by Gina Drayer
“You don’t need to. I owe you.”
“You do?”
“Yes. This is my fault. I brought Christian here. I didn’t tell you what was going on, I didn’t warn you.”
“It’s no one’s fault but that asshole’s. He was crazy.”
“I’m probably partly to blame for that, too.”
“Well, you have been known to drive a man crazy,” he said. “Look at me.”
She frowned but realized he was teasing. She had trouble believing it. After all this, he was teasing her. “I can’t undo what I did, but I would like to help you rebuild.” Lee wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go, but instead, she looked around the room. “I have a lot of ideas. I know we can make this happen.” She heard the excitement in her own voice and hoped he heard it, too. She needed him to know that she meant every word she was saying. "Let me be a part of this, Dylon.”
He walked back to the remains of the bar, putting physical distance between the two of them.
“Dylon? What is it?”
“You didn’t trust me, Lee. You didn’t let me in, and I can’t be in a relationship where that happens. I begged you, but you chose your secrets over me.”
She came stepped closer. “And I hate myself for that.” He was right. That was the crux of her biggest, stupidest failure. “I was wrong. I was afraid I’d put you in danger, but that’s not an excuse. I hurt you. And I know everything, the bar, our relationship falling apart, is all my fault. I want to make it right.” She put a hand on his back. “Give me another chance.”
Dylon turned around to face her. “And you’re sure you really want to be here?"
She could tell that he was holding back, still unsure about her feelings. It broke her heart that her lies had caused this distance between them.
“More than anything.”
"Why, Lee? Why do you want to be here? You have that whole other life that you could go back to. A very different life.”
The question made her stop. She thought he knew how she felt. What could she say to make him understand?
She swallowed down the fear and said what she should have said weeks ago. "Because I love you, Dylon. Because I actually am in love for the first time in my life. Being here with you is the only thing that matters. Well, that and bringing Bernadette's back to life. I want that as much as you do."
“That’s not true,” he said flatly.
Her breathing stopped and that knot in her stomach twisted. “But I do love you!”
He grinned and brushed her jaw with his knuckles. “Well, maybe that’s true, but there’s no way in hell you want Bernadette's open again as much as I do. How could you?”
She blinked at him and simultaneously wanted to slap and kiss the man. “Because this is my home.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” he said, earnestly. “But I have to make this work. It would kill me not to open again.”
“I know, it’s your dream.”
“Actually, what I meant was if I leave it like this my sister will kill me."
“I’ll help make sure that doesn’t happen.” She laughed at his stupid joke, letting herself hope for the first time in days. “Besides, I need the job. My last boss fired me.”
He looked at her. “What a bastard.”
"I deserved it,” she said and tried to smile. “I'd lied on the job application, gave a fake name. So naturally, I failed the background check."
“I see.” Dylon grinned. “Since I’m going to hire you, I’d better know your name.”
She stepped in closer, looked closely at his face, and put her hand out. “Lee Taylor O’Brien.”
“That’s a nice name,” he said, taking her hand. “And the lawyer? The case you were involved with? Are you safe now?”
“Yes,” she said on an exhale. “That’s all done with.”
“Good.” He pulled her into his chest and kissed her hard. "As for the rest, yes, I want you here. I love you.” He plucked her off the ground and twirled her around. “And we’ll make it work. If you are doing the finances and working as the business manager, we stand a chance.”
“I’m pretty damn good with money.”
“That’s what I hear. But you do realize, I can’t keep you on as a waitress. After all, there is that company rule about me not fucking my waitresses."
She buried her face in his chest. He held her for a moment, and then put his hand under her chin and tipped her face up. He stared into her eyes, deep into her soul, and kissed her again.
When the kiss broke, his eyes sparkled. He took her hand. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
“The office,” he said. “It’s one of the only places that didn’t get any damage.”
She went with him, caught up in his excitement. In the office, he pushed her onto his desk and hiked up her skirt. His touch brought her body alive.
“This is kind of like our first time,” he said as he unbuttoned his pants. “I’ve never fucked Lee O’Brien, but I intend to screw her right here on my cheap office desk.”
“More than once, I hope.”
He laughed. “More than once.”
He reached to take off his hat, and she grabbed his arm. “Fuck Lee O’Brien with your stupid hat on. She’d got a thing for tattooed, pierced, bartenders who wear hats.”
He stopped. “I can do that.”
He pulled his pants down and settled between her legs, thrusting into her hard enough to push the desk back. It was fast and rough. No finesse, but it was exactly what they both needed.
“Damn, you are hot, Lee O’Brien.”
“As hot as Lee Taylor?” she teased.
“Well now, that’s hard to tell. I might be forced to bang her as well, for reference.”
“Scientific comparisons.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, that could be arranged. I have an idea where we might find her.”
