17. Duke
DUKE
She jerks back as if I slapped her.
A knot forms in the pit of my stomach when she shoves me away and slides down off the bar.
“Dallas, I didn’t mean—”
She storms off. Rosie shoots me a glare and follows after her.
“What did you say to her?” Sam asks.
The bartender is back behind the bar. She smiles at me and Sam. “Can I get you a drink?”
“We’ll have two Jack and Cokes with lime,” Sam answers for us both.
I rub my hand over the back of my neck, debating whether or not I should follow after Dallas.
“I just told her I didn’t like her doing those hurricane shots at work.”
He blinks at me. Dolly joins us, looping her arm through Sam’s.
“Okay, I might’ve said she’s not allowed to do them anymore.”
Dolly gasps, clapping her hand over her mouth before punching me in the arm—hard.
I wince. “Ow.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve told you that you’re an idiot, so here’s me telling you that you’re a grade-A idiot,” she spews.
“Come on. Now that you’ve seen it, you can’t tell me that’s not sexual. Who knows how many guys she’s given those to at this point?”
“And? What are you, her priest? Her father? Her boyfriend?”
I grit my teeth. The bartender slides the drinks across and smiles at Dolly, who’s still fuming.
“I’ll take a mojito, please.”
“No. Okay, it was stupid. I didn’t think before I said it.”
I was overwhelmed with jealousy and an uncharacteristic possession in the moment.
I’ve never felt that way toward any woman.
Even when Rosie and I were dating and I suspected that she might be attracted to my older brother, it hurt when they ended up dating and getting married, but my anger over the situation was based on Holden stealing my girl, not jealousy.
“Fuck. Do you think she’ll forgive me? What do I do?”
Dolly purses her lips, sighing. “I don’t know, Duke. Her ex-husband was a controlling asshole. That’s part of why they divorced. She’s certainly not looking for another man to tell her what to do. Which is so weird because you’ve never been like that.”
“I don’t want to control her. I don’t even know where that came from or why I said it. I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” With Pops’s death still being so fresh, I just want to spend time with my family and work and grieve.
The bartender finishes garnishing Dolly’s drink with a mint leaf and hands it to her.
“Thanks,” she says, sipping on the straw.
A group of girls who must have slipped past security approaches Monroe, who smiles at them and rises to sign autographs and take photos. Cash stands closely by, observing warily within arm’s distance. The girls are clearly harmless, but he doesn’t relax until they’re gone.
An imaginary fist punches my gut when the dots connect.
I’m feeling possessive and protective of Dallas. I’m worried about her being in the sketchy town of Elmott, working at a bar like Lucky’s Pub, making strange, grimy men think they’re special because she spit tequila in their mouths.
Because I actually like this woman.
“Fuck,” I mutter, rubbing at my eyes.
“Can we get another round of shots?” Sam asks.
A small hand clasps my shoulder, patting gently.
“At least you’re finally realizing it. We’ve all known for … years now,” Dolly says, her voice softening slightly.
I finish off my drink and grab one of the clear shot glasses.
“Yeah, well, what am I supposed to do about it?”
Rosie and Dallas return then. Her jaw set firmly, Dallas avoids eye contact with me and instead goes to sit by Monroe and Cash. Rosie stands nearby with Holden and begins whispering in his ear.
The thought of Dallas being mad at me and thinking I’m anything like her piece-of-shit ex-husband makes me feel violent. Maybe a sparring round with Sam later will help me work through it. He’s a cage fighter, and he takes any opportunity to whoop my ass.
“Look, Duke, you’ve got what we call a crush. A crush is something that can feel really big and overwhelming, but at the end of the day, it’s just a lack of information,” Dolly says.
Sam’s eyes narrow. “What does that mean?”
Dolly had an enormous crush on my best friend for years before he started to reciprocate the feelings.
My little sister smiles at him and pats his cheek. “It means that once you find out more about a person, a crush naturally fades away.”
He frowns. “So, you don’t have a crush on me anymore?”
