by Tabatha Kiss
I take a bite of my muffin and let out a soft moan as the fresh flavors wash over my taste buds.
“Shit, that’s good…” I murmur.
I push off the wall and rush towards the bar’s back exit.
Tommy stares at me as I walk in from the storeroom, his eyes growing wider as I lay my coffee and muffin down, along with the red duffel bag.
Finally, I twitch with annoyance. “What?”
“What are you doing here?” he asks, still gawking at me.
I raise a brow. “I work here.”
He glances at his watch. “You’re thirty minutes early.”
“So?”
“So, you’re never thirty minutes early,” he argues. “You’ve never even been ten minutes early.”
I scoff and swallow a gulp of coffee. “Okay. Cool story…”
My brother folds his arms and squints at me, studying me hard and I feel a nervous prickle down my back.
He tilts his head as it clicks in his brain. “Oh, my god…”
“What?” I snap.
“You got laid last night.”
My jaw drops. “Ew! Gross, Tommy. No, I didn’t.”
“Oh, yes, you did.” He points a finger at me. “Who’s the guy?”
I recoil around the bar to start pulling chairs off the tables. “There’s no guy, Tommy.”
He slides off his stool and hovers over me as I move around the room. “You’re early, you’re in a good mood, and you’ve got a literal hop in your step.”
“Can’t a girl be happy every once in a while without sex being involved?”
“Sure,” he nods, “but not you.”
I roll my eyes at him. My brother and I are close — but not that close. I’m not about to share the dirty details of mine and Vincent’s trek to second base with my fucking brother. “Nothing happened, Tommy.”
“Nothing happened with who?”
“No one.”
His brow pinches. “It wasn’t Shank, was it?”
Bile rises in my throat. “Seriously?”
“Was it?”
“Of course not! Why would you even think that?”
He shrugs. “He seemed… interested.”
“Aiden Shank would be interested in a warm, buttered bagel.” I continue to the next table. “I’m not sleeping with a fucking mobster and I’m a little offended that you’d even think I would.”
“But there is a guy, right?”
My lips twitch. If my feigned protests haven’t given me away yet, then the look on my face right now surely will. Might as well come clean. “Maybe… kind of. I don’t know.”
Tommy stares at me for a long, silent moment. “Huh.”
I sigh with annoyance. “What?”
“Nothing, just… huh.”
The storeroom exit opens and we both freeze in place.
After a few moments of silence, I clear my throat. “Johnson?”
There’s no answer. No grunt of acknowledgment or shouting voice. Just the soft clacking of fancy shoes on the concrete floor.
His shadow creeps into the doorway, inching like a dark cloud, until he finally shows himself and his deep, black eyes.
Aiden glances around the bar like a lion on safari. His tongue pokes out the side of his mouth as he gently rakes it against his sharp, white teeth. I catch sight of his right-hand man lingering over his shoulder. Still bald. Still scary as hell.
Tommy throws on a soft, welcoming face to hide the fear in his eyes. “Aiden! Hey. Nice to see you.”
I cringe inside, easily reading the boredom on Aiden’s face. No amount of ass-kissing is going to change the outcome for him.
“Time’s up, Tommy,” he says, sliding his hands into the pockets of his suit. “Where’s my money?”
My brother deflates. His shoulders sink down to his kneecaps and he looks at me with that heartbreaking stare. “I…”
“I’ve got it,” I say, straightening my spine.
Aiden twitches as I walk to the bar for the red duffel bag.
“Evey…?” Tommy whispers.
I wave a hand to silence him and slide the bag over to rest in front of Aiden. “Here,” I say, giving it a nudge. “It’s all there, plus interest. A lot of it.”
Aiden doesn’t move, once again scratching the tip of his tongue along his incisor. “Really?” he drawls.
“Yes, sir.”
His brow flinches. He obviously enjoyed hearing me call him sir and I make a mental note to never do it ever again.
“All of it?”
