by Cora Bell
The guy at the end of the bar smiled at me as I poured him a drink, making me blush. I smiled back. A little light flirting worked well for tips also.
When something touched my back, my breath yanked in as I jerked away. The glass at the edge of the bar fell off and shattered at my feet.
“I’m so—” My apology froze on my tongue when I spotted Ransom. Then, I couldn’t seem to stop apologizing. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” I bent down to clean up the glass.
“Sky, wait—”
But I was too busy trying to get up the glass, and in my haste, one piece sliced into my palm and made me hiss in pain.
Ransom gripped my arm and hauled me off the floor. “Sky—shit. That’s blood. Liam,” he snapped. “Please clean this up. Use a dustpan. And Russell—”
He continued to whip out orders, making me blink. All my assurances were lost in the noise.
But when Ransom finally turned back to me, his face softened. “Come on. Let’s get this cleaned up.”
“I’m fine. I just—”
“You’re hurt.” Ransom’s tone was solemn. His fingers wrapped firmly around my elbow so he could steer me out from behind the bar. “I’m fixing this—right now.”
I blinked again at the seriousness in his tone. Fixing this? It sounded like he was on a mission he couldn’t be deterred from. Oh, shit. Maybe he was talking about what happened this morning, too.
He guided me down the hallway, and I kept my mouth shut. The less I said, the better.
Instead of going to the employee’s room, he opened the door to the manager’s office. I stopped, surprised, just inside the door. It smelled like him in here. Like a soft, worn flannel. Like a strong man who wanted to protect what he cared about. It made me want to break down and tell him everything.
“Sit,” Ransom commanded.
I dropped into the chair at the desk, cradling my injured hand in the other. It throbbed to the beat of my heart, but I could barely feel the pain. Watching Ransom took all that away.
Ransom reached into a closet, his voice coming out muffled. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t. I mean, you—” I broke off and stared at my hand, trying not to babble. “I wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry.”
He angled back with a first aid kit in hand. His jaw was set—almost angry. “I wish you’d stop doing that.”
My eyes widened. “St—stop doing what?”
“Apologizing. It was an accident.”
I opened my mouth to apologize again, then snapped it closed when I saw a flash of fire in his eyes. Shit. Now I’d really made him mad.
Ransom’s jaw shifted.
“I’m not upset with you—and don’t you dare think I’m going to fire you again. But,” he said, stepping closer and lowering his voice. “We are going to get this settled.”
My mind blanked for a long moment. Settled? Then I looked down. “Oh. You mean my hand.”
To my surprise, he knelt next to me and took my hand. He unwrapped the towel he’d put around it and yanked in a sharp breath. “Fuck, Sky. This looks bad.” He looked up and his eyes locked on mine. I fought back a shiver when his fingers brushed the uninjured skin on my palm. “We’ll see if you need stitches and then…”
My breath caught. His face was close enough for me to feel his breath on my cheek. “And then?”
“Then you’re going to tell me the truth.”
6
It ripped a hole straight through my chest when I saw the look of fear in Sky’s eyes. That was the last bit of confirmation I needed to know something serious was going on—and she was terrified.
I was gentle as I wiped away the blood, then held the bandage there to encourage the bleeding to stop.
“Do I need stitches?” she asked softly, her breath featherlight against my cheek.
My cock went hard as stone. I closed my eyes briefly, willing my dick—and the rest of me—to cooperate. “No,” I finally told her in a rough voice. Then I gave her a short smile. “I think you’ll survive.”
Her eyes dropped to my hand, still wrapped firmly around hers. At that moment, calm settled over me. I was right where I wanted to be, with Sky next to me, letting me take care of her.
But there was still something she was keeping from me—something I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t fully help her if she wouldn’t confide in me.
I lifted my gaze to hers. “You can tell me.”
Her shoulders tensed immediately. She knew exactly what I was talking about. “It’s not…”
I waited. I had time. We were busy but we were fully staffed.
Sky blew out a quiet breath. “I know I’ve been jumpy. It’s…my family. We’ve been having some trouble.”
Family trouble? Not exactly what I expected, but it was a start. A thousand questions went through my mind, but I was patient. I let the silence stretch on too long before realizing she wasn’t going to say anything else.
My gaze darted to her mouth. Her lip was already healing. “What about your lip?”
She automatically licked it, and I practically died right there. My dick throbbed. It was all I could do to stay there and not snag her into my arms. I wanted to press a kiss to the wound on her lips and then run my mouth down her neck. And lower.
“Did someone do that to you?” I prompted.
She nodded.
“Fuck. Sky—” I bite back the rest of the things I wanted to say so I wouldn’t scare her off.
“I’m so—”
“Goddammit, don’t you dare apologize,” I growled. When her eyes widened, I squeezed her hand. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. It’s whoever did this to you.” My jaw clenched. “Is that why you stayed here last night?”