Sounds of people returning from lunch filtered through the doors and Dylon moved to shut the office door to ensure their continued privacy. He kissed her again, quickly, on the way back, and then plopped down in the office chair.
“We do have a problem, though,” he said, looking up at her.
Leaning back against the desk. “What’s that?”
“We need to find an apartment tonight because I don’t think Cash will appreciate me fucking you against every surface in his house.”
She laughed, feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart. She was here, with Dylon. No matter what happened next. They were going to be okay.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dylon sat at the table in his small apartment. He took a sip of his beer and closed the notebook that held the plans for the bar. Everything was checked off. It was happening. With the help of friends, they’d managed to reopen Bernadette’s in a little over a month.
A lot had changed in a very short time. He’d made a lot of decisions and a lot of mistakes. Some of those changes were good. They’d taken time and worked out a real business plan. Things didn’t always go according to plan, but they were proceeding. The bar would get back on its feet, and the future looked bright.
Personally, he was faced with bigger challenges. He’d made plenty of mistakes over the last couple of years. His biggest mistakes had to do with Lee. He’d been stupid and immature, and almost lost the best thing to ever happen to him. Even now, it was too painful to think about how things had almost ended.
He looked over at the redhead stretched out on the bed. She’d been asleep, but now her eyes were open and smiled at him.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said. “The inspector is going to be there early, and I want to make sure we have everything covered.”
They’d found a small efficiency just around the block that would rent to them month to month. There wasn’t a lot of privacy, but for now, that worked in his favor. He wasn’t about to let Lee out of his sights for even a minute.
“Come back to bed,” she said with a yawn. �
��There’s nothing to worry about. Tomorrow is going to go fine, and we can open on Friday.”
“I know,” he said. That was mainly because of her. She’d organized the whole renovation and watched every penny. The woman had superpowers when it came to running projects. Even Cash had tried to convince Lee to come work for him. Dylon leaned back in the chair and looked at the woman, thanking his lucky stars she’d stumbled into his life. “I can’t sleep,” he said. “I’m going to try and get some work done.”
“Isn’t there something else you’d rather be doing?” Her eyes became hooded, and she bit her bottom lip in an attempt to distract him and get him to come back to bed. And she was doing a hell of a job of it.
“You are insatiable,” he said, jokingly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but can it wait? I’m trying to work.”
“Fine,” she said, rolling onto her back. “Keep working. I can occupy myself.”
A hand slid between her legs, and he watched as her fingers disappeared under her panties. She turned her head and winked at him, an amused smile gracing those pretty pink lips.
“Fuck, woman. You’re going to be the death of me,” he said and moved close to the bed.
“Whatever do you mean?” She reached out and pulled him down, a coquettish grin playing on her lips. “You could have continued to work while I helped myself.”
“Not on my watch.” He crawled onto the bed, running his hand up her T-shirt. “Do you know how much I want you right now?”
“It couldn’t be nearly as much as I want you,” she said.
He peeled the shirt off and flipped her over, making sure not to knock either of them off the small bed. Starting with her neck, he kissed her, moving down her spine, savoring every curve and valley. She arched into his touch, moving with him as he took his time, letting his hands and lips explore her, worshiping every inch of her body. He worked his way back up her body to lick her neck and suck her earlobe.
With his lips pressed to her ear he whispered. “What did I do to deserve you? You’re everything I never knew I needed, rolled into one perfect package. You’re the only woman I want.”
He hiked her hips up, pulling her to her knees, and brought his throbbing cock between the sweet, warm, folds of her pussy. When he thrust forward and slid into that entrancing sheath, felt it envelop him, he fell in love all over again with this hot redhead. It didn’t take long for them both to find their pleasure and fall into a heap of tangled arms and legs. And fuck, if he didn’t want to do this for the rest of his life.
Lee curled up beside him and traced a finger along the path of one of his tattoos as he played with her curls. He was bewitched by her— had been, ever since she’d strolled into Bernadette’s and changed his life forever. Not just his life: she’d changed him, too.
That was the core of it, really. This was what he’d been looking for all his life. It wasn’t exactly how he’d pictured it. But his world was complete: rich and textured in a way he’d never imagined. All because of Lee. They were more than lovers; they were true partners. They were working together, living together, and sharing the good and bad.
He was still discovering things about her and learning about her past. But he knew everything about her that he needed to know. And he knew the most important thing of all—whatever happened to them next, they’d be in it together, sharing it.
Friday was the soft reopening of Bernadette's. It was just for their family and friends, and Lee had been looking forward to it for weeks. Somehow, Dylon had even talked her parents into flying back for the occasion.
Like a mother hen, Dylon had gone in early to make sure everything was ready. Lee had been involved in every part of the remodel, so she’d been surprised and a little hurt when he insisted on going in alone. Although, she tried to hide it. Bernadette's would always be the other woman in their relationship.