“Yes,” I answer.
I feel Tommy lingering behind my back and I glance into the mirror ahead of me to confirm that shocked look on his face. Aiden must play a bit more poker than my brother but his eyes show surprise for a brief second.
Aiden pushes off the door frame and withdraws his hands from his pockets. He barely takes his eyes off of me as he unzips the bag to peek inside. Once he sees the money, he smirks. “Well, then…”
Tommy’s jaw drops as Aiden pulls the bundles out one-by-one and stacks them on the counter between us.
“Not bad, Evey,” Aiden says. He lays a bundle against his nose and takes a big whiff of it before glancing over his shoulder at his man. “Clive, count it.”
Baldy steps over to the bar and snatches a few bundles.
“Like I said…” I keep my voice from shaking, “it’s everything we owe, plus more, so you won’t be bothering us anymore. Right?”
His eyes slide over to Tommy for a long moment before falling back on me. “Of course,” he says, unblinking. “Your family’s debt is paid.”
I nod, forcing every last bit of strength I have into my shaking limbs.
Clive gives Aiden a nod and he starts tossing the bundles back into the bag.
“Well,” Aiden says, “I guess that’s it, then.”
“That’s it,” I say, holding his gaze.
“I’ll see you around.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope not.”
He chuckles, flashing a bit of color into his black eyes, and leaves the way he came with his brute.
Tommy and I wait, holding our breaths until we hear the back door open and close behind them.
“Evey, what the hell—”
“Shhh!”
I hold up my hand and rush to the back room to make sure they’re gone.
“Evey…” Tommy stares at me from the doorway. “Where the hell did you get that money?”
I spent most of the night trying to figure out how to explain it to my brother. “An old friend,” I say, avoiding his eyes.
“What old friend?”
“Tommy, don’t worry about it.”
“Like hell I’m not gonna worry about it, Evey.” He steps closer. “Who are we in debt to now?”
“Nobody.”
“Bullshit.”
“Tommy, please, just trust me on this one, all right?” I look at him with begging eyes. “It’s nothing dangerous. We’re not in any trouble. We had a problem and I fixed it. That’s all you need to know.”
He inhales sharply, ready to tear me a new one, but no words come out. His breath slides out, killing the silence until he’s forced to breathe again. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Tommy,” I say, throwing on a smile. “We don’t have to worry about the Shanks anymore.”
We stare at each other, slowly softening as those words sink in.
We don’t have to worry about the Shanks anymore.
The thought hadn’t sunk in for me until now. Without this debt hanging over our heads, we don’t have to work ourselves to the bone anymore. We can actually hire a few extra employees so we don’t have to do everything ourselves. Hell, we can take days off if we want to.
“Holy shit,” Tommy says. A chuckle escapes his throat and he runs a hand through his ruffled hair. “It’s over.”
I nod. “It’s over.”
He throws his arms around me. “Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.”
I laugh into
his chest, wondering how long it’ll take before he can say anything else. “So, what do we do now?”
“Now…” He pulls back but leaves his hands on my shoulders. “I don’t know. Suddenly, this place seems like the last place I want to be.”
“Me, too,” I laugh.
He lets go of me and paces around. “How about some time off?” he asks me. “How does that sound?”
“Fucking perfect.”
“A week?” he asks.
“Or two,” I suggest.
He laughs. “Ten days. I think that’s fair.”
“It’s definitely fair.”
“I’m going to make a few calls,” he says, pointing to the office in the back. “Let our deliveries know we won’t need ‘em for a while.”
I bounce on my heels. “And I will make a sign for the door.”
We split off, laughing loudly as we complete our tasks.
A vacation. Some real rest and relaxation without the threat of Aiden Shank breathing down our spines.
“Hey, Tommy!” I shout.
“Yeah?”
“When we return, we should really start locking the back door.”
He laughs as I do just that, sliding the metal bolt into place to keep unwanted pests out once and for all.
