by Wood, Vivian
Twenty minutes later, the bar is restocked, clean, and most importantly, empty.
“Finally!” Cate says, pulling her apron over her head. She finds a seat at the bar, kicking her shoes off. “My feet are killing me.”
I glance up at her, counting the last till. “We made a lot of money, though.” I finish sorting the tip money, then pull out two glasses. I pour two fingers of whiskey in each. “Here. Shift drink.”
Cate shrugs and takes the tumbler. As I come around the bar to sit beside her, she glances at me. “You’re awfully cool and collected after all of that.”
I smile, raising my glass. She clinks hers against mine and I take a sip, the amber liquid burns exactly the way it should on its way down. I make a satisfied sound, smacking my lips.
“Mmm. Tonight was busy, yes. But this is far from my first insane night at work. Besides…” I turn, pulling a little pile of money across the bar and pushing it over to her. “I did already say that we killed it, right?”
Cate’s eyes go wide. “This is mine?”
“Every cent.” I take another sip of whiskey. “The bartenders usually tip out the bar backs, in addition to whatever they make hourly. And in this case, whatever you made in tips as a waitress.”
“Whoa.” Cate puts the cash away in her order pad, then takes a big gulp of whiskey. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
My eyes sparkle a little. “Well, you are my wife. I guess if I’m going to roll the dice with anyone—“
Cate leans forward, stopping me by putting a hand on my chest and pressing her mouth to mine. I’m a little surprised at first. But she tastes sweet and spicy, the whiskey on her lips like warmed honey.
I ease forward, sliding my arm around her waist. She opens her mouth under my explorations, her free hand coming up to bury itself in my hair.
God, how does she taste so damn good? How does her tongue against mine feel so fucking erotic?
Growling a little bit, needing more from her, I pull her closer. And she seems more than ready to give in to my demands, her breath hitching when I cup her tits through the thin dress she’s wearing. She blows out the breath she is holding in a low moan, letting me know that I have her full attention.
Well, that and the fact that I can feel her nipples harden under my fingers. My whole body tightens, my cock hardening.
I’m going to fuck Cate, right here at the bar. That knowledge slides through me, a hot knife twisting in my gut.
I pull away, just to suggest we move to a more private place. My office, right the fuck in the middle of my desk, for instance.
Then I hear the creak of the front door.
“Hello?”
I freeze. “Chloe?”
Chloe peeks her little blonde pixie head out of the back. She’s as gorgeous as she ever was and she’s beaming at the sight of me. “Hey! I was hoping you would be here!”
I feel Cate withdraw a little, clearing her throat and patting her hair. She’s still breathless; hell, I am too.
But then Chloe runs over to hug me, wearing a ridiculous combination of a sparkly barely-there skirt and an oversized gray sweater. “Hey! How are things?”
She hugs me for a second too long, then turns to Cate. “I’m sorry, I’m Chloe. I worked here for the first two years it was open.”
Cate clears her throat again. “Hey. I’m Cate.”
No explanation. No territorial behavior. If Madisyn were in her shoes, she would’ve oozed all over me physically and made a big deal out of the fact that we were married.
Technically married, but married nonetheless.
And Madisyn would also somehow know that Chloe and I were almost an item… that is, until she got a great job offer in Portland.
Chloe grins at both of us. “Amazing. Well, I’m in town for the next few days and I just wanted to stop by—”
“Chloe!” Owen barks, appearing from the back.
Her eyes light up. “Owen! Ah!”
She runs over and hugs him. Something sour stirs in my belly, though I’m careful to smother it.
“It’s so great to see you!” Owen says. “I want to hear about the new bar you opened up down in Stumptown.”
I look at my watch. It’s after one. “Hey, why don’t we take this somewhere else? The cleaning crew should be here any minute…”
“How about your place?” Owen says. “It’s the closest place that doesn’t have a last call.”
I see Cate make a face, but I shrug. “Okay, sure. If Chloe will come, that is…”
“I’d follow you two anywhere,” Chloe says with a wink.
