by Adele Niles
“Yeah, he is. And a few other guys.” She shook her head. “It’s like they only hire hot guys there.”
Sydney raised her eyebrows. “Yeah? Tell me about them?”
“Well, there’s Ryker. He’s kind of a dog, but I think he’s a good guy deep down. Looks like a biker. Gorgeous green eyes. And, like, ripped. But they’re all ripped. I guess it’s part of the job requirement?” Kenzie chuckled.
“Wow. Maybe I need a tattoo.” Sydney took a long drink from her wine.
“Logan’s the oldest, I think. He worked at No Regrets before Benny and Bradley took over.” Her tone of voice changed. “He’s so hot. Dark hair and eyes. Kind of Mediterranean-looking. And really sweet.” She tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear. “Really sweet.”
“Hm, sounds like somebody has a crush,” I murmured.
“Shut up. I do not!” Kenzie laughed, but her cheeks went red. “He’s just…the nicest. And anyway, even if I had a crush on him, Bradley would never let it happen. Logan’s thirty-one. That’s way older than me.”
“Right, right.” I smiled. “C’mon, who’s left?”
“Right, yeah. There’s Garrett. He just moved to Richland from California. He’s our age. More clean-cut than the other guys. Brown hair, blue eyes. Real nice guy, but, I dunno. He follows Ryker around like a puppy. I’m not sure it’s the best influence for him.” Kenzie shrugged. “And then there’s Zoe. She works the counter. She likes girls, so if anybody’s ever looking to experiment…”
Sydney and I both laughed.
“I’m good,” I said. “I’m pretty sure I’m exclusively into guys.”
“Same,” Sydney agreed. “I think, anyway.”
“You’ll find out soon, won’t you?” Kenzie laughed, rising. “I’m going to open another bottle of wine. You ladies need anything?”
“I’m good. Thanks, Kenzie!”
As she walked away, she called back to me. “Lora. You’ve been to the shop. Who’s the cutest?”
Why did she have to put me on the spot like that?
Or…maybe this was the right time to tell her. Girls’ night was about being closer to our friends, sharing confidences.
“Well, I—”
“What’s this?” Kenzie looked up at me through the pass-through window. She held a piece of paper in one hand.
Shit. The note.
Think fast.
“Oh, it’s—it’s from a friend. Brittany. I grew up with her. She left that in one of my boxes before I moved and I found it a few days ago.”
Not a good lie.
Kenzie looked at the note again, then shrugged. “It’s cute. I like the butterfly. It’s like what Bradley would do if he drew cutesy shit like this.”
She put it back on the counter.
We must have all been just buzzed enough for that crappy lie to work.
Thank God.
We drank the other bottle of wine and, when the pizza arrived, ate the whole thing. I laughed more talking with Kenzie and Sydney than I had since before I’d started dating Chris.
Man, he’d been bad for me.
I put my empty glass down. The wine bottle was drained, and I stood up, wobbling. “Okay, okay. I’m not done yet. I think I have a bottle of Crown. Who wants a shot?”
“Me!” Kenzie put her hand up.
Sydney laughed and followed suit.
I brought out the bottle and three mismatched shot glasses. I sloshed whiskey on the coffee table as I poured—a problem for the Lora of tomorrow. We knocked them back.
I sat down, reaching into my pocket for my phone.
Drunk ideas are rarely good ones.
Hey asshole! Guess what!
I found a new guy!
He’s super hot and has a HUGE dick!
And he did me better on our first night together than you EVER did!
So fuck you Chris!
Right. Bradley.
Texting Chris about his dick made me realize how bad I wanted it.
I shot him a text.
Hey! Come to my place. Take your time getting here.
I poured another round of shots.
“Okay, okay, this is it for me.” Kenzie laughed, then checked her phone before setting it back on the table. “There’s a car on its way. So we’ll do this, and then we should probably head out. Before the whiskey hits.”
“Okay.” I nodded, downing my shot.
