AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What if he asks?”
“He might at some point. And if you’re okay with it, I’ll tell him.”
“If I’m not?” I didn’t want to be difficult. Bringing home a superhero and knocking boots meant the most complicated part was deciding between silicone or water-based lube. Part of this conversation was refreshing, hearing a man open to having a dialogue even if the conversations got difficult. However, it also felt as if it was a maze of feelings that needed navigating.
“I’d ask him to respect that,” EO said with confidence. He held his arm across the bar, palm up, waiting for me to offer mine.
I felt stupid asking. Of course, he and Stonewall had talked about this before they decided to date outside their marriage. I’d be the first to admit that I wasn’t great at the emotional side of relationships. Sex was just sex. But in a relationship, there were feelings. But I liked knowing he could express those with his partner.
“It sounds like this might be too much for you.”
He started to retreat when I grabbed his hand. “Maybe.” I gave his hand a firm squeeze. “Just be patient.”
He lingered, his thumb running back and forth across my knuckles. Scarlet didn’t mind me fraternizing with the patrons, but if I didn’t start slinging cocktails, she’d escort EO out the door herself. I had given Griffin a hard time about treating Sebastian as his everything. How could one man be your one and only? But EO and Stonewall were showing me it wasn’t the only option.
“I need to get back to work before Scarlet fires me. But later, you’re going to explain why you chose Chernobyl.”
Even as I let go of his hand and stashed the roses behind the bar, I could still feel his thumb caressing the valley between my knuckles. A muscle deep in the pit of my stomach tightened and doubled down when I thought about kissing the hero. Fine, I admit it. I was smitten.
9
Stonewall had moremuscle than should be feasible. On the HeroApp™, it classified him as a “bruiser.” It meant that most of his powers came from the fact he was strong beyond measure. He barely fit into the booth on the side of the club, and I was convinced that if he flexed, the spandex suit would tear off his frame.
Midnight Alley had a very different feeling when the lights came on. It went from sexy and sultry to sexy and blinding. The velvet walls lost their lush qualities, and the uncanny number of glasses and bottles littering the tables were almost too many to count.
EO’s husband had arrived minutes before last call. I didn’t have the heart to turn him away, especially when EO had vanished to help stop a crisis in the Australian Outback. Scarlet tried to cite club policy, but she bowed out of the conversation when I commented on being distraught over the sale of the club. I would have to use that more often to get out of crappy shifts. For now, the bar had been reset and I could catch my breath with Stonewall.
He sipped his beer quietly, admiring the club from his perch. I had looked him up on the HeroApp™, and there were plenty of photos of him in action. The man had a knack for getting into the middle of a fray and throwing fists with the best of them. I imagined at this rate, he’d be tapped on the shoulder to join a team.
On my way to his table, I grabbed chairs, flipping them upside down on tables to make life easier for the cleaning staff. It gave me a few extra seconds to think about what I was going to say. The night had been non-stop heroes celebrating a victory over Atlantis and another attempt to enslave mankind. It meant I had little time to exchange pleasantries with EO as the night carried on. But now that it was empty, I figured I’d face EO’s husband.
“I kissed your husband.” Impulse control was in the column of traits I needed to work on. I bit my lip, waiting for him to jump to his feet. If he slapped me, I’m pretty sure he’d send me through a wall. Please, please, please, don’t hit the face. It’s my money maker.
With his cowl hiding most of his face and his eyes coated in black paint, it was difficult to read his reaction. He held the single white rose in his right hand, and I half expected him to snap the stem before throwing a table at me. Bruno might be strong, but he’d never win this arm-wrestling contest.
“I figured.”
“You knew?” I asked.
“He came home with a goofy grin on his face. He’s not really good at keeping secrets.”
“Not how I expected this conversation to go.”
“He mentioned you were nervous. Normally, I’d keep my nose out of his business and let him do his thing. But there is something you need to know.”
I slid into the booth opposite the big man. I prepared for him to get territorial, to throw a heap of rules on the table and expect me to abide by his expectations. I had been in threesomes like that before. When sex required a referee, it lost its zeal.
“I’m okay with this. Let me put it like this. EO loves horror movies. I hate them. Give me a rom-com any day of the week. He’ll ask me if I want to go to the theater and see people get killed on screen. I always say no. But I don’t tell him not to see it. And why do it alone? Take a friend who loves horror.”
“Wait, am I the horror-loving friend in this example?”
Stonewall laughed hard enough that he shifted the table. It was a long night, and I needed some clarity, so I didn’t want to misinterpret his analogy. The roar continued, and I had to stop and smile. He wiped his eyes, smearing the paint inside his mask.
“You’re definitely his movie buddy.”
“Are there rules for attending this theater?”
“Be honest. Be you. You might have noticed we’re pretty big on this communication thing.”
