Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
EMILY
The bartender chuckles as I walk through the door. I hold up my hand, flipping him off as I move through the bar. He barks out a laugh, then shifts his attention back to readying his bar for the night.
It’s Tuesday night, which wouldn’t be a big deal in most places, but here in Granite Falls, it’s our biggest night of the week, aside from the weekend.
Tuesday night is Trivia Tuesdays, and while I don’t run the game, I do run the drinks.
And, boy, do I run. It’s the most exhausting weeknight I work.
Thankfully, I won’t work it alone, so I guess there’s that.
Mandy and Tanya are working with me, so basically, the entire staff is on tonight.
The cook will be busy in the kitchen, flash-frying and microwaving whatever we have as far as appetizers go, and the bartender will stay put the entire night.
I put my purse away, get my apron out, tie it around my waist, and then shift to look at my reflection in the mirror of the hallway. My smile doesn’t fade the way it usually does as I take in my reflection. My eyes actually sparkle. They’re bright and, dare I say, happy.
“Oh, what the hell?” a voice hisses.
Turning my head, I look over to see Mandy standing at the end of the hall, her eyes focused on my face. I start to ask her what, but she only shakes her head. “What’s his name?” she asks.
Clearing my throat, I shift my attention back to the mirror and tug the front of my tight shirt down to expose more cleavage. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie.
She hums. “Okay, but are you going to tell me who he is?”
“It doesn’t matter. It can’t go farther than the bedroom.”
And that part is not a lie.
It’s the whole truth.
I’m not sure that what Baylor and I have will be anything other than what we do behind closed doors. He’ll never want to tell his brother and sister-in-law, and even if they found out, they’d never accept me.
I’m the town slut. I fucked Beckett more than a few times over the years in hopes of making him want to keep me, to claim me as his own.
It never worked, and I understand that now because it was always supposed to be Baylor.
I screwed up by screwing the wrong brother.
I was blind to the man who was right in front of me.
Baylor is only one year younger than me, but I had blinders on and could only see Beckett Cooper, the first in line for the Cooper ranch and the Cooper name.
It was all I wanted.
My ticket to stability.
My ticket to no longer being thought of as slutty white trash.
But I didn’t see him. I didn’t see Baylor, and I should have because he’s everything I want. I don’t deserve him. I know I don’t, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting him.
So I’m going to enjoy the secret stolen moments, the locked-away and hidden ones, because I have a feeling they’ll end before I’m ready for them to, and all I’ll have left are memories.
“Judging by the look on your face, it’s already gone a lot further than the bedroom, babe. But I’m not going to push you, at least not yet.”
Mandy gives me a wink, then turns and walks away, her dark ponytail swinging as she does. I watch her go, wondering how in the hell she got all of that from looking at my face for all of five minutes, because she’s not wrong. It’s gone further than the bedroom since the first time he kissed me.
I am so screwed.
I’m dead on my feet. I know it’s just an expression, but every Tuesday, I am reminded of just how that expression truly feels when all I want to do is fall onto my bed and just lie there—staring at the ceiling in an attempt to calm my aching feet.
But I can’t do that. I need to get to my car first, then actually drive home, but that’s only after I help clean up the bar. I made enough tip money tonight that I can pay my electric bill when it arrives in my email inbox in a couple of days, and maybe I can buy half a cart of groceries… Maybe.
I’m not sure the payout is worth the swelling in my feet and ankles, but I’ll be able to sleep a little easier knowing a bill is paid. Moving around the bar, I take care of my part of the cleaning up and sweeping. More time on my feet, but the faster I get this done, the faster I can go to bed.
About an hour after closing, we’re all ready to go home. The excitement and energy from earlier have completely faded, and we all drag our asses out to our cars and climb inside.
Starting the engine of my crappy car, I shift it into Drive and head for home. I don’t even wave goodbye to anyone else, and I doubt they do either. We’re all exhausted. The adrenaline from sleeping with Baylor… and the multiple orgasms he gave me have completely worn off.
I need rest.
It doesn’t take long to get home, although I don’t remember a damn thing about the drive. I could have run the two lights it takes to reach my place, and I wouldn’t even know it. I’m that tired.
My feet carry me up to my apartment, though I’m not sure how. Reaching for the handle, I shove the key into the lock and turn the knob just as I hear a noise. Turning my head, I look over my shoulder, hoping like hell it isn’t some serial killer or anything.
I definitely don’t have the strength to fight anyone off at this point. He would just have to take me and end me. But when the man steps out of the shadows, it’s not a serial killer. My heart skips a beat at the sight of him.
“Baylor, what are you doing here?” I ask.
He smiles, taking a step toward me, then another. “I don’t see how this schedule is going to work, Em. You’re coming in just as I’m supposed to be getting up for work.”
His words sting. I know they shouldn’t; he’s just pointing out a fact, and he’s not wrong about said fact. I open my mouth to ask him what to do about that, but he doesn’t let me. He closes the distance between us, his hands cupping my cheeks before his mouth slams against mine.
My breath is stolen when his tongue fills me and tastes me. He consumes me. I grip his biceps, holding on to him tightly as I forget all about my aching feet. When Baylor breaks the kiss, he nibbles on my bottom lip before he shifts back slightly, his gaze finding mine.
“Are you saying you don’t want this?” I ask, sliding my hand up the center of his chest before I take his shirt between my index finger and thumb, rubbing it back and forth between my fingers.
The thought of this ending already makes my entire body scream. Baylor hums, and I shift my gaze slowly, looking up into his eyes. He searches my gaze with his, then shifts closer to me, touching my lips with his, but he doesn’t deepen the kiss.
“No, Em. I want this,” he raps.
He reaches for my wrist before he slides his hand down the front of his shirt, grazing his abs, which I can feel beneath his shirt, and then stops at the front of his pants. I bite back the moan at the feel of his hard length beneath his jeans.
He wants this… indeed.