Chapter 36
Asher
The Gatsby underground is buzzing.
I have opened multiple hot-spot restaurants and bars in my life, and they’re always pretty busy, but nothing like this. We are at maximum capacity, and there’s a line of people waiting outside to get in. I am not complaining.
The food has been great; every dish is a hit.
People are laughing and socializing. The entertainment Jaylen found is a local jazz band called the Golden Harmonics, and they’ve been on fire all night.
I’m working the room opposite Jaylen, and everyone I have talked to has had something good to say.
But most of the compliments are about the cocktails.
I glance at the bar for the hundredth time tonight to look at Harper.
After working with the other bartenders to come up with an innovative cocktail list, it only made sense to have her working the bar tonight.
I watch her smiling and moving around, adding beautiful touches to each drink.
I can’t help but grin. She is in her element, and I love it.
“She’s really loving it,” Jaylen says, breaking into my thoughts. I look away quickly, fully aware that he caught me ogling.
“She is,” I agree. “I think she was made for it.”
“Yeah,” he smiles, and there’s no hostility in it. I feel like maybe he’s just happy, like I am, that things are going so well with the opening.
“I think we did a good thing here,” I tell him.
“Listen, speakeasies are always a bit of a gamble. Either you’re going to have a waitlist, or it’s going to be a dead zone. I think we’re on the upswing of that,” he says.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I tell him. “I think we’re going to need a drink to celebrate after the night is over.”
“Fuck it,” he says, patting me on the back. “I think we need a drink now to celebrate. I know just the girl who can help us out.”
We make our way over to the bar, greeting people as we go. Harper is buzzing around, and I have to force myself not to stare. But in her dark purple cocktail dress, she looks like a gem, and it’s a losing battle.
“Hey bartender, think we could get some service over here?” Jaylen says, and she shoots him a look that is the equivalent of flipping him off.
“I suppose I can help you out,” she says. “But the bar is full and we are on a wait, so you’re gonna to have to stand.”
“I don’t mind,” Jaylen says, greeting someone who is walking by. While he is distracted, I lean in towards Harper.
“I don’t mind either. The view is great from where I’m standing.”
She shoots me a look; it’s a less hostile one than she gave to her brother, and I wink. Then she blushes, and Jaylen’s attention turns back towards us.
“I would tell you two to get a room, but that’s obviously not going to happen,” he jokes, but as usual, his tone suggests otherwise. I can’t blame him. The idea of me and Harper together is still fresh, and he hasn’t fully accepted it.
I’m reminded of the conversation we still have to have.
Part of me thinks it’s ridiculous that he thinks it’s even any of his business what we are or aren’t doing behind closed doors.
After all, we are adults, even if he has a hard time seeing his sister that way.
If it were me, I wouldn’t want to know. The less I knew the better, as long as she was happy.
But Jaylen is not me; he does care, and he doesn’t want Harper and me hooking up unless I put a ring on it. Which is why the conversation we are having post-party is going to be rough.
“Harper, you’ve been at it all night,” Bridget, one of the lead bartenders says. “We have two more people coming in about ten minutes. Why don’t you take a break?”
Harper looks the room over and checks out the glasses of the people sitting at the bar. Even if I wasn’t head over heels for her, I would hire her. Her people skills are very impressive.
“I could use a minute,” she admits. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a job where I’m on my feet all night.”
“Why don’t we get some air?” I ask her. She smiles and follows me down the hall. Jaylen is busy talking to one of our friends who owns a brewery down the street and doesn’t seem too bothered that Harper and I are walking off alone.
She sighs with a smile, and I slip my arm around her. “You look like you’re having a good time back there,” I say.
“I am. I’ve never had this much freedom at a bar before. Usually, I just make cheap margaritas and serve cans of Bud Light to old guys at a pool hall,” she jokes. At least I hope she’s joking. The idea of her working in a seedy bar at a beer hall makes my skin crawl.
“You belong here,” I tell her. “You’re amazing.”
“I mean, I could say the same about you,” she says. We come to a stop near the bathrooms and the stockroom. The hallway is dark with small mood lights hanging about every six feet. “This place is incredible, Ash. You should be proud. You and Jaylen.”
“I am,” I say with a contented sigh. “It’s turned out exactly the way I was hoping. Better than I would have dreamed, actually,” I take the liberty of stepping closer to her, hooking my arm around her, and pulling her against me. “A lot of things have turned out better than my dreams.”
Her face lights up, and we kiss. She moans into my mouth as her hands press against my chest, and I bring my hand up to her cheek.
“God, I want you,” she murmurs, and every nerve in my body lights on fire as if I am doused in whiskey and standing too close to a flame.
“You can’t say things like that,” I whisper in a raspy voice.
Harper smiles into my mouth. “No? Why not?”
“Because I will find a way to make it happen.”
