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“Mae, please stop. What’s gotten into you today?” snaps Bernie. Her mobile rings and she checks it. “That’s Angel now. I’ll let her know to come here.”
I wait until she leaves and then I lunge forward, leaning across the bar, close to Mae’s face. “Pushing your luck, baby. Keep running that smart mouth and I’ll be filling it up to keep it busy.” Mae’s face flushes. “And for the record, you spill my whiskey again like that and I’ll have you licking it up while I fuck you over this bar.” I want so badly to kiss her smart mouth. She’s pouting, and it’s sexy as hell.
“At some point, we’re gonna have to talk about what’s going on, Ace. I don’t want to label it or push you into anything, but I can’t watch you with the club girls.”
I smile. She doesn’t even know that she’s completely bewitched me. “There’s nothing to talk about, Mae, you got me.” She looks confused, but before I can clarify, Piper takes a seat next to me.
“Lockdown? What the hell, Pres? I have college.”
“Speak to your tutor, get them to send work, video seminars, whatever. Just don’t go sneaking off. I know what you and Lucy are like together.” Since they met last year, they’ve become real good friends. It’s nice to see and means Lucy is more likely to stick around. “No encouraging her either, Pip. This is to keep her and that little one safe.”
Piper gives me her most innocent look, but I don’t fall for it. She’s the crazy of the kids around here. That thought sends a jolt to my heart and my eyes fall to Mae, who’s wiping glasses and staring at Piper.
They’re all club kids, growing up here together. It’s how everyone sees them, so I can’t help thinking what the hell everyone’s gonna say when they find out about me and Mae. I shake the thought away. I can’t worry about that shit now, not when we have Tag’s father running around like a crazy idiot. But one thing I know I can’t do is stop. It feels right, even though all the signs are pointing to wrong.
Mae catches my serious expression and, without words, tips her head and mouths the question, ‘Are you okay?’ I nod, but she doesn’t look convinced. She grabs the whiskey bottle and tops up my glass, smirking and spilling extra on the bar top. I quirk my eyebrow, and she presses her lips together, stifling her grin. All kinds of images flash through my mind, mostly of her naked and me licking the amber liquid from various parts of her anatomy. “Whoops, silly me. Sorry, Pres.” She lifts my glass and wipes the spillage again. “I’ll pay for that later.” My eyes shoot to hers in surprise, and she grins. “I have no change on me right now, but seeing as it’s the second spill, I’ll cover the cost of one shot.”
“Don’t be silly, Mae, accidents happen. I have a few jobs stacking up in my office that you can do instead. Especially if we’re locked up for the next few days.” I take my glass from her and head back to my office, trying to hide the smile on my face.
MAE
“Oh my god, you’re fucking the Pres!” Piper whisper-hisses. My face instantly burns a deep shade of red.
“What?” I almost shout. “No, of course not. What are you talking about?”
Piper leans closer, her eyes wide. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Mae Molly Grain. I’ve known you my whole life and I know flirting when I see it.”
I try and come up with excuses, but my mind draws a blank and my mouth opens and closes like a fish. “Oh god, Pip, please don’t tell anyone,” I whisper.
The last thing we need right now is to be the gossip of this place. It’ll spook Ace and then he’ll end it. My heart can’t take it when he keeps giving me hope with little hints and possessive remarks.
Piper covers her mouth. “Jesus Christ, I’m right? What the actual fuck, Mae?” she growls. “He’s old.”
“Not that old,” I argue.
“He knew your dad.”
“When you put it like that, it sounds bad, but my dad died a long time ago. I really like him, Pip. I tried not to, but I just couldn’t help it.”
“People used to say he had something about him that would make girls instantly fall in love, and now, one of my own girls has fallen for it. What’s your mum gonna say? And what about Lucy?”
I grab hold of her hand and practically squeeze it in desperation. “Please, Piper, whatever you do, please don’t tell anyone. We’ve barely made it to twenty-four hours, and I don’t know if it’s going anywhere yet, but if you tell anyone, we’ll be over before we’ve even begun.”
Piper sighs. “Okay,” she mutters, “I won’t tell a soul.”
I sigh in relief. “Pinky promise.”“Yeah, yeah.” She sighs, holding out her little finger. We hook together and then smile. “Is he big?” she asks, her face serious.
I laugh, then scowl. “No dirty questions, have some respect.”
“Fuck respect. If I’m keeping secrets, I want to know everything. It’s the least you owe me, and I need to understand what makes you fall for a guy his age.”
I laugh and grab us a bottle of wine. If we’re gonna be locked up for a few days, then we may as well make the most of it.
Chapter Eight
ACE
“Pres, you might wanna get out there soon. It’s getting outta hand,” shouts Hulk from outside my closed office door. I chuck my pen down on the pile of papers.
