Chapter Nineteen
Emma
The club isn’t open yet, but it will be soon.
I’m rushing around, trying to do the last few things that need to be done before opening. One of the bouncers smiles and nods at me as I hurry past toward the walk-in to get a couple bottles of wine.
As I move, I catch sight of Kade.
I almost stop moving. His presence is a magnet, drawing me closer, despite my best efforts to resist him. His attention wanders from the conversation he’s having with one of the crew, and his eyes lock on me with an intensity that sends shivers down my spine.
Part of me wants to bask in his attention, but another part feels exposed and vulnerable under his piercing gaze. Inhaling a deep breath, I step out of his sight on my way to the walk-in. The door closes behind me and the chill eases some of the burn within me as I lean back against the door, hearing it click closed.
But I’m not worried - I got the emergency release fixed and it works perfectly now. And as I finally take a few steps forward, I can”t help but question my own feelings. Can I work around Kade without giving away the time we shared? Or am I just fooling myself into thinking I’m acting normal?
Some part of me is unsettled by the way he looks at me now, like he sees right through to parts of me I haven”t even discovered yet. Every look is so... intimate, so personal, that it heats up my blood in a way that I’m almost uncomfortable with. I feel too much for him, and that scares me.
Because what happens when we decide that the pressure and fear is too much? What happens when my brother finds out and makes some ultimatum? What happens when everything goes wrong? Because life has taught me that everything will go wrong, eventually.
“Maybe I should go to therapy,” I say. Lila had suggested it, but who has time for that? I work so many hours, and my downtime is consumed with the need to relax and try to push back the feeling of burnout that keeps creeping in.
I stand among rows of neatly stacked bottles, my fingers grazing the glass necks as I search for a bottle of Merlot, and I can”t help but let my mind wander back to the night Kade and I found ourselves trapped in this very cooler.
“Damn you, Kade,” I whisper, upset that he dominates every single thought I have. But even as I say the words, I smile, thinking about how I’d been so certain we were trapped in the walk-in, only for him to reveal he knew how to get out the whole time. He’d been messing with me, and that was right around the time my feelings for him began to shift from anger and hate to something else, something I still can’t quite define.
“Relax, Emma Riley,” I whisper as thoughts of what I’d do now if we were trapped in here together with no chance of being walked in on heat up my cheeks. I don’t know what happened, but being with him woke some sex-starved monster within me that craves him.
I shake my head, smiling despite myself as the memories flood my senses all at once.
Finding the wine I’m looking for, I grab the neck of the bottle and head for the door of the walk-in. With a shake of my head and a smile, I push the emergency release and hear the lock disengage.
Leaving the cold room, I make my way back to the bar, watching the lights flicker as the new DJ messes with things.
As I hurry past, he flashes a grin at me, a smile that’s all charm. I return the smile, a quick, hopeful curve of my lips. “Good luck up there,” I say over the thump of a bass line warming up.
“Thanks,” he shouts back, his eyes lingering on me a touch too long.
I can”t help but wonder how the crowd will react to him. We need some magic around here. Turning away, I make my way to the sanctuary behind the bar.
I put the wine in the chiller and move around, getting things ready and prepped for the night as thoughts of Kade fill my mind.
But even as I start prepping for opening, I feel it — his gaze on me, heavy and intent. He’s so damn distracting. I shake my head slightly, trying to focus on slicing lemons and limes, setting up rimming salts, and the other bits of my night that make things run a lot more smoothly.
I can feel the tension that”s grown since last night as Kade’s energy fills my being. I can”t shake the feeling that something between us has shifted, forever changed by our single night together. And whether it”s for better or worse, I know there”s no turning back.
“How goes it?” Alex asks, making me jolt. I turn and watch him start to turn bottles label out and I shrug.
“Fine, I guess.” It’s any other day, but it’s not. Everything has changed. I hope he can’t tell that there’s something different about me.
“And how did things go last night?” His question is somehow both casual and loaded, and I stiffen.
“What do you mean?” I ask, keeping my voice even and hoping it doesn”t betray the sudden tightness in my throat.
“Kade took you home,” he says, turning to face me with a towel in hand that he flings over his shoulder. “How did it go? Did you guys talk shop or anything?”
My cheeks warm, and I wonder if he’s trying to get me to tell him that Kade and I talked about my feelings for him. Because Alex called me on it last night - he knows I like Kade, and I doubt my weak deflection fooled him for a second.
“Not really,” I say, focusing on wiping down the counter. It’s not a lie; we didn’t talk shop. I can’t help but wonder if Ryan spilled the beans about Kade staying the night at my place. But Alex is the kind of brother who’d call me out directly, not beat around the bush and hint at what he wants to know.
The chill from the walk-in cooler still clings to my skin, an interesting contrast to the heat in my face. My heart picks up a rapid beat, fear and excitement tangling with me in a way that makes me feel alive, but very much in danger.
I shake off the unease. I hate lying to my brother. I hate these kinds of secrets. And I hate whatever this spot is on the bar that won’t seem to come up.