“No, silly, I love you now.”
I glance over at Dallas to see her whispering to Monroe. I want to go over and explain myself and apologize, but my throat feels like sandpaper.
“So, you’re saying once he finds out more about her, his crush will turn into love?”
“I’m not going to fall in love with her.”
Dolly shrugs. “His crush will either dissolve or he’ll fall in love.”
I push away from the bar, moving over to the sofa next to Dallas. I sit down beside her, clearing my throat. She sips on the new drink she has, and I wonder where she got it.
“Hey. Can I talk to you?”
“I don’t know. Am I allowed to respond to whatever you have to say?” She tilts her head to the side, her lips in a pout.
I try to hold back my smile, knowing it’ll just piss her off. She has an attitude and a glare that could intimidate a grizzly bear.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you that you weren’t allowed to do anything. It came out wrong. I—shit, can we go outside and talk? The music is so loud.”
She huffs and takes another sip of the drink before finally nodding.
She stands, sets the drink down, and crosses her arms, making her cleavage nearly spill out of the low-cut top.
I grab her hand, leading her down the stairs.
We weave in and out of the crowd, making our way toward the back of the establishment.
We move through a hallway where a line of women is waiting for the bathroom.
I keep tugging her behind me until we reach a back door with an Exit sign glowing above it.
I push it open, finding the alleyway behind the bar.
The older brick building is surprisingly clean.
There’s a row of wooden crates, where a busboy is sitting, smoking a cigarette and scrolling on his phone.
He doesn’t even look up when Dallas and I walk out.
The nightlife of Nashville can be heard all around us on the nearby streets, but aside from the busser, we’re alone.
The tension in my head instantly eases with the lower volume of the music. I turn around to face her. Her green eyes are illuminated by the moonlight and the single light bulb next to the back door we just came through.
“I just wanted to explain myself to you so you’re not pissed off at me all night. I want us to be able to have a fun weekend.”
“I came here to be with my friends, not you.”
She lifts her chin, still clearly angry with me. My chest tightens. I might not be able to convince her of the truth here, and that’s scaring the shit out of me.
“I know that. I—look, with the thing I said about your work. I wasn’t trying to be controlling. I really just—it came out wrong.”
“Then what did you mean by telling me that I wasn’t allowed to give hurricane shots at work anymore? Because I heard it loud and clear.”
The busboy moves off the crate and ambles back inside the bar, leaving us alone. I exhale, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck and trying to find the right words. I stare at her boots, licking my lips and searching for the courage to just tell her.
“I said that because I’m realizing that I have developed … unique feelings toward you.” I glance back up at her face, seeing her eyes widen.
Be a man. Just say it.
“And I’ve never really felt this way before. I—shit, I just said something stupid because I … it turns me on when you do it to me. And I don’t want other guys feeling that way about you.” It’s painful, but I manage to get the words out.
The pure shock flashes across her face. Her cheeks warm, and her lips part as she lets out a soft gasp.
My chest aches. She takes a step closer to me, searching my face. My entire body feels like it’s being set on fire when her hand reaches out and grabs the front of my shirt. She pushes up on her toes and pulls me down to her, crushing her lips against mine.
I don’t know what I expected her to do, but it wasn’t this. I lean into the kiss, letting her keep the control over how intense it gets.
I want her to take the lead. She’s so fragile right now. I’ll be whoever she needs me to be tonight, even if she’s not sure what she wants after this. And I really don’t want her to have another panic attack.
She pulls me closer, brushing her body up against mine. I reach around to cup her lower back. She whimpers, tilting her head to the side. My free hand moves up to cup the side of her face, fingers threading through her hair.
Her tongue swipes against my lips hungrily. I let her in, increasing the intensity when I dip my head down, scooping her up under her butt with one arm. She lifts her legs and wraps them around my waist. Her body settles over me, her heat rubbing against the growing erection in my jeans.
She makes me hard almost instantly. I walk us back to the brick wall of the building, pressing her up against it.
