Chapter 16
Val
By the time I make it upstairs, the overwhelming weight of the evening crashes in on me. I feel as if the moment passed for tonight with Sawyer. Shortly after he leaves with his sister, I send him a quick note.
Me: Be here early, we’ll clean up.
Sawyer: Okay.
I stare at my phone screen.
Even through text he hardly talks.
As tempting as it is to have him come back, there’s a part of me that knows somewhere deep down that there might be another chance to make him mine.
Not forever. Just to have some fun for a little while.
But the mission was accomplished. Instead of the dreaded nightmares of finding Sarah’s broken body, I’m able to sleep blissfully while dreaming of stroking Sawyer’s defined chest.
The shrill ring of my damn cell shatters that.
“Yea?” I mumble. There’s barely a half-ass glow coming through my windows.
“Is this the Hilltop Bar and Grill?” An older lady’s voice is punctuated in the background by a wave of noises.
“It is.” Slumping back against the pillows, I flip to speaker so I can check my screen.
Seven in the morning? What the fuck. We don’t open until eleven.
“My name is Louise, I’m one of the chaperones for Oak Grove High girl’s basketball team.
We’re going to be driving past your place in about two hours and was wondering what the chances would be that you could open just a little early for about twenty-five people?
” Her pitch rises to stay louder than the sounds behind her.
That’s a lot of meals.
After cutting last night’s revenue short by kicking everyone out, I could use the extra money.
Son of a—
I gotta clean, too.
“Yea. Sure, I can open up for you. I’d be happy to. When?” Rubbing my eyes, I turn on my lamp on the nightstand.
It’s still too fucking early.
“Ten,” she says with entirely too much enthusiasm for this ungodly time of day.
Crap. “Sounds great, see you then.”
I nearly drop my phone on my face when I end the call.
There goes my plans for getting Sawyer to myself for a while before the doors open.
Scrambling out of bed, I beeline for a quick shower, then head downstairs to try and make some headway in the aftermath of the Halloween bash.
I don’t really care if the decorations stay up, there’s plenty of time to take care of those later.
For now, I gotta get the damn kitchen straightened and the garbage picked up.
None of the tables have even been cleared and wiped.
Jesus, I really let my hormones get the best of me.
After flying around like a mad woman, I just manage to get to the door and flip it to “open” when I see the bus roll in.
No way in hell is that only twenty-five girls rolling out of that bus. They’re wearing two different uniforms.
“Um, hi? Is that all one team?” I can’t help asking the first adult that saunters in.
“Oh, it’s the JV and Varsity team, plus cheerleaders.” The woman’s bright smile somehow dampens my already sour mood.
“Great.” My enthusiasm is one-hundred percent fake. “Just so you know, I’m flying solo at the moment, my helper is on his way in.”
“Not a problem, we’re ahead of schedule.” She herds a few of the younger girls to a group of tables near the stage.
I’m on the third order when I hear the bell over the entrance and the air in the room gets heavier.
Sawyer pauses with a different hat sitting cock-eyed on his head, his blue gaze leveled on me.
Shrugging my shoulders, I wince but continue what I’m doing.
It’s awfully hard not to watch him push into the kitchen though.
Even worse is hearing the senior girls giggle about how cute they think he is.
Damn right he is. He’s also—
Not mine.
I have to keep telling myself that.
When my notepad is full, my limbs fill with the buzz of adrenaline as I push through the swinging doors to the back.
He’s elbow deep in kneading out dough in anticipation of the dozen pizzas I’ve got jotted down.
Such a good boy.
“Busy start?” he grunts, tossing me a pained look.
“Not exactly what I had planned.” My hip leans against the counter and I give in to the urge to hook my finger through his belt loop.
There’s an insane voice in my head telling me to stake a claim before those ravenous teens out there get a hold of him.
The heels of his hands brace in the wad of flour mid-roll. “What did you have in mind?”
Easy girl. It’s way too hectic to pull him away right now.
“You’ll find out.” Blowing him a kiss, I turn on my toe to return to the chaos of the bar to pour drinks. “I put the table numbers on the tickets to make it easy.”
His groan drifts after me, reinvigorating me.
For some reason it hits differently knowing he’s here to help. Even with a crowd, he’s steadfast and efficient.
I don’t have half the drinks filled when I see him darting out with the first tray of food.
His lean body weaves through the uniformed girls, balancing a loaded platter with deft skill.
I love how his forearms flex as he serves—
Shit. Rootbeer overflows onto my fingers in a foamy mess.
Did that perky brunette just touch his knuckles and bat her lashes?
The flash of red surging up his throat as he returns to the back tells me she said something raunchy to him too.
That’s my fucking job.
Slinging the last few rounds of sodas, it’s difficult not to spill while I’m so distracted keeping an eye on him.
Why the hell am I so stressed about it?
Last night he was on his knees for me.
But there’s a nagging doubt that’s eating at me. He has no reason to be loyal to me.
All we did was kiss.
When I find myself in the kitchen again, he’s portioning out french fries onto several different plates.
I want to tease him about the girl. Make him tell me who he chooses.
Instead, I come up behind him and slide my palms around his waist.
He freezes with a sharp inhale as my fingers move further, raking across his lower belly to grab his belt with both hands.
“Val,” he exhales. “You’re gonna make me, um, it hard to go out there.”
Pressing my chest against his spine, my pelvis into his muscular ass, I tug up his jeans far enough that I know the crotch is tugging his groin. “I just wanted you to know I’m not done with you.”
Then I pull his buckle, making him spin to face me. “And until this—” My long black nail flicks between us. “—is over, no side pieces.”
His pouty lower lip pulls up into a cocky, lopsided grin. “There’s an ‘us’?”
Maybe he does have a little brat in him like his sister.
I swat his perfect butt, making him jump. But follow it with running my thumb along his bulging zipper as I meet his burning gaze. “As long as you mind.”
His fingers twitch, like he wants to touch me. “Yes, ma’am.”
Reaching past him, I snag three ready plates with their tickets and walk briskly out to the bar.
At least I can happily serve these flirty girls knowing that I have him. That flame of desire flecking his blue eyes means he isn’t going anywhere.
For now.