28. Oliver
Oliver
I set Trinity’s burger down in front of her. “Smoked gouda bacon cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.”
The plate barely touched the table before she sandwiched the bun in her hands and lifted it to her lips. “I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cow all by myself.”
I let out a laugh. “I’d love to see that.”
“Hmm?” She eyed me as she chewed.
“I bet you couldn’t even fit your mouth around the one-pounder.” I picked up the bottle of mustard and squirted some onto my plate.
She swallowed and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Hey, you stiffed me for lunch. It’s your fault my stomach practically started eating itself.”
“Stiffed.” I glanced up, catching her gaze. “That’s a funny word, ‘stiff.’”
“You want to go there right now?”
“Baby, I’m already halfway there.” I dragged a fry through the mustard. “Every time I’m anywhere near you, I can guarantee I’m sporting wood.”
She laughed, a ridiculous half-snort, half-chuckle that sounded like a fucking symphony to my ears. “Great. Maybe I should have ordered a foot-long hot dog instead. I can’t help but picture you feeling all out of sorts over there.”
“You don’t have to picture it.” I reached over and grabbed her hand. “If you don’t believe me, feel it for yourself.”
Her eyes widened as I guided her hand to my lap. The anticipation of feeling her touch, even through the thick denim of my jeans had blood flowing to my cock even before her palm rested on the growing ridge under my zipper.
“Oh, you poor baby.” She pursed her lips in mock sympathy. “You’ve got a real problem there.”
“A growing problem.” I shifted my ass on the vinyl seat, trying to ease the pressure in my groin. “I can grab a takeout box, and we can finish this upstairs if you’d rather.”
She shook her head. “Hell no. You get me up there now and this glorious burger will be cold and hard before you let me finish it.”
“What about me? I’m hot and hard right now.” I leaned over the table and kissed her. She tasted like salt as I pulled back and licked my lips.
“Everything okay over here?” Wyatt chose that inopportune moment to stop by our high-top.
I’d picked that particular table because it was out of the way. On a quiet weekday afternoon, there were only a handful of customers. Leave it to Wyatt to seek us out. Trinity’s hand curled up in my lap.
“We’re doing great, thanks for checking.” I gave her hand a squeeze but didn’t let go.
“How are your plans coming for your new business?” Wyatt turned his attention to her.
What was he getting at? I’d kept him in the loop through the whole ordeal. As far as he was concerned, our agreement still stood. Why was he questioning things?
“Oh, it’s fine.” Her attention volleyed back and forth between the two of us. “I’ve had some hiccups, but I seem to be on track to make the grand opening.”
“That’s what, in a few weeks?” Wyatt pulled out a stool and took a seat. Make yourself at home, asshole. Granted, it was his bar, but what kind of douche muscles in on an afternoon date?
“Not until September.” She eased her hand away from mine under the table. “I just need to get the rest of my inventory in place. I had a little snafu with my shipment, but Oliver’s helping me get it sorted out.”
“Oh yeah?” Wyatt’s eyebrows lifted, disappearing underneath his overgrown bangs. “Oliver’s a real peach. Don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Any chance of picking up where we’d left off disappeared with that last comment, along with the semi-wood I’d been rocking under Trinity’s palm.
“Your burger’s getting cold.” I nodded toward her plate.
“Oh, I’ll let the two of you get back to your lunch. Oliver, stop in at the office before you leave, okay? I need to go over the schedule for this week with you.”
“Can it wait until my shift tonight?” I asked.
“No, it can’t.” Wyatt held my gaze a couple of seconds too long before he tapped the table and turned to go. “Enjoy the rest of your meal. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks.” Trinity waited until he moved out of earshot, then turned her attention back to me. “That was a little weird. Is he always like that?”
“Pretty much.”
“He gives me a weird vibe. First, I thought he hated me. Now he’s friendly and curious about the grand opening.”
“Yeah, that’s Wyatt.” And now he wanted to talk.
Again. I kept my mouth shut as I finished my sandwich.
Sooner or later, I’d have to pick a side.
I couldn’t keep volleying back and forth like this.
When I was with Trinity, I couldn’t imagine plotting against her.
But as soon as Wyatt dangled another carrot in front of me, I found myself unable to say no.
I’d almost blown my own cover during the chat with my mom.
If Trinity had caught what she said about lambing season, she hadn’t asked about it yet.
The fun, flirty mood had shifted thanks to Wyatt. We finished our burgers, and I cleared the plates.
“You want to go ahead and head up and I’ll catch up to you in a few minutes?” That was one perk of living over the bar—decent food was never too far away.
“Sure.” She followed me to the stairs leading up to my apartment and stepped onto the first one, putting her almost at eye level. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she pulled me close, sliding her thigh between mine as her lips sought my mouth.