***
Muffin Top smells even sweeter than usual.
Before, I felt like a kid in a candy store staring at the sugary treats and licking my lips. Now, there’s something far more mature in the air. Now, I feel like a grown woman in an adult novelty shop staring at edible undies and biting my cheek at the possibilities.
“Hello…” The red-haired girl at the register flashes a wink at me. “Welcome back!”
“Hey, um…” My eyes land on the case by the register, filled with cherry-cherry cupcakes and I smile, thinking of that first kiss.
“Would you like to sample a cupcake?”
“No,” I answer, breathing hesitation. “Is Vincent here?”
“He’s upstairs.”
“Is he busy? I’d like to talk to him…”
She shrugs. “Who knows? Even I have no idea what he does up there all day.”
“Oh, okay…”
“But…” her lips curl, “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you went up to see him.”
I study her face, feeling a rush of self-consciousness. Suddenly, I’m back in high school, spotting all the wink-winks and nudge-nudges as I walk across the cafeteria. “Are you sure that’s okay?”
She waves a hand and points over her shoulder. “It’s just through the back. First door on the left, take the stairs.”
“Okay, thanks.” I walk around the counter to the back, sensing her eyes on me as I purposefully twist out of sight.
I make it to the stairwell and close the door behind me, happy to put a barrier between myself and her. My nose fills with a familiar smell, but not the sinfully sweet scent of baked goods behind me. This is the essence of old, wooden stairs; like dry sandalwood. It bleeds into my nose, traveling all the way down to my toes before resting in my core. It’s hard to believe that Vincent had me pinned against these just a few hours ago…
I travel the stairs, ignoring the quick pulsing between my legs. My ears twitch about halfway up as the sound of heavy breathing hits me. It’s fast and rugged, mixed with Vincent’s deep, grating voice and I instantly bite my lip. Panting and grunting. My mind goes wild with imagery, feeding the lust inside of me.
I reach the top and peek into his apartment.
Oh, my…
Vincent hangs from his bathroom doorway in the far corner, hands gripped tightly on a pull-up bar. He easily lifts his entire, glistening body over and over again, rippling his tight muscles. Beads of sweat pour down his bare, v-shaped back. My eyes fall to his shorts and I stare at his firm ass for way too long.
“Evey?”
“Oh—” I twist backward and slam my forehead into the door frame. “Ow, sorry!”
He releases the bar and lands on his feet. “You okay?”
I rub my head, wincing. “I’m sorry. I should have knocked or called or something. I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just…”
Vincent walks across the apartment to me. “It’s fine…” He grips my wrist and lowers my hand with his eyes on my head. “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.” I back up a step. “Really, I’ve had worse. My pride… maybe not so much.”
He turns into the kitchenette and pops open his freezer for a bag of frozen vegetables. “Here…” He smiles as he lays it against my forehead. “Leave it there for a minute.”
I submit, letting his sweaty chest linger in front of me. My face burns so badly, I’m pretty sure these veggies are about to become stir-fry.
“Thanks,” I mutter.
“What are you doing up here?” he asks, keeping the bag pressed against my head.
“I asked the girl downstairs if you were in,” I explain. “She said you wouldn’t mind if I came up.”
He smirks. “Did she?”
“Yeah. Sorry…”
“Don’t be. You can come up here anytime. I don’t mind at all.”
I take a deep breath, but I’m not really sure what to do with it. “Cool…”
Vincent lowers the bag. He sets a hand beneath my chin and tilts my head up to get a better look in the light. “Does it hurt?”
“No,” I answer truthfully. “Like it never happened.”
“Good.” His hand brushes my chin for a second before he turns around. “Is everything okay otherwise?”
“Yeah. Well…” I follow him into the kitchen. “Aiden Shank stopped by the bar this morning.”
Vincent opens the freezer and throws the bag back inside. “Yeah?”
“I gave him the money,” I continue. “He seemed to be satisfied with it.”