Kenzie and Sydney knocked theirs back, then stood.
We hugged each other, and I saw them off. They both promised they’d text when they got back to Kenzie’s place.
Hopefully, I’d be too busy to respond.
Chapter Thirteen
Bradley
My phone chimed. Thank God.
Emily was on my last nerve. She’d been fun for a few rolls in the hay, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Lora. I didn’t really want to be out, with Emily or with the guys from the shop.
And the text was from Lora.
Hey! Come to my place. Take your time getting here
I couldn’t say no to an invitation like that.
I’ll head out as soon as my tab’s paid. See you soon.
I was in my car ten minutes later, without Emily, although she’d tried to follow me out. I was glad to be away from them.
I was glad to be heading for Lora’s.
I had to get my head on straight. Maybe I needed to break it off.
But I could do that after tonight. Just one more time. Then, end it. That would be fine.
I turned down the street in front of Lora’s duplex. Her front door opened. Had she been watching for me?
No—shit. Kenzie was coming out of her apartment. And with her was Sydney Lawson.
She grew up nice.
They stood on the step for a moment, hugging Lora. I went down the road, parking a block from Lora’s. I sank down in my car, waiting until I saw Kenzie go past. Then I got out of my car and walked to Lora’s.
The door was still unlocked. I let myself in.
Lora was standing in the middle of the living room.
“Hey, you.” She smiled, swaying slightly.
“Hey.” I closed the door.
She came closer, leaning against my chest, head tilted back to look up at me. “Hey.”
“You’re drunk.”
“Not too drunk.”
“Good.” I leaned down and kissed her.
She rose up against me, wrapping her arms around my neck. She smiled as she eased back from the kiss. “Sorry about earlier. I was just jealous.”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just have some fun.”
She nodded eagerly. “Yeah.”
We stripped each other fast. There were empty bottles and shot glasses on the coffee table, and a pizza box on the floor, but I didn’t care.
I pushed Lora back toward the couch. She moved easily, sinking down to sit. I followed her, bending over her. She looked so gorgeous.
I put one knee on the couch, ready to push her back and enjoy this.
The door opened behind us. “Hey, Lora, sorry, I forgot my—”
The rest of whatever was being said was cut off by a scream. I whipped around.
Kenzie.
Shit.
Lora sat up, draping a blanket over her body. I bent down and grabbed the pizza box, covering myself with it.
Fuck, my kid sister had just seen we with a boner.
“What—what are you doing here?” I asked.
“What are you doing here?” Kenzie held one hand out to me, accusing. “What the hell, Bradley?”
“I can—”
“I told you not to fuck with her!”
Lora scrambled with the throw blanket and said, “Kenzie!”
She stopped shouting, her glare turning on Lora. “You lied about the note!”
“Yes, I did.” Lora stood up next to me. She took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry. We were trying to—”
Kenzie gasped. “The other night. At the bakery. Were you—”
&
nbsp; I looked to Lora. Her cheeks were red.
Slowly, she nodded.
“Yeah.” I nodded, too. “I almost froze my dick off in your fridge.”
“I don’t want to hear about your dick, Bradley.”
“Okay, well.” I shrugged. “Just trying to lighten the mood. Sorry.”
Kenzie scoffed, shaking her head. “You two are unbelievable.”
“Kenzie.” Lora took a step forward. “I’m sorry, I just—it’s nothing serious, okay? We’re just having some fun.”
Kenzie stomped closer to us. She snatched her phone off the coffee table, then stepped back. She pointed to me. “You, I’d expect this from.”
“I know, I—”
“But not you.” She pointed at Lora.
Lora held out a hand. “Kenzie, I—”
“I don’t want to hear it. Okay? I gotta go.” Kenzie shook her head and turned away, storming out of the apartment.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Chapter Fourteen
Lora
My brain ached.
The cause of it was the chiming of my alarm. No—it was the hangover, for sure. The alcohol was kicking my ass, and I had to go to work on top of it.
