Asher’s eyebrows rose up high. “And you said yes?”

  Okay, maybe my fights with Gemma were well documented. I’d rather she hated me than pitied me, though. Even if it sucked working beside the pink-haired hottie all the time. Was it a good plan? Absolutely not. But I didn’t want her to know about my fucked up childhood.

  “Avery had the baby. I couldn’t say no when Gemma needed her shift covered,” I explained.

  Asher pursed his lips, but left his comment unsaid when some customers came up to the bar, and we got busy serving them beer.

  A couple of minutes later, I saw a flash of pink in my periphery.

  Gemma.

  I silently cursed and walked to the other end of the bar to clear away empty beer glasses. It was better if Gemma and I kept a few feet of distance between us.

  “Hey, Gem,” Asher greeted.

  I glanced over at the statuesque tattooed beauty as she clocked in for her shift. My eyes dipped down her frame and traced the lines of the flower tattoos on her arm. Chicks with tattoos and unnaturally colored hair were my weakness. With her pink hair and tattoos, she made my dick stand at attention, but I couldn’t go there. Not when I had slammed that door shut earlier this year.

  Her blue eyes shot up to me when she caught me staring, and then the standard ‘Gemma Scowl’ marred her pretty face. “Take a picture. It will last longer,” she snapped.

  “What are you in the fifth grade?” I teased.

  Asher sighed. “I don’t know why Dec puts you on the schedule together.”

  Asher walked into the back office, probably to bitch about us to Declan. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

  I knew why Declan put Gemma and me on the same shifts. The same reason he forced me to work with her on the artwork for the brewery instead of doing it himself. He already told me to bang it out to give the rest of them a break. Yeah, no. If I got one taste of Gemma Jensen, I’d never let her go. But I’d only disappoint her in the end when I chose my sister over her.

  Gemma was still glaring at me, but her next retort died on her lips when a guy wearing a Philadelphia Bulldogs jersey sat down. Gemma put on her customer service smile and leaned against the bar.

  “What can I get you?” she asked.

  “Are you on the menu?” hockey-bro joked.

  I rolled my eyes, but Gemma gave the douche a flirtatious laugh. She had that way about her. She radiated positivity, and when she smiled, it was like the warm rays of the sun shone down on you. She never smiled at me like that. Instead, I got the heated glare of a woman scorned.

  “No can do, my friend!” she told the customer with a laugh.

  The guy laughed with her. “I’ll take the 611 Ale.”

  “Ooh, great choice. I love that one!” Gemma said as she poured him the beer. She caught me staring at her. “What are you looking at?” she hissed in a whisper.

  “Just you, sweet thing.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Christ, does that work on other women? So cheesy. Get out of my face, Felix.”

  I smirked and walked over to her, pretending I was doing something behind the bar. I bent down to her ear. “You want to see how good it works?”

  I swore I felt her shiver, but then she shoved me away. “That ship sailed a long time ago.”

  She handed the beer over to her customer, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t watch her sweet ass as she walked away. It was a little fun to rile her up.

  A familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts—one I had no desire to hear ever again. The blood drained from my face when I came face-to-face with my ex, Roger.

  Roger looked freshly shaven and was wearing a tailored suit, which looked amazing on him. Why did he look that good? And who wore a suit to a freaking brewery? Beside him was a pretty blonde woman with cat-eye glasses.

  “Hey, what are you drinking tonight?” I asked, pretending to play it cool.

  “Hey Felix, you still working in this dump?” he asked. The blonde cringed and gave me an apologetic look.

  “You mean this awesome brewery with amazing beer?” Gemma cut in.

  I side-eyed her. I didn’t know why she was coming to my rescue. Why would Gemma, of all people, want to help me?

  Gemma put on that bright smile again. “Felix, take a break. I’ll handle this.”

  “You sure?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I just took mine. Go on.”

  We both knew it was a lie. What was she playing at?

  I stared at her awkwardly for a second, and she nodded toward the kitchen. I didn’t wait for her to change her mind. I walked away, hoping to get some air. I also hoped Gemma didn’t ask me what that was about.

