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CHAPTER5
Crystal
“God damn it!” I tried to keep my voice down, refusing to allow my employees to know just how pissed I was. My assistant manager, a guy who’d come highly recommended from another much more profitable bar, had left his shift the night before knowing the register was short.
And not a lousy few bucks either.
I slapped my hand on the desk, furious that I’d let my guard down. It was my responsibility to ensure that everything was in order. Carl wasn’t a stupid guy. Arrogant, yes. A pain in the ass at times, you bet. But stupid? I groaned again, wiping sweat from around my temple. At least I had a bartender tonight, which would allow me time to find the mistake. I dropped my head into my hands, trying to calm my breathing, attempting to stop seeing spots of rage in front of my eyes.
Maybe I needed another spanking.
Shame rushed through me like a roaring fire, pressing along my jawline. I wasn’t certain I could forgive myself for such impetuous behavior.
But the entire experience had been damn good.
I half chuckled and wiggled in the chair, still shocked I’d fucked some mysterious and very dangerous stranger, after not one but two hard spankings. I was crazy. That had to be it. I’d left no more than ten minutes after he’d come inside me. There’s been no promise of anything else, but I’d never been so satisfied in my life.
Damn it if I didn’t want more.
I struggled to concentrate on the screen. Quickbooks wasn’t that complicated. All Carl had to do was count the cash, make certain all the credit card receipts were accounted for and everything should balance. Easy-peasy. No, now I had to deal with this shit.
I shifted my weight again, biting my lower lip to keep from moaning. The bad girl side of me screamed that the round of discipline had been exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, what I’d realized during my second cup of coffee and long before seeing the blond hunk is that I wasn’t attracted to Carter, not in the girlfriend kind of way. There was no particular reason, simply that the evening had been pleasant, but there’d been no sparks.
I had no idea what I’d say to him if he actually had the courage to call me.
Then there was the roughhewn and very mysterious biker, all six foot something of him. I hadn’t been able to get him off my mind for the majority of the afternoon.
Sexy.
Dangerous.
Off limits.
There could never be another wicked tryst. Nope. I wasn’t that kind of girl.
“Ugh!” Why couldn’t I find the right combination in a man? Maybe karma was telling me I should be alone. Very. Alone.
“Crystal, um, we need you out here.”
I heard Daphne’s voice, the tone that let me know in no uncertain terms there was another issue in the bar. “What?”
“Brad isn’t showing up tonight.” Smacking her gum, she folded her arms as her eyes darted back and forth.
I heard the growl slipping past my lips. “Damn it!”
She threw up her arms. “Don’t shoot the messenger. Said he has the stomach flu.”
Brad was the only other employee who knew how to actually tend bar instead of simply slinging beers, which left me in yet another lurch. Perfect fucking timing. I counted to five before even considering answering. “That’s fine. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“We already have customers,” she said in a singsong-y voice as she walked out the door.
Exasperation I was used to. Right now, I was firmly convinced karma had it out for me. After locking everything up, I headed toward the main room, almost shocked to see the number of people and it was only a little after five in the afternoon. Taking a deep breath, I plastered on my usual fake smile before jumping back behind the bar.
“The bar. Is. Open.” At least the crowd seemed lively for a Sunday night. “What will you have?”
By the time I even glanced at the clock, it was after seven-thirty. Every television in the place was on, the volumes at full blast. I could barely hear the customers or my wait staff shouting out orders, but at least the Sandpiper was filled. I glanced at the bank of windows overlooking the parking lot, marveling at the number of cars. I also noticed the darkened sky, clouds swirling in ominous formations. A nasty storm was brewing.
There was no way to hear the rumble of thunder, but strikes of lightning crisscrossed the horizon, giving me an uneasy feeling. Every human, every creature, and every event gathered an eerie vibe during a thunderstorm. I had enough difficulty with darkness. Add in a raging weather pattern and I was shoved onto the edge. Forcing myself to look away, I refused to think about the past.
