13. Thirteen
Thirteen
I ’ve dreamed about that kiss for the past three nights. Nothing in my twenty-nine years has ever left me feeling so high, or full of wonder. Erin’s lips are perfect. Soft and plump. They glided with mine effortlessly. The touch of her tongue on my bottom lip had me moaning. I took her in wholly, savoring every caress and lick.
The memory of her hands grasping at my waist sends minor tremors of pleasure to my clit. Three nights I have dreamed and three mornings I have climaxed to Erin. To the memory of that kiss. Although my soul seems temporarily sated, I am still having the serum shots.
“Show me your ass,” Lucille barks, barging into my room. I huff and switch off my vibrator.
“Could you knock next time?”
“Amelia, I’ve heard you masturbating for the last three days. If I wait for you to finish, I’ll never get to work. ”
Rolling my eyes, I shift to the side and poke my ass out of the covers. “Hey Amelia, I have a question.” Erin’s voice registers seconds before she sticks her head around my bedroom door. “Jesus, sorry.”
Wonderful.
“I’m nearly done Erin, just a second,” I call. Lucille quickly administers the serum and makes herself scarce. Pulling on underwear, I hurry to the living room.
“I’m so sorry, I should have waited for you to answer, it’s just there’s a problem with an order and I didn’t know how you wanted me to handle it, so I thought I should just ask you, and I knew you were home. That was a bad idea, wasn’t it? Are you okay? What was Lucille injecting you with? Is it your ulcer?”
I watch her take a gigantic breath in. That was one hell of a ramble. “Are you okay?” I laugh. “That was some speech off of one breath.”
“Yeah, fine,” she puffs.
“Right. I’m good, thank you. The doctor has given me a new treatment for the ulcer. Unfortunately, it means I need an injection in the ass. As you saw,” I smirk.
Erin grins and blushes. “Yeah, I saw.”
“It also means that I have to see Lucille more often.”
“I could do it,” she blurts. Even I’m taken aback by the offer. “I mean, if I’m here. No need for Lucille to stop by.” Lucille moved out of the penthouse several days ago. Her presence is no longer required. Even my mother agreed.
“Well, who am I to pass up an offer like that?” I laugh. “I’ll need another jab in a few hours. ”
“Consider it done.” This is a weird situation I find myself in, but I’ll take it. What could it hurt, having Erin check out my ass several times a day?
“So, this order?”
“Right, the invoice is way over. I can’t find the fault.”
“Let me get dressed and I’ll be down to look.”
There’s that lingering again. But now, I’m wondering if it’s okay for me to kiss her. I take a chance. Slinking my hand around her shoulders, I pull her in. Our lips meet again and it’s just as good as the first time. The only trouble is I have to actively stop my body from trying to take it further. God, I want her. I want to run my hands over her skin, nip her neck, and suck—
“Amelia,” she breathes. A pulse of longing wraps itself around my throat, causing me to make a weird little groan. By some miracle, I’m able to pull myself away.
“Sorry,” I pant. Erin is on the clock. I have to show some modicum of professionalism.
“No… um, it’s fine,” she stutters. We are both breathing heavily. Her eyes are black pools. She wants me and I want her, but I know she still has mixed feelings about us. The fact she’s still dating Mack is enough proof. I don’t want to sleep with her until I know she only wants me. When we bond, I need her to give me all of herself.
Taking a step back, I point to the bathroom. “I’ll be down soon.” It’s not going to be that soon because I’m going to have to take care of myself again.
Forty-five minutes later, I finally emerge from the shower. The number of times I had to make myself come before feeling any relief should embarrass me, but it doesn’t. Erin does something to me. She invades my mind and elicits feelings so strong that one climax is nowhere near enough to quench the thirst.
Kit is on bar duty today. It’s been a while since we’ve hung out. I make a note to have a drink with her later. “Hey, everything okay back there?” I ask.
“All good, boss,” she calls from below the bar. “Need some more limes, though.”
“I’ll make sure they are delivered. Have you seen Erin?”
“Yeah, she’s in the back. Um, Mack’s with her.”
“I’ll give them a second, then.”
“Drink?” Kit asks, already pouring me a Dirty Martini.
“As if you need to ask.”
Kit shrugs her shoulders. “It’s polite to ask.”
I laugh. “How are you Kitty Kat? It’s been a second since we had a catch up.”
“I’m good, Amelia. The club keeps me busy.” I sense an undertone of sadness.
“Hey, what’s up?”
Kit sighs. “I’m nearly twenty-five and I still haven’t met my mate. I’m starting to worry. No, sorry. My parents are worrying and are transferring it onto me.”
“Hey, come on, there’s still time. Look at me, I’m twenty-nine and have only just…” I stop dead because I forgot Kit doesn’t know I mated with Erin.
“You found her? You’ve mated?” Kit’s excitement is electric.
“Yeah, well, it’s a little complicated,” I laugh humorlessly, because let’s be fair, it’s not funny in the slightest.