And just like that, Chloe, Owen, Cate and I are headed to my house.
Chapter Seventeen
Cate
We get to Luca’s house a few minutes ahead of Owen and the bubbly, beautiful Chloe. The ride home has been mostly a silent one, with Luca glancing at me every few minutes and then sighing.
My stomach twists every single time he does. I saw the way that Luca and Chloe looked at each other. If by some miracle they never slept together, I wouldn’t bet on things staying that way.
And yeah, maybe Chloe also made eyes at Owen… but my guts aren’t tied up in knots over how she acted. I’m only worried about him.
See? This is why I’ve been alone since my parents died. I just don’t have the sheer amount of time that feeling angsty takes up in my life.
As we get out of his Porsche, he tries to explain.
“You know, Chloe is just a friend.” He pulls out his keys and unlocks the front door.
I shake my head. “Okay.”
“Really, Cate. There was a time where maybe she could have been more… but she moved away. Madisyn came after her.”
“Okay.” I bite off the word, sighing. “I think I’m just going to go to bed.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be a party foul. Stay downstairs. Have a drink with us.” He throws his coat down onto the back of a couch.
I cross my arms, feeling like a little girl. “Have you thought about how you are going to explain my presence to her?”
His surprised expression tells me that he hasn’t. “Uh… no. I wasn’t planning on explaining anything to her unless she asks, I guess.”
I run my tongue over my teeth. “Owen is in the car with her right now, alone. Who knows what little facts she’ll be filled in on by the time they get here.”
Luca shrugs. “So what?” He pats the sofa. “Come here. Take off your coat. Sit down. I’ll make us a round of drinks.”
Wrinkling my nose, I soften to his suggestion. If he’d been weird about Chloe finding out that I’m his wife, I probably would have stormed off. But he was totally chill, so I feel stupid not accepting his offer.
“Okay,” I say at last. “But can you please make me something fruity? Enough straight whiskey. That stuff is so harsh.”
Luca grins, already heading for the kitchen. “Your wish is my command, princess. I’ll be right back.”
That word, princess… it raises the fine hairs on the back of my neck. Luca is gone too fast to say anything back, but I can see him still through a large cutout in the kitchen wall.
He bounces around, in a good mood despite having worked for a solid eight hours, on his feet the entire time no less. I scowl.
What does he have to be in a good mood about?
The front door opens behind me. I turn to see Chloe and Owen letting themselves in.
“Hiiii,” Chloe says. She holds up a bottle of amber liquid. “Look what we brought…”
They come into where I am in the living room, shedding their coats. Chloe sits opposite me in a chair, winking at me.
“Let’s make the men get us drinks,” she stage whispers, giggling.
“I just need some glasses,” Owen says, plucking the bottle from Chloe’s grasp. “Where’s Luca?”
I incline my head toward the kitchen. “Getting drinks.”
Owen frowns. “I should help him.”
He heads to the kitchen, leaving me and Chl
oe alone. She smiles at me, clearing her throat. “So… you and Luca, huh?”
I turn redder than a beet. “Oh no. Luca and I… that is, we aren’t like… romantic or anything…”
Chloe’s perfect brows rise. “Is that right?”
Scrubbing my suddenly damp palms across the bottom of my dress, I nod. “Yup. We are like… totally, completely just friends.”
She makes a face. “That’s not what Owen says.”
“Well, Owen is wrong,” I declare. Meanwhile, I wish that I could crawl under this couch and die. Then I decide to finish with, “Luca’s a total jerk! Ew, who would want to kiss him?”
As soon as I say it, I become aware that Luca is approaching with a tray of drinks. I catch his eye and he scowls but he doesn’t say anything.
“Here, the first round is something fruity,” he says, handing me a glass. “Cate requested it.”
Chloe accepts her glass, looking at me oddly. “Well, if Cate requested it…”
My cheeks burn. I sip my drink, which is pink and frothy and honestly tastes exactly like a pink starburst.
“Mmm,” I say, almost involuntarily.
