Worth It

by Linda Kage

  “We’ll start with the cash register,” he said.

  He went over the basics and it seemed easy enough to follow, so I nodded my understanding. Then he pulled a couple of laminated posters out from under the bar. “Here are some cheat sheets for prices and how to mix the most popular drinks. Or you can just ask me.”

  Letters and numbers blurred in front of me, but I bobbed my head some more. I’d probably be asking him a lot tonight.

  “Dirty glasses go in this rack until they’re ready to be cleaned. When the tray’s full, they go into this sanitizing booster heater here to wash them. And...” He paused. “Hart! What the hell?” He slapped the bar top next to Asher. “We open in five. Put the goddamn laptop away and get to work already. The Taylor Swift eighties dance video can wait.”

  “Oh, I’m past Taylor.” Asher grinned as he shut the laptop. “I was watching a Nat Geo documentary on squirrels, and now I totally want a pet squirrel.”

  Noel blinked at him. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

  “What? They’re freaking geniuses. You should see how they outsmarted this homeowner who kept trying to keep them out of his birdfeeder. I mean—”

  Noel pointed. “You need to get laid. Bad.”

  Hart wiggled his eyebrows. “Let me borrow your wife for an hour, and I will.”

  With a frown, Noel opened mouth to reply, but Hart quickly added, “Or your sister.”

  A passing Ten slapped him on the back of the head. “Dream on, fucker.”

  Hart shrugged and glanced at me. He smiled briefly before clearing his throat and scratching the back of his neck. “Hey, uh, were you kept at Statesburg when you were locked up?”

  I pulled back, my stomach muscles tensing from merely hearing the word. “Yeah.”

  “F-House?” he asked, and was there a hint of hope in his voice.

  I frowned, curious how he even knew what the prison’s roundhouse was called. “Why?”

  He just kept watching me, intently. “Were you?”

  I nodded once.

  His shoulder dropped an inch. I’m not sure if it was relief or more anxiety I saw in his response. “Ever meet a Miller Hart there?”

  I knew who he was talking about immediately, so I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. The similarities in his last name and Miller’s wasn’t lost on me. “The wife killer?”

  Asher flinched, but said, “Yeah.”

  I shrugged. “We didn’t run in the same circles, but I knew who he was. He got his ass kicked a lot.”

  “Really?” Hart seemed momentarily surprised by that piece of information, but then his chest heaved and his lips quirked with amusement. “Good.”

  “Who’s Miller Hart?” Noel asked. “Any relation?”

  Asher looked him in the eye. “My dad.”

  As he moved away to help Ten take chairs down from tables, Noel frowned after him. “Did he just tell us his dad killed his mom?”

  I shrugged. “Sounded like it.”

  “Well, fuck. That was news to me.”

  “What was?” Pick asked, glancing up from his phone.

  Noel shared a glance with me as if asking if he should share Asher’s little bomb of information, but then he murmured, “Nothing.”

  “Mmm.” Distracted, Pick went back to typing something on his phone. After he pressed it to his ear, he muttered, “Fuck.”

  “Everything okay?” Noel asked him.

  “What?” Pick asked, swerving his gaze to Noel, though his thoughts were obviously elsewhere.

  “Who’re you trying to get hold of so bad? You lose Eva, or what?”

  “No.” Pick immediately glanced at me, and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. Suspecting his urgent call had something to do with me, I narrowed my eyes. “Just trying to reach one of the waitresses,” he said, “but her phone keeps going straight to voice mail.”

  He’d been hell-bent on trying to contact a certain waitress yesterday, too. I wondered if it was the same one and what the hell this waitress had to do with me. Studying him hard, I tried to figure out what he was hiding. The guy was holding way too many secrets for my taste.

  “Oh, hey. Is it Felicity?” Noel asked, making me whirl to gape at him. “Because I know for a fact her phone’s been out of commission since yesterday afternoon.”

  My vision grayed as that name flooded me, drowning out every part of my brain until I was living in one big memory of her.

