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I unwound my messy braid.
“Oh, here we go.” Rylee grinned. “All it took was another woman mentioning she was into your man.”
“Shut up.” I whipped off my apron and tossed it at Rylee’s face. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“Don’t do anything I wou
ldn’t,” she called at my back.
I stalked across the darkened half of the café to the passway between the two buildings. I didn’t even bother trying to be gentle with the nailed-in board this time. I ripped it free and let it swing down, then I ducked into the slim crevice and let the chipboard snap back behind me.
Music was playing. Televisions were up on the walls now, and the darkened Myers house filled multiple screens. Gideon was half hidden by a wall-mounted television he was screwing into the wall.
This one was still black, so I knew I wasn’t in any danger of stopping him in the middle of wire work. He was distracted and definitely didn’t see me. Things had progressed hugely since the last time I’d been in the room.
Booths were uncovered, walls were painted, and the floors were still covered in drop-cloths, but I was pretty sure that was more to protect them than anything else needing to be done. Speakers were stacked around and empty television mount kits were stacked on top.
But it punched me in the gut. This place was real. It was mine.
It was more than I ever thought it would be.
He turned to me, the quick, startled look giving way to worry. “Is something—oof.”
I leaped on him, locking my legs around his hips. “You’ve been ignoring me.”
He grunted, but the hold on my ass never wavered. “I’ve been working.” His gaze dropped to my mouth before returning to lock with mine. “You keep ruining my surprises.”
“I don’t care about surprises.” My short nails bit into his neck and shoulders as I closed the last bit of distance between us. He was one of the few men taller than me by a good chunk and I loved it. He growled into my mouth as we drunkenly swayed, banging against the closest booth. I barely felt the glancing blow, then he righted himself and stalked to the bar with me wrapped around him like a damn monkey.
He shoved a dirty drop-cloth away and set me on the firm bar top. “We need to slow down.”
“If we get any slower, it’s going to be 2027 before I fuck you. I’m not waiting anymore, dammit.” Our tongues tangled and the low frequency hum I’d been living with finally kicked up a notch. I hummed at the taste of him. My coffee and something hotter, bolder—Gideon.
I’d never experienced it before or since.
“I didn’t want the first time to be here, dammit,” he said against my mouth.
“It really had to be, don’t you think?” I lightly scraped my fingers down his bearded cheeks.
I was slightly above him due to the height of the bar. His eyes were dark in the shadowed room. Pendant lights were the only illumination save for the movie. He dragged my shirt down my shoulder to get to my skin. His mouth raced across the space between it and my neck. He scraped his teeth over the high curve of my shoulder while his other hand tunneled under the bottom of my shirt. His roughened fingertips tickled over my ribs to find the sturdy cotton of my bra. Too bad I’d wasted my hot lingerie on our date night and he’d barely copped a feel. He swiped his thumb over the tip of my nipple unerringly. He tugged at it through the material, making me hiss.
He dragged my shirt down enough for him to cover the tight center with his mouth. He watched me as he made a wet spot through the black cotton before finally jerking the cup down to release my breast to his hot, hungry mouth. I arched back to give him room and gripped his hair to keep him there, letting him know that was right where I needed him.
I lifted my knees to clasp his ribs. He might’ve been tall as hell, but it was still a bar. Everything was just a little bit off for this.
Frustration arced between us. He shoved up my shirt so he could move between my breasts, his beard scratching and heightening the sensations with each nip and bite.
He wasn’t easy—wasn’t sweet. I’d half expected it from his personality. He always seemed so careful around people due to his size.
For once, being a tall and sturdy woman was to my advantage. If only we could get lined up.
I slid forward on the bar until my legs dangled and denim finally rubbed against denim. He was a hard column of need between my legs. Thank God. I ground against him, fire leaping between us. It wasn’t nearly enough. Nothing would be enough until he was inside me.
It was only fitting for it to be here—in this place he’d created for me. He’d taken my schematics and insane sketches and made sense of them.
He’d taken my dream and made it real.
We were so tangled up after years of working together and keeping a barrier firmly between us for so long. But here and now, he was mine. Even if it was just for a short time. I’d take it. Allow myself to be greedy.