Kit is cut off by Mack and Erin emerging from the storeroom. Erin is a little disheveled, and Mack is wearing a grin that I’d like to knock off her face. But, because I am the epitome of calm and collected, I don’t let her see me rattled.
“I just need to run to the bathroom and then we’ll go over that invoice, if that’s okay?” Erin asks, her voice pinched. It’s not nice to see her uncomfortable. She doesn’t wait for an answer.
Mack watches her leave and then turns her attention to me. I already sense what’s coming. “Amelia, a word?”
“Sure,” I reply, gesturing to the booth on my left. We take a seat. I lay my arms across the back of the booth. I can see it irritates Mack to see me so unaffected by her.
“Look, I think it’s time you backed off.”
“Really? And why’s that?”
“Because me and Erin are exclusive now. We’ve been together for a few months and, let’s be honest, she’s only dating you because she doesn’t know how to let you down. You know, she feels bad about you having a health issue and all.”
My face gives nothing away. My insides are boiling with white fiery anger. “Is that so? Well, until I hear that from Erin, I’ll continue to date her.”
Mack shakes her head and chuckles. “You poor sap. Amelia, Erin is my girlfriend now. I know you got a kiss out of her, but that’s it. You’re nowhere near the level we’re at.”
“Yet.”
“No, you’ll never get there. Look, if she was so into you, would she have just let me fuck her up against the stock shelves? And boy, did she enjoy it.”
Oh Mack, you simple fool. I would be impressed, but I find her as intimidating and threatening as a throw pillow. She oversold it and has just handed me a weapon that is almost guaranteed to blow her relationship out of the water. I’m weighing up whether I should launch it when she leans forward.
“I have to say, hearing her scream my name in your stockroom was quite a thrill.” Well, that settles it then.
“For a doctor, you’re not very bright, are you?” I begin. She’s taken aback by my response. “You know, I really admired you when we met Mack, but you’ve really shown your true colors now, huh?”
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Erin asks as she approaches the booth. Time to detonate.
“Ms. Hanson,” I say, addressing Erin formally, which, of course, earns me a very confused look. “I need you to clear out your locker immediately.”
“What?” she blurts.
“I’ve just been informed you have taken part in sexual conduct on the premises and on shift. As you know, this directly violates your employee contract. I have no choice. Please vacate the bar by the time we open.” I have zero intentions of firing Erin. I know Mack was bullshitting the second those words left her lying mouth. Erin would never do anything to jeopardize her career or the bar’s integrity.
“What? Amelia, what are you talking about?” Erin is flushed and confused, and I hate that I’m making her feel that way, but it’s necessary. If it were any other employee, I would have to take the same steps. I can’t be seen as playing favorites, plus I need Mack to know she’s fucking with the wrong person. I’m a Loch for Christ’s sake.
“Dr. North has just informed me of your time spent in the stockroom. I have to say I’m shocked, Ms. Hanson. Now please, collect your things. ”
“Mack, what the hell is she talking about?” I stare Mack dead in the eye. She is bright red and panicking.
“No, no, Erin, it was a joke, a miscommunication,” she stumbles.
“Odd joke,” I comment.
“Joke? What are you talking about?”
“Sorry, can I clarify,” I interrupt. “Did it or didn’t it happen?”
“It most certainly did not, Amelia. I swear to you.” I take a second to look over Erin’s beautiful face.
“Right, okay. We’ll say no more of it, but in future I think you and Dr. North should keep your liaisons, no matter how innocent, out of Insomnia.” With that, I stand and leave.
Twenty minutes pass with no sign of Erin. Kit tells me she escorted Mack out. I get into work mode and trawl through the invoice. I see the mistake and call the vendor. By the time I’m off the phone, Erin is standing in the office doorway looking sheepish.
“Amelia, can we talk?”
“Sure, come in.”
“I am so sorry for Mack. I don’t know what got into her. I still don’t understand how that joke came about. Suffice to say, she will not visit Insomnia as anything other than a patron in the future.”
Does that mean they’re still dating? “Are you planning on seeing her again? Romantically?”
Erin shuffles in her seat and looks down at her lap. There’s my answer. God knows what lies Mack manufactured for Erin to agree to continue dating her. “Um.”
“It’s fine, Erin. That’s your choice.” Now I’m about to do something risky. “I think we should put a pause on us until you know where things are going with Mack.” I hate myself for saying it, but I need Erin to want me, and only me. I’m wasting precious energy battling with Mack.
“What? Why?”
“Honestly? I can’t date you while you’re with someone else. I like you Erin, a lot, and I want us to date exclusively. But I know you’re not on the same page as me.”
“I don’t want to stop dating you.”
“I’m not the type of person to give ultimatums, Erin. You like Mack, enough to put up with the bullshit she just pulled. And let’s not pretend it was anything but bullshit.”
“She said it was a joke.”
“And you have every right to believe her.”
“It wasn’t a joke?”
“It was a poor attempt at making me jealous.” I’m done playing. Mack is not worthy of Erin’s attention. Even if she eventually doesn’t want to be mine, she is worth more than Mackenzie North.