Her gaze dropped. “Yes. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Damn right. You can’t sleep here—and don’t make that face. It isn’t because I don’t want you here. It’s because you need to be somewhere safe.”
And clearly, going home wasn’t an option.
Sky shifted and pulled her hand from mine. “I think the bleeding stopped. I just need—”
“Let me,” I said, brushing her hand aside.
It was the least I could do. Sky didn’t make a single noise as I put on antiseptic, even though I knew it was probably stinging like hell. Just another glimpse into her personality and how strong she was.
No wonder she wouldn’t talk to me. She most likely thought her burdens were her own to bear.
“We’ll need to check the bandage again later,” I told her. “Or you could clock out and—”
She tensed, looking like she was about to bolt.
“You don’t have to go home,” I assured her.
Her mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. She was probably wondering where the hell she was supposed to go. The vulnerable look in her eyes was ripping me apart.
I slowly reached out and set my hand on her knee. Her skin was like fire through her jeans, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my cock. “I’d feel better if you stayed here. Or went home with Liam. Anywhere safe.”
Dammit, she could even come to my place. But saying that right now really would be overstepping my bounds.
To my surprise, she just put her hands over her face and said in a muffled voice, “I’m just so fucking tired.”
“Sky…”
The need to fix this all for her was too powerful. I snapped. I Sky up on my knees and reached for her. Her hands moved from her face and she gasped as my arms came around her. She was frozen for a long moment, then she gave in and her head dropped to my shoulder. Her soft sigh was a direct line to my dick, making it jerk in response.
Her hands curled into my shirt, holding tight and enhancing the pleasure. Fuck me. How in the world had I managed to stay away so long?
When the heat of her breath touched my neck, I leaned back to see her face. The electric pull of her blue eyes.
Her lips parted in a silent invitation—one I had
to take. I couldn’t help myself. I swooped in, my mouth capturing hers, and slid my hand to the back of her neck.
She whimpered softly.
I jerked back. “Shit. Did I hurt your lip?”
“No.” Her eyes were cloudy with desire. “It was surprise. It—”
This time, she leaned in, mouth slamming against mine with the same need I felt.
My cock was hard as steel, straining against the zipper of my jeans and dying for release. Instead, I stayed gentle. I parted her lips with my tongue, then ran the tip inside. She moaned softly in surprise and pleasure. Fuck, she was going to kill me.
Her hands squeezed tighter on the fabric of my shirt when I brushed my fingers against her cheek. Her skin was smooth and flawless, making me picture the rest of her body and how perfect it had to be under her clothes.
“Fuck. Sky… You’re so perfect.”
Her breasts pressed against my chest, close enough I could feel her hard, perky nipples through both of our clothes. Flames shot through my body and images of her naked bloomed in my head.
Then we heard voices in the hallway. She jerked back and her eyes locked on mine. We were both breathing heavy, like two teenagers who’d been caught kissing in the back of a car.
Sky scrambled to her feet, almost tripping on my legs to get up. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, refusing to make eye contact again. “I need to get back to work. I should—”
She stopped abruptly and opened the door to the office, vanishing before I could say a word. I stayed where I was a long moment, on my knees next to the chair, longing for something I might never have.
7
I barely noticed the ache in my hand because I was still in shock. Not only had I told Ransom my secret, but he’d kissed me.
It was a good thing it was so busy—busy enough even Hale was helping out. People packed the tables, the dance floor in front of the small stage where the band performed, and the stools at the bar.
But that didn’t fully distract me from Ransom, who was helping out, too. His elbow kept brushing mine, making my body flush with longing. Flush with the secret we’d just shared and how badly I wanted more.
Liam nudged my arm. “Why are you so distracted?”
I blinked. “What?”
He arched one eyebrow. “You’re distracted. Meet me in the bathroom.”
He walked away before I could protest. Ransom’s eyes were on me, narrowed and curious.
“I have to use the restroom,” I mumbled, moving to the end of the bar. I could feel his eyes on me the entire way, searing me right through my clothes.
I found Liam in the women’s bathroom again, eyes wide. Once the door was shut, he said, “What is going on?”
After checking the stalls to make sure no one else was inside, I sagged against the door, still flushed with the memory of Ransom’s kiss.
Liam set a hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and then blurted it out. “Ransom kissed me.”
“What? When?”
“When he was helping me with my hand in his office.”
“Where did he kiss you?”
“I just told you—we were in his office.”
Liam grinned. “I mean where…” He waved a hand over his body. “Where did he kiss you?”
“Liam! We’re at work.”
“Hey—I’m not the one smooching the boss.”
I groaned and put my hands over my face. “I know. That’s why this is so bad.”
“Bad?” I peered at him through my fingers. “Why? I think it’s sexy. I told you he was into you.”
“But he’s my boss.”
“So what? Is that against the rules or something?” he asked.
