Tequila Smash

by Aliyah Burke

  After a quick trip home to shower and change, he made his way back toward Ellie’s apartment. He bypassed the bar and didn’t slow. There was a good chance it was open, Dogfish lived over it, but he had somewhere else to be.

  He paused before her apartment building, hand poised over the door handle. What if she didn’t want to see him?

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  He hurried up to her fourth-floor place and knocked on her door. Nothing from the other side. He frowned. Bennett knocked once more.

  “Ellie?”

  A small boy moved by him on an old big wheel and gave him a grin, showing off his missing front three teeth. He gave a smile back along with a nod.

  “Ellie’s gone,” he lisped. “She went shopping.”

  “Do you know when she’s coming back?”

  “She’ll bring me a book when she comes but not for many hours.”

  His interest was piqued. Crouching down, he smiled again. “What book is she bringing you.”

  “One with dragons, I hope,” he said. His tongue stuck out the hole in his mouth.

  “Dragons are always a good thing to read about.”

  “What do you like to read?” He pushed up on his toes, trying to become taller.

  “A little bit of everything.” Bennett ruffled his hair. “I’ll see if I can find her and check on your book for you.”

  “Tell her I wouldn’t mind two books this time.”

  He laughed. “I’ll let her know.”

  “Yay!” He bounced in place and clapped his hands. “Okay, bye.” He headed off down the hall, pedaling hard.

  Bennett strolled outside to his truck and rested against the bedrail. He didn’t have the slightest idea of where to look. But, hey, he wasn’t a SEAL for nothing. Ex-SEAL. He withdrew his phone and pulled up all the bookstores in the area.

  Marking them on his map, he figured out a strategy then took his truck to a public parking lot and left it, so he could track her on foot. After he locked up, he jogged off in the direction of his first shop to visit.

  Five later, he stopped to get a drink. There was another right across from him he would head into after he got a drink. Even so, he kept an eye on the door, on the off chance she either wandered in or out.

  Nothing happened by the time he tossed his cup in the trash and waited on traffic to cross. He stepped into the small shop and did a quick gaze around, instinctive even now that he was no longer on active duty.

  The shelves were crammed with books of all sizes and colors. Piled high with titles he wasn’t sure he’d ever have time to read. He smiled as the calm this place presented sunk into him. Meandering through the aisles, he paused when he found her.

  She sat cross-legged on the floor before the children’s books. He counted seven books by her right leg, six near her left and one in her hand that she leafed through. And in front of her was a small plastic basket with more books resting within its blue sides.

  “So, this is what you do on your time.”

  She jumped slightly before half turning around. When they landed on him, her eyes widened as an adorable blush scampered up her cheeks.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He crouched beside her and pushed a thick tendril of brunette hair with blonde streaks away from her forehead only for it to fall back in place when he finished. She leaned into him before she caught herself.

  “Looking for you.”

  Skepticism filled those blue-green eyes. “Why? You were gone when I woke up. I just assumed that you had what you wanted.”

  “And what did my note say?”

  Heat replaced the skepticism. “Next time.” Her words were breathy and she flicked her tongue along her lower lip.

  He wanted to follow that same path with his own tongue, taste her flavor once more. Indulge.

  “So what part of that indicates I was done?”

  His cock swelled in his pants and he struggled to retain control. If possible, she smelled even better this morning.

  “You left.”

  “Trust me, that’s a mistake I won’t be making again.”

  She lowered her gaze to the book she held. He smiled as he read the title, The Velveteen Rabbit. A story he remembered from his own childhood.

  This Ellie was completely the opposite of the woman who ran her bar with an iron fist. That woman had a spark in her eyes, challenging any and all who dared dispute her law. This one, subdued and almost withdrawn.

  Sitting beside her, he did his best to avoid the tower of books by her knee.

  “If it’s any help, he said he wanted one with dragons. Perhaps two.”

  “Jason?”

  “I wasn’t given his name. Adorable with three missing front teeth, if that helps.”

  Her smile returned, full force. “That’s Jason.” She pursed her lips and handed him the book from her hand. “I had something in here about dragons. Let me see.”

  He watched her as she went through all the books on either side of her before she triumphally withdrew one with a blue dragon on it.

  “See.” She waved it about and passed it off to him.

  Holding that one as well, he stared without shame and more than a bit of lust as she got to her feet, her cute ass nearly directly before him.

  “What are you doing now?”

  “I can’t just take him one. I saw a few more dragon ones up here.”

  He put the book in her basket and placed the other beside it before he rose up to stand next to her. She was so tiny next to him and all he wanted to do was protect her and keep her close. Ellie pushed up on her toes seeking something on a higher shelf.

  “Need some help?” He cocked an eyebrow at her when she glanced up at him.

  “You know it’s not nice to remind me how very short I am.” She bounced a bit more, drawing his attention back to her breasts as they moved behind her white thin cotton shirt.

  Fuck. His cock pushed harder against his jeans.

  “You’re not so very short. I mean tiny as fuck compared to me, but for some it’s not all that small.”

