Chapter 8
My alarm went off way too early after I’d stayed up until dawn.
I pulled myself into the shower before I could convince myself to stay in the nice, warm bed.
Fed up with my hair tickling my face and looking too disheveled, I tied it back as best I could with an elastic band, forming a man-bun on the back of my head.
Small tendrils still fell down into my eyes, but it was a huge improvement and looked a little better.
I remembered to grab my leather jacket on the way out.
October in Vegas and October in Salem were about as different as night and day.
By this time in Vegas, the temperature would be climbing into the seventies, whereas fall in Salem had the kind of chill that creeps into your bones—and stays there.
The snowy season hadn’t started yet, but if the overcast sky was any indication, it was well on its way.
I didn’t know much about the bar I was going to, which meant it must’ve been built in the last decade—one of only a few things to change about the town in my absence.
Liz’s was nestled between a tattoo parlor and a hair salon.
What a combination. The three places shared the same brick building, neon signs above each door.
The signs over the parlor and salon flashed, but Liz’s was dark.
Not a surprise, considering the owner said he was having me come in before he opened to give us some privacy, which I was grateful for.
I was nervous enough about the job interview without having people turn their heads to stare when I walked into the place.
In my car, I steeled myself to step back into the cold.
It hit me as soon as I turned my car off and the heat stopped blowing.
I took slow steps toward the entrance, annoyed that the shivers going through me made me feel more nervous.
I was one of the hottest bartenders in Vegas—this small-town owner would be lucky to have me.
My mind flashed back to almost two decades ago, when I’d first approached The Devil’s Hopyard.
I don’t even remember what it was called back then.
The feeling couldn’t have been more different: sun shining, heat beating down and seeming to tan my skin by the second, then-young-Ryder swaggering up to the front door with the confidence of—
Okay, maybe not so different. I put on my signature smile, feeling warmer and braver already. So I was starting over again. No big deal. I hadn’t planned on staying in Vegas so long anyway.
I pulled the front door open against a gust of wind, letting out a sigh of relief as I was blasted with heat from inside. I did not miss New England weather.
A bell chimed as I stepped over the threshold, and I paused to catch the door behind me.
With the exception of the sad daylight filtering in through the windows, the room was dark.
Where the Hopyard had three bars, this place only had one, but it was gorgeous.
I itched to run my hands along the deep, polished mahogany.
Gold accents played along the shiny taps and dim spotlights illuminated the bottles lining the shelves.
Booths occupied the wall to my right and tables dotted along the left, separated by an aisleway down the middle. A pool table took up the empty space in front of the restrooms, and an old jukebox sat in the back corner next to a door that opened, a man walking through it.
My heart picked up pace before he even came into full view. Holy hell. I’d never felt my temperature spike—or my dick harden—so fast in my life.
He had his face in his phone, dark, sideswept hair blocking him from seeing me.
His black V-neck stretched tight across bulging muscles.
Jeans that seemed perfectly tailored to his body hung low on his hips.
My hands were jealous of the way the denim curved around his ass.
I tried to take a quiet breath, but my body forgot how, and I coughed instead.
His head snapped up, fingers frozen mid-text. “Oh, shit! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the time.” He pocketed his phone and rushed to me, hand outstretched. “I’m James.”
As he moved into an errant beam of sunlight, my eyes were drawn to the silver streaks in his hair and the shine of the silver chain around his neck. I placed my hand into his—and nearly dropped it again at the shock of his cold fingers, but he held on tight, shaking it.
“Ryder,” I said. “Sorry, still readjusting to the cold.”
“I’ve been here for years—I don’t think you ever adjust.” He dropped my hand and motioned for me to follow him.
“Come sit down and tell me how in the hell two twenty-five-year-olds wound up running one of the hottest bars in Vegas. If I hear The Devil’s Hopyard one more time, I might have to fly out and see it for myself. ”
I laughed and trailed behind him. “I wondered the same thing when they first took over, but they really know their shit. The two of them make a good team.”
“Siblings?”
“Best friends, and husbands. They’re so cute it’s nauseating.”
I noticed James was watching me out of the corner of his eye as he busied himself with pulling chairs down.
I tried not to squirm as his eyes raked over my body.
I shifted, trying to cover my erection without being too obvious.
Why had I chosen to wear such tight jeans?
I usually wore them because they were tight, but now they were working against me.
“How long were you there?”
“The bar itself? Or with Double Trouble?”
James grinned, revealing perfectly white teeth. “Were they that bad?” He laughed at my “don’t get me started” look. “Either one.”
