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I roll my eyes. “Quit the flirting. It’s been made known that your flirting leads to nothing but boring showers.”
He tenses. “That shower was definitely not boring.”
“It was for me. You couldn’t even look at me.” I’m struggling to keep my voice low. I’m also struggling not to bop him in the head with the menu on the side of his table.
“Trust me, my dick got hard with every peek I made. When I saw your ass in the shower in front of me, I nearly died.” He holds up his coffee. “Can I get a refill, please?”
I blink at him, ready to see my heart fall at my feet as it rages against my chest.
“Extra cream,” he adds, licking his lips and thrusting the cup closer my way.
Just as I’m struggling to come up with a reply, Henry calls my name. I pivot on my heel, trying to catch my breath, and look at him.
“We’re ready to order!” he calls out. “I need lots and lots of syrup with my pancakes, please!”
“Sugar-free syrup,” Tricia adds.
“You’d better go help them,” Rex adds with an annoying chuckle.
I slide his coffee mug along his table, leaving it there, and stroll over to take their order. On my way back to the kitchen, I swipe Rex’s mug from his table without saying a word.
“I’m so jealous,” Candy squeals after I call out my orders to the cooks. “Why would you want to hide being in a relationship withRex Lane? He’s so hot.”
I went to high school with Candy. She was part of the popular crowd and wasn’t that nice then, but she’s been cool since I started here. Isomewhatthink of her as a friend. She only irks me when it comes to Rex and how she makes a big deal about him being here.
The rest of my shift goes smoothly. I bring Rex his coffee refill and breakfast, and he thankfully doesn’t mention our shower party of no fun again.
14
Rex
“Thank God you’re here,”Maliki comments when he answers the door.
It’s late. I’ve been up, working on my game, and then Sierra texted me, reminding me about her computer. She instructed me to text Maliki when I was here and not to knock since Molly would most likely be sleeping.
Their house was recently remodeled and looks awesome. Sierra is an interior designer, so she had the most say in the changes. Maliki stepped to the side, letting her create her dream home for them.
“She’s been whining about her computer nonstop,” he adds as I follow him into the living room.
Sierra is on the couch, and next to her is a sleeping Molly, her head resting on Sierra’s lap.
“Oh, shut it,” Sierra chimes in. “I have not.”
Maliki nods toward Molly. “I’ll put her to bed.”
Sierra nods and plants a kiss on Molly’s forehead before Maliki scoops his daughter up in his arms and carries her down the long hallway.
“Let me grab my laptop,” Sierra says, pulling herself up and plodding barefoot to the kitchen while I relax on the couch.
Maliki returns at the same time she hands it over to me. He’s cool as shit, and he owns the only bar in our town—Down Home Pub. He took it over years back when his father nearly went bankrupt and then moved to Florida. My sister works with him, bartending a few nights a week, but now that her interior design company has taken off, she’s cut down on her hours.
“How was your lovers’ trip?” Sierra asks, her and Maliki sitting next to each other. She turns, resting her back to his side, and he tucks his arm around her waist.
It’s time like these when I wonder in the back of my mind if I’m capable of having that. Sure, Carolina and Isnugglesometimes, but this is more than snuggling. There’s a certain intimacy, and the love they have for each other bleeds off them. Briefly, I wonder what it looks like when Carolina lies against me like that. Does our …friendship … our lovebleed off us?
“It wasn’t a lovers’ trip,” I scold, opening her laptop and powering it on.
Sierra tilts her back and smiles up at Maliki. “Aw, babe, do you remember when we were friends and tried to hide that we were in love with each other?”
