I never imagined he’d want anything more than some playful banter with someone like me. I guess I was wrong, and that excited me more than it should have.
Case in point, my sexually charged dreams about him. My sister was right. I think my brain was telling me to get on with it and stop stalling.
Lost in my thoughts, I was startled when Ben nudged me. “Dude, he’s got it fucking bad for you. I wish you could have heard the way he asked for you, all possessive and demanding. It was hot.”
I chuckled nervously. “Yeah, well, it’s mutual.”
He grinned. “I thought so. He’s fucking hot. I heard him talking about the new thing. That sounds cool for you.”
“It does,” I replied. “And it’s exactly the type of project I’ve been looking for.”
Ben looked toward the employee only area. “Here they come. The two hottest men in Portland.”
I glanced over my shoulder. They were smiling, and it made my heart beat a little faster. Just looking at him did dirty things to me.
I went back to stacking glasses until Alejandro’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Hey, I guess my asshole best friend talked to you about his expansion.”
I nodded. “Yeah, he did.”
“Good. For some reason, he really wants to show you Bernardo’s tonight. So if you’re game to go see it, you can knock off early.”
I frowned and looked into his kind eyes. “You sure? I’m supposed to close.”
He chuckled and glanced down the bar at Ben. “Yeah, I know. Benjamin and I will take care of it.”
His stare lingered on Ben for a minute, and I had to look away.
“Are you sure? I can see it another time.”
He smiled. “It’s really okay. If Preston didn’t honestly need more space, I’d tell him to fuck off. But he’s been bitching about the lack of spacesince the first week he opened the place. If you can help each other, it would be a win for both of you. He won’t do you wrong.”
I stared at him with a furrowed brow. “What do you mean?
“He’s a man of his word. You can trust what he tells you is the truth.”
I nodded, relieved. I knew Alejandro wouldn’t steer me wrong. “Yeah, thanks, boss.”
“No problem, Nick. He’s a dumbass sometimes, but he’s a good man. Very attentive when he likes someone. There’s more to him than you think.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. My heart was racing again with even more excitement. Alejandro had just verified what I’d been thinking. They were best friends, and he had to know about our attraction to one another. Neither of us were doing a very good job hiding it.
And he was right. I needed to look at what he wanted to do. If it was feasible for me, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. I’d be a fool to pass it up just because looking at him made my dick hard.
I wove through the now-empty high top tables to clock out. When I reached the break room, I grabbed my jacket, then stepped into the bathroom to wash my hands.
Glancing up at myself in the mirror, I ran my hands through my hair, leaving thick trails behind. I was tired, but that was nothing new.
After washing my hands, I left the bathroom to find Preston standing with his back to the wall, waiting for me. The smile that he wore at seeing me made me stupidly happy.
“Hey.” I stopped in front of him, leaving several feet between us to try to calm my libido. My eyes immediately focused on his perfectly formed lips. I wanted him to take the lapels of my coat and pull me closer to his body so I could smell the cinnamon on his breath when he spoke.
I took a steadying breath as Preston assessed me from head to toe, then leveled me with a look that sent tingles down my spine. He had my undivided attention and he hadn’t said a word.
I was so fucked.
He smiled like he knew what I was thinking. “Ready to go?”
I nodded, never taking my eyes off his. “Definitely.”
