by Olivia Snow
“Happy?”
She walked over to the bed, picking up the shirt; she didn’t look too impressed.
“It’s you all right, but not bar attire.”
“Tough, that’s what I’m wearing.” I took the shirt from her and began to strip.
“Whatever you say, Princess.”
I responded with a growl, making Mallory giggle.
***
Blush was across the street from the apartment. The inside was a mixture of modern furniture, but still had touches of a traditional pub. The long bar began a couple of feet from the front door and ran along the entire back of the room. Across from the bar were small, square, silver tables that seated four. The lighting was warm and dim, making it feel incredibly sensual and private. I thought the name fit it perfectly.
The place was already quite busy; we could barely get through. Without even trying, I located Ava. Her midnight hair glowed under the faint lighting where she was busy helping out a group of guys who were gaping at her; she only smiled and continued to work, unfazed by them. I chuckled to myself, knowing how easily it was for my cousin to dismiss the opposite sex when she wanted to. As if she had heard me, Ava looked up, then motioned us closer.
I grabbed Mallory’s hand, tugging her toward the bar.
“Glad you guys could make it.” Ava placed a menu in front of us.
“Thanks for the invite.” Mallory smiled at her, but I could tell it was a little wary; there was still an unspoken problem between the two of them I wasn’t sure could ever be repaired. With Ava and I, there was blood linking us, but a sense of loyalty was missing between the two of them.
“Any time, doll,” Ave replied with a wink, then placed two glasses full of water in front of us.
A moment later, a very attractive Hispanic guy approached her from behind the bar. I guessed he was a coworker.
“Chris, I want you to meet my friend Mallory and my baby cousin Vanessa.” Mallory and I both reply with a girly ‘hi’ and Ava grunt-chuckled at us. “Guys, this is Christian, the owner.”
I was impressed; he couldn’t have been much older than Ava.
“You’re the owner?” Mallory asked in shock. Ditto. Ava and Christian both chuckled.
“Yes, ma’am,” Christian replied.
“Chris here has always been quite the entrepreneur.”
“That I have.” He grinned. “It was a pleasure meeting you ladies, but you’ll have to excuse me…owner duties and all.” He smiled, showing off some impressive dimples. Oh my. Mallory and I waved goodbye, stuck in a stupor over his good looks.
“You guys want to order some food? The cheese fries are great.”
“Ooh, that sounds good. I’ll have an order, please.”
“Same,” I replied.
While we waited for our food, Mallory and I chit-chatted about school and she vented about her dad and his newest twenty-one-year-old girlfriend. She went into detail about how fake this woman’s boobs were, because I guess there’s a specific level of phoniness when it comes to boob jobs—who could have guessed?
As she continued, my gaze wandered to the front door just as a group of guys walked in. I felt the vein on the side of my throat begin to throb as he cleared the door. The contrast of good o’ country boy and tattooed bad-ass was sinfully tantalizing. Unlike the last time I’d seen him, he wasn’t wearing a cap. His dark blond hair was cut very short on the sides and on the top it remained longer but only barely.
My heart drummed on my chest. I’d never felt this instant of an attraction. God, was this what so many girls went through? My hands got all sweaty and sticky as my head prickled with cold heat. As if my thoughts beckoned for his attention, his forest green eyes zeroed in on me and I gasped.
Diesel’s eyes widened in mischief. With a grin, he winked at me before motioning his friend toward the bar.
“Oh, God,” I whispered, trying to breathe.
“Vanessa?” Ava asked. Mallory hadn’t noticed my reaction; some guy had stepped up next to her, distracting her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I spoke too quickly, taking the glass with my shaking hands. I took a sip, trying my hardest not to cough it out. Relax, breathe, count to ten. Concentrating on my breathing, I began to feel my heart slowly returning to its normal healthy beat, but that went to hell within moments when I sensed him sit beside me.
“The usual?” Ava asked him.
“If it’s not too much trouble, darlin’.”
