Chapter 1
Ilovedthe morning after.
Don’t get me wrong, the night before was great too. The thrill of the chase, the stolen looks over the rims of our glasses, the casual brushing of our hands and legs as we got so close, you couldn’t discern one tangled limb from the other. That moment when you both realized that you’re not leaving alone, and soon you’re rushing out of the bar together, unable to keep your hands off each other. You stumbled into the house, grappling for any piece of clothing you can and tugging it off, hastily fumbling your way to the bedroom.
The heavy breathing…
The pounding of your heart…
And before you knew it, it’s all over and the two of you were drifting off into a deep, sated sleep.
I craved the morning after more than the chase itself—there was just something so intimate about waking up next to someone, entangled bodies warming the sheets. It was always the same: comfortable, fleeting, both of us stealing kisses and lingering touches, trying to prolong our inevitable parting for aslong as possible. The adrenaline rush from the chase was great, and orgasms even better, but nothing beat the serenity of the morning after. Of knowingIwas the one to please them into oblivion before they caved in to their body’s need for rest.
As I woke up, I still seemed to be fighting to catch my breath, feeling the warmth of their body next to me as I turned over and wrapped an arm around their waist. Their soft skin was silk under my fingertips. My lips feathered over their bare shoulder, the corners of my mouth turning up into a smile as I brought goosebumps to the surface. They squirmed and pushed back against me, getting me riled up once more.
“Morning, gorgeous,” I mumbled. I made it to the edge of the blanket we were tangled in before tightening my arm, pulling them into me even further.
“Mm, morning,” they returned. “Are you ready for another round already? We’ve hardly recovered from the last one.”
“I wish. I have a shift soon. I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”
They groaned and fumbled around for their phone on the nightstand. “What time is it?”
“Almost three.”
Okay, fine, maybe it’s theafternoonafter.
I pressed one final kiss to their shoulder blade before I sat up and disentangled myself from the sheets. “You don’t have to get up; take as long as you like.” I fished around for a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt, wondering where the hell my work vest got tossed to in the scuffle.
“Are you sure?” they asked from the bed. “I don’t want things to be awkward.”
The gentle tone of their voice meant they were already well on their way back to sleep. “I’m sure,” I said. “Just close the door behind you later.”
I tossed a grin over my shoulder as I sauntered into thebathroom, but they were already asleep. I brushed my teeth and showered as quietly as possible, then crept out of the bedroom, locating my work vest on the floor in the hallway.
The Vegas sun beat down on me, ruthlessly chasing away the fall chill that threatened us in the early morning hours. Hours that I—thankfully—avoided with the shifts I worked. I didn’t miss New England weather in the slightest.
I cranked the AC as I drove to the bar, brushing away the stray hairs flying forward and tickling my face. My brown curls werealmostlong enough to tie back, and while it annoyed me, the feeling of a stranger running their hands through it was too satisfying for me to cut it. I squirmed at the memory of last night and let the cold air chill my ass out while I drove to work.
We didn’t open until five, but the line wrapping around The Devil’s Hopyard wasn’t surprising. The bar was centered around all things spooky, but we were packed year-around. There were always horror and Halloween enthusiasts traveling from all over the world to see the place. I’d worked there long before the current owners took over, and to be honest, I hadn’t thought two twenty-five-year-olds could manage it. In the age of social media, though, it only took one viral TikTok. Five years later, they owned one of the hottest bars in Vegas.
I stuffed my vest in my pocket to avoid detection, rounding the corner and keying in the code for the back door to let myself in, nearly colliding with one of my bosses as he stepped out of the stairwell that led to the apartment he shared with his husband. Towering over me at 6’ 4,” Raleigh was the brawn to Angel’s brain, often spending his nights as the bar’s security while his other half hid out in the office or helped me out behind the bar.
“Morning, Casanova,” he said with a snicker as I followed him down the narrow hallway. The neon lights glimmered off of his piercings, and his tattoos created colorful shadows over botharms, slipping under his collar and reappearing up his neck. “What was their name?”
I scoffed. “You get names? Rookie move.”
Raleigh snorted. There was only one name that mattered to him anymore, and that was Angel. They’d always been best friends, all but attached at the hip, but after a rough year for the both of them, they’d found comfort in each other and tied the knot six months ago.
I stepped behind the bar and buttoned my vest over my t-shirt, thankful Raleigh had convinced Angel to do away with the blazers we used to wear. It was way too hot, especially once I got going, and I spilled enough that I ended up with the heavy fabric plastered to my skin by the end of the night.
Angel pushed past me with a bottle of liquor in each hand. “Did you see the line outside?”
“Yep.” I blew out a breath, starting to feel wired. “Tonight’s going to be fun.”
Angel rolled his eyes. “You’re a glutton for punishment, Ryder.”
“Don’t hate me because I’m good at what I do.”