I dip the rag into the bleach mixture. Wipe. Scrub. Put the cloth over one finger and rub the stain hard, feeling the crust of it start flaking off with enough force and pressure.
“Is everything okay?” Alex sounds worried as he studies me, his brows knitted together.
“Yeah,” I say, plastering on a smile that feels too fake and obvious. “Just tired, you know?”
He nods, seemingly satisfied with my response and our conversation, and turns back to his task.
I continue my work, rubbing the damp rag over tough surfaces, banishing spots, smudges, fingerprints, and germs. Inside, I”m a mess of nerves and longing, my mind replaying every touch, every kiss, every whispered word between Kade and me. I want him again. I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of him. And that thought is almost frightening.
But on the outside, I”m cool, collected, unfazed, unbothered, and utterly nonchalant. At least, that”s the illusion I’m going to desperately cling to.
“Watch it, Emma,” Alex says, reaching out and plucking a rogue glass from in front of me, and I realize I almost bumped it off the edge. “You almost dropped a glass.”
“Thanks. I guess I’m a million miles away.” I smile and gesture with one hand like the thoughts are fluttering out of my head.
“Sure,” he says, his eyes searching my face for answers to questions he hasn’t asked. “It wouldn”t have anything to do with Kade, would it?”
“Kade?” I let out a laugh that’s a little too high-pitched. “Why would it?”
Alex’s eyes narrow as if he sees right through me. “Just curious,” he says, with a shrug. “You two seem... different today.”
I playfully roll my eyes. “Different how? Like aliens swapped our bodies while we slept?”
“I hope not,” he says with a chuckle, turning back to the sink to wash glasses.
Once every surface is clean, I rub the back of my neck, feeling the familiar prickle there that tells me someone is looking at me. I scan the room and lock eyes with Kade. I can’t help a small smile that crosses my lips.
I”m breathless, my body freezing in place as his gaze runs over me like a caress. The world narrows down to just him and me, everything else fading to a distant hum.
My brother is right; we’re both different. All I can think about is the heat in his eyes, the wicked way his lips curve up at the corners, and how badly I want him to touch me again. My cheeks blaze white-hot as my heart begins to beat double time. Tearing my attention away from him, I try to get back to work, but I have no idea what to do as I move.
I shake my head slightly, willing away thoughts that are scrambling my brain and making it impossible to think straight.
“Keep it together, Emma,” I whisper under my breath.
“Did you say something?” Alex asks, startling me.
“Nothing,” I say with a shaky smile. “Just talking to myself.”
“Must be one hell of a conversation.” He laughs.
“Something like that.” But even as I talk to my brother, my mind drifts back to Kade.
Hours later, the neon “Open” sign flickers before dying out, the last call for alcohol already a distant memory. I”m wiping down tables, the sticky residue of spilled cocktails clinging to my hands. The laughter and music that fueled the night now just echo as the final patrons stagger into the darkness outside.
My phone buzzes against my thigh, jolting me from my thoughts. Kade”s name flashes across the screen, sending a shiver up my spine. Can we talk? His simple text shouldn”t mean much, but it does. So much.
“What does he want to talk about?” I whisper, chewing on my bottom lip. Alex”s probing earlier makes my stomach twist. Is this it? The talk?
With my heart hammering, I thumb a shaky Yes and slip the phone back into my pocket. I keep moving, keep cleaning, trying to look busy, normal. But some small part of me is sure I’m not fooling anyone.
Footsteps approach, and I don”t need to look up to know it”s him. There”s an intensity to his presence that”s always been undeniable. Kade”s eyes find mine, then scan the bar and empty tables. “Are you alone?”
I nod, tossing a damp rag onto the counter. “Someone”s got to lock up.” My attempt at casual falls flat.
Without a word, Kade rolls up the sleeves of his dark shirt, revealing his powerful forearms as he steps behind the bar. He grabs a sponge and starts scrubbing glasses.
I’m touched; he’s helping me so I don’t have to do this alone.
“Alex should be helping you,” he says over his shoulder as I continue cleaning, comfortable with him and this moment.
“Thank you,” I whisper, unsure how to tell him that I appreciate his help and that he’s thinking of me. The sweet gesture melts something in me, and I can’t help but smile as I toss empty bottles into the recycle bin, the clinking glass failing to drown out the pounding of my own pulse.
I break the silence, my voice soft. “What did you want to talk about?”
Kade”s hands never still, and suds swirl around the glass he’s washing. “I”ve been thinking,” he says, and something in his low, growling tone snags my attention. I stand still, gripping the edge of the counter like I’ll fall without something to hold onto.
“About us, about last night, and...” His words hang unfinished between us and makes my heart pound harder.
He looks up suddenly, our eyes locking, and I see it—all the unguarded emotions he usually hides. “You mean a lot to me,” he says in a rough voice.
My breath hitches, and the room feels ten degrees warmer. “You mean a lot to me, too,” I say, the truth rushing from my lips.
The concern etched into his brow deepens, and for one terrifying moment, I think he might be pulling away.