Chapter 2
I had the next night off, but with nothing better to do, I spent it at the bar.
This time, on the other side of it while another bartender served me drinks.
I scanned the crowd, unsure what I was looking for, when I glimpsed a familiar piece of jewelry.
He stood in a corner talking to someone, but almost as if he sensed me staring, he turned.
Those sparkling green eyes bore through me with an intensity that threatened to buckle my knees.
I gave him the same once-over he gave me, taking in every inch of him. My heart started hammering.
Time for the chase.
I wove in and out of the crowd as I picked my way across the floor to him, all the while maintaining eye contact. The person he was talking to said something before walking away.
Elbows on the high-top table, he killed the rest of his drink, making a show of setting his glass down and swiping his thumb across his bottom lip. The change in position gave me the perfect gap to slide in behind him.
“Didn’t get enough of an eyeful last night?” I brought my arms around to rest on either side of his. He twisted to face me, back against the table, hips against mine. He chuckled as our eyes met. His raked over my body, subtlety having flown out the window.
“What’s your name?” he asked, resting his arms around my neck. A shiver ran down my spine when his fingers twisted into my hair.
Oh yes. This was exactly what I needed after my restless night at home, replaying the conversation with Raleigh over and over in my head. Who’d trade this for a long string of nights with the same person in your bed?
“Does it matter?” I leaned in close, ducking my head down to draw a path with my nose along his jaw and up to his ear.
“I just wanted to know what I’ll be shouting later.”
Fuck. I shuddered.
As I pulled back, I didn’t miss the way his eyes darkened under the neon lights. “I’m Connor.”
“Ryder.”
Connor cocked a brow at me. “Seriously?”
“Why would I lie about that?” I laughed.
“To make yourself seem hotter.”
While he was distracted with fingering the buttons on my shirt, I tightened my arms around his waist, spinning him around and backing him against the wall.
The song cut to make room for the next one, giving me that sliver of a second I needed to hear the gasp that came from him. When I spoke again, I dropped my voice.
“I don’t need a name to do that, baby.” He shivered in my arms, and thanks to the dozens of bodies packed in around us, I knew it wasn’t because of a chill. “Want to go somewhere private?”
Connor punched his hips forward, his hard length pushing against my thigh. I pulled him in close, my own cock swelling between us.
“I’d love to.” Before I could lead him away, he groaned. “But I’m here with a bachelor party. I shouldn’t leave.”
I chugged the rest of my drink, then slipped my hand into his and pulled him away from the wall. “Who said anything about leaving?”
The corner of his mouth turned up into a sly grin. “After you.”
We worked our way through the crowd of people to the restrooms in the corner of the bar. I didn’t care if anyone saw as I pushed the door open and led Connor into the one open stall. He chose that moment to assert his hidden dominance, spinning me around and slamming me against the wall.
A grunt forced its way from the back of my throat as my back hit the exposed bricks. “Looks like I’m not the only one who knows what I want.”
“I watched you all last night. I just couldn’t seem to catch your eye.”
My response was smothered by a sigh as Connor wedged a thigh between my legs, giving me that extra bit of friction that I craved. I lowered my head, spearing my fingers through Connor’s hair as our mouths connected. He wasted no time, pushing his tongue past my lips to tangle with mine.
“You sure about this?” I asked between kisses.
“Hell yeah, I’m sure. You having second thoughts?” He popped open the button on my jeans, pushing the zipper down and spreading the denim apart as he worked his hand inside.
“Absolutely not.” With his hand massaging my shaft, I pulled him in for another kiss, tasting the hint of vodka from his drink. My heart thumped in time with the music. Lust wrapped itself around me, overpowering any ounce of common sense I had.
To hell with Raleigh and his soulmate talk. Sex was fun.
Connor’s fingers slipped under the hem of my shirt, teasing at my belly before sliding into the waistband of my briefs.
I swallowed a whine as he broke the kiss to lower himself to his knees.
I tugged his head back by those pretty blond spikes to get a view of his kiss-swollen lips.
Bright green eyes gazed up at me. The last thing I saw was him pressing a soft kiss to my stomach before my eyes fluttered shut and my head fell back against the wall.
The air from the vents beat down on us, but as Connor freed my erection, he didn’t give me a chance to feel cold.
Long fingers wrapped around the base of my shaft, pointing me in the direction of his mouth.
I hissed when his tongue darted out to swipe across its tip.
Connor hummed in approval when I pulled his head, urging him forward, and boy did he oblige.
For a second, I forgot myself and had to stifle a moan when Connor’s lips sealed over my cockhead.
He reared up higher on his knees to take me down inch by inch until I hit the back of his throat.
When he swallowed around me, I released a string of profanities.
I wasn’t a fool. I knew I wasn’t the first person to hook up in these bathrooms—hell, it was the second time I’d done it. The thrill of getting caught made the race toward climax quicker. If Connor kept doing that thing with his—ah—swirling tongue, I was going to lose it.
Scratch that: not going to.