I felt like I had turned into a melted heap of hormones. Sweet baby Jesus.
Ava turned to get him his drink and I almost threw myself over the bar to keep her from leaving me alone with him. I knew I couldn’t get involved. What the hell are you thinking, Vanessa? He’s just a man.
“You doin’ all right there, sweetheart?”
Taking a chance, I turned my head to look at him. “Huh?”
“There’s smoke comin’ from your head, you’re thinkin’ so hard.”
“Vanessa.”
“Huh?” Now he seemed confused.
“My name. It’s Vanessa…not sweetheart or darlin’.”
Diesel’s eyes glittered with amusement; his smile widened while he rubbed his hand over his chin. “Believe me, baby, I remember your name.”
What the hell does that mean? I wasn’t certain, but it sure felt good that he remembered me. I hoped it was the same way I remembered him. I couldn’t help but smile. I looked down, biting my bottom lip.
“Here ya go, doll.” Ava came back too soon for my taste. First I didn’t want her to leave, now I want her to go away. I sure change my mind fast.
“Thanks, Ava.”
Oh no, he knows her name. Of course he does. She’s Ava. How could I possibly compare with her?
“You two know each other?” I asked without really meaning to.
“Sort of, he comes in once in a while.” Ava frowned, looking between the two of us. “Do you know each other?”
“Vanessa and I go way back, ain’t that right, darlin’?” Diesel smirked before taking a drink from his beer.
“Is that right?” Ava crossed her arms over her chest, a red rag dangling from her left hand. Her arms made her breasts push together, giving her more cleavage; I don’t think she was doing it on purpose. From the corner of my eye I took a peek at Diesel, certain he was enjoying the view. To my surprise, his attention was solely on me. I swallowed hard.
“We met the other day when I went to see Daddy. He’s his foreman.”
Ava looked surprised before her face lit up. She was having an ah-ha moment. Oh, I’m in trouble. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Christian who walked by and stopped right next to her.
“That’s one way of getting bigger tips,” he said softly, drumming on the top of her cleavage with his fingers. I gasped, while Mallory and Diesel both chuckled. Ava didn’t laugh but she didn’t frown either. She tightened the rag in her hand and flicked it at Christian’s backside, making him jump as he walked away.
“H.R.!” he yelled, making his way to a group of girls at the end of the bar. Everyone laughed. Ava grunted, stepping closer to me and Diesel before she stopped short, glancing up at someone behind us.
“Shit,” she whispered, gritting her teeth.
“Ava, what’s wrong?”
“My other boss is here.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ava
The way he was glaring at me made me think I was in trouble. I played back the day in my head, trying to come up with something I had done wrong. Oh, no…Aidan. Something had to have happened.
The adrenaline started pumping through my veins; my first thought was to get over to Maxwell as fast as possible. Glancing to the empty spot on Diesel’s left side, I threw the rag on the cutting board and jumped over the bar, practically running over a group of girls. My eyes were tearing up, thinking something might be wrong with Aidan. I’m already in so deep with the little man.
Crashing into the professor’s hard chest
, I gripped his upper arms and almost—almost—lost my train of thought when I felt the sinewy cords of his muscles through his shirt.
“What happened, is he okay?” My voice cracked as I looked into his dark pools for answers.
“What?” His eyebrows knitted together.
“Aidan, is he all right?” When I saw his baffled expression clear, I moved away from his body, but he stopped me, placing a sturdy hand on my lower back. His fingertips feathered above the top of my butt.
With a sweet smile, he shocked me by sweeping the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip. “Yeah, Aidan is just fine.”
I shivered, causing him to grip me tighter. He brought me closer to him and I felt his erection press against my stomach. Oh, God.
Holding a moan back, I glanced at his full lips. My restraint was wearing thin. And I think he knew it.
“Then what are you doing here?” My weakness was evident in my tone.
“I wish I knew.” His gaze roamed across my face as if he was trying to memorize it and never forget.