Damn, I thought Wyatt had ruined my plans for the afternoon. Nothing like getting cock blocked by the boss. But as Trinity’s hands roamed over my chest, gravitating toward my waistband, I found myself heading straight back to Bonerville.
“Hey, I’ve still got to go talk to Wyatt.” I kissed my way up her neck and along her cheek. “Can we pick this up when I come upstairs?”
“You bet, under one condition.” She held a finger up in front of my nose.
“What’s that, bossy pants?” I nibbled on the tip of her pointer finger, enjoying the way her lips split into a grin.
“Don’t take too long.”
“You got it.” I waited as she climbed the steps leading to my place. Once she was out of sight, I took a few deep breaths, trying to douse the heat she’d stirred up all over again. When I’d finally managed to pull myself together enough not to embarrass myself, I stalked toward Wyatt’s office.
I wanted nothing more than to stay in the States.
First it had been all about not having to go home and take up the family business.
But then I met Trinity. Trinity, who seemed savvy and experienced when it came to traveling the world, but who disappeared inside herself when talking about business.
She was following her heart so far outside her comfort zone in her quest to honor her grandmother, that I wanted to do whatever I could to help her.
But I also knew she’d be okay even if she didn’t get to open up the co-op.
I’d done a little research on her family, and they had enough money that Trinity would never have to work a day of her life unless she wanted to.
Whereas, I was almost out of cash and wouldn’t have a choice except to return home and take up the family tradition.
Life wasn’t fair.
I stopped outside Wyatt’s office and knocked on the door frame. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yeah, come on in.” Wyatt looked up. “Where did your girlfriend go?”
“She’s upstairs. Can we make this quick?” I perched on the edge of the chair across from his desk.
“Yeah, I just wanted to show you what I’ve been working on. Here.” He slid a piece of paper across the desk.
I scanned the page. “What the hell is this?”
“I’ve been approached by an investment firm who wants me to franchise this place. You’re practically my business partner now, so I wanted to run it by you before I signed on the dotted line. What do you think?”
No wonder he’d been in such a good mood. My pulse spiked as I glanced over the black type. The number of digits following the dollar sign could have sent me into cardiac arrest. Wyatt had done a good job with Tapped, but what made it worth what they were offering?
I leaned forward and slid the paper back to him. “Seems a little steep. What the hell did you tell them you were selling here?”
A deep chuckle made his chest puff out. “It’s the craft brew. Once we expand into the space next door, we’ll be golden.”
“I don’t get it. You don’t even have it set up yet. They can’t franchise an idea you haven’t proven yet.” That made zero sense to me. “Where did you find these guys?”
“These ‘guys’ are friends of my dad’s who have a shit ton of extra cash and a desire to help the next generation get established. What they’re offering here is an opportunity for us to prove ourselves and then make bank. And it’s not like I don’t know anything about craft brews.”
I held up a hand. “Hey, I know you worked at that place in your hometown for a while. But this is different. Franchising means figuring out processes and systems not just for a single location, but an entire infrastructure you can scale. Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?”
“Hell, no. But that’s why I have you.” Wyatt clapped me on the shoulder. “We need to celebrate. And can you pick up the pace? The sooner you get your girlfriend to move out and move on, the sooner we can get started.”
I closed my eyes and pushed my fingertips against my temples.
Dollar signs seemed to dance across the back of my eyelids.
What Wyatt was offering…it was crazy. It was the kind of offer that came along maybe once in a guy’s life.
And that was if the guy was one crazy, lucky motherfucker.
I knew I’d never get another opportunity like this.
But Trinity. She was waiting for me upstairs, completely unaware that I held her fate in my hands.
As I opened my eyes, I let out a low groan. There was no way out of this where no one got hurt. The longer I let it go, the harder it was going to be.
“Let me see what I can do.” I didn’t wait for a response.
Every step I climbed took me closer to Trinity.
My feet seemed to weigh a ton. The effort it took to lift one up and place it on the step ahead left me breathless.
I was stalling, dragging out the moment before I turned on her completely.
Right now, right this second, I still held a piece of her heart.
But when she found out I’d sold her out in exchange for a slice of Wyatt’s pie…
pissed off wouldn’t come close to describing how she’d feel about the betrayal.
I entered the apartment to the sound of classical music and the sweet smell of something flowery. She’d pulled all of the shades, shutting out the sun. I blinked as my eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.
“Trinity?”
“Back here.”
Her voice came from the back corner where I’d set up my bed.
Earlier this afternoon I would have given just about anything for the kind of evening she obviously had in mind.
But not now. My heart wasn’t in it. I might be able to put my feelings aside to shut her down.
But I wasn’t going to do it while stringing her along as well.
“Hey, we need to talk.” I stopped at the edge of the bed.
“Come here.” She reached over and pulled me down next to her. “I’ve got other plans for your mouth right now.”