I rolled over and reached for my phone. Fourteen texts and five missed calls. From Chris.
Real mature Lora
And if you’re trying to make me jealous then…
I wasn’t going to put myself through this. I shook my head and deleted the text thread. Last night had been a series of bad decisions, and I had to keep them from happening again.
I blocked Chris’s number, and deleted him as a contact in my phone. That would keep me from drunk texting him again.
I sat up slowly and let out a sigh. My head was throbbing and my stomach twisted as I moved. I had to get up and get moving.
But my bed was so warm.
And Bradley was in it.
Maybe I’d made one good decision last night.
He’d fucked me good, just like always—hard and passionate, with lots of heated kisses. There were scratches down his back. I couldn’t help but feel a little proud of that.
I pushed myself out of bed, stretching. Bradley lifted his head from the pillow and looked at me.
“You’re up early.”
“Gotta go to work.”
“You always get up this early for work?”
“Somebody’s gotta bake the muffins everybody wants for breakfast.”
“I didn’t realize Bakeology started so early. No wonder Kenzie’s so grouchy.”
Right, Kenzie. Work. My job. With my friend, who I’d lied to.
Last night had definitely been full of bad decisions.
I groaned and pressed my hands to my forehead. “Your sister is going to murder me.”
“She won’t. She’s mad at me, not you.” Bradley sat up, stretching his arms above his head.
I watched him, sighing. Even if Kenzie was mad at us, I wanted to keep this up. It was fun. It was good for me, I was sure.
“If you say so,” I said. “I’m gonna shower. You can stay in bed a little longer.”
“Nah, I’m hungry. I’ll make breakfast.”
Bradley pushed back the blankets and got out of bed, naked. I looked him over, a little tingle of heat rolling through my body.
No time to act on it, though. I had to get ready.
By the time I was showered and dressed, my stomach was in knots—from the hangover and from nerves. I went out to the kitchen to find Bradley plating up scrambled eggs. It smelled good, but I wasn’t sure I could keep it down.
But damn, he looked good.
He’d put his jeans back on, but he’d stayed shirtless, leaving his tattooed body exposed. I looked at the scratches down his back, the bite mark on his shoulder.
He turned and smiled, holding one of the plates out to me. “Here. Toast’s almost done. Eat.”
“I don’t think I can.” My stomach rolled at the smell of the eggs, and I handed the plate back. “I’m too hung over. And nervous.”
“Just the toast, then? You gotta eat something.”
“I’ll have a muffin at work. Once I make peace with Kenzie.”
Saying her name made my stomach lurch. I took a step back from the kitchen.
“I gotta go. Um, there’s a spare key on the hanger by the door. You can stick around, just lock up before you go. I’ll get my key from you later.”
Bradley nodded. “Sure. Yeah. I’ll drop it off, or you can run to the shop and get it.”
“Okay.” I nodded back and smiled. “Well, have a good one.”
“Will do. See you later, Lora.”
* * * * *
I’d hoped that I would beat Kenzie to Bakeology. I’d wanted to knock out the morning work as a peace offering before she got in, but her car was already parked in the lot. The lights were on inside.
How long had she been here?
I let myself in. The front was set for opening, and there were already a few batches of muffins in the case.
She had to be in the back kitchen.
I sighed and went through the door to the back. Kenzie faced away from me, aggressively stirring something in a large steel bowl.
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
What was I supposed to say? Sorry for fucking your brother? Sorry you had to see that?
For a moment, she stopped stirring.
She knew I was here.
I had to say something.
“Kenzie, I’m sorry, I—”
She held one hand up.
Was she that mad at me?
“Lora, just stop.” Her tone wasn’t angry; if anything, she sounded exhausted.
I opened my mouth to speak, but she kept talking.
“Just…don’t. It’s not you. I get it. Women can’t resist Bradley. It’s been a problem since he hit puberty.” She put the spoon down and turned, leaning on the counter to look at me. “I’m pissed at him, but I’m only mad at you for not locking your door.”