So, Lee spent the afternoon balancing the checking account, going over new contracts, and otherwise trying to fill her time. A little after four, she bundled up in her winter coat and walked the two blocks.
The sign out front remained the same, but a new wood and glass door with Bernadette’s logo welcomed her. All the lights were on, and several people had already arrived. Lee was greeted warmly by friends and regulars as she made her way to the bar.
The place looked amazing.
They’d managed to save the old bar top, but outside of that, the entire interior had been gutted. Dylon had kept with the retro vibe of the place, but she’d managed to talk him into classing it up a bit. Instead of kitschy-retro, they’d gone for more of an upscale speakeasy vibe. Dark wood tables and burgundy leather booths ran the length of the building, and he’d even allowed her to pick out an old tin ceiling. There were a few things that Dylon had added to the design, like the bomber-nose art prints of pin-up girls and the rough-hewn wood floors.
In the end, they came up with the perfect blend of both their styles.
Like the first time she’d been there, Dylon was behind the bar, laughing and joking with Cash and his wife. Before she’d even reached the bar, he’d poured her out a martini with a few extra olives.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it,” he said, sliding the glass across the newly polished surface.
“I was finishing up some work,” Lee said and took a sip of her drink. “Besides, I figured you could use some time alone with your other woman.”
Cash laughed, and kissed her cheek. “I for one am glad you’re here. Maybe now he’ll stop watching the clock and enjoy the party. Or at least, keep my glass full.”
“Poor guy,” Kim said, patting her husband’s arm. “He thinks he’s drinking for two now that I’m pregnant.” She leaned over and gave a hug. “You guys did a fantastic job. The place is even better than before, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
“It’s all Lee’s doing. I agreed to anything she said,” Dylon said.
“Like a good boyfriend,” Roxie said.
He had the biggest grin on his face, and she could tell the stress of the rebuild was finally leaving him. There was still a lot to do. The event room would be closed for another month, and the apartment, at least two more. But now that the bar was back open, things were starting to look up.
Something caught Dylon’s eye, and he waved. Lee turned around to see her parents in the crowd. Lee went to meet them, but Dylon had managed to beat her.
“Chuck, Lorelei. I’m so glad you’re here,” he said and shook her dad’s hand.
“Oh, we wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Lee’s mother said and bit back a smile. Dylon extended his hand to her mother, and she batted it away. “Now, none of that. I insist on a hug.”
Her parents had come to accept Dylon. Especially after hearing how he’d saved Lee’s life. And they’d even come to terms with her choice to leave corporate finance to help run a bar, but this familiarity was new and a bit unsettling.
“Hi, Mom. How was your flight?”
“Oh, sweetheart, we’re so happy to be here.” Her mother wrapped her in one of her warm hugs. “The place looks lovely.”
Dylon cleared his throat and raised his hand in the air. From behind her, someone started to clink a glass. A few more people joined in until the room fell silent.
“I just wanted to thank everyone for being here tonight,” Dylon said. “Tonight’s a very special night for me. Tonight, we celebrate a new chapter of Bernadette's history. A rebirth from the ashes, if you will.” Applause broke out, and he waited until it died down. “And I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather celebrate this with more, than my family and friends. It’s because of you, we were able to make this happen. And it was because of the tireless work and determination of this woman—” Dylon reached over and pulled Lee into the center of the room. “—my girlfriend, Lee.”
Lee smiled and sheepishly waved as everyone clapped. While she had taken ownership of Bernadette's remodel, the praise felt misplaced, and she wanted to melt back into the cr
owd. But Dylon held on to her hand as he continued speaking.
“Tonight is also the start of another chapter of my life. And I’m glad everyone is here to witness it.” Dylon turned to her and took off his hat. “Lee Taylor O’Brien.” He got down on one knee and like a magician, pulled a ring out of his hat. “Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Lee stared down at the bartender from the wrong side of the river. This wasn’t exactly where she’d envisioned her life ending up when she’d moved to New York, but it was exactly what she needed in her life. The bar, the people, and especially the tattooed and pierced bartender.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The room erupted into applause and cheers. After slipping the simple solitaire engagement ring onto her finger, Dylon stood and gathered her into his arms. When their lips met, the rest of the world melted away.
Pulling back, he looked down at her, a cocky grin on his lips. “You know what this means, don’t you?
“What?” Lee asked, still breathless from his kiss.
“You’re going to get another new name,” he said. “How am I supposed to keep them all straight?”
“Lee Knightly,” she said, trying out the name. “I like the sound of that.”
Dylon trailed kisses along her jaw to her ear and nibbled on the tender flesh. “And just think, we’ll get another first time.”
Lee giggled, but before she could respond they were flooded with congratulations and well wishes. Over the course of a million bad choices, she’d never suspected that responding to an ad for an apartment in Brooklyn would turn out to be one of the best choices she’d ever made. But being surrounded by family and friends, she was certainly thankful it was.
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