“Are you drunk?” I asked, standing on my tiptoes and trying to get a whiff of his mouth to see if I could smell alcohol—but the only thing I smelled was dark coffee and cherries. I only smelled him. Dark Smolder. My lower stomach quivered, causing the muscles between my legs to clench.
“I think I am,” he whispered as I lowered my feet, his lips a fraction of an inch away from mine. I hadn’t realized it, but I was clinging to his arms, making him grin.
“Yo, Ava! Some help, please!” Christian yelled a little louder than necessary. Instantly, I threw Maxwell back, but he barely moved.
“I, uh, I have to get back to work.” I pointed in the direction of the bar with my thumb.
“Right, of course.” He tensed, straightening out the hem of his vest.
“All right, okay, uh…see you Monday.” I tried to smile, but I was so freaking nervous I wasn’t sure what appeared on my face. Bending my knees, I hopped on the bar. Christian extended his hand, offering his help, but I slapped it away.
“Touchy.” He grinned. My middle finger was itching to come out and play, but he was still my boss and we had an audience.
“That’s your boss?” Vanessa’s jaw was on the bar as she turned and glanced at Maxwell.
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat, taking an order for another patron.
“He seems a little old for you, don’t you think?” Diesel commented.
“I have to agree.” Mallory had chimed in, and Vanessa nodded in agreement.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware this was everyone’s business.” I glared at the three of them.
“Well, it is, and he doesn’t count.” Mallory pointed at Diesel.
“Why the hell not? Ava and I are friends, ain’t that right?” Diesel winked. I agreed, smirking at him.
“Oh, I get it. You two have—” Mallory made a fist with one hand and poked her index finger inside.
Vanessa’s face fell just before Diesel and I said in unison, “Ew, no, gross.”
“Oh, you haven’t?” This time, Vanessa had asked.
But I didn’t get a chance to answer her because a group of guys had gathered, ordering drinks left and right. I did get a glimpse of Diesel whispering something in Vanessa’s ear, causing her to blush.
Oh, no. This was not good.
***
By the time I got home, Vanessa was already asleep. She and Mallory had left two hours before closing. Diesel had offered to walk them home, but I wouldn’t let that happen, so I had Vin, our bouncer and security guard, quickly walk them across the street.
“You cock blocking me, Ava?” Diesel asked once the girls left.
“You bet your aunt Fanny I am.”
“Luckily, I don’t have an aunt. I have an uncle, but his name ain’t Fanny.”
Grunting, I dropped the rag I was wiping the bar with before answering. “Listen, Knox, you’re a cool dude and all, but she’s my cousin. My baby cousin. She’s sweet and innocent with a mother who would rip your balls off and staple them on your momma’s front door if she even got a whiff of what’s going on here. Vanessa is an adult and has a mind of her own, so I’m not telling you to stay away from her, but if you hurt her…I will be the one to staple, not only your balls, but also your dick to the front door of your mother’s house. You feel me?”
Diesel swallowed hard before answering. “Yeah, darlin’, I feel you.”
“Good, want a refill?”
When I got home, I reflected on how it always felt like something was missing when I was inside my bedroom. It felt cold and unwelcoming. When I considered what was missing, my first thought was Dark Smolder.
What the hell was going through his mind? What was his game? He was incredibly smart and sexy and could get any woman he wanted. I wasn’t intentionally putting it out there that I wanted something between us because I didn’t…Okay, maybe I did, but when I really thought about the possibility, I was struck by guilt.
Although Mr. Gallagher had a pull on me, I had to resist it for Aidan’s sake. But his aggressiveness was disarming, and I’d never been on this end before. I had always been the aggressor. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about being the prey.
Chapter Fifteen
Ava
The next week went by smoothly. By Friday, Aidan and I had a pretty good routine down. The kid was involved in a science club, so every other day he had some sort of experiment that needed to be taken to school. Which was becoming a pain in the ass with the little Honda I was driving and its limited space.