I blinked in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’m blaming you for the fact that I had to see Bradley naked.” Kenzie gave me a half-smile. “I’m serious. He’s really charming, so I can see why you got sucked in.”
“He is.” I felt my cheeks warm up. “He’s…yeah. Really charming. That’s putting it lightly.”
He was charming, and hot, and funny. Fun to talk to. Creative.
Kenzie was giving me a strange look—still half-smiling, but in a way that suggested she knew something I didn’t.
“What?”
She shrugged. “You wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes.”
“I do not.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“No? You get a look when you’re thinking about Bradley.” Kenzie shrugged, turning to pick up the bowl and spoon. “It says a lot.”
Oh.
The heat that rose in my face was different this time. Kenzie didn’t need to say anything else. I knew what she was getting at, and while I wasn’t going to say it, she was right.
She was so right.
Kenzie sighed and put the bowl down. She opened her arms and approached me. “C’mere. Hugs?”
I moved toward her, wrapping my arms around her. She hugged me tight, patting my back. She smelled like batter—vanilla and sugar. She smelled like my friend. Maybe my best friend.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“Don’t thank me. Just be careful. Bradley’s never been with the same girl longer than a couple weeks, and I really don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I will.” I lifted my head, looking at Kenzie. “You think it’s okay? To…y’know. Feel like this?”
“Well, if anyone could convince him to settle down, it would probably be you.” She smiled. “He really is a good guy. He’s sweet, deep down. Just kind of a player.”
I nodded. “No, I know. And we’re not serious. So, if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. No harm done.”
I didn’t believe that for a second, and neither did Kenzie. She squeezed me a little tighter, then let go.
We finished preparing the muffins and pastries for the morning, then moved out to the front. I took over in the front kitchen, starting a batch of cupcakes. Kenzie opened the shop, and we started the morning.
But Bradley never dropped in. I knew he’d eaten before he left my place, but I figured he’d at least come for a cup of coffee. After the morning rush ended, I bagged up a cinnamon spice muffin and started to make a coffee.
“What’s up?” Kenzie asked. “Going on break?”
“I was just thinking I’d run this down to No Regrets.” I shrugged.
Kenzie considered me for a moment, then smiled. “Let me? I have some stuff I need to say to Bradley.”
I couldn’t argue with her. I held the bag out, nodding. “Yeah. But don’t run him off completely, okay?”
Kenzie laughed, taking the bag. “Don’t worry. I won’t. I just have to make sure he knows what’s up.” She took the coffee from me when I’d finished making it. “I’ll be back soon. Hold the fort down for me?”
“You got it. Have a good talk.” I watched her walk off, smiling, then turned back to my cupcakes.
Chapter Fifteen
Bradley
The front door opened, and I heard Zoe’s voice from behind the desk. “Oh, hey, Kenzie.”
Shit.
I’d figured she would come in at some point today, but I didn’t think it would be so soon.
I wasn’t working on a client, so I got up from my sketchbook and went down to meet her. Kenzie turned to look at me.
She definitely wanted to kill me.
But she had a bag and a cup of coffee. Maybe I wasn’t in that much trouble.
Maybe Lora had smoothed things over for me?
“Hey, Kenzie.”
“Bradley.”
“Thanks for breakfast.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Who said this was for you?”
Yeah, I was still in trouble.
Kenzie moved past me, going up the stairs.
“Logan. Hey.” She held out the bag and the coffee cup.
Logan turned and looked up, blinking in surprise. “Kenzie, hi.” He reached out, taking the food. “Thanks. I picked a good morning to skip breakfast, huh?”
Kenzie smiled. “You’re welcome. Enjoy it.”
Her gaze lingered on Logan for a moment. I opened my mouth to say something shitty, but stopped. I was already on Kenzie’s shit list. No need to make it worse.