“That’s good news,” Vincent says, leaning against the counter.
“That’s really good news.” I breathe a laugh. “For the first time in forever, Tommy and I aren’t sure what to do with ourselves.”
He smiles. “Happy I could help.”
“We’re shutting down the bar for a little while. Taking a much-needed vacation. Starting now.”
Vincent chews on his lip. “Does that mean you’re free tonight?”
My heart races faster. “It does.”
He slides towards me. “Then, how about dinner?”
“Where?”
“Your place.”
I wince. “I don’t really cook...”
He grins. “I’ll do the cooking. You just be there to open the door for me.”
I wet my lips. “I can do that.”
He’s so close, I can smell his sweat. My mouth waters but I choke it down so I don’t resemble a ravenous dog.
“Do you like Italian?”
I scoff. “With these hips? Of course, I love Italian.”
He chuckles. “Good.” He leans down and plants a kiss on the edge of my mouth. “I’ll be there at seven.”
“And I’ll be hungry for you—” I clear my throat. “I mean… for Italian.”
Vincent lays another kiss on me, this one more centered on my lips and my eyes flutter closed. I kiss him back and he lays a rough hand against my cheek.
He breaks away and smiles. “You taste so sweet…”
I feel his rugged voice down my spine and I melt against the refrigerator behind me as he guides me against it. “You feel so moist.”
He pauses and looks at me. “Moist?”
My cheeks burn. “I mean, you’re very slippery — sweaty — because of the…” I do a pulling motion with my arms over my head. “You know… but I don’t mind. I’m not complaining. I really like how… glisten-y you are. Okay, time to shut up now…”
He leans back, standing tall above me and I tuck myself even tighter into a little ball of self-loathing. Real smooth, Evey…
Luckily, he’s still smiling. “I’ll be sure to shower before our date.”
Our date.
“Me, too,
” I say, immediately cringing.
Vincent kisses me again, no doubt just to shut me up. How he hasn’t booted me to the curb yet, I’ll never know, but as his tongue slips between my lips, I feel like maybe he doesn’t mind my awkward ramblings at all. Maybe he even finds them cute.
“Evey…” he whispers, practically growling with need. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since last night.”
I quiver, unable to say a word as his lips fall to my neck. Short stubble on his chin scratches at me and I swoon even harder against his hard body.
He wraps an arm around my back and pulls me closer, forcing his tongue even deeper into my mouth. I let out a soft, aching moan, digging my fingers into his arms as his erection presses into my hip.
Holy shit. He really wants me.
Me. Evey Ryan. The frumpy girl from that shitty bar next door. He’s practically a god and I’ve got him worshiping at my altar.
“Evey,” he says my name again, smiling wide. “No woman has ever gotten me this hard before.”
I laugh, maybe a little too much, but that doesn’t stop his hand from cupping my breast and squeezing. “Me neither.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake, girl...
Vincent pulls away with that smile etched onto his face. “Maybe we should continue this later,” he says.
I stand still, embracing the blackness behind my eyelids. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best…”
He takes a step back but lets his hands slowly slide off of me. “What’s your address?”
“Oh, um…” I think hard, pushing through the haze to remember. “Fourth street. The Bridgestone apartment building on the corner. Unit B.”
“Fourth, Bridgestone, B. Got it,” he says.
I nod, forcing my heart back down my throat. “So… I’ll see you at seven.”
He smiles. “I’ll see you at seven.”
I take one last lingering stare at his body. Thick, wide shoulders. Perfect abs with a happy trail growing down to the elastic line of his shorts. And those arms; thick and ripped.
I clear my throat and spin around to the door.
He holds up a hand. “Watch it—”
I miss the door frame by a narrow inch. “Yep,” I chuckle, hiding my red face. “Bye-bye.”
I rush down the stairs, gripping the banister with both hands to keep from tumbling down to my death. Now would be a horrible time to die.