  I wasn’t ‘out’ per se. I didn’t care who knew I was bi. I just couldn’t handle the bi-erasure of people asking if I was ‘sure’ or the pitying looks when they told me it was ‘okay to be gay.’ Of course, it was, but being bisexual was different. I hated explaining that shit to people.

  I found my buddy Ryan in the back alley, smoking a cigarette. “Hey, man,” Ryan greeted me.

  Ryan used to work behind the bar, but now he helped Nolan and Allen brew the beer. He said working under Nolan was tough because the big guy was a micromanager. That didn’t surprise me, because Nolan could be a grump. But his attention to detail made the MacGregor Brothers Brewing Company so successful.

  Nolan was great for advice, too. Over the years, I’d gone to him for help. He sympathized with my situation with my sister, since his parents died when he was eighteen, and he had become a parent at a young age. I even told him about my breakup with Roger. Instead of asking me about my sexuality, he said, ‘Here, try this new beer I’m working on.’ I liked Nolan for that. He might be a grumpy asshole, but you could trust him with anything.

  I sighed. “Hey.”

  Ryan narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s up?”

  “Fucking Roger’s here.”

  His dark eyes widened, and he ran a golden-brown hand across his stubble uncomfortably. Ryan knew I was bi because we had been best friends since I was three years old. That’s the kind of friendship you had in a town like Drakesville. He knew all my secrets, and I knew his.

  “Why?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “No clue.”

  He stubbed out his cig. “So what, you ran away?”

  I leaned against the wall. “Nah. Gemma told me to go on break.”

  “Man, you two need to stop fighting. Just tell her about Skye, and fuck her already,” he said with a grin. He thrust his hips out, acting like he was humping the air.

  I rolled my eyes at him.“Nah, that ship has sailed, man.”

  I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and saw a text from my sister.

  HALF PINT: Can I stay at Sophia’s tonight?

  ME: Did you do your chores?

  HALF PINT: FE-FE! It’s SATURDAY. I’ll finish them tomorrow.

  I sighed. This single dad thing was no joke. I was trying to do the best for Skye, but she definitely had me wrapped around her little finger.

  I typed back a response.

  ME: Promise?

  HALF PINT: Yes! You’re the best big bro! See you tomorrow!

  I sighed and shoved my phone back into my pocket. Ryan arched a dark eyebrow at me. “Skye,” I explained.

  He nodded. “You gotta be firm with her, dude. That’s the only way kids learn. Skye needs structure.”

  “I know. She’s gonna be at your sister’s house.”

  Sophia was Ryan’s niece, so I knew Skye was always in excellent hands with Ryan’s sister, Christine.

  “Still, dude, you let her get away with everything.”

  I nodded. Ryan was right, but I didn’t care right now. The selfish part of me was glad I had a night to myself. I didn’t get many of those lately, so I might as well enjoy it.

  Chapter Three

  GEMMA

  I lifted the last chair and stacked it on the table while I hazarded a glance at Felix across the room. Since that rude guy showed up, he had been quiet, almost muted. His energy was off, and bad vibes had radiated off of him all night. I tried to shake off my empathic nature because Felix damn sure didn’t deserve my pity.

  I just wanted to close the bar without further arguments. I told Asher to take off already, since there wasn’t much more to get done. Declan had already left as well. He didn’t hang around because he knew Felix and I could manage closing. Felix was wiping down the countertops, but I still needed to vacuum the floor.

  I walked back toward the supply closet to grab the vacuum. When I turned around to walk out, Felix stood in front of me, almost menacingly, that I nearly jumped out of my skin.

  “Fuck! You scared the shit out of me!”

  “Sorry,” he muttered, giving me an uncharacteristic look of apology.

  “What do you want?” I growled and tried to muscle my way out of the closet, but I tripped over my own feet and would have landed on the floor if he hadn’t put a steady hand on my hip.