Not technically. But it wasn’t good if it interfered with our jobs. If things got complicated.
“You should go for it,” Liam said. Then he grabbed my hand. “We’ve gotta get back.”
But I was still flushed and uncertain when we got back to the bar, so I grabbed a few trash bags that needed to go out and walked down the hallway to the back door.
The exit sign buzzed as I stepped out. I relished the cool air on my cheeks.
I swung one bag into the dumpster and prepared to haul in the next one when I heard a crunch behind me. I whipped around, automatically looking for mice. Or a rat. I’d seen one before further back in the parking lot.
Laughter from the patio echoed in the night air but I didn’t see or hear anything else.
I threw the other trash bag, turned, and then my breath caught.
“Well, it looks like we finally found you,” he said.
It was one of the men who’d been at my father’s house. My stomach dropped. They were the ones he owed money to, the whole reason he kept making me give him part of my paycheck. The reason it wasn’t safe to be at home in the first place.
I inched to the back door at the gleam in their eyes.
“Hey now,” the other man said. “We just want to talk.”
The other man nodded. “Right. We just want what’s owed to us.”
Fuck. Did my dad tell them I was involved in this? That I was the one who owed them the money?
“This isn’t—” I shook my head. “I’m not involved in any of this. He’s the one who owes you the money.”
“Not what he told us,” the closest man said. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. As long as someone pays us our money, we’re square.”
“I don’t—I don’t have your money,” I argued. I sure as hell wasn’t going to give them what I’d saved. That money was mine.
“Don’t make us do this the hard way,” the other man said.
I glanced at the door, then the patio, considering whether to scream or make a run for it.
Before I could decide, they rushed at me. I yanked in a breath and whipped up my hand, as much in defense as offense.
But neither of them could touch me before I heard a low, dangerous voice.
“Get the fuck away from her.”
Ransom.
My heart slammed against my chest as he materialized from the darkness by the door. He brought one of the bouncers with him and they both look deadly. The bouncer rushed one of the men and Ransom went after the other, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the dumpster.
“Get inside,” Ransom growled.
It took me a minute to realize he was talking to me.
“Inside,” he snapped.
I ran to the door, yanked it open, and darted inside. Then I slumped against the wall, my pulse racing out of control. Holy fuck. Ransom just saved my life.
8
One thing I knew for sure—those assholes were ever going anywhere near Sky again. I’d make sure of it. With our bouncer Seth out there, I made sure the police were called and then set off to find where Sky had gone to.
Outside the break room, Hale met me in the hallway.
“I sent Curtis out back too,” he said, referring to the other bouncer.
“Good.” I ran a hand over my eyes.
“It’s fine,” Hale said with a nod. “The police are coming. It’ll get taken care of.”
Adrenaline still surged through my body, but he was right. We had cameras out back to prove what had happened. I didn’t know why those guys were after Sky, but they were going to be stopped for good.
“Do what you’ve got to do,” Hale said, referring to Sky. “Take the night if you need to. We’ve got this.”
My jaw shifted. I hated leaving on such a busy night, especially when I knew the police being here was going to cause the customers to ask questions. But right now, I needed to take care of Sky.
“Thanks,” I said.
I peered into the break room. When I didn’t find her there, I walked to the bar. When I saw her behind the counter, irritation crawled through me. She was still pale as a ghost, but back to work like nothing had happened.
Fuck. She needed to take a breath, take a night. She needed to take care of herself.
At that moment, I th
rew it all away. All the hesitation I had about dating an employee, about my past and the shitty relationship I didn’t want to repeat. It was all gone. I needed Sky. I wanted to make her mine. And the first step was getting her out of here so I could make sure she was okay.
When she turned and saw me, her lips parted. I could see exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to come up with an explanation—a lie. Or worse. An apology.
I stepped behind the bar and moved to her side, lowering my voice so only she could hear it over the heavy bass of the music.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I told her.
“Are they gone?”
I nodded. “It’s handled.” Then I gripped her elbow gently. “Let’s go.”
She blinked and panic raced across her features. “Wh-what? I’m supposed to—”
“It’s covered.”
I’d made sure her shift was covered for the rest of the night. But she still looked worried. She probably thought this was it—the moment where I fired her.
I’d clear this up, but for now, I steered her to the manager’s office to get away from the noise.
Once we were inside, she looked at her shoes. “I’m sorry about…what happened. I had no idea they’d come here and—”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but it’s bad for business and—”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, taking a step closer.
“I understand you have to fire me.”
“Fire you?” I snapped. She flinched. Dammit. I swallowed hard and placed my hands on my hips, taking a minute to calm down. “I’m not firing you.”
“But—”
“None of this is your fault.” When she rubbed the corner of her eye again, I softened even further. “I thought you might want to take the rest of the night off.”
“Oh. No. No. I can’t. I need to work. I—”
“Just one night.”