by Mignon Mykel
Assuming it had something to do with the truck I was borrowing, I delivered the drinks and hurried back to the front. Placing my tray in its home spot, I still managed to avoided Rory.
“Talking to Con, Stone,” I told him as he poured another lager.
“Got it.” Stone flashed his eyes toward me momentarily while completing his task, letting me know it was me he was talking to.
I could feel Rory’s eyes on me as I walked through the swinging kitchen door, until the door swung shut behind me. With a relieved sigh, I walked down the kitchen and around the corner to the office.
Conor was just sitting down, closing a desk drawer he must have dropped his bike key into.
“How’s everything going with school?” he asked as I stepped into the room. When I moved to sit on the couch, I fought a blush as the memories of the last time I was in this office flooded my mind.
“Good. I passed my test last week by a few points, but I think I’ll be good. Did you need the truck back?”
Conor stretched back in his chair, slouching some and crossing his arms over his chest. “You can keep it for a bit longer. Mia and I were talking and she came up with an alternative. You can absolutely say no, but I want to start out by telling you this isn’t a gift. I know you have pride and we don’t want to step on toes.”
I sat up straight, a frown deepening on my face. “Ok?”
“Mia and I want to help get you into a car of your own. I know you said you couldn’t do the payments right now, and I completely respect that. You’re only a semester out and while I don’t want to think about the fact I’m close to losing one of my better barmaids,” he said this last part with a grin, “I know that your plan is to do nursing. If you’re afraid of your credit, I can co-sign on the loan. Either way, Mia and I can help cover payments until you’re on your feet and you can pay us back.”
I nibbled on my lower lip. This was a phenomenal deal and I’d be silly to pass it up but…
“I don’t like the idea of owing you.” I shifted in my seat only to sit up taller. “It is incredibly generous of you guys though. Thank you.”
“Just take the damn car.”
My head flew in the direction of the door. I didn’t see it open, but standing there, leaning against the jamb in the way Rory tended to do, was the man himself. How long had he been standing there? How much did he hear? Certainly enough for him to tell me to take what Conor and Mia were offering.
I felt my face flush. This time, it had nothing to do with the two of us in this very room but with mortification. I mean, I knew that Rory knew about my troubles. He was partially my boss, after all. But dealing with Conor was so much easier than Rory, the guy whose achievements made my once upon a time plans look like rubbish simply because I failed and he soared. Pretending that all we had between us was cold distaste, but oddly hot chemistry, was much easier to deal with than the knowledge that this cocky, self-entitled, wealthy guy was well aware of my financial failings.
I shifted again but before I could get a word in edgewise, Rory pushed himself from the frame and entered the room, respectably closing the door behind him.
“It’s just a car, Emily. You can’t keep walking at one in the fucking morning.”
“Conor’s changing my schedule,” I said as Conor looked at his brother, brow raised over his right eye, and said, “Her schedule is changing.”
“That was awesome. Do it again,” Rory replied, but with a deadpan expression on his face. “It’s like you two practiced that.” He walked to the edge of the desk and propped his tight ass on the corner, arms crossed over his chest. While Conor took the slouched, comfortable, welcoming position at his chair, Rory in front of him like he was, was like putting up an invisible wall between Conor and I. Rory demanded my attention and again, I hated myself for wanting to give it to him.
“You want to finish the semester without failing, you need to be better about your time,” Rory was saying. I had never seen him take such an authoritative stance when it came to the pub and their employees.
Would it further make me a heel if I said it turned me on a little bit? You know, just a tiny bit.
“You spend, what? Twenty minutes walking here? Another twenty home? If you drove, you’d be cutting off damn near seventy-five percent of that time. That gives you another thirty minutes of study time. So long as you’re not cramming it all in one session, that’s another great chunk of time to get your brain to focus and to retain everything you’re teaching it. I’m willing to bet your scores will improve, from that extra thirty minutes alone.”
I glanced over at Conor to see what he was making of all this, but his eyes were on the back of his brother’s head and he wore a smirk on his face. Apparently he was amused.
Well, I wasn’t.
“I’m doing fine right now. With my hours changing, I have more time in the evening to attend study groups with my peers. My scores on projects have already improved, and it’s only been four days.”
“You’re being obstinate.”
That sexual tension I was feeling by his authoritative self?
Yeah.
It was gone.
I couldn’t sit up any straighter than I already was, but I refused to get to my feet and close the distance between us. Instead, I screwed up my face in my best bitch face and let it all out, “And you’re being an ass. You think you know everything and honestly, you don’t. What the hell do you know about studying, Rory? You probably slept with half your teachers in college!”
Conor smothered a chuckle behind his hand.
Rory just gave a menacing smirk. “Yep. It was pretty damn hot, too. Some of the best sex I had until recently.” I’m sure it was only because Conor wouldn’t catch the movement, but Rory shifted his eyes to the couch beside me before winking at me. “It was pretty much the most exciting sex I’d had, the fear of being caught, you know? But lately…sex has been pretty exciting.”
I fought a smirk. Yeah, so exciting he couldn’t hold himself back.
“Just take the damn car,” he repeated.