  He saw the book she was going for. There was a dragon on the spine and he reached for it, plucking it with ease from the shelf and holding it just out of her reach.

  She bounded up and down on her toes. “Give it.”

  Bennett dipped his head and captured her lips when she reached up once more. Her hands settled on his chest as a soft sigh escaped her.

  “Oh,” she murmured when he pulled back.

  Offering her the book, he kissed her once more. She captured her lower lip in her teeth as she turned the book over and skimmed the back, muttering and mumbling while she did. Turning back to her basket, she stepped over it and gestured with a hand.

  He understood and picked it up as well as the other thirteen books. Reshelving them, he found her two rows over, still skimming the shelves. Occasionally she would hand him a book but, for the most part, he was left to his own devices. Which, for him, meant following her and ogling as she took her time finding the books she wanted.

  When she was ready to go, he put the basket down at the front counter. The woman waiting there, gave them both a smile.

  “Aloha, Ellie. I see you have the handsome man with you today. Is he the one you told me about?” She lifted out two of the romance novels she’d gathered. “Is he the reason you’ve picked out more of these? Not that I blame you, he’s hot and could star in my own fantasies.”

  Her flush had him smiling. Slipping his arm around her, he kissed Ellie’s cheek. “I’m definitely benefiting from them.”

  She laughed while Ellie elbowed him. He pinched her ass and waited while the books were rung up.

  “I figured that would be better said than asking if she had any books on sex and what fun you can have with a vibrator.”

  Her gaze snapped to his and he winked. Although her skin was flushed, she never hesitated.

  “I already have those books, if you ask nice I’ll show them to you.”

 
; Had he said how fucked he was?

  Chapter Three

  Ellie couldn’t believe how patient he had been with her today. He never once looked exasperated or fed up with her need to explore the old used bookstores. Bennett even helped her make up her mind on a few choices that stores had more than one copy of in stock. All the while, his smile remained easy and carefree.

  Right now, he carried her four bags of books she’d purchased. He guided her to the left and she didn’t understand until he paused before a large red truck.

  “Climb in.”

  “I’m fine walking home.”

  He opened the door and put the bags in the back. “Get in.”

  “I’m fine walking. In fact, I prefer it.”

  He hooked a finger in the gap of her shirt and tugged her closer. Until she was between his powerful thighs and his heat surrounded her in ways the Hawaiian sun wouldn’t ever be able to accomplish. Not even on its brightest day.

  She reached up and touched the scruff on his face, loving the contrast in their skin tones. She burned out in the sun while he just utilized his Hawaiian heritage and grew bronzed.

  “I’d prefer taking you.”

  “Home?”

  His smile sent up quivers in her belly.

  “Sure, we can go with that.”

  Her knees buckled and his smile told her he caught it. Lord, he was dangerous to her senses and her sanity.

  “Is there a reason you don’t want me to walk?”

  He pulled on her shirt more, creating even more of a gap. From his height, he could look directly down the front. And he did.

  “I can think of a few. Namely it’s almost time for you to be at work.”

  She’d forgotten all about the time. And food.

  “If you insist.”

  Another unabashed glance down her shirt. “I do.”

  “Sure you’ll be able to drive if you keep looking down there?”

  “I’m willing to give it a go.” He never looked away from her breasts. To be fair, she more than kinda liked him checking her out. She didn’t mind so much being ogled by him.

  She shook her head. “I’m sure you are.”

  Ellie gave a pointed look at his groin then climbed up in the truck, making sure to put an extra sway in her ass jiggle as she crawled across his seat to hers, avoiding the books as she went. While she didn’t understand what he said, she got the gist from the tone.

  Bennett settled in beside her and got them on the road. The windows were down and the air flowed over her skin as they went. Being as she’d not gotten tons of sleep last night, she nearly dozed but she sat up when he took a wrong turn.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Taking you to lunch.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “Says you.”

  “Well of course I say it, it’s not. Take me home.”

  “Nope. I’m kidnapping you for the moment. I’ll take you home then walk you to work.” A pause. “After we eat.”

  She glared in his direction as he turned into the Ala Moana Shopping Center and parked.

  “Adventure feeds the soul.” He hopped out and headed around to open the door for her.

  “I can find adventure in bed,” she muttered, sliding out, her hand in his.

  “And we will.” He gripped her around the waist. “But right now, I am taking you to lunch.”

  They crossed Piikoi Street and made their way up Hopaka to the nondescript inn waiting there for them to enjoy. She smiled as they entered. This was her kind of place and had only eaten here once before.

  Their meal was lighthearted and fun. The man had a wicked sense of humor and loved to see if he could make her choke. As was apparent when he somehow got hold of a full cucumber and held it up.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “What’s that?”

  “A cucumber.”

  She sipped her drink and rolled her eyes. “I know that, why are you holding it like that? Should I leave you alone with it?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing. I mean, I know it’s not turquoise, but the size is similar.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut briefly before casting her glance all around to see if anyone had heard him. No one paid them the least bit of mind, for which she was eternally grateful. Ellie slipped to the edge of her seat and dragged her foot up the inside of his leg.