“You need a van, like the other moms drive,” Aidan said while he buckled his seatbelt. I tensed at the thought of how he might see me—as his mom. I cleared the unwelcome image from my mind, because he was a kid and he didn’t know what came out of his mouth ninety percent of the time.
“Dude, you think I look like I would ever drive a van?” I scoffed playfully.
“Yeah, you don’t look like a mom. Ooh, maybe one of those that look like a van but are rectangle shape.”
I chuckled. “An SUV?”
“Yeah, that one, that would be cool. A black one, it’ll match your hair.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Before turning into the school parking lot to drop him off, Aidan thrashed around, pushing papers inside his backpack.
“Shit!” he yelled out of nowhere.
“Aidan! Don’t say shit.” I glared at him through the rearview mirror.
“I’m just expressing severe disappointment,” he explained, and I fought back a chuckle.
“Use another word to express your severe disappointment and not one that is frowned upon, especially when used by a six-year-old.”
“Like what?”
“Like dang-it, darn, dang, gosh-darn…why are you severely disappointed, anyway?”
“Dad grabbed my lunch instead of his. He eats the gross bread.” He stuck out his tongue.
I laughed, quickly thinking of a solution. “Then I’ll drop you off at school, go pick up your lunch from your dad, and switch them. I’ll bring it to you, deal?”
“Deal. Thanks, Ava!” He unbuckled his seatbelt as I parked. Aidan lunged himself at me and kissed my cheek. The sweet gesture tugged at my heart.
“Come on man-cub, let’s sign you in.”
***
With Vanessa’s directions via text, I was able to find Professor Maxwell Gallagher’s class, suddenly overcome with nervousness. Through the narrow glass of the wooden door, I was able to see him. He stood in front of his class with confidence and passion. It was written all over him, the way he used his hands to speak and the vibration of his voice. His strong, huge hands. My God, he’s beautiful.
His eyes lit up when he saw the understanding on the faces of his students. Maxwell looked to me like a well-kept mountain man, his face a major contradiction to his posh and professional attire. My Dark Smolder looked a lot older than his twenty-nine years, something I could relate to. Did I just think of him as mine?
A stud
ent in the corner of the front row suddenly pointed his pencil in my direction, letting Maxwell know he had an observer. Shit, I’ve been caught ogling. Professor Gallagher turned, appearing surprised yet amused; I could tell he was fighting back a grin. With a finger in the air, he motioned for his students to give him a minute. I backed away from the door, giving him room to open it.
“Everything all right?” he asked, invading my personal space with a single step.
“Uh, ah, um…yeah, yes…everything is all right. You grabbed Aidan’s lunch. I’m here to switch them.” I handed him the correct lunch, glad I’d finally gained control of my speech. Grinning, he opened the bag, confirming it was his.
“Why, thank you, Ava, how nice—what’s this?”
Ah, shit, why did he have to open it in front of me? I watched him remove the wrapped cannoli I had put in there. I made extra at home the other night, and Aidan asked if I could bring him some, so I brought extras for my boss. It only seemed right. Well, that’s what I kept telling myself; it wasn’t as if I just wanted to feed him.
“Did you make this?” he asked, gawking at the pastry.
“Yeah, I had extras…so…” I hoped he wouldn’t make a big deal out of this; I didn’t want him to know I’d been thinking of him.
“Well, thanks. Uh, wait here, I’ll grab Aidan’s lunch.” He straightened out, tightening his hand around the brown bag. As he turned away, I noticed the expression on his face; he looked mad. What the hell? What did I do now? Moments later, he handed me Aidan’s lunch.
“Thanks again for bringing my lunch, I went ahead and put the cannoli in Aidan’s bag. I’m trying to cut down on the sweets. But I appreciate the thought.”
I couldn’t believe he was rejecting my cannoli. I tried not to let it show, I really did. I tried to wear my Ava mask, but for some reason it didn’t fit around him.
“Oh, okay, no problem. I, um…I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.” I knew he could tell my smile was fake, and the pity in his eyes hurt me even more.