“Why would men come to a sex toy party? I thought this shit was for women?” His tone is dark and irritated, though I can’t figure why.
Rosie shrugs. “It’s a couple’s activity meant to bring a spark back to the bedroom.” She twists her lips to the side. “My friend is bringing her guy friend, and I know a few other dudes who are tagging along for the fun of it. People really get a kick out of this stuff.”
“Is that right?” Archer grunts and moves behind me, his hip brushing against mine before his hand lands on my back to steady me as he passes. “You ladies have a good day. I have some work to do.”
What the hell was that about?
“That was weird,” Rosie says, brushing her hand back through her curls before glancing toward her great aunt. “Was he jealous? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Archer jealous.”
Mrs. Robinson glances up at me, her hands shaking as she mops up the condensation from her glass with the cardboard coaster. “He likes you.”
“What?” I laugh. “No… he’s my boss, and he’s… pretty old.”
“Oh,” the silver-haired woman straightens, “right. He just… he got all jealous when you mentioned single men.”
I narrow my brows. “Why would he be jealous? I see men all the time. I’m a bartender. He was probably worried about my ability to do the job right. It’s nothing.”
“Maybe,” Mrs. Robinson tilts her head to the side and draws out the word, “but I saw the way he looked at you.”
My insides tighten and there’s a new squeezing feeling between my legs that wasn’t there before. It’s as if all the fantasies I’d been having suddenly seem more realistic.
“I’d keep him at arm’s length, though,” Rosie adds. “The whole guard dog thing sounds cute, but he’s got a reputation in town.”
I narrow my gaze and lean in. “What kind of reputation?”
“He’s a littleoverprotectivefor the people he cares about. It’s kinda—” Rosie stops, not wanting to say something damning.
Mrs. Robinson clears her throat before she says, “Some might call it…obsessive.”
“Obsessive how? A second ago, the protector thing was sweet. How is it obsessive now?”
“His daughter goes to my college,” Rosie adds as she stands from the bar stool. “She’s been dating a guy for years and she’s keeping him secret because the last guy she brought home, her dad beat the crap out of for like looking at her wrong or something.”
There’s so much being said here.
“He has a daughter?”
Rosie nods. “She’s twenty-four.”
Oh my God, she’s older than me!
His daughter is older than me! This very grown man has a whole ass daughter who’s older than me!
“Okay.” I shake my head and refill their mason jars. “Well, none of this really matters because we’re not dating and we won’t ever date. He’s my boss.”
Mrs. Robinson lands her hand on top of mine and squeezes. “Good head on your shoulders, sweetheart. There are plenty of nice boys your age in town.”
I nod and drag in a deep breath before turning away to hide the obvious disappointment I feel rushing over me. No matter how bad I want my boss, he’s officiallyveryoff-limits. That fact should cool everything down. It should shake me back to reality.
Yet somehow, the moment that line is drawn, it feels like someone struck a match and suddenly there’s dry tinder everywhere.
Chapter Two
Archer
Women are an afterthought for me.
It’s not that I can’t appreciate their allure. I can. The same way I can appreciate a slice of warm chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake, but I know that if I eat it before bed, I’ll wake up with horrid, burning reflux. I guess the same goes for women, heartburn and all.