  “How do you know that?” Pick’s sharp voice jerked me back to the present, away from visions of curly red hair, big innocent blue eyes, and a smile that had melted my soul in two seconds flat.

  I blinked until Pick’s face came into focus. But my ears were still buzzing with acute awareness, and my skin wouldn’t stop tingling from just hearing that name.

  Next to me, Noel was shrugging. “She showed up at our place yesterday. I guess she caught her douchebag boyfriend fucking some girl on their kitchen table, and get this. They kicked her out of the apartment.” He sniffed in disgust and shook his head. “Aspen’s having her stay at our place until she can find somewhere of her own.”

  “Wait. Cam cheated on Felicity?” Mason paused beside Pick, scowling. “What kind of idiot would do that? I’m charging him double if he ever comes in here again.”

  “I already was charging him double,” Ten called. When Noel snorted, he added, “What? I’ve hated that motherfucker since the first time he came in. The dick-licker rubbed me all kinds of wrong.”

  I couldn’t say anything. Not that I would’ve jumped into the conversation if I could have, but all the air vacating my lungs robbed me of the ability, even if I’d wanted to. My vision went spotty all over again, and I latched on to the edge of the bar, hoping I didn’t pass out.

  I tried to tell myself I was overreacting for no reason. Just because they were talking about some random woman named Felicity didn’t mean they were talking about—

  But then I glanced at Pick, and when I found him watching me with that look, I knew.

  Son of a bitch.

  They were talking about her.

  I could literally feel the color leach from my face.

  Pick turned his attention from me to sear Noel with a glare. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me this sooner? I’ve been trying to reach her for over a day.”

  Noel blinked and pulled back, obviously surprised by the vehemence in Pick’s voice. “Well, sorry. But I had no idea you needed her. And hell, with all the hullabaloo of Hamilton becoming a dad and ex-convicts coming to work for us, I kind of forgot about it.”

  Pick slid his gaze back to me. I think he knew I was a split second away from reaching across the bar and strangling him, because he tipped his head toward the hall. “Knox. In my office, now.”

  I nodded and followed him without a word. But as soon as the door was shut and we were alone, I grabbed him by the shirt and slammed his back against the wall.

  I sat on the dock, dangling my feet into the calm water below as I waited for Felicity in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks. Sans Bentley. Thinking maybe I should’ve brought the kid today, I grabbed the edge of the dock with both hands and stared down at my nervous reflection in the depths below.

  What the fuck did I think I was doing, meeting Abbott Bainbridge’s one and only daughter alone in the woods every day?

  It’d been okay at first, like sharing aunt and uncle custody. She’d only wanted to get to know her niece. I was cool with that. But Felicity impressed the hell out of me on a daily basis. She wasn’t like any Bainbridge I’d ever met before. She wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met. She didn’t put on airs and stare down her nose at me. She didn’t think all high and mighty of herself. She didn’t treat me like a nobody.

  In fact, I don’t think anyone had ever treated me the way Felicity treated me, or looked at me the way she looked at me. Like I was something special. Like I was someone.

  Her being one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever seen didn’t help ease my obsession with her, either. Which
is probably why I kissed her, even if that had been the stupidest thing I’d ever done, because now I was well and truly addicted, and there was no turning back from where this was headed.

  But, fuck...it’d been worth it.

  Her lips, her soft cheeks, her hair. I couldn’t wait to see her again.

  So, here I sat, restless and eager for today’s rendezvous, even though I knew I should stay as far away from her as possible.

  The slap of flip-flops on the dock behind me made my heart jump-start into high gear. A grin tugged at my lips. Of course she’d worn flip-flops through the woods. Only the most impractical shoes for my practical girl.

  Except she wasn’t mine, and I shouldn’t forget that.

  I wanted to whirl around and take in every inch of her. The craving was so strong I gripped the ledge harder until a splinter dug into my palm.

