“Sure thing. I’m gonna go to lunch, be back in thirty.”
“Okay.” I nod once and walk into the bathroom.
At this rate, we’ll have this place ready for her in two weeks.
I step back and look at the bathroom, pleased with all the work I did today. The vanity is out of the way and added to the pile of crap in the living room. I’ll have to go over the plans before we start tomorrow, but at least the bulkier things are out of the way. All that’s left is the bathtub and toilet in the bathroom. I’ll need my plumber to come by before I remove that.
The sun is setting, and I’m guessing most of the guys have gone home for the day. Leaving my tools where they are, I walk back to the main house and sweep through to see what was worked on today.
Having the kitchen ceiling fixed gives us the opportunity to continue working on the upstairs. I want to make sure we stay on schedule for this project, and I hand it over to Averly exactly how she envisioned it. No room for error. Well, any more errors.
“All good?” I ask Tim, finding him in one of the bedrooms upstairs.
“Yeah, despite the setback, we’re actually ahead of schedule.” He looks at his notes on a clipboard.
“That’s what I want to hear. You chose the two guys to work with me tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I already spoke to Mack and John.”
“Great, thanks. Do you know if the plans for the guest house are here or in the office?”
“I think they’re in the office since we weren’t starting on it right away.”
“Thanks, buddy. Go home. You’re working more than me, and I can’t let the guys see you competing with the boss,” I joke.
“No one can work more than you if they tried,” Tim laughs.
“You’re up there. Go home to Nicole,” I push him out the door, grabbing my keys to walk out with him.
Before heading home, I stop by the office to pick up the plans I drew up with the interior designer. I want to make sure we follow through exactly as we talked about.
Averly
I hear giggling around me, but all I see is darkness as I reach a hand out to feel for the wall in front of me.
“So close!” Poppy calls out, hiccuping as she laughs. That sounds like she’s mocking me instead of helping.
I press the paper penis in my hand against the wall and lift the scarf that’s covering my eyes.
Everyone bursts out laughing. The paper penis is very close to the mouth of the man cutout.
“Not even close,” Ainsley laughs.
I turn to face her. “I’m not going to be able to look Knox in the eye for a long time after this.” I giggle and plop on the couch next to Poppy.
Ainsley and Knox get married next weekend, and Lia, Axel’s fiancé, who will also be Ainsley’s sister-in-law, planned a bachelorette party. When I met with Ainsley earlier this week to talk about working with her to get a marketing plan in order for the bed and breakfast, she invited me. After some begging, I agreed if she was sure I wasn’t going to put her out.
Although I’ve spent time with Ainsley, I wouldn’t call us close friends yet, and I didn’t want to impose on her night out. She assured me it was just a girls’ night with Lia and Poppy.
“Too bad, because we’re going to see him in a few,” Lia prances out of the kitchen and into the living room of her house.
I look at the wall where an illustration of a very muscular body hangs, and random dicks are taped around as we play Pin the Cock on Knox. Not the original name as this was Lia’s creation. She printed a picture of Knox’s face and taped it on the body, changing the name of the game.
“More punch?” Lia hands me a cup.
“Yes,” I sigh. “This is so good. What did you put in it?” My head feels light, and I smile.
“You don’t want to know,” she shakes her head.
“I’m drinkin’ it anyway,” I announce. The fruity and sour combination is so good as I tip the cup back.
Ainsley cheers and whistles, the white veil with the plastic, hot pink dicks on it moving around on her head.
“We’re leaving in five,” Lia announces.
“Where?” I hiccup, and Poppy and I giggle.
I lean into Poppy’s shoulder and smile.
“To a bar. We played the games, we ate the penis cake, and now we’re hitting the town.”
“Bathroom first,” Ainsley stands. That’s a good idea. I should go, too. I’ve had a few cups of this punch, and I won’t be able to hold my bladder for much longer.
When we’re ready to go, I hook my arm with Poppy’s and walk down the porch steps to the waiting car. Fortunately, Lia’s mom agreed to take us into town, so none of us would drive the couple of miles from Lia and Axel’s house to Main Street.