The hallway fills with laughter and talking as a couple of people round the corner, heading for the bathrooms. I look around, grab her hand, and open the door to the stock room, I step inside and pull her in with me.
“Oh my God, you’re crazy,” she giggles, but I close the door and lock it. When I grab her, she lets out a small shriek. I kiss her, my hands roaming all over her body, over her curves and up under her dress.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she says, though it’s more of a moan.
“Why not?” I ask, nibbling on her neck.
“Because we could get caught,” she says.
“I locked the door.”
“What if someone comes looking for something? Extra liquor,”
“It’s stocked,” I say, kissing her collarbone.
“Toilet paper,” she says.
“Also stocked.”
“Us,” she says, and I pull back.
“The only person here who cares about where we are is your brother. And he is too busy networking with Joe from Untamed River Brewing. Which means we are in the clear. Now come here.”
Before she can protest again, I pull her against me, and my mouth crashes into hers hard.
Her body finally stops resisting, and she gives into the kiss, her body melding against mine like butter.
As the kiss goes deeper, I reach under her dress, grabbing her ass.
She rakes her fingers down my chest, untucks my shirt, and slides her hands underneath, groping my torso.
“Fuck,” she shudders, and I feel it too. The want and need are too strong, silencing any voices in my head telling us we shouldn’t be doing this. Then her hands go to my belt, unbuckling it frantically.
I take that as a green light and slide her lacy panties down. As she works to unbutton my slacks, my fingers explore her pussy, which is already wet.
“Fuck me, baby girl,” I groan into her. “You need to come?”
“Yes,” she says, pulling my cock from my slacks.
She pumps her hand over the length of it, one, two, three quick times, making it even harder.
A hot breath escapes my lips at her touch, and I wish in vain that we had more time.
But right now, I’ll take what I can get.
Sneaking around knowing we could get caught is pretty fucking hot.
I look around and find a deep freezer. It’s against the wall, so I pick her up and set her on it. Harper leans back and spreads her legs. I grab her by the thighs and yank her towards me. Then I kiss her, slow and soft.
“Just relax,” I tell her, and she nods. As eager as she is, this is only her second time, and I still want to be careful. I used my fingers to warm her up a little, making sure it won’t be too rough. Then I slide my dick slowly inside of her.
“Fuck,” I groan as her pussy closes around me, and she gasps. “God, you feel so good,” I tell her as I slowly slide in and out of her.
Harper’s hands clasp my shoulders as we move, finding a rhythm that relaxes her enough that I can tell she is enjoying the feeling of my cock inside her, while also tensing around it with each thrust.
“Ash…” she murmurs, and my dick hardens even more. Just hearing her make that sound is enough to get me off.
I pick up the pace, and she gasps again, but it’s a good gasp. It makes her lips part and her eyes wild. She clenches the cotton of my shirt in her hands. It’s going to be wrinkled. It’s going to look bad. I don’t give a single fuck.
“Yes,” she says as my hips continue to crash against hers, daring to go deeper and further. I can feel her tensing around me as the orgasm nears. Just knowing she is going to come sends my body into overdrive and as if on cue, we get off at the same time.
Harper lets out a cry that neither of us expects, and I cover her mouth with my hand. It’s easier for me to grunt quietly than it is for her to scream silently, but I can’t say that I hate it.
I pull out and situate myself in my pants again, tucking my shirt back in and running my hands through my hair.
Harper stands up, her legs a little wobbly, and I bite back a smile. She fixes her dress and hair, and I smile at her.
“We should get back out there,” she says, reaching for the door.
But I stop her, pulling her back against me. “Hold on,” I say. She searches my eyes, and I smile down at her, pressing my lips tenderly to hers. “You’re gorgeous,” I say, and she melts into me.
We open the door, and the coast appears to be clear, so I pull her by the hand. Quietly, as if someone is going to hear us, I close the door behind me.
“Ash,” she whispers, “Your pants are unzipped.”
“Shit,” I say with a smile. But as I go to zip it up, my smile fades. The men’s bathroom door opens, and Daniel walks out.
His eyes lock on me, shift to her, then back to me, then to my zipper. A smile creeps across his face, and he makes his way down the hallway.
“Fuck,” I mutter as we slowly walk behind him. Then Harper stops again and grabs my arm.
“Shit. I don’t have my underwear,” she says, and we turn to go back.
“There you two are,” Jaylen’s voice comes from behind us, and we whip around. “I was about to send out a search party.”
“We just stepped outside for some air,” I say.
“Then I take it you saw who I saw,” he says. I’m so mind-fucked from everything going on, it takes me a second to catch up. “Daniel is here.”
“Yeah,” I say.
“Is that why you look like you just saw a ghost, sis?” he asks.
“Yeah,” she says, and he studies us for a moment before turning back around.
“Alright well let’s go make sure he isn’t going to cause any trouble. This has been an incredible night, and I wouldn’t want anything shady to ruin it.”
Fuck.