Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
HECTOR
Tomorrow came way too soon.
I wanted to close the diner for the day, but Atlas insisted we shouldn’t. It would be too suspicious, for one, and he was again feeling like I would think him a burden. I quickly put a stop to that, but I agreed with him about closing the day we were headed to the bar being too suspicious.
The whole day seemed to drag in anticipation of tonight. My body moved, but my mind was not on my task. Thankfully, I could practically cook in my sleep, and nobody ordered anything too out of the ordinary.
Night couldn’t come fast enough, and we closed as soon as the last customer finished eating. Becca was surprised by our rush to close early. She’d wrangled the plan out of us with her insistent questioning and proclaimed she was joining us at the bar too.
“It’s too dangerous,” Atlas tried to argue.
“Is it because I’m a woman?” she replied, her arms crossed.
Neither of us answered that. We were too smart to.
“That’s what I thought. You know I can take care of myself, darlin’.
Besides, it sounds like the only one in danger here would be you, Atlas.
Isn’t it better to have another person on your side? ”
We shared a look. We both knew there was no talking Becca out of something she wanted to do, so we agreed. Becca looked entirely too happy about this.
“You’re not coming just so you don’t have to go home to an empty house since your husband is on a business trip, right?” Atlas asked what I was thinking.
“Of course not, silly. I’m one hundred percent there to be your support,” Becca replied, but her sinister smile said otherwise.
I shook my head and laughed. Whether she was coming to avoid an empty house or not, I knew she would be someone reliable to watch our backs.
Becca went home to change and would meet us back at the diner.
We did the same. I didn’t really have clothes for going out, so I pulled out the only nice polo I owned.
The black polo had been getting a lot more wear recently.
I really did need to invest in nicer clothes other than just T-shirts, so Atlas wouldn’t be ashamed to be seen beside me wearing the same thing all the time.
Not that I think he minded. Dressed in my black slacks and black polo, I could feel Atlas’ eyes scan me, heat thick in those greens. Knowing him, he probably didn’t give a fuck what I wore.
He was always clear that he loved me the way I was, but I wanted to do better for him. I wanted to dress better. I wanted to look polished so that when people saw Atlas and me together in public, they’d think we were a perfect match.
Atlas set a high standard, since he looked good in everything. He was especially stunning in the silky white top he’d chosen for tonight. It hugged his lean muscles in all the right places, and the silky fabric stretched across his skin, barely leaving anything to the imagination.
He’d left the top two buttons undone, and my hands itched to button him up. He already looked too fucking sexy without needing the extra provocation. I was in front of him with my fingers finding the buttons before I could really think.
“Is it too much?” Atlas asked shyly.
“You look absolutely mouthwatering.”
“That’s the plan,” Atlas said with a wink. “Hopefully, I’m hot enough to lure out a stalker tonight.”
I grunted and let the jealousy course through me. Atlas cupped my cheek, which had me meeting his gaze.
“I hate that you’re dressing up for him,” I said truthfully.
“It’s all for the plan. I may be wearing these clothes to lure him out, but you’ll be the only one undressing me.”
The fire of desire that seemed to always shimmer around Atlas flared. I took his mouth against mine. The kiss was hard and unyielding, like I was trying to stake a claim to him before we left our home.
I had to stop before I said fuck it to the plan and dragged Atlas to bed to undress him as he’d promised. Insistent knocking coming from downstairs helped curb my desire.
“Sounds like Becca’s back. We shouldn’t keep her waiting,” Atlas murmured.
His arms were still wrapped around me, the lust still clear in his eyes.
I grunted a response and took his lips one last time before reluctantly parting.
Atlas chuckled as he watched me adjust my pants so my desire for him wasn’t so obvious.
“Took you boys long enough.” Becca had her arms crossed when we opened the diner’s front door. She eyed Atlas. “And I can see why. Damn, sugar. I’d get a piece of that if I could too.”
Atlas shook his head and slung an arm around Becca. “What if your husband hears you talking like that?” he teased.
Becca waved him off. “He knows he’s the only one for me. He wouldn’t have married me if he couldn’t handle me flirting a bit.”
I smiled at that because Becca really was such a flirt. She flirted with anything that moved, even me, and that was a first for me.
Well, besides Atlas. But his flirtations were more blatant moves and declarations of how much he liked me.
Becca just did it for the fun of the game. She was cool like that.
The three of us climbed into Atlas’ car to head to the bar. Our friends were already waiting for us when we arrived.
The place was crowded despite it being a weeknight, which wasn’t too surprising. There wasn’t much entertainment around these parts, so hanging out at bars was a popular way to spend a night.
This particular bar was the largest one near town, with a giant dance floor in the middle that always had one or two takers, a section portioned off for pool, darts, and other arcade games, and a scattering of tables all around the place.
Sam and the others went to find a table, while Atlas and I went up to the bar to start us off with some pitchers of beer. We didn’t get anything too heavy, since that was not the point of tonight.
They found a table in the corner that was tucked away from the main area, but right beside a large window looking out onto the patio.
It was perfect for our plans.
“So, what now?” Jones asked.
I poured everyone at the table a glass of beer.
Sam held his up to the middle of the table. “Now we have fun until the fucker gets here.”
We all clinked glasses and took large gulps of the liquid. Sam was first on his feet and dragged Ryker to the dance floor with him. Atlas grinned almost mischievously as he took my hand.
“No, love. I can’t dance,” I tried to argue, but he wasn’t having it. He pulled me to my feet and led me to the spot where Sam and Ryker were dancing.
“Just put your hands on me and feel the music,” Atlas murmured and guided my hands to his hips.
He pressed close, his hands twined at the nape of my neck and played with the hair there, his head resting on my shoulder as our hips swayed together almost in tune with the slow beat currently playing in the bar.
