Behind the Bar (Home in Carson Book 3)

by Renee Harless

  Just watching him dry the glass with a tattered dish rag had her internal muscles clenching in need. She was a lost hope when it came to him. Not only was he devilishly handsome with tattoos that snaked across his arms and chest, but he had a hint of an Irish accent that sent her for a whirl.

  When he reluctantly handed her the job application, she faltered at the most basic criteria. Her name? Should she put her real name or the fake one, she used for security. Address? Well, she hadn’t been lying about the local address. She honestly couldn’t remember. And the job experience? Kerry had none officially. She supposed that she could list her charity work and duties assigned by the crown. It was the closest thing she could come to as an answer.

  But all of her questions were tossed out the window the moment Landon’s fingers caressed her skin. He was like a tranquilizer that turned her brain to mush. The only coherent thought she had was that she needed him and she needed him right then.

  He lifted her onto the bar counter and she ignored the way her skirt lifted to her waist, exposing her thighs and lace-covered bottom to the cold wood. Her skin was so incredibly heated in desire that she gasped at the contact. Luckily, Landon silenced the sound with his mouth against hers.

  God, she loved the way he kissed. How he met her tongue’s movement match for match. It was as if they were performing a dance of their own design.

  Kerry couldn’t help herself as she reached for his shirt and tugged it over his head. She was obsessed with his chest and the intricate designs of his tattoos and if she was ever given a chance, Kerry planned to get up close and familiar with each line with her tongue.

  Landon’s hands reached into her hair, pulling her lips away from where they were leaving a mark around his nipple. He looked down into her eyes, those dark blue irises shimmering in the faint light of the bar and Kerry was lost in them.

  “Can I have you now?” he asked and Kerry would have agreed to anything at that moment. She wondered if he realized that.

  She didn’t remember saying the words, but she heard her voice brush past her ears in agreement.

  One of his large hands left her head while the other tilted her head so that his lips could get better access to hers. Then she felt the softest of touches between her legs as his fingers slipped beneath her panties. Their moans from the contact swirled around them as he tugged the material aside., sliding his fingers across her folds spreading her wetness.

  Using her free hands, Kerry reached for his pants, unbuttoned them, then tugged down the waist with his boxer briefs until his cock spring free.

  Landon pulled his mouth away suddenly and glanced at her small hand barely wrapped around his shaft.

  “God, that feels incredible. I need you to slide to the edge, beautiful.”

  Following his command, Kerry moved until she balanced on the edge of the bar. Landon produced a condom from somewhere and slipped it down his erection before lining himself up against her entrance.

  In a swift movement, he entered her fully, leaving them both gasping at the fullness.

  “Fuck, this is going to be fast.”

  “I want fast, Landon.”

  “Hold onto me,” he growled as he reached behind her, gripping the other side of the bar and began thrusting into her. Pound after pound, he pushed himself into her. It was rough, and fast, and brutal, and everything she craved.

  “Yes!” she cried out suddenly as her orgasm took her by surprise. Thank goodness she had been holding onto Landon because her limbs grew weak and if she had been standing Kerry knows she would have fallen to the ground.

  “I’m coming, baby,” Landon rumbled in her ear, and somehow Kerry felt another small surge overtake her body.

  His movements jerked as he filled the condom with his cum and for a split-second, Kerry wondered what it would feel like to have his seed spill inside her. The thought of his cum dripping from her center and down her leg was a hot fantasy that she’d have to remember on one of those days when she needed to pleasure herself.

  “You still there?” he asked, gently pushing her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

  “Yeah.”

  “Thought I lost you for a second there.”

  Pulling free from her, Landon yanked the condom from his cock, tied it off and then shoved it into the pocket of his pants as he pulled them back up to his hips. He left the button undone as he situated her shirt and helped guide her off the counter.

  “Mind if I use the restroom?”

  “Sure, it’s down the hall to the right. I should probably take care of the condom. Um, I wasn’t too rough with you, was I?”

  Kerry smiled up at him and committed to memory the concerned wide eyes on his face. Softly she rested her hand on his cheek, loving how he leaned his slightly into her palm.

  “It was exactly what I wanted. No regrets.”

  “No regrets,” he mimicked.

  Kerry tried not to dawdle too long in the restroom, just enough to clean herself up and adjust her clothes. She almost wished that she had an extra pair of panties in her bag, but they were out in the bar area even if she did.

  With a quick fluff of her hair after running her fingers through the thick strands, Kerry made her way back out to Landon, where he was leaning against the counter, watching the television. She followed his gaze and then immediately wished that she hadn’t.

  “Breaking news. The royal family of Lythembria is asking for the world’s help in locating their eldest daughter and future queen, Princess Karolyna. She was last seen leaving the palace quarters in Tredania during a charity gala. Currently, there are no leads, but the family believes she left of her own free will. If you have any information, please contact the Lythembria Embassy.”

