12. Isaac
7 WEEKS TILL THE END OF SUMMER
12
“So how are things goin’ with Vienna and Reece working at the bar?” Maddox asks as we walk into The Cove Bar and Grill, bypassing the tables and grabbing two stools at the end of the bar.
We smile as a bartender I don’t recognize drops two coasters and menus in front of us, before taking our drink order and disappearing blessedly from sight. I need to gather myself because even though I knew I’d have to face Maddox at some point, I also couldn’t put into words how right it felt having Reece in my bed every night this week.
But it’s not just about the amazing sex or the insane chemistry between us—it’s the way we stay up and talk for hours about everything and nothing. It’s the way she’s crawled inside me and claimed a piece of me without even trying.
And it’s the way I can’t shake the feeling I might do something crazy to keep her.
“They’re doing great,” I say as casually as I can manage as the bartender drops off our beers. “It’s nice to have the help.”
“That’s good and I appreciate it,” he says, taking a sip. I take one too, swallowing my grimace thinking of how much hewould notappreciate the things I did to Reece last night.
Or how he’d burst into her apartment when we’d still been naked in bed.
Being with her in high school had been one thing. We’d been young and tentative, and even though things had gotten heated as we got older, it was nothing compared to the way we devour each other now.
I shift, and the bite mark she left on my inner thigh last night while she gifted me the most earth-shattering blow job of my life rubs against the seam of my shorts, and I barely stop a grunt from escaping.
Taking another sip of my beer, I blow out a heavy breath and will my ass to relax. The last thing I need is Maddox getting suspicious, but more than that, I don’t want to accidentally alienate my best friend because I can’t keep my shit together.
Looking at him, I’m startled to see the way he’s focused on the condensation on his glass, his forearms braced on the bar top.
“You okay, man?” I ask, my eyebrows furrowing the longer I look at him.
“It’s this girl, man…she’s driving me crazy.”
“Marigold?” His gaze whips to me, and I hide my smirk behind my glass.
“How do you know that?”
“She came into the bar for cider and was talking about the cocky, hot firefighter.” I shrug.“Reece was there working and we were able to narrow it down pretty quick.” I pause. “Also, you know she and Reece are friends, right?”
He grumbles something under his breath. “She’s fucking chaos and she doesn’t want my help, but her damn shop is setting off the alarm every damn day.”
“Did you use your charming voice? Women always like that.” He glares at me and I chuckle. “Okay, so if charming didn’t work, did you trynice?Sometimes you forget that one.”
“Of course I was nice. I’m always nice.” My eyebrows creep up my forehead and he sighs. “Every time I see her I just…” He sighs. “Something about her makes me want to pick a fight, every damn time. Doesn’t matter what it’s about, I just want to get a rise out of her.”
“It sounds like you have a thing for Love Beach’s newest shop owner.” He opens his mouth and then closes it again, the warring inside him obvious. “Maybe you should just go talk to her. No pretenses—just have a conversation and go from there.”
“Maybe,” he admits and I nod, slapping him on the shoulder and eliciting a grunt and a scowl.
“That’s the spirit.”
Polishing off my beer, I set my glass on the bar and throw enough money down to cover our drinks.
“Where you headed?” he asks even though I know his mind is still stuck on a certain cake baker with girl-next-door looks and a sassy mouth.
“I’m taking Reece and Vienna to the Book & Barrel.” This gets his attention as he gawks at me.
“What did you do to deserve that?” he asks incredulously.
“I lost a bet,” I admit with a shrug and a grin.
“You lost a bet, and now you need to take my sister and her best friend to the bookstore?”
“Yep,” I say, popping the p and shoving my hand in my front pocket as I stand. “I owe them each a book too.”
“What the hell kind of bet did you make?” He laughs, his expression filled with amusement, and I’m happy he’s at least distracted for a moment.
“They bet me that they could kick the keg on the English Breakfast Tea Stout running a special with Choco-Love pairing chocolates.”
“That’s a good one. Did Noah make it?”
I nod. Noah Drake and I hadn’t socialized too much over the years, but I had to admit the guy was something of a genius when it came to chocolate.
“Dark chocolate truffles with a dark, sweet, cherry in the middle surrounded by a raspberry cream filling and edible gold sprinkled over each one. Have you ever seen edible gold? It was insane.”
“That is very specific,” Maddox says with a wry grin.
“I said it so many times it’s burned into my brain. I also walked over there as soon as they opened the next day and asked for a box for myself.”
And Reece.
But I don’t say that part out loud.
“And how long did it take for the girls to win?”
“We didn’t even make it to eight o’clock,” I say, thinking back to how everyone had raved over the idea. It had been a hit, and I’d already talked to Noah about a repeat event.
Maddox snorts and shakes his head. “So now you owe them a drink and a book?”
“Yeah,”—I glance down at my watch—“and now I gotta run.”
“Have fun with that.” He snorts into his beer, but I can’t help but grin.
Oh, I plan to.