I talked about my history with the bar, from when I first got to Vegas and learned under the previous manager to the change in ownership and how Raleigh and Angel used social media to blow the place up from there.
“I saw some videos of you,” James said, leaning back in his seat. “You know how to work a camera.”
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “I’m going to kill Angel.”
“Don’t. It’s the reason I wanted to meet with you. You’re damn good at what you do. Why the move? You seemed pretty comfortable. Raleigh sang your praises; said you were the best bartender they ever had. He was sad to see you go.”
Oh boy, here we go. I wasn’t sure that I was ready to tell the world I had a daughter. Would Erin want that? What about Hannah?
“Life change,” I settled on. “Something came up, and I had to move back.”
“‘Back?’” James’s brows shot up.
“I uh, I was born and raised here. Moved to Vegas when I was twenty-two.”
“Welcome home, then. Can you work nights? Weekends? Holidays?”
I nodded. “I prefer the rush actually.”
James grinned, then gestured to the partition that led behind the bar. “Come on then, Ryder. Let’s see what you got.”
A chill went down my spine at the sound of my name coming out of his mouth.
I realized I hadn’t responded and jerked to my feet, passing under the partition.
After lowering it, I turned around and jumped out of my fucking skin when James stood next to me.
On the other side. “I didn’t see a partition on the other side,” I said, trying to explain away the heart attack he’d nearly given me.
“There isn’t one,” he said nonchalantly, settling against a corner of the bar.
I frowned, but returned to my task, eyeing the bottles. “What do you want me to make?”
“What’s your signature drink? The one that everyone asks for when they see you behind the bar.”
I smirked. I was in my element, nerves forgotten, and I drank him in just as I would have any other customer. Especially one who looked like him—and who was looking at me like I was his next meal.
“The Vampire’s Kiss,” I said, eager to show off.
James watched me, one brow raised. “Go on.”
“Chilled glasses?”
“The freezer in front of you. Shakers are in the cupboard to your left. Ice is in the chest.”
I opened the cupboard and grabbed one of the many shakers there.
I spun and eyed the bottles, searching for Absolut and raspberry liqueur.
I filled the shaker with ice and poured in the alcohol, not skimping on the theatrics.
I could feel James’s eyes on me, but that only spurred me on to a better performance. I was at my best with an audience.
I added the lid to the shaker and jammed it into place. James scrubbed a hand over his chin, and I flashed a smoldering smile his way.
It was just for show, of course. No crushes on the new boss, Ryder.
I shook the cocktail until my fingers started to freeze, and with the other hand, I ducked down and grabbed a chilled martini glass.
The heat in the room thawed the glass to the perfect temperature, and I dipped it into the sugar before I strained the cocktail, catching a drop on my finger as I set the shaker down.
I popped open a bottle of Asti and topped the glass off.
I licked my finger clean as I pushed the glass down the counter with my other hand toward James.
Damn, I’m good.
“Normally I’d rim the glass with fake blood and add a pair of plastic fangs.”
“Like these?” James grabbed a bottle with thick red syrup and produced a tiny pair of vampire fangs seemingly out of thin air. I cocked a brow at him as he handed them over. “It’s spooky season in Salem; are you really that surprised?”
I added the final touches to the drink. “You’d think I wouldn’t be.” I balanced the fangs on the edge of the glass. “There: one Ryder special.”
“Let’s see if the TikTok-famous Ryder Clark knows what he’s doing.”
I wasn’t worried.
Now free to watch him openly, my own mouth damn near watered as his pouty lips curled around the rim. Something about James oozed sex, and I squirmed again at the provocative way he lapped the sugar and syrup off the edge of the glass with his tongue.
“Wow,” he commented, pulling my eyes away from his mouth. “Raleigh was right: that’s a damn good drink.” He held the glass out to me. “Want some?”
The thought of my lips touching something his lips had been on sent a jolt straight to my crotch. “I’m okay.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, shrugging and taking another sip. “So. When can you start?”
“When do you need me?”
“Tomorrow night.”
I nodded. “Uniform?”
He waved off the question, downing the rest of the drink. “Wear whatever you want, so long as you don’t come in looking homeless.” James collected the dishes and headed toward the kitchen while I wiped down the counter. “And Ryder?”
My hand froze. “Yes?”
“I’d recommend finding some jeans that aren’t a size too small.” He very openly ran his eyes down to my lap, then with a smirk disappeared through the same door he’d entered.
If I hadn’t been hard as a rock before, watching James lick the sugar off that rim had made it so. Still, he’d hired me even after noticing, so he must’ve been impressed by what he saw. Grinning, I adjusted myself before finishing up.
Well. So much for not being attracted to the boss.