Owen takes a big gulp, then winces. “Oh man, this is so sweet. I’m definitely going to regret drinking this tomorrow.”
He sinks onto the couch beside me, forcing Luca to choose a chair at the end of the couch.
“Well, I like it,” Chloe says diplomatically. “It reminds me of summer in a glass.”
Luca pulls his chair closer before he sits down. “Thanks. It’s an older Trader Vic’s recipe so you know it’s actually really fucking strong.”
Owen nods, taking another gulp. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
“So…” Chloe sits forward in her seat. “God, tell me everything that I’ve missed in the last… what, almost three years? I can’t actually believe any time has passed at all.”
I sip my drink, watching a tense look between Luca and Owen.
“I got my pilot’s license,” Owen says.
“Yeah. And I was engaged and then dumped pretty spectacularly.”
Chloe hesitates, looking puzzled. “Owen said you and Cate are married, Luca.”
I flush again. For several seconds, I’m waiting for Luca to try to worm out of our arrangement. But he surprises me.
“Owen is totally right,” he nods, setting his drink on the floor. “You know what this party needs? Some music.”
Owen rolls his eyes and looks at me. “That’s his nervous tic.”
“I heard that!” Luca declares, walking over to a long mahogany sideboard. He opens it, revealing a very nice record player. He just starts the record that is already on the table, dropping the needle.
Rock music starts playing. Luca turns, looking pleased. “That’s better,” he says.
Chloe looks at me, biting her lower lip. “Cate, tell me about yourself.”
My cheeks color and I sip my drink. I’m starting to feel the effects now, a warm pleasant buzz. “What is there to tell?” I shrug. “I was raised here. I went to college with Luna at Marymount University…”
“Ah! So you know Luna, then?”
“Yep. We’ve been friends for years. Like since middle school.”
Chloe looks between me and Luca, pursing her lips. “And how did you two end up getting hitched, exactly?”
“Booze,” Luca says.
I shoot him a look, smoothing my skirt out. “We were drunk. I actually don’t remember anything from the night that it happened.”
Luca tips his glass all the way back, finishing his drink. “Yeah, all we have are the photos.”
I look at him, canting my head to the side. “What photos?”
“Our wedding photos. Apparently I thought it was a good idea to have them sent here.”
Owen and Chloe stare at him. I frown. “Do you want to share with the rest of the class, Luca?”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure. They’re in the kitchen.” He looks at his empty glass. “Does anybody else want another glass of anything?”
“Go get the pictures!” Chloe says, growing aggravated. “And bring back whiskey.”
Luca heads to the kitchen with a sigh. I’m still trying. to wrap my head around the fact that there are pictures of an event that I thought was lost forever in the recesses of my drunken mind.
When Luca comes back, he’s juggling a large white envelope with four glasses of whiskey, the bottle tucked under his arm. I jump up and grab the photos from him, my brow hunching as I slide out a thick sheaf of glossy sheets of paper.
Chloe and Owen get up, crowding in as I page through the pictures. There is one of Luca and I making out. In the next one, we gaze into each other’s eyes, our faces flushed with alcohol and excitement. Then there are a dozen more of Luca and I posing together, most of them taken when we were kissing each other.
A vague memory surfaces of having fun and kissing someone… but that’s it. I definitely don’t remember staring deep into Luca’s eyes and saying I do.
Luca speaks up. “I don’t remember ever being that happy.” He has set the glasses of whiskey down on the floor.
“Me neither,” I agree, looking up from the pictures.
“You two are like… super cute in these photos,” Chloe says, taking them from my hands.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen you look that way at anyone, ever,” Owen says.
I roll my eyes. “We were drunk. So drunk that we don’t remember any of it. I probably would have gazed at a freaking can of soup like that, given the chance.”
“Mmm,” Luca says, sipping his whiskey. “I am tired of this topic. Let’s talk about something different that won’t lull me to sleep.”
Chloe looks at me. “You should frame this photo. You guys both look amazing in it.”