  Because I did want to see her so desperately, I refused to even rotate my head enough to catch a glimpse. Keeping my back stiff, I asked, “Did you bring a suit?”

  Her steps paused a few feet behind me. “Yes.”

  “Then let’s swim.” I pushed off the dock and dove into the water, relishing the initial rush of cold flooding me, cooling my heated thoughts.

  I swam out a ways under the surface before coming up for air. Shoving water out of my face and hair, I turned toward the dock to find her still standing there, holding a beach bag down at her side and wearing a long-ass T-shirt, no shorts, shades, and flip-flops.

  “Well, what’re you waiting for?” I called, waving her in to join me.

  She continued to hesitate. I could see her chew on her bottom lip all the way from where I floated. A part of me hoped she turned and ran. This thing, whatever it was, between us could only lead to trouble. But a majority of me ached for her to throw caution to the wind and just dive in.

  “Is it deep?” she asked.

  “Very.”

  Nodding, Felicity set her bag down beside her and slipped off her glasses before dropping them into the bag. Then her hand went to the hem of her shirt. I held my breath, waiting, anxious, hoping yet dreading. She lifted the cloth a few inches, exposing creamy white thighs. When she hesitated, I almost passed out because the peek she provided of that place where the top of her legs met up with her body was too much. It was covered in nothing but snug black Lycra and showed just enough of a gap between her thighs, I knew I could barely wedge my face in there perfectly.

  Instant hard-on.

  I wanted to invade that space, own it and make it mine. Not even the iciness of the pit could dampen how desperately my dick wanted to explore. But I was still grateful to be underwater so she couldn’t see proof of just how much my teenage hormones wanted her.

  I didn’t cajole or say a single thing to get her to join me, but she gave in to the temptation, anyway, and suddenly ripped the shirt the rest of the way over her head before letting it fall on top of her beach bag.

  My throat went dry. She was utterly breathtaking in a lanky yet graceful way. I had never wanted anyone the way I wanted her.

  “Black suit,” I managed to croak. After clearing my throat, I added, “Smart thinking.”

  God, had I just said something? I think I’d just said something, and it’d been really stupid.

  But Felicity sent me a smile anyway, making me feel like the fucking man. “I didn’t want to stain anything.”

  I knew she was talking about clothes, but all I could think was how meeting me out here alone in the woods could stain her reputation, and I almost told her to go home. But then she toed off her flip-flops, and even that affected me, reminding me of how it’d felt to hold her ankle in my hand the day before. She’d had such soft, perfect skin. I didn’t want her going anywhere but into the water, with me.

  Her red hair glistened in the sunlight as she eased hesitantly toward the edge of the dock. I had no idea how she managed to make the locks look as wild as they were tame, but the mix of controlled chaos only made me more obsessed with it.

  I’m pretty sure I’d managed to get my hands in her hair every time we’d met in the woods so far. And she’d let me. That was what made my craving for her grow stronger. She might be an innocent and not want what I ultimately wanted, which was sex of course—teenage boy here, remember—but she still felt the vibe between us. The pull. The chemistry. And I’d bet money it was just as intense for her as it was for me.

  Not that I would act on it. Ever. She was only fifteen. I was eighteen. Her family was the enemy. I was too poor to even be able to treat her out to a decent date. And fuck, I wasn’t much more experienced than she was. But that didn’t stop me from wanting her, or using her face in my head as inspiration every morning when I jerked off in the shower.

  Watching her dip her toe into the cool depths was definitely another one for the spank bank.

  Immediately squeaking out her dislike, she jumped back away from the edge of the dock. “Oh my God. It’s freezing.”

  I splashed my arms around me lazily. “It feels good once you get used to it. Trust me.”

  The glance she sent me had to be the most untrusting scowl I’d ever seen. She shuddered once as if still feeling the chill of the water and then hugged herself.

  “So, you’re going to teach me how to do this swimming thing, right?”

  “Huh?” I shook my head, a little disbelieving. How could she not know how to swim? Couldn’t the rich and almighty Bainbridge afford to send his daughter to the best damn swimming lessons around?

