, turns, and flashes me a high-impact flirty grin has all kinds of heat building between my legs. The soft worn jeans he’s wearing are slung low and when the dance has him turning his back to me, well, I’d be a fucking puddle on the ground if the chair wasn’t holding me up. The worn denim is doing the Lord’s work as it perfectly hugs his ass. All the Miss Independence vibes I’ve been rocking all day slide away until I want nothing more than for him to order me to my knees and do dirty, dirty things to me.
Maggie elbows me in the ribs with a laugh, breaking me from my lustful haze.
“Rainy, you got a little drool on your chin, girl.”
I tear my gaze from Rex’s ass as my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and remind myself that men are baaaad and that I don’t want to fall into that trap of losing myself again when I’m finally starting to find my feet.
“I still can’t believe you never did it with any of them back in the day. You had the willpower of a saint when we were teenagers.” Maggie muses and I nod distractedly.
It wasn’t my willpower that stopped us from taking that final step back then. It was them. They made some stupid pact that they would wait until I was eighteen and it was all wrapped up in the ridiculousness of me choosing which one of them I wanted to be with that way. Fucking idiots! As if I was ever going to choose. That kind of decision would have fractured our group in the worst possible way and I was never going to let that happen no matter how bad my teenage hormones raced and begged me to just DO IT! I sigh and shake my head causing Maggie to laugh again.
“You know, you’re a grown-ass woman now and nothing says you have to settle for any one of them. You could just lay your cards on the table and tell them you want to fuck and nothing more. Women are allowed to screw whoever the hell they want to without strings. You should totally check that box as a newly single girl.”
My eyes go right back to Rex on the dance floor and then slide past him when I spot Luke leaning with his back against the bar. His eyes are on me instead of the dancers and it makes me remember his hard length pressed against me when we woke up together the other day. I swallow past the desire when the guy beside him turns his head over his shoulder and glares right at me like he can read my mind from across the room.
I don’t know what the hell Chase’s problem is with me now and I don’t give a shit. I’m not here for him, I’m not here for any of them. Still, the idea that I could take what I want, take the pleasure that I’m positive these men would offer me, and do it with no strings, no complications is very appealing. Something to consider.
I tip back the last of my beer as the song ends and I track Rex as he leaves the dancefloor and instead of heading back to the bar, goes past us with a wink, down a hallway and through a door with an exit sign above it. My eyes narrow when I see the slight limp in his gait. It takes me all of three seconds to decide to follow him. Maggie laughs when I slide out of the chair and turn in the direction he went.
The beer, the shots, and the high of buying the property for a new future where I come first gives me the confidence to maybe see what a taste of no-strings pleasure might feel like. I circle around the pool tables, my gaze fixed on that door but a hand grabbing my arms stops me in my tracks.
“Hey there, sugar. What’s the hurry?”
I glance down at the tattoo covered hand gripping my arm and then follow the ink covered arm that it’s attached to up to a face I vaguely recognize. He’s not a bad looking guy, a little rough around the edges maybe. Dark brown hair, long on top and shaved at the sides. His tongue swipes over his teeth as he scans me from head to toe.
“Haven’t seen you around before. Where have you been all my life, baby?”
I scoff at the tired pick-up line and try and pull away but his grip tightens so I give him my best version of a “Let go or your balls will be in your throat,” look and tell him sarcastically, “Not waiting to meet you, sweetheart, and I’m a little busy right now. Let go of my arm.”
My sass seems to egg him on as his smirk widens and he tugs me a little closer. I’m about ready to nail him between his legs with my knee when recognition comes to me.
“Blain Colton.”