She pulls out the photo of Luca and I kissing and looking happy, wriggling her brows. I can’t help but smile as I take it from her. It’s hard not to like her a little bit, especially because she seems to have backed off of Luca entirely despite my protests.
“Thanks.” I bite my lip. “Maybe I will.”
Luca sighs, aggrieved.
“Chloe, tell us about the bar you opened,” he says, his voice loud. “We all want to hear about it.”
Chloe rolls her eyes and hands me the rest of the pictures, then flops on the couch. “Okay, Luca. So when I moved to Portland—”
I sit back on the couch, rifling through the photos once more while Chloe tells her story. I’m not really listening, I’ll admit.
I am more interested in the photos. Proof that Luca and I got married intentionally for some reason.
Looking up at Luca as he talks to Chloe and Owen, finishing the rest of my drink, I have to wonder…
Did I really just agree to marry him based on his looks? Because yes, he is very very attractive. Plainly, obviously so.
Something inside me says that I wouldn’t have done that. Then again, who knows?
Maybe he kissed me. That could be it, honestly.
I mean, he is a really good kisser. Earlier, when he pulled me closer and growled, I honestly thought I was done for. I was convinced that we were going to have sex, right there in the bar.
Luca looks up, catching me appraising him. His lips lift in a smirk. He adjusts in his chair, staring at me directly, his gaze burning right through me. It’s like he’s suggesting something indecent, but he hasn’t said a word.
His gaze drops to my lips, then lower to my breasts. I can almost feel the scorching path of his touch on the column of my neck, on my collarbone, on my suddenly-sensitive breasts. He bites his lower lip, meeting my eyes again.
I swear, my nipples pebble with excitement. How does he do that?
Owen stands up, stretching. “I think we should go, Chloe.” He pauses. “Actually, I think we should get an Uber. I’ve had too much to drive safely.”
Chloe rises, eyeing me with a secretive smile. “Yeah, I agree. We should leave these two to… you know.”
I blush and bite my lip. “Are you guys sure? I mean, we have a ton of rooms here…”
Luca stands up. “I’ll get your Uber, guys.”
If Owen and Chloe leave, that will just leave me and Luca to… do whatever. That is such a bad idea. Frowning at Luca, I try again. “Seriously, these beds are here. And they’re awesome…”
“Get out,” Luca says, talking over me. “Have a good night. Your Uber will be here in less than a minute.”
Chloe grins. “It was nice to meet you, Cate. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon—”
Owen starts pushing her toward the front door. “Goodnight, guys.”
My heart beats faster. I call out to them. “Goodnight!”
Then they’re out the door. I bite my lip, looking at Luca a little helplessly. He prowls over to me, bending down to whisper in my ear.
“There is only one way to settle this tension building between us.” He nips at my earlobe, biting it hard for the barest second. “Come to my bedroom.”
I swallow and shiver, the sensation sliding down to my breasts and the vee between my legs. “What for?”
Luca rolls his eyes. “Don’t act like you don’t want me to fuck you. You do.”
His lips are by my ear. I can’t decide whether I want to turn my head and kiss his lips or slap his mouth for the way he’s talking to me. He kisses my neck ever so slowly, turning my knees to jelly.
He moves around to my front, scooping me up without another word. I make a soft sound of protest, but he just heads upstairs to his bedroom. I won’t lie, the feel of his hot mouth on my neck and my collarbone makes me want more.
More kisses, yes. But also more of him.
I want to see what he looks like naked.
I want to explore his body and let him touch mine.
That’s what I’m thinking while he carries me to his bedroom. Once he gets there, he tosses me on the bed.
“Get fucking naked,” he growls. “Now.”
Shaking, I start to lift my dress over my head. I’m nervous, goosebumps breaking out over my whole body. My breathing is already too fast, my heart beating in my throat.
Luca strips his shirt off over his head, not breaking eye contact with me the entire time. I swallow. As I slip off my bra and panties, my eyes widen when Luca shoves his jeans down his hips and kicks them aside.