As soon as we walk into Cocktails, Dreams, & Mischief, people around us start to holler and whistle. Who knew a bachelorette party would cause this much excitement in Everton?
We all laugh and shove Ainsley to the front, so she can guide us. When she sees Knox, she smiles and saunters over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. Everyone in the bar erupts into cheers. Poppy, Lia, and I grab our penis whistles and begin blowing into them.
I laugh, looking around the bar, but stiffen when I see Eli. After yesterday’s outburst, I hoped I wouldn’t have to face him all weekend. Of course, he’d be here tonight. He’s Knox’s best friend.
I take a deep breath as we approach the guys and smile. Eli gives me a curt hello, but I can’t expect anything more from him.
“Drinks,” Lia calls out. “We can’t let our buzz go to waste.”
“Beer for me,” I tell her.
“Me too,” Ainsley says.
Lia glares at us. Laughing, I tell her, “You won’t even tell me what you put in that punch. I can’t risk mixing.”
“Ah, her famous punch. I’ve been hit with the effects once or twice,” Axel, Knox’s brother, laughs and pulls Lia to his side, kissing her temple. The gesture is so sweet yet natural.
I turn away, feeling as if I’m imposing on their moment, and look around the bar. It seems as if every young person from Everton is here tonight.
Poppy pulls me over, handing me a beer.
“Cheers,” she touches her glass to mine.
I take a healthy chug, rewarding me with an arched eyebrow from Poppy. I shrug her off and look around. My eyes bug out, and I grip Poppy’s arm.
“Is that Matthew Barber?” I whisper-hiss.
“Oh, yeah.” Poppy turns her head, smiling.
“You know him? How did I not know this?”
“I don’t know him, know him, but he’s friends with Knox and Harris. He’s visited a couple times, and he came for the bachelor party. He and Tinley will be at the wedding.”
“Oh my God,” my mouth drops open as I stare at the gorgeous Hollywood star. This is insane.
I’m so shocked, I barely listen in to what Lia is saying. Something about karaoke.
“Knox should go first. He’s the singer out of all of us,” Axel points at him.
“Come up with me?” He looks at Ainsley.
“Have you heard me sing?”
Harris laughs and tries to cover it up with a cough when Ainsley glares at him.
“It’ll be fun. It’s not like karaoke is a singing contest. Most people aren’t any good,” Knox tells her. “Come on.” He tilts his head toward the stage.
“You’re good,” she mumbles, but walks with him, hand in hand.
“This should be fun,” Harris rubs his hands together.
“You’re next,” Lia points at him with her beer bottle.
“Oh, yeah,” Poppy exclaims.
Harris narrows his eyes at her, but she laughs it off. “Then, you’re coming with me.”
“Okay,” she shrugs. Poppy has always loved the fun in things like this.
I, on the other hand, do not, so I lean against the bar and drink my beer as quietly as possible, so no one suggests I stand on that stage and sing.
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“It ain’t gonna work,” Eli whispers next to me.
“What?” I keep facing forward, so I won’t have to see his good looks.
“Hiding. Lia will make sure all of us have a chance of getting up on that stage.”
“Hell no,” I shake my head, looking at him with wide eyes. “I refuse to.”
Eli chuckles. “We’ll see about that.” His eyes flicker to my top, and his eyebrows quirk. “Feisty and Frisky,” he reads from the black and hot pink sticker.
I take a deep breath and shrug, but my cheeks heat, and I’m grateful for the dim lighting. “All in bachelorette fun.”
“We started working on the guest house today,” Eli offers.
I tilt my head toward him. “Eli, can we not talk about work tonight?”
“Oh, sure,” he nods, taking a swig of beer.
Thankfully, Knox and Ainsley get on stage, so Eli and I wouldn’t be faced with more awkward conversations.
“Woooo,” Lia cheers, clapping loudly.