  “Should I be more concerned that you remember the size of my Big Blue Beast or that you seem so familiar holding that vegetable in your hand? Are you worried you won’t measure up?”

  She twined her tongue around the tip of her straw, loving how his brown eyes managed to get even darker. It was so damn difficult to pull her eyes from the curve of his fingers around the thick item. In her mind, it was no longer the cucumber but his own dick, and he lay there naked before her, stroking himself. Gliding up and down his length with a fist. Watching her with those deep pools of sexual promise.

  Her pussy pulsed and she would have squeezed her legs together but one was still on him and she didn’t want to move it.

  “Now, we both know how little I have to worry about measuring up to this cuke.”

  She lowered her eyebrows and allowed the small teasing smile to turn up her lips. “But it’s so hard.”

  He captured her ankle in the space of a heartbeat and she jumped but he wouldn’t let go.

  “Yes, it is plenty hard. Something else you are well versed in. Unlike your Mr. Blue.”

  She lifted her chin and stared down her nose at him. “That’s Mister Big Blue Beast to you.”

  Ellie adopted the snidest, snarkiest tone she could possibly manage while speaking in a public place about her named vibrator to a man who’d completely rocked her world last night.

  “I’ll show you big.”

  She grinned, completely on board for any and all demonstration in that regard.

  αβ

  Bennett sat in his usual spot in the back of the bar. More so than usual, he wanted to be closer to the tiny spitfire he’d nicknamed Smash. Nearly two different people she had combined within her. The woman he found at the bookstore was quiet and reserved versus the one he saw here, edgy and dangerous. Relishing in her sexuality without even being consciously aware of that fact. One, however, he was totally aware of.

  He tipped up his beer and allowed his brew to slide down his throat. Tonight was busier than normal but they’d had a ship come in this afternoon and that brought a lot more patrons. And while he was happy for the business, he wanted to be able to see Ellie more.

  “What’s up with you, Bennett?”

  He glanced at an old teammate who sank his lanky body beside him, beer in hand, and shot him a wide ass grin.

  “Drummer. How the fuck are you? When’d you get in?”

  “Just today, came in on the carrier.”

  They shook hands.

  “Damn good to see you again. Where are you staying?”

  He caught a glimpse of Ellie as she laughed and joked with two tall sailors. He frowned.

  “I was going to say with you but what the fuck, man?”

  Bennett cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

  “What nothing. You look like you’re sucking on lemons. Who is she?”

  “Who’s who?”

  The last thing he wanted to do was introduce Drummer to Ellie. He was the quintessential All-American man with his perfect blond hair, dazzling smile, and all that other shit that went along with the title. Call him selfish or whatever, but he didn’t want to share her.

  “That’s what you’re coming with? Either you tell or I’ll go find out.”

  No idle threat coming from Drummer. The fucker was eternally nosy. Always asking why. He was a damn good SEAL, just curious as all get out.

  He grunted. “Fine. Let me break it down for you. The bartender—”

  “Oh yeah, noticed her right away when I walked in. Hot number. Wouldn’t mind having a few rounds with that.”

  He narrowed his eyes, clenching the bottleneck of his be
er. “Is mine,” he growled.

  Drummer gave a low whistle while rocking back on two chair legs. “So that’s how it is.”

  “Precisely.”

  “How long has this been a thing?”

  Quite possibly longer in his mind than hers. “Long enough.” God, he sounded like a right prick.

  Drummer sent him an easy grin, not at all perturbed by the not so subtle threat coming from Bennett. He pushed a hand through his blond hair and rocked forward once more, chair legs landing with a thump.

  “Because I’m off the ship and I have a beer, I’ll let it go. For now. Catch me up with you.”

  Grateful for the reprieve, he did just that and it was wonderful catching up with his old friend. Bennett had kind of isolated himself once he’d come back from serving his country. He waved goodbye as Drummer walked away with his arm slung around a woman he’d picked up for a night of—well, he didn’t want to think about that.

  “You looked like you were having fun.”

  He stared at the waitress who was going by with dirty glasses and empties. Rachel was her name.

  “I was.” He gave a short nod and handed her his bottle.

  “Another?”

  He flicked a glance over to the bar where Ellie stood. His heart thudded in his throat. She had her head back as she laughed with the group around her. Bennett craved her in a way that beyond scared him. As a man who’d faced a shit ton of fucked up situations without blinking or hesitation, this freaked him out past any belief he could have thought anything could or would.

  The room closed in around him and his instincts screamed for him to evacuate. He listened.

  “No.”

  “Holler if you need anything else.” She gave him a look as she dragged her tongue along her lower lip. “And I do mean anything.”

  “Right.”

  On his feet, he wove through the tables until he hit the door. After which he continued on until he was streets away. Avoiding the pedestrians, he got to a small café with outdoor seating. He claimed one for himself.

  “What can I get you?”

  He struggled to push past the pounding of bass drums in his ears to focus on the woman standing before him. Bennett pinched the bridge of his nose and longed for his board and the quiet lap of the waves against as he sat surrounded by water.