  Oh no. This was the worst possible thing. Kerry had thought her parents would have sent one of the many security guards to track her down. A few had known of her travels to Carson before. Kerry remembered that she hadn’t heard from Mary that day and she wondered if the newscast was the reason why. She really needed to get to her phone, but she could see at the way Landon’s shoulders were stiff and rigid that she needed to come up with a plan.

  But before she could come up with something, Landon turned his furious gaze in her direction and she wilted like a flower – the complete opposite of how she was taught in etiquette class.

  “Please tell me that isn’t you.”

  Chapter Six

  What do you do when you feel your world crumbling around you? Landon had once thought he had lost it all once before, but as the woman he had spent one incredible night with and an equally amazing last few minutes had her face plastered on the news screen, he felt his feet pulled out from beneath him.

  It had to be wrong. There was no way this princess, no, soon-to-be queen, was the same woman that had given herself to him over and over. She fit him unlike anyone else. Somehow she felt like a missing piece of his soul.

  But as he turned around, hearing the door to the bathroom close, Landon could tell by the look on her face that the picture on the screen was of her.

  Princess Karolyna Albertine.

  He actually knew about her small and peaceful country, having grown up in Ireland. Not many people in the United States could even find the country on a map.

  He drowned out the voice of some Lord concerned for Karolyna’s safety, apparently, the two of them were an item, thought Landon was certain that she could do far better than the media seeking douche.

  “Please tell me that isn’t you,” Landon said as he crossed his arms against his chest defensively. He hated the look of utter defeat growing on her features, the way her shoulders slumped and her eyes only peeked at the screen for a moment before dropping to the floor. There wasn’t a need for an answer, he could already tell, but he wanted to hear it from her directly.

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  Something in the way she said it had him rethinking about lashing out at her for lying to him. He thought back to the news report and how they be
lieved she left on her own, and how he felt like he knew more about this woman before him than the fancy fellow claiming to be her boyfriend.

  It almost broke him to see her fall in defeat. Her confidence had been one of the things that drew him to her, to begin with.

  “What did they do to you?”

  No sooner was the question from his mouth when he heard the faintest of sobs escape from her chest.

  “Come here, sweetheart.” Landon beckoned her forward with his arms spread wide. Kerry launched herself at him and collapsed as she let the tears run free. Holding her in his arms was the only comfort he could give. It seemed to be all that she wanted to take from Landon as she squeezed her arms around his waist, clinging to him for dear life.

  Landon let her cry it out for the next few minutes knowing that it was something she had kept buried inside for far too long. He didn’t care that his shirt was soaked through. He didn’t care that he had a million things to do at the bar. He didn’t care that he probably needed to head to Amy and Joseph’s house for the barbeque. All that mattered to him was this woman clutching him as if he could solve all of her problems.

  He wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed, but finally, Kerry’s cries seemed to dissipate. She took a step back, but not far enough that the arms he had wrapped around her fell.

  “Want to tell me all about it?”

  “I don’t know if I should. Or honestly, if you’d even want to hear it all. It’s very woe is me. Princess of a country, soon to be queen on her thirtieth birthday, running from said country.”

  “You can talk to me. What made you run? Was it something with the boyfriend?”

  “Boyfriend?” she asked in pure confusion.

  “I believe he said his name was Lord Donoveaux.”

  An unladylike snort sounded from her and Landon couldn’t help but grin. “He wishes he was my boyfriend, but he does have something to do with it.”

  “Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll get you a soda or something.”

  “A Dr. Pepper would be nice. Thank you, Landon. I can see how bad this looks.”

  “Beautiful, as long as you’re safe, I’m not worried about the trouble.”

  He spent enough years incarcerated to care very little about trouble.

  Filling up a glass with her request, Landon skid the glass across the bar to her waiting hand.

  “I guess this all explains your hesitancy with the application.”

  “Bingo.”

  He watched her take a sip of her drink, then another, before glancing up at him where he rested against the counter patiently.

  “So, I ran away because I’m pretty much being forced to marry before I am ready. And if I didn’t choose someone at that party to become engaged to, then my parents were going to choose the next future king for me.”

  “And I’m guessing that Lord Donoveaux is their first choice.”

  Kerry tapped the side of her nose with her finger at his statement, the silent confirmation that he needed.

  “I’ve worked my entire life tirelessly to do what was best for my parents, best for the people, and best for the crown. But never once did I do anything for myself; do something that I wanted.

  “But I tried. I tried so hard, even forming a charity for mental health that would be having their first benefit next weekend, and my parents didn’t even care. I’m pretty certain my father doesn’t even know about any of the charities I work for and run.

  “I just wanted to find someone on my own time. I think it’s ridiculous that I have to be married before the coronation period begins or the crown passes to the next heir.”

  Landon listened carefully to the words of hurt as she expelled them. None of it seemed real, more like one of those romantic comedy movies the Connelly women liked to go on and on about. But to hear that the scenario was affecting Kerry’s life was a hard pill to swallow.