“Why do you care?” I could feel my anger deflating. Really, it was exhausting fighting with him. That and I had already been leaning toward accepting Conor’s offer.
Rory just stared at me. Not a single emotion crossed his features. His body was still strung tight as he leaned on the desk with his arms crossed. But he stared, and he stared.
“Just take the car,” he finally said, pushing himself off the desk. “I’m out. Stone’s got the bar.” Without waiting for a response from Conor, he left the room, closing the door behind him quietly.
I puffed out my cheeks, waiting for the tension to leave the air. Surely Conor would take that outburst from his brother as more than boss-to-employee concern.
And sure enough—
“You want to tell me what that was about?” But rather than sounding pissed, Conor was…
Amused?
I wiped my palms on my shorts and shook my head. “Nothing. Rory has just decided to turn his non-existent game on to me.”
Looking even more amused—if that were possible—Conor grinned crookedly. “Do you want me to do something about it? We don’t have a fraternization policy, but if he’s bothering you, I can do something.”
I sighed. I could end all of this right now. Conor would make sure Rory would leave me alone. I wouldn’t have to deal with his advances.
But just at that moment, I could smell his cologne in the air and my pussy clenched involuntarily. Damn body. I mean, what was the deal? I spent a year disliking him and one day, I decide to give in to his charms, he doesn’t even finish the deed, and still I wanted him?
I sighed again and shook my head. “No. It’s fine. I can handle him.”
The look didn’t leave Conor’s face though. Instead, his grin deepened and he nodded upward once. “Ok.” He sat up and uncrossed his arms, leaning into the desk. “But the car. Mia will kill me if I tell her I couldn’t talk you into it. Have you seen my woman lat
ely with her hormonal outbursts?”
This time I grinned. Mia was a hoot.
She was sweet and quiet, and honestly, pregnancy did her good. She glowed in the way I often just thought was hooey nonsense. But her temper…
Who’d have thought the Irish one in that relationship would have the calmer disposition?
“Are you afraid of Mia?” I asked, my grin filling.
Conor smirked. “You don’t live with her.”
Changing the subject off of me, I asked, “Are you guys ready for a second baby? I’m guessing that Aiden doesn’t understand.”
He was probably too young and, while I was an only child, I could only imagine that the deeper the age gap between babies, the more likely resentment would occur. But at nine and a half months, I was sure Aiden didn’t know any different.
“Nah, he’s too young,” Conor confirmed. “I think it might change after Ava’s born though.” And unfortunately, Conor wasn’t letting me off the hook that easily. “You’ve only got what, five months until graduation? Take the car, Emily. It’ll make Mia feel better.”
“Just Mia?”
Conor shook his head, chuckling. “Probably Rory too.”
I couldn’t stop the growl that resonated in my chest, which only had Conor barking out a laugh. “You two are fucking great to watch.” Conor stood and pulled on his jeans. “Good luck, Em.”
I took my cue to stand as well and shrugged a shoulder. “There’s nothing to watch.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” Conor walked me to the door, the shit-eating grin on his face still in place. “You’re not on the schedule tomorrow. How about you take the truck, pick up Mia, and go find yourself a car. Mia can take the truck home after.”
Fully realizing this was a battle I wasn’t going to win, I nodded. “Ok. I will. Thank you, Conor.” As much as I hated it, I wasn’t ungrateful.
We walked back to the bar where I resumed my shift, and Conor sat at the bar, talking with Stone. The rest of my shift flowed easily, probably because everything was starting to fall into place. That and I wouldn’t feel terrible if I had their truck and Mia went into labor.
And then there was Rory.
And for the first time since meeting him, his name brought an unwanted smile to my lips.
I’d have to think about that.
Rory
I may have talked Mia into having something to do when she and Emily were supposed to go car shopping.
Just may have.
I mean, I wasn’t the pushy type, so if I admitted to myself that I was finding ways to be in Emily’s presence, I would have to double check the status of my man card. The only action my cock had gotten in the last week, since she and I got together—yes, I was choosing to forget the issue I had that day—was from my hand in the shower.
Yesterday in Conor’s office, seeing Emily’s sass and fire directed at me wasn’t anything new, no, but there was a little more passion in her voice. She was weakening toward me and I was going to take full advantage of that.
Starting by hijacking her car shopping trip with Mia.
After checking my email and corresponding with my clients and team members alike, I checked my online back-office for new orders of protein powders and muscle building e-books. I loved the pub, don’t get me wrong, but this little side business I had was what truly paid the bills, and had been since I joined the company six years ago.
And I only really paid attention to it once, maybe twice a week.
I went from making a pretty penny with fake IDs and doing the occasional DJ-ing at house parties in college, to making a much shinier one by selling my muscle building knowledge. This day and age, all you needed was a good looking body and an Instagram account, and you could pull anyone in who wanted to look better.
After I printed my latest order sheet, I shut down the computer and headed down to the pub. Mia had planned on Emily meeting her here, so it made the whole, “Mwah-ha-ha, I’m coming with you” ordeal easier to accomplish.
It was early yet, so while the doors were open for business, we only had one customer sitting at the bar. His eyes were glued to one of the televisions, which was only airing the local news. I looked around, unsure of who was working today.