“For the record, Ainsley chose the song, and I can’t argue with the missus,” Knox speaks before the opening beats of “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain starts playing.
We all laugh and cheer them on as Ainsley dances against Knox, the punch influence evident. Knox sings on key, making up for Ainsley’s singing, and he grabs her hand, spinning her around. I smile as I watch them, admiring their connection.
As the song ends, Knox changes the final verse, singing, “I love my woman,” before wrapping Ainsley in a hug and kissing her.
The women in the bar aww, and the guys whistle. We all erupt into applause as they bow and step off the stage.
“Who’s next?” the man managing the karaoke asks into the microphone, looking out at the crowd.
“We still have people, Bill,” Lia calls out, her plan for karaoke to be available tonight clear as day.
“Well, send someone over,” Bill says, eyeing our group.
Lia shoves me forward. “Your turn.”
“No! No way. You said Harris was next,” I shake my head. “Had I known you’d force me to sing, I would’ve gone home sick.”
“Be a sport, Averly,” Lia smirks.
“Yeah, be a sport,” Eli repeats, which was his mistake.
“Ha, you go up with her.” Lia pushes us both by the shoulders.
“What? No, Lia, come on.” Eli gives her his best smile, but she doesn’t even bat an eyelash at his charm.
“That’s what you get for being a smart-ass,” Lia shrugs.
The entire bar starts cheering Eli and me on as they notice our hesitation. “I’m going to kill you,” he grumbles.
“You’re the one with the big mouth. Suits you for making fun of me.” I walk up the steps, grabbing the microphone that Bill hands me.
“What’s your choice?” Bill asks.
“Anything ya want, Bill,” Eli tells him, then turns to look at me.
I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath, ignoring the eyes on me. Being on a stage has never been my favorite. I grip the microphone, wondering if I can whisper the song instead of belting it out.
It takes me a few seconds to recognize the song, but once I do, I turn around and glare at this Bill guy. He smiles and gives me a thumb’s up.
The lyrics to “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt appear on the small screen. I turn to the screen and begin reading the words, barely loud enough to be heard. I look at Eli with wide eyes, urging him to sing with me. He chuckles and shakes his head.
Asshat.
“Louder,” someone calls from the bar.
I focus on the words and nothing else, singing totally off-key and I cringe. Eli steps next to me, finally joining on the chorus. He finally gets into it, dancing as he sings. When he holds a hand out toward me, so I will dance as well, the crowd hollers.
I shake my head, still singing, but the calls grow louder. I roll my eyes and begin dancing as I sing. Eli surprises me when he takes my hand, spinning me around. He chuckles at my deer-in-headlights expression and twirls me again. My voice hitches as I try to move and sing at the same time, but no one seems to mind.
Instead, people cheer more and more as Eli and I find some kind of rhythm. When Eli pulls me in and presses me to him, his hand on my lower back as he sways his hips against mine, my breath catches, and I stare into his eyes. Suddenly, the meaning of the song weighs heavily between us.
My body trembles as fire blazes through my veins. While listening to the song, every cell is drumming to a heavy beat as the scenes in my mind are played out like a never-ending fantasy. Eli being the male lead in said fantasies.
Eli releases me and steps back, finishing the song while I’m stunned into silence. He lifts his brows, and I breathe out the last verse with him. Despite the distance between us, our eyes remain locked as something shifts between us. Bill thanks us and asks for the microphones when he realizes neither one has moved on the stage. The sound of clapping is distant. I shiver under his hazel gaze and look away, my body reacting to Eli and the memory of our kiss.
I bolt off the stage to the bar and order a vodka tonic, Eli’s heavy steps behind me.
“Whoa,” Poppy leans into my ear and whispers.
“We shall not speak of this right now,” I murmur and thank the bartender before the cool vodka hits my lips.
“He’s totally into you,” Poppy adds.
I turn and glare at her. “Not now,” I say through clenched teeth.
“So brunch tomorrow?” She smiles.