  “Would that be so bad. . .if the crown was passed over.”

  “Maybe? I don’t know,” she replied, swirling her finger over the condensation on the glass. “Being a ruler is all I know. Being a future queen is all I’ve ever been taught. I don’t know how to do anything else.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  Sarcastically chuckling, Kerry brought the glass to her lips to take another sip of her drink. “I wish it were false. I didn’t even know what I’d put as previous job experiences other than sipping tea, walking in four-inch heels while wearing a ball gown that weighed more than me, and public speaking. Which, by the way, I absolutely despise.”

  “So, what was it that actually caused you to leave?” he asked curiously. That was the part that he didn’t understand. She was in a predicament, but it wasn’t something that he didn’t think couldn’t be rationally discussed.

  “I had two signs. The first was a small picture I had taken the last time I had visited Carson and it made me miss this place so much. This is the only place I have ever just truly been myself. This is my home just as much as my country.”

  “And the other reason?”

  “I overheard Lord Donoveaux speaking with some of his colleagues that he had the marriage in the bag and that he planned to make sure I was compliant.”

  Landon’s blood boiled at the thought of that man laying a hand on her, even considering being in her presence was more than the man deserved.

  “I stand by my proclamation that he is a douche.”

  “I agree. Anyway, after I heard that, I walked up to him and asked him to join me on the patio. He agreed, obviously. Once we were out there together, he tried to make a move, like he had so many times before, except I kneed him in his. . .sensitive region, then did the same to his nose as he hunched over.”

  “That’s my girl,” Landon claimed without a second thought, mirroring her smirk at his declaration.

  “While he was writhing in pain, I dashed through the back halls where I found my assistant Mary and she helped me escape through the servant area about ten minutes later. I stole the car that had been waiting for Lord Donoveaux, which was actually quite brilliant on my part.

  “Mary helped me book a commercial flight and then a few hours later, here I am, running away and trying to figure out what I want in life.”

  Hearing about the help she received, Landon began to worry for her friend. He mentioned as much and Kerry immediately searched through her bag for an ancient flip phone.

  “She says everything is quiet in the palace, but they’re very suspicious. I’m afraid for her, treason is a huge crime in our country and she promised that she wouldn’t disclose my location, but if it came down to it, I hope that she knows to protect herself first.”

  “You’re a good friend, Kerry.”

  “I’m the worst friend. I asked a girl that I’ve known since I was a toddler to lie for me, and if she’s found to be lying by my parents, she could be kicked out of the country.”

  “You’re a good friend because if you had even the slightest inkling from her that she was in trouble, you’d be back in your country in a heartbeat.”

  Kerry seemed to mull over his words and then finally nodded in agreement.

  “So, what do we do now?” he asked as he began to move around the bar to the side where Kerry sat.

  “We?”

  “Yeah, we. I can keep your secret, just like everyone else in this town, but you probably need to come up with some sort of plan.”

  “You’re right.” She licked her lips as she admitted the truth. Landon used the opportunity to wrap his arms around her again, he hated what he was about to say, but it was something she needed to be aware of, especially if she was found with him.

  “I think it’s probably best if we keep this on a friendly level.”

  Kerry practically jumped out of his arms as she looked up at him in shock.

  “What? Why?”

  “Because there are things about me you’d never understand. I’ve seen things no one should have to see and you’re everything good in the world, a lite
ral princess.”

  “So, you’re saying you’re the coal and I’m the diamond,” she explained with a bit of fire in her voice.

  “Something like that.”

  “The ugliness that covers you doesn’t take away from the beauty that you harbor inside, Landon.”

  “The difference is people use the coal to watch it burn under a flame. The diamond is preserved and taken care of because of its delicate beauty.”

  ***

  Kerry understood what Landon was saying, but even after barely knowing the man for a day she could see the good in him. She could also see the secrets. He was harboring something that he was ashamed of. It was hard not to press him for that information, but she had time, especially if she was going to stay in Carson. Though she was uncertain if she would still be welcome if anyone saw the news report from her parents.

  God, she had never been more embarrassed than seeing a picture of her wearing the same tiara stuffed in the bottom of her bag on the television screen.

  There was zero desire to go back to the palace, though she missed the people she served. Kerry had always been proud of her country.

  A phone pinged from behind the bar and Landon groaned as he let her side and moved quickly to grab it.

  “I need to get ready for dinner. Did you need me to take you home?”

  Disappointment soared through Kerry as she anticipated Landon meeting up with someone so soon after their night together. But she knew she had no claim to him, even though that ached her to her core.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep you from your date. I would still like to help you with the bar if you’re interested, though you know I have zero experience.” She was babbling and she hated when she babbled because she was nervous or embarrassed.

  Spinning around before Landon could come back around the counter, she reached for her bag and started to make her exit. But she didn’t get far. Kerry sensed him before she felt him reach for her arm, but she was already turning around to face him.

  “Kerry, there is no date. And even if there were, the moment I saw you today, I would have canceled.”