Her eyes drift down the column of buttons on my shirt as she shakes her head. When her eyes meet mine, I detect a hint of mischief in their violet hue. “Nope.” She pops the P.
The chair stutters back as I stand. And fuck my life as my eyes drop and zero in on her cleavage. Damnit all to hell.
I check my watch at note we have ten minutes until open. “Come on.” With a hand, I gesture toward the door. “Get back to the bar and I’ll go see what Ted needs.”
Peyton saunters down the hall in front of me as I lock the office. A rumble rises in my chest as I witness the sway of her hips after getting an eyeful of her cleavage. Mix it with her fierce attitude and I want to fuck someone against the wall, here and now.
As I head toward Ted, Peyton goes behind the bar. When I reach him, he seems bewildered at my showing up.
“Need something, boss?”
At least some of the staff respect my position. “Peyton said you needed me for something.”
Ted looks past me at what I assume is Peyton. Eyes back on me, he shakes his head. “No, I’m good. But since you’re here…”
For the next nine minutes, Ted talks my ear off about his day. Fishing near the causeway. His buddies that he wants to introduce me to—he swears we will be buds in no time. All the fish they caught today. He offers to bring me some of the smoked fish tomorrow night after he cooks them. I humbly accept his generosity. May not like to bait hooked poles and catch fish, but I do eat them.
When the doors unlock, I walk behind the bar and prepare to help Peyton and Adam. After the initial rush, I sidle up next to her and smile at her sharp intake of breath.
“That was cute.”
She side-eyes me. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her game face is strong tonight.
I point toward the main door. “Telling me Ted needed something. Cute.”
She gives a one-shoulder shrug. “Thought that’s what he said. Maybe he didn’t say, ‘I need Micah’. Maybe it was, ‘I feed us dinner’. As in the fish he caught.” Her nonchalance irritates and turns me on.
So, I turn the tables on her.
I step closer to her. Slip into her personal bubble. Invade her space. She shoots me a look of warning, but I ignore it. Instead, I push on. Breathe in her minty coconut scent and step within inches of her.
“You can admit it.”
She turns to face me, her nose a breath from grazing mine, eyes narrowed. “I’ll play along.” A pause. “Admit what?”
My chest expands and contracts as quick as hers. Neither of us steps away. Both of us equally stubborn and unwilling to own it.
I inch impossibly closer. Kissing her would be easy. So fucking easy. “That you wanted me out here. That you wanted my attention.”
Eyes locked in a silent battle of wills, now is the first time I spot small gray flecks in her vivid violet irises. Like a dusting of stars in a nebula. The contrast commands my attention. Invites me in like an old witch in the woods with cookies. I don’t want to look away. Can’t look away.
Then, in my periphery, her tongue darts out and wets her lips. Without second thought, my eyes drop to bear witness. Soon as her tongue disappears, her lips kick up in a wicked curve.
“Hmm…” My eyes meet hers again. “Maybe I did. Maybe not.” Her shoulders lift, then drop. “Even if I did, I’d never admit it.” Without shame, her eyes drop to the bulge in my pants. Her smile in response makes me sweat. “But you admit it without a word spoken.”
Before I bite back, she turns on her heel and goes to the end of the bar. Where customers stand idle and tap the bar top to the beat of the music. When the hell did the door open?
Passing Adam, I bolt to the bathroom with a limp in my step. In the privacy of a stall, I undo my pants, whip out my dick, and jerk myself to relieve the ache.
Argh!
Why the hell does this woman rake my nerves so much? Thrust, pump. What spurs her on? What did I do to her? Thrust, pump, pump. And why can’t I stop thinking about her? Pump, thrust, pump.
I groan as my load splashes into the bowl. And then the bathroom door swings open. I freeze and don’t make a sound. Well, any other sound than my semen splashing in the toilet. At least it sounds like normal bathroom business.
After I clean myself up, I straighten my shirt and pants, then exit the stall. I open my mouth to extend a friendly greeting to whoever came in. But I slam my mouth shut before a single word leaves my lips.
“You alright?”
My arm flies up, my forefinger pointing to the door. “What are you doing in here?” I belt out. “Get out!”
Peyton crosses her arms under her breasts, pushing them up in the process. I hate that I don’t want to look away, but force my eyes to hers.
Her face shifts from professional poker player to pouty schoolgirl in point five seconds. And fuck if it doesn’t wake my body back up.
“Is poor baby Micah okay?” she asks in a mocking baby voice while looking down at my crotch.
Gah!Why is she so frustratingly sexy? I should be irritated with her. The way she taunts and teases me. The way she shamelessly checks me out, yet acts as if I turn her off.
But I see the way her nipples pebble beneath her top. The way she steps closer and her breath comes in quicker bursts. Deny all she wants, but Peyton craves me too. And as bad as I ache to give it to her, I refuse. I refuse to be the one who caves first. Who gives in to the obvious chemistry and tension between us. Nope, my feet will stay firmly planted in place.
“Maybe you should come closer and inspect him yourself?” I cock my brow in challenge.
For a beat, she just stares at me wide eyed. The cogs in her mind spin over and over as she searches for a snappy response. A laugh bubbles up my chest and I bite my cheek to stave off my amusement.
When the pieces click into place in her mind, she grinds her teeth. “A little much, don’t you think? Ani might not like hearing management is sexually harassing employees.”
Banter with Peyton is similar to walking through a minefield. Always on alert, mindful of where you step and ears focused for any little sound. And now it would appear I stepped on a land mine. Can I defuse the situation?
“You’re joking, right?” I shake my head and chuckle.