“Hi,” she says softly.
“Hey.” I smile carefully at her.
Her cheeks turn a little rosy, and she lets out a soft giggle. She buries her face against my chest, then peers up at me again. The sweet smile on her face settles the worry in my chest.
We’re okay. We’re all good.
Now that I know she’s not going to jump out of bed and freak out, I can let myself feel all the things I’ve been cautious to let myself feel. It’s so fucking nice to wake up next to her like this. My heart swells as I think about her lips on mine, and the wayit felt to be inside her, and how incredible it felt when she came around my cock. It’s surreal that we’ve done what we’ve done, but surreal in the best fucking way.
I reach out and brush her hair off her face. My thumb rubs her cheek, soft and slow.
“How’re you feeling?” I ask her.
“Good.” She blushes. “Sore.”
I frown. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. That was just…alotof sex. Not that I’m complaining.”
I hope last night meant something to her. I want to ask her if it did, but I don’t, because I’m not ready to hear her say that it was just sex. I should probably just change the subject. Yeah. That’s for the best.
I rearrange the sheets, making sure she has enough of them. “You don’t still want to do that trivia night thing, do you?”
She gapes at me. But I think I catch a flash of relief in her face at the change of subject. “Of course I do! I’ve been working hard on it.”
I groan.
“Here. Let me show you what I have.” She rolls over to grab her phone and pulls something up. When she hands me her phone, our fingers brush. Even that small touch sends electricity through me. I glance at her, wanting to know if she felt it too, but her eyes are only focused on the screen.
Disappointment nudges at me, but I turn my focus to the phone and scan the script she’s written out. Crooking an eyebrow at her, I say, “Emcee?”
“Don’t worry. That’s not you.”
“Who is it, then?”
“I mean, I figured I’d do it? I think it sounds fun.”
I look back at the phone and start scrolling through the trivia question she’s come up with. They seem solid. When I reach the end of the document, there are a few paragraphs she’s written to wrap up the night. Clearly she’s put a lot of thought and time into this.
I still don’t think this kind of thing is right for our bar. Just like how I think that damn neon sign she bought has no business being in an establishment like ours. But as much as I hate to admit it, Emily might be right about all this marketing stuff. If we don’t do anything to up our game before that flashy new sports bar opens, it could take away a lot of our business. I’ve been stubborn about believing that’s not a possibility, but deep down I’ve known that she’s right.
13
EMILY
“Next question!” I announce, holding the mic up to my mouth as I address the sea of faces in front of me. “What country’s official national animal is the unicorn?”
The faces of our trivia night participants turn toward each other as they debate the answer. Among all the faces are Jenn, Paige, and Wes; it feels great having our friends here supporting us. I smile, thrilled that the night is going as well as it is. Blackbear is packed tonight, and everyone seems to be having a great time. I practically had to beg Rock to agree to it, but he did agree in the end, and that’s what matters.
I’m just hoping he’ll see how well tonight turns out—and how much extra revenue we’ll make tonight—and will be receptive to trivia night becoming a regular thing.
The timer in front of me starts blinking, and I tap it. A quick glance around the room tells me that some people are still debating their answer, while others seem to be satisfied and are looking relaxed as they sip their beers. I glance at my phone for the next question and raise the mic to my mouth again. “Okay, folks! Next question! How many hearts does an octopus have?”
I reset the timer. While I wait, I glance over at Rock, who’s busy behind the bar. Butterflies burst into flight in my stomach as I watch him. After so many years of platonic friendship, it’s surreal to know him in such a different way now. I keep thinking about the weight of his body against mine, the intensity of his kisses, and the sound of his deep sexy groans.
Don’t forget his fingers circling your clit, or the way he sucked your nipples as you came…
My cheeks grow warm at the memory—and warmer still at the thought of spending another night with him in his bed.