My orgasm hit before I could back myself away from the edge. Connor faltered slightly, but recovered enough to swallow as I came down his throat. He sucked me until there was nothing left, then rose to his feet, wiping off his swollen mouth with his thumb.
“Come here,” I panted. I pulled him into a kiss with one hand while the other went to his jeans, working my way in.
He whimpered as I broke the kiss, but greedily sucked on the two fingers I brought to his mouth.
He maintained eye contact, hips rocking against my thigh.
I pushed forward, getting a moan in return while his cock chased the new angle.
“Hurry,” he ordered after releasing my fingers.
“Gladly.”
I supported Connor with one arm while my slicked-up fingers pushed into the back of his jeans.
His hips did the work for me, grinding against my leg while I spread him apart, searching for the hot, puckered skin that waited for me.
Connor tipped forward, bracing himself with his hands on either side of my waist. He gasped as I pushed forward, first with one finger, then adding a second when he begged for more.
He turned his head and his lips found the sensitive skin at the base of my neck.
He latched on, sucking harder the closer he got to his own release.
My head fell back again, my neck arching to give his mouth better access.
I knew I’d be marked, but I didn’t care.
I crooked my fingers, grazing over Connor’s sweet spot.
The move had him coming in his pants before he even knew what was happening.
I let him ride his orgasm out against me, slowly removing my fingers only when he signaled that he was ready.
He lifted his head from where it'd dropped against my shoulder, grimacing at the mark he’d left on my neck.
“Sorry,” he said, rubbing his thumb over the sore spot. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“It’s fine. Can I take you to my place so you can clean up?”
We glanced down between us at the wet spot on the front of Connor’s boxer briefs. We both laughed, but he shook his head. “No, I’ll sort myself out here.” With a wink, he added, “See you around, Ryder.”
I waited in the stall until I heard Connor clean himself up and leave.
I put myself back together but knew I still looked tossed around as I left the stall.
I washed my hands, then ran some water through my hair to tame it.
Deeming it good enough, I went back through the bar to the hallway that led to the back.
A dim light glowed from underneath the office door.
I knocked, and Raleigh’s voice sounded from the other side.
“Come in.”
I pushed the door open and poked my head inside. “Where’s Angel?” I asked, expecting to see the other half of the couple behind the desk. Instead, Raleigh sat in his place, staring at the computer like it had personally offended him.
“Hopefully sleeping. He had a bad night.” His eyes cut to mine. “What are you doing here? It’s your night off.”
I stepped into the room, leaning against the door as it shut behind me. My silence made him look away from the computer, absorbing my disheveled hair, my belt hanging loosely from my jeans, and the hickey forming on my neck.
“His name was Connor.”
“Did you only get his name to prove a point?”
“Maybe.”
Raleigh grimaced. “I didn’t mean to make you self-conscious, Ryder.”
“You didn’t. I guess I’m just not the settling down type.”
Raleigh picked his hand up and twisted his wedding band around his finger. “I didn’t think I was either.” His phone chimed, and judging by the smile that split his lips, I guessed it was Angel. He turned back to me. “I need to go check on him. Can you hold things down for ten minutes?”
I stepped away from the door. “As long as I can ‘hold things down’ in your private bathroom to properly clean up, I’ll do whatever you want.”
Raleigh smirked. “Careful. Remember what happened the last time you offered that.”
“You were the one who said not to bring that up anymore!”
He flashed me a smile as he left the office.
I straightened up and headed out when Raleigh returned.
In Vegas terms, it was still early. People crowded the streets, milling from one bar or club to the next.
I could’ve stayed out, but the adrenaline high was wearing off, so I ordered a car back to my place and took in the lights of the Vegas strip on the way home.
I lived in a studio apartment just outside the city limits.
It wasn’t huge, but it was enough for me.
After unlocking the door, I dropped my keys on the table in my living room.
I flipped on lights as I went, bathing the room in a soft wash of light.
I unbuttoned my shirt and tossed it aside, then collapsed onto the bed.
I noticed it wasn’t too early on the East Coast, so I made my obligatory weekly call to my parents.
Yes, I was doing fine. It was the same old stuff with me: work and home.
No, I hadn’t met anyone yet. No, I wasn’t sure when I would be able to visit.
Halloween wasn’t that far away, and they knew how the bar could get.
An incoming text message distracted me from the conversation long enough to hang up, and a text from Raleigh lit up the screen.
Connor left this at the bar for you.
A phone number followed the text. Pleased, I tapped on it, and the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Couldn’t get enough, huh?”
Connor laughed into the phone. “I didn’t think you’d actually call. You don’t seem like the type.”
“Hey, just because I like sex, that doesn’t automatically mean I’m a pig. What happened to the bachelor party?”
“One of the soon-to-be grooms drank way too much. We just poured him into his bed. I, uh, I thought I’d see if you were still around.”
“Around the bar? Sorry. I’m at home, in my bed.” I settled into the sheets, leaning into the feeling of my dick hardening again.
“Do you, um… do you want some company?”
“I’m always down for company. I’ll text you my address.”
I’d been satisfied enough with the quick hookup in the bar, but I had to admit that my heart fluttered at the thought of another morning after.