The world around us disappeared until it was only Atlas in my arms. If I ignored the fact that tonight’s outing was all part of a grand plan, then this would have been a perfect moment. I never cared for loud spaces like this before, but now I was thinking of ways to get Atlas back here.
After we had the stalker behind bars.
The beat increased, and some pop song I didn’t recognize hyped up the entire crowd. Atlas laughed freely and turned around in my arms. He was a damn deviant with the way his ass ground against my cock. It reminded me of the way he rode me when he took control during sex.
So. Fucking. Sexy.
Atlas threw his hands above his head and moved his hips unfettered against me. Whatever control I had over my body had disappeared.
My hardening cock brushed against his ass with every single one of his moves, while my nose pressed against the back of his neck to soak in his delicious scent, and my hands roamed the soft silk cover of his shirt. We danced like this for a couple songs until my senses finally returned to me.
I was having too much fun, but it also meant I wasn’t keeping an eye out for the stalker.
It was practically torture, but I pulled myself away from him.
My head was dizzy despite not having had much alcohol.
It wasn’t hard to gather that it was the intoxicating, lovely man who had gotten into my head.
As much as I wanted to indulge in him right now, I needed to protect him more, which meant sobering up enough to have my senses about me.
“I need a break,” I told him and nodded to the barstools.
Atlas nodded and released me. He joined Ryker and Becca, who were currently sandwiching a very happy-looking Sam.
I left them to their dancing and found my way to the bar to order a soda. There was only one bartender working tonight, and she was busy making a large drink order. I didn’t mind waiting, so I turned around on my barstool to look back toward the dance floor.
Atlas was still dancing with Sam and Ryker, looking like a fucking sight to behold. I didn’t know if it was the bar lighting or what, but he fucking glowed like he was under a spotlight.
Feeling him move against me and watching him dance were two completely different things.
He moved fluidly with music, with absolute control over his body, and gave everyone watching a fucking show.
I glanced around the room and saw countless eyes on him.
I didn’t see the stalker, but if he were here right now, his eyes would no doubt be glued on Atlas too.
It was hard not to stare when seeing him dance was like watching sex moves. And it didn’t help that under the light, his white silk shirt was practically see-through. I could see the outline of his dark nipples even from here. I licked my lips, wishing I could have a taste of them now.
The others watching were probably thinking the same as I was. Did it make me jealous? Yes, but it also made me feel fucking powerful knowing that no matter how many people here wanted him, Atlas would be going home with me tonight.
“He’s beautiful, and you’re so in love,” Becca commented and took a seat beside me. She must have gone to the bathroom or something since I hadn’t seen her on the dance floor in the last few minutes.
“You’re right on both accounts,” I admitted to her.
The bartender finally made her way to our side, and we both ordered sodas.
Clay and Dan had joined the group when I turned back to the floor.
Their circle seemed to have summoned the masses as more people joined the floor in waves.
I could still catch sight of Atlas peeking through the waves, but bodies now blocked my clear view of him.
I took a drink to cover my annoyance. When I brought the glass down, Becca clinked her glass with mine.
“When I asked you out for drinks, this wasn’t how I imagined our first outing would go,” she teased and took a sip of her soda.
Her body faced the dance floor, but she was looking at me. I turned my attention to her, sensing that she wanted to say something.
“Listen, I meant it when I said we should be friends,” she said.
I nodded. “I’d like that. I don’t have many friends around these parts.”
Her smile faltered. She set her glass on the bar and fully turned to face me. “I’d also like to apologize.”
“What for?”
“For being like the rest of the idiots in town. I should have known much sooner that those rumors were all bullshit.”
I shrugged. “Even back then, you were never hostile toward me.”
“But I never stood up for you either. I should have. And I’m not just saying this because you’re my boss now and my paycheck is in your hands.
” She paused, and I chuckled. I could hear the teasing back in her voice for a second before turning serious again.
“You’re a good man, Hector. It’s easy to see that now that I’m working with you.
I should have tried to get to know you sooner.
I know I’m being all self-righteous and shit, but I am sorry.
You don’t have to forgive me, but I am.”
When I was younger, all I really wished was for people to accept me and beat the nasty rumors that surrounded my family and me. Everyone took one look at my appearance and deemed everything that was said about me true.
Now, here was someone apologizing for how they’d acted. Or in Becca’s case, how she didn’t act. I never thought I’d get an apology for actions from the past. It wasn’t like I’d asked for it or needed it. At least that was what I thought.
Hearing Becca apologize and sounding so sincere in her participation in ostracizing me, either intentional or not, it felt like I could finally let go. There was no need to dwell on the past when I was now surrounded by people who cared for me and accepted me.
I was okay now.
“You’re forgiven,” I told her, and the stiffness seemed to leave her shoulders. “I was never smart enough to hold a grudge anyway.”
Becca smirked. “You and me both, sweetcakes. Life’s a lot more fun when you spread love, not hate,” she said with a wink. I laughed, and she bumped me on the shoulder. “You and me are gonna be good friends. The best of friends, in fact.”
I smiled over my glass of soda. Never did I imagine I’d gain my first best friend—outside of the person I was dating—at the mature age of forty-three. I guess you were never too old for firsts.
“Next time, the four of us will go out for drinks. Me and my husband, and you and Atlas…speaking of, where is Atlas?” Becca looked toward the dance floor, and my gaze immediately followed.
I stood to try getting a better look, thinking Atlas was behind the throng of bodies that were basically all packed together.
My scar itched like crazy.
I couldn’t find him.
Sam, Ryker, Clay, and Dan were still on the dance floor, but Atlas was nowhere to be seen. I looked around the entire bar and found Jones and Ryan back at our table, chatting and watching our friends dance, but they were alone too.
Atlas was gone.