  “How about I just dive in, and we’ll go from there? Okay?” she suggested.

  “What? No!” I waved my arms to stop that idea dead and headed toward the dock to assist her.

  Damn it, I should’ve brought floaties or something. We were going to have to ease her into this if she was a beginner.

  Except she’d already backed up a few steps to give herself a running start. Before I knew exactly what she was going to do, she clamped her fingers over her nose, sprinted forward, and was hurling herself full force over the water, arms and legs wind milling as she screamed out her delight.

  “Felicity!”

  Heart lodged in my throat, I could only gape as she torpedoed into the depths and was swallowed under the surface. The splash-back waves shoved me away, but it only took me a second to plow through them, swimming forward, desperate to reach her.

  When she didn’t come up, and didn’t come up, I panicked.

  “Oh, shit. Ohshit, ohshit, ohshit. Damn it, Felicity, where are you?”

  I was about to dive under the surface and start search and rescue, when she said, “Right behind you.”

  I whirled around to find her grinning madly and floating without any problems whatsoever.

  Clutching my chest, I gaped and panted out my relief. Then I exploded. “What the hell?”

  She laughed. The damn girl actually laughed. “What? Did you really think I couldn’t swim?”

  “Yes! You said...” Shit, what had she said?

  Smile bright and innocent and full of so much joy and sunshine that my angry fear instantly diminished, she gave me a small playful splash. “I said maybe you could teach me a thing or two, you know, in case you knew a few tricks I didn’t.”

  “Oh, City Girl,” I murmured, shaking my head ominously. “You’re going to pay for this.”

  I dove at her, and she screamed, lurching to the side.

  No longer even remotely mad for the way she’d just shaved a year off my life, all I wanted to do was catch her so I could kiss the hell out of her.

  She was slippery and fast, but I was faster. It only took me seconds to secure her into my arms from behind and rumble, “Got you,” in her ear.

  Laughing hard and loud, she tried to wiggle free. But she found herself good and trapped. Finally giving up the fight, she rested her head back on my shoulder, and her spine seemed to melt against my chest as she sighed contentedly.

  “Fine. Now that you’ve caught me, whatever will you do with me?”

  I
leaned down to press my mouth to her shoulder, my cheek brushing past hers. “Now there’s a loaded question if I ever heard one, City Girl.”

  She turned slowly in my arms to face me. The look in her eyes fanned the heat inside me, making it flame through my veins.

  “I don’t really like the name City Girl,” she said on a husky whisper while her eyes demanded I kiss her already.

  “Just City then?” I asked, my voice gritty and clogged with desire.

  Her lips spread as a smile bloomed. “Yeah. I love that.”

  I loved the way she said love, especially when she was looking at me the way she was looking at me.

  Once again hard, or maybe just harder than I’d been before, I pressed my forehead to hers, overwhelmed by the wave of lust pounding through me. I’d seriously never felt it this strong before. It freaked me out enough to make me hold back, afraid I was getting into something bigger than I could handle. But then she shivered, and thinking she was as swallowed up by everything as I was, I couldn’t resist her any longer.

  I focused on her mouth, needing to taste it more than I needed my next breath. But what I saw had me blinking in confusion until the reality of what I was actually looking at completely set in.

  “Holy shit. Your lips are totally fucking blue.”

  “That’s because I’m turning into a human Popsicle.” She sent me a trembling, embarrassed smile, and I suddenly realized she wasn’t shaking from desire, but from the cold.

  I shook my head, confused. “How can you still be this cold? I feel fine.”

  Even her laugh sounded like it was freezing. “Well, I’m sorry if my body doesn’t adjust as quickly as yours.”

  “That’s it.” I took her arm and began to swim us toward the dock. “We’re getting you out of the water. Right now.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she protested even as she swam along beside me with her teeth chattering up a storm.

  “Yeah, as soon as you’re dry.” Drawing her to the ladder, I added, “Up.”