She moans when my dick fully brushes up against the slit between her legs.
Her hips grind against me, and I see stars when the denim of my Wranglers rubs over the sensitive underside of my erection.
“Baby, you’re playing with fire here.” I pull back from the kiss, panting against her lips.
She moves over to my neck, kissing me and continuing to grind her hips against mine. Her lips find my earlobe, and she sucks in a way that makes me see stars.
I reach down with my free hand and grab her butt, which is fully exposed to the night air with her skirt pushed up past her hips.
“Darlin’, do you wanna do this right here? I can get us a ride back to the house.”
I don’t want to expose her to anyone who might come out the back door or up the alleyway from another bar. I can hear the drunk people meandering up and down the nearby streets.
“I want it right now,” she whispers into my ear, grinding against me again. “Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
I’m at risk of coming in my pants if she does that one more time.
I pull back, searching her eyes. “What?”
She licks her swollen lips. “Give it to me now.”
I squeeze her ass, looking into her eyes to determine how drunk she is. “Are you drunk?”
She shakes her head. “I want you. Please?”
“I don’t have a condom.” I swallow, wondering if this is a good idea, out here in the open.
We could get arrested.
Or I could miss my chance to be with Dallas Hayes. It might not happen again. She could hate me tomorrow morning.
“I’m on birth control. And I got tested a month ago.”
I kiss her lips gently, my hand cupping her face. When I pull back, her eyelids are lowered.
“I’m clean too. And you’re about to make me bust in my damn jeans.”
She bites her lower lip, twisting her hips up again. “You could bust in me instead.”
Her hand moves down to my button. I shift her body up to give her better access to me.
I reach my hand between us, finding the thong covering her already soaked through.
My thumb swirls in a circle over her clit.
She groans, finally getting the button undone and sliding my zipper down.
When I slide her thong over, she hisses at the contact.
“Sensitive baby,” I mumble.
I reach down and manage to pull my dick out. I brush it over her. Her head falls back, mouth open, eyes closed.
“Do that again. Please, please,” she begs.
I want to feel her so badly that my vision clouds. I lift her ass up before pulling her down over me. The sensitive tip of my cock presses up against her wet heat. I thrust up, letting her pussy wrap around the side of my erection.
“Fuck, baby. Fuck, you’re so wet. And we’re in public.”
She squeezes her thighs around me, opening her mouth to keep begging. “I need it right there. Keep going.”
I rub the side of my dick over her slick clit again and again until she’s vibrating in my arms. Her eyes are wide, staring at my face as she whimpers.
I keep rubbing with the same movements, gritting my teeth as my own orgasm starts building.
I need her to come first.
She grips my shoulders, fingernails digging into me. Her legs are clamped around me. I reach up and push her top to the side, exposing one of her breasts. I reach down and suck her pink nipple between my lips. She gasps, her pussy lips clenching around me.
Her body goes limp for a few seconds, and I pull back to watch her face as she comes, a silent scream on her lips. She’s fully exposing herself to me, giving me the chance to pleasure her and letting every emotion cross her face. It’s beautiful and raw and sexy as hell.
I’ve never wanted to feel the inside of a woman the way I want to feel Dallas Hayes right now. I reach down to use both hands to grip her generous ass before shoving inside her, all the way to the hilt.
She screams.
I pause, fear striking me. Her eyes widen as stares at the brick wall behind me. I feel her squeezing my dick, ready to milk me dry.
“Look at me.”
She does, fear and panic on the edge of her expression, threatening to take over.
“Stay with me, darlin’. I’m right here.”
She nods and grips my shoulders tighter, a silent plea for me to keep going.
I start pounding into her, fucking her against the brick wall. I’m going to come way too fast, but I’ll make it up to her later. I dip my head down, pressing my lips to the side of her neck. Her mouth finds my ear, and when I hear the filthy words she says, I come undone.
“Fill me up. I want every drop inside me.”
My orgasm splinters my vision.