Jordan, a new kid we hired a few weeks ago, took that moment to pop up from whatever he was doing under the bar. Probably dropped something.
The kid was clumsy as fuck, which was the exact reason we were keeping him on the opening rotation for a bit. He was great with the customers and could mix a mean drink—he just had to work on his hands and keeping glasses in them.
“Hey, Jordan. How’s it going?” I asked as I rounded the back of the bar, grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler.
“Good.” The kid was a bit scrawny but in a hipster kind of way, which actually worked well with the early afternoon crowd. He was working on cutting limes when the front door opened. Expecting it to be Emily, I turned in my stool to see.
Nope.
Brenna and Stone.
Brenna and Stone?
I stepped off my stool and rounded the bar again, water in hand, to look at the schedule. Stone wasn’t due to be in until three, but Brenna was Jordan’s second man. I was going to shout hello to them but when I turned back toward the open bar area, they were nowhere to be found.
I scanned the bar, my water to my lips, and eventually saw the two of them in a corner near the dart boards, having a quiet, but seemingly heated, discussion.
Stone was a good guy. So whatever the issue, it wasn’t him. Brenna probably lost her temper and was pissed to run into him. If Emily and I had our glaring moments, Brenna and Stone were just the opposite. They both flirted ruthlessly with one another, but then again they both flirted with just about anybody. They were the example of harmless flirting.
I narrowed my eyes.
But what if it wasn’t harmless flirting?
Fuck, if Stone was…
Nope.
Wouldn’t happen.
I shook my head and chuckled to myself. Stone may not be as obvious in his ways when it came to sex, but the man went out almost nightly. He always had plans with a female. I was pretty sure he was seriously seeing someone, but Stone was quiet about his personal life.
Had been since the moment we hired him.
“Yo, Bren,” I shouted over the bar, finally earning their attention.
“What, Rory?” she called out, a bit of bite to her voice, as she crossed her arms and shoved around Stone, walking toward me.
I chuckled, watching as my sister essentially stomped toward the bar. “Leave the poor guy alone. What the hell did he do to you?”
She mumbled something under her breath but before I could have her repeat what she said, Emily came into the pub.
And her hair was down.
And straight.
Fuck me.
Why the hell did Mia get this version of her? What did Mia do to deserve Emily’s fucking gorgeous hair down and swaying toward her ass?
Before I could walk toward her though, Stone, the stealthy fucker, managed to end up behind me and slapped my shoulder. “What are you doing here so early on a Saturday?”
I held up a finger and with what had to be a shit-eating grin, I looked toward Emily—who was almost to Stone and me—and lifted my chin as I spoke with her. “You ready to go get a car?”
She stopped, dead in her tracks, and her brows lowered in that way I was sure was reserved for me and me alone. “Where’s Mia?”
“Last minute doctor’s appointment?” I said but thought better of blowing it off with a shrug. I mean, it didn’t matter if she figured out I set today up, but I had to at least get her to go with me before she did.
Because let’s be honest, she figures it out and she’s walking.
“Yep.” I nodded. “Baby Ava’s getting ready to join the masses.”
Emily’s frown deepened. “Why didn’t she just call to reschedule? She or Con needs to be there to co-sign if I find a car.”<
br />
Fuck. She was going to figure this out.
I had to get her in my truck before she did. She was so fucking smart. Nothing got past Emily. I should have been better prepared for this.
“Mia said she or Con would be able to stop by the dealership when you were ready,” I said on the spot. I reached out and put my hand on her lower back, guiding her back toward the doors. Behind me, Stone coughed, but I’m pretty sure the asshole was covering a laugh.
Emily stumbled as she walked in the direction I was guiding her. I bit back a groan when she turned her head toward me, which made her hair brushed my forearm. “But—”
“Nope, she wanted to be sure you found a car today. Earlier the better, too, because you know, salesmen get pushy toward the end of the day when they’ve not met goal. So we need to get you out there early and if we find you something, Mia and Con can meet us and help with the paperwork.”
Emily was still frowning but she pushed through the front door willingly. “…Ok.”
I was kind of surprised she wasn’t putting up more of a fight but I was good with this scenario. If she refrained from being pissy with me, maybe I could talk her into dinner later tonight.
She had said no every day this week, but surely one of these days she’d succumb to me, right?
Outside, my Emily returned and she stepped away from my hand. Hey, no big, so long as she wasn’t throwing daggers at me. I mean, yeah, I’d rather be touching her, but as long as she was going along with every other part of my plan, I could refrain from touching her for a little longer.
We passed Con’s truck and I have to say, I was impressed to see she parallel parked that beast. It was an F-350 with a SuperCrew cab, so yeah, her parallel parking it? It was impressive.
So much so that maybe my dick was a bit impressed too.
But having a hard-on right now wouldn’t do me any good, so I ignored it as I followed Em to my truck, parked a few spots down from where she parked Conor’s truck.
Now, my truck wasn’t nearly as big and impressive as Conor’s but it was still a big truck. I only had a SuperCab, but I didn’t have carseats and shit to pile in the cab so the half door to the backseats was more than enough for me.