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’m gonna end up owing Ainsley ten bucks,” Poppy says under her breath, but I’m too caught up in Eli to question her.
Thankfully, no one else comments on my performance with Eli. Lia goes on stage with Axel to sing their song, and it seems like ‘couples’ are tonight’s theme.
“Slow down,” Eli murmurs in my ear when I chug my drink.
I turn to look at him, and his lips tilt up. He grabs my glass and takes a sip.
“Hey, that’s my drink.” I try to reach for it, but he wraps his hand around my wrist and tugs me enough that I stumble into his chest.
“I’ll buy you a new one.” His lips are inches from mine. My chest rises and falls as I look at him. Before I can turn to see if anyone is watching, he leans into my ear. “Everyone’s busy, relax.”
My sigh brings me closer to him. Eli holds the drink in front of me, angling the thin straw to my lips. I suck, keeping my gaze on his. His eyes darken as they flicker from my lips to my eyes.
“Fuck,” he says under his breath.
I lift a brow, releasing the straw from between my lips. Eli and I stare at each other, the noise around us fading away.
“Do you wanna get outta here?” Eli’s husky voice washes down my spine.
I’m barely done nodding before he grabs my hand and leads me out of the bar.
Eli
As soon as Averly gave me the green light, I couldn’t get her out of the bar and to my house fast enough. The ride home has been quiet, tense anticipation for what’s about to happen.
I park my car and rush around to her side, but Averly’s already out of the truck before I make it to her door. I lean in, pinning her to the cold metal of the car door, and kiss her. She groans, inviting me to deepen it, and I push my tongue between her lips, finding her tongue.
When the tip of her tongue slides against mine, my dick springs in my jeans. This woman will be my undoing. Months of watching her, working near her, wanting her, have built up to this moment, and I plan to fuck her until she’s forgotten about everyone else who came before me.
My hands cup her ass and bring her into me. “As much as I’m enjoying this, I don’t want anyone to bear witness to what we’re about to do,” I growl.
Averly looks around. “It’s dark as hell out here, and your neighbor is like a mile away.” Her eyebrows furrow in the cutest way. I run my thumb over them and drop a kiss on her swollen lips.
“You
have no idea how much I want you,” I whisper.
One side of her lips tilt in what has to be the sexiest smile, and her hand moves between us, landing on my cock. It twitches under her touch, my jeans not hiding the effect she has on me.
“Show me,” Averly challenges with a gentle squeeze, and my lips are back on hers, claiming her, possessing her, making her moan.
“Is this the alcohol talking?” I lean my head away from her and look into her eyes. The last thing I need is for her to wake up tomorrow in one of her moods and blame me for this.
“No.”
“I’m going to need that in writing,” I tease.
“You’re ruining this,” she deadpans.
“Nah, I’m about to make it much better,” I promise.
I move into her again, giving her one last, passionate kiss, taking her bottom lip between my teeth and tugging before I take a step back. Averly moans and her eyes remain closed even after I’ve moved away from her.
When she blinks her eyes open, she stares at me with fire burning in her brown orbs. “Goodness, you’re a better kisser than I remembered.”
“Let’s go.” I grab her hand, leading her up to my house. If she’s remembering the kiss from last week, she’s going to remember the pleasure I’m about to give her for months to come. I’ll make damn sure of it.
I close the door behind us and bring my body to Averly’s, trapping her between the door and me. I kiss her slowly, stroking my tongue with hers. Her hands grip my arms as she kisses me back with as much fervor. My fingers tangle in her hair, angling her head back as my lips move down her jaw to her exposed neck.
Averly groans when I scrape my teeth against her skin before leaving an open-mouth kiss.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” I say against the base of her throat, where her heart is furiously beating.
“No,” she whispers.
I stand to my full length and look into her eyes. “You are. Absolutely gorgeous.” I hold the side of her face and kiss her lips.
“I thought you hated me,” Averly states.
“Nah, you’re stubborn as hell and drive me crazy,” I push my hips into hers.
Make You Mine Page 7
