“Marin! That’s a lovely name,” the woman says. “I’m Meg Robinson, and this is my niece, Rosie.”
“Happy Birthday, Rosie!” I smile and grab a cupcake from the fridge we keep for folks celebrating special occasions. “The owner at the bakery next door drops a few off for us every morning. They’re to die for.”
Rosie smiles. “Aww… that’s sweet of you. Thanks! I love Josie’s bakery. These chocolate strawberry cupcakes are amazing! So are the bear claws. Have you had one?”
I shake my head, thinking about how little money I have for anything. Last night, I snuck olives from behind the bar fordinner before sleeping in my car. “Not yet, but I’ll put them on my list.”
Mrs. Robinson nods back toward Archer, who’s hanging a banner over the long side of the bar for tonight’s party. “How do you like Archer as your boss? I’ve known that kid since he was born. His mom and I were good friends.”
“Yeah?” I try to picture Archer as a kid, but in my mind, he’s still got the tattoos, the beard, and the whole brooding-thunderstorm vibe. Basically, he’s a tiny biker with a juice box. “You have any embarrassing stories I can use as bait?”
The women laugh, and Mrs. Robinson leans in, her blue eyes sparkling under the light of the bar. “People in town call him the guard dog because he’s a little possessive. It was toys as a child, and then it was his family as he got older. He was always acting like he needed people to know what was his. His mother was so worried about it when he was little.”
I narrow my gaze, and my chest squeezes a little. “What’s to worry about? I think that’s sweet.”
“Right, well… when he was fifteen, he heard me yellin’ out behind the diner. Must’ve thought someone was being attacked. The sweet boy came running around to the back like a linebacker. It was pitch black. I could only hear him coming. I tried to tell him I was just coughing, but he went after myattacker,snapped his arm clean off.”
I pull back from the bar and gasp. “What?”
“I was carrying a mannequin from the tailor down the road.” Mrs. Robinson laughs. “That boy didn’t slow down long enough to see he was ripping apart an oversized Ken doll.”
I can’t help but chuckle at that image.
“Sweet boy meant well, but when I flicked on the back light and saw him wrestling that thing, I couldn’t help but laugh.”
“What is all the commotion over here?” Archer smiles as he tucks into the bar next to me. Right next to me. So close thatI smell the pine in his cologne and feel the heat from his massive frame.
Another pulsing alarm shoots straight to my pussy.
I need help. There’s nothing happening. He’s literally just standing next to me.
“Nothing.” I grin and glare up at him. “Just listening to stories about the town.”
“Yeah?” He leans over the bar and kisses Mrs. Robinson on her cheek. “This little troublemaker isn’t telling stories about me, is she?”
I glance toward the girls who are shaking their heads back and forth playfully.
“No.” I smile along with them. “No way. There are much more interesting things to talk about than you.”
“Like what?” He offers me half a smile and then nods toward the women.
“Like the party tonight.”
“The party?” Mrs. Robinson takes a sip of Coke as she talks. “Oh, is this the sex toy thing the ladies in the book club are doing?”
Archer nods. “I’m not sure what to expect. I’ve got plenty of whiskey and enough food for an army, but I’m guessing these women will be rowdy tonight.”
Oh God.I hadn’t thought about how rowdy things could get. My mind flashes to a picture of what tonight could become. A bunch of drunk, horny women, all looking at dildos while a big, tall, attractive man in tight jeans plays bartender.
My heart stiffens, though it has no right. I don’t own Archer, and I never will. Plus, the man is nearly double my age. He’s lived an entire life being hot as hell. I’m sure he’s used to women ogling him.
“Oh no,” Rosie adds, setting her jar down on the bar. “It’s not women only. It’s a party for couples. Men will be there too.”
I lean into the bar with a flirty, playful smile, trying to sound more fun than I am as I say, “So single men will be here too?”
“Doesn’t matter that they’re single. You’re here to do a job.” Archer’s jaw tightens as he growls low and stares at me.
Did he just look at my tits?