  My breath caught in my throat at the weight of his hand. My sex-deprived brain couldn’t stop thinking about what his hands could do to me. Images of his tattooed arm slipping down between my legs and inside my underwear flashed inside my mind.

  I really need to get laid.

  He took his hand off me, and I found myself disappointed. I shouldn’t have felt that way. I should have shoved him off me and told him to get bent.

  He took the vacuum out of my hand. “There’s not much left to do. You can go home if you want.”

  I shook my head. “Nah, you can’t close by yourself.”

  “Okay, in that case, sweet thing, get your fine ass out there and help me close up.”

  “You’re insufferable,” I said with a scoff and gave him the signature ‘Gemma Glare’ he was used to. Most people didn’t get that look. I prided myself on being a beacon of positivity, but with Felix, I let all my negative energy bubble to the surface. It wasn’t healthy, and I didn’t like that about myself, but he brought out the worst in me.

  “You love it,” he teased.

  “I hate you. Get out of my face.”

  “No, you don’t,” he said. He reached a hand up and pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. I shivered at his touch, and hated myself for it.

  “Yes. I do,” I argued, but my voice faltered. He didn’t move his hand, instead he framed my face, forcing me to look into those dark eyes of his.

  “You love our banter,” he said, almost seductively. He stared intently at my lips like he was thinking of leaning down and kissing me.

  “Banter? I can’t stand you!” I exclaimed and fixed him with another glare.

  But he smirked at me, like the cat who got the cream. Like he was about to do something that was really going to piss me off.

  Before I could stop him, his lips descended on mine. I should have pushed him away, but my hormones got the better of me, and I melted into his kiss. His tongue slid across my lips, and his hands went into my hair, pulling me closer. I moaned and opened to him, letting him angle my head into whatever position he wanted.

  He kissed me like a man starved, and it made my body come alive. Maybe that was why I didn’t stop him. Not when his hands roamed down my body or when he gripped my ass. And certainly not when he shoved me up against the wall.

  What did I do instead? I wrapped my legs around his waist and moaned into his mouth. I snaked my hands through his hair and gripped his shaggy locks while he deepened the kiss. He nipped at my lip. Oh god, I felt the hard weight of him against my leg, and I wanted more. I wanted to feel all of him pressing deep inside me.

  His beard tickled my skin as his lips traveled down my jaw and kissed the side of my neck. “Gemma,” he whispered in my ear.

  As soon as his lips left mine, the spell broke, and I remembered why I hated him. Even if my horny brain didn’t want him to stop.

  “Why did you do that?” I asked, finally snapping out of it.

  “Because you looked like you needed to be kissed. And it was the only way to shut you up,” he explained in a husky whisper against my neck.

  “Asshole!”

  “You want me to stop, sweet thing?” he purred in my ear while pressing small, teasing kisses below my ear.

  “No,” I moaned before I could stop myself.

  Yes. I wanted him to stop. I wanted him to stop before I dropped to my knees and sucked him off in the supply closet. Before I made ‘bad Gemma decisions’ and slept with my arch-nemesis. I needed him to stop before he put his spell on me again.

  But rational Gemma wasn’t in charge. Horny Gemma was. And horny Gemma didn’t give a fuck how Felix had wronged us.

  “No, sweet thing?”

  “Please?” I begged and arched my hips up, waiting for him to plunge a thick digit between my legs.

  “No.”

  “What?” I asked in disbelief and sighed when he set me back down on my feet.

  “Not like this.”

  “Because you don’t want me?” I cried.

  Of course, he didn’t want me. He only kissed me so he could reject me again. Because that was the kind of asshole he was. Tears threatened as I realized I had fallen for his bullshit once again. I couldn’t let this douche-canoe see how much his rejection crushed me. How once again, he fooled me.

  Felix twirled a strand of my pink hair around a finger. “I’m not fucking you in the supply closet. I want to bend you over my bed and take you from behind while I grip your pretty hair in my fist.”

  Ohhh.

  “You want that, sweet thing? You want me to press you into the mattress as I have my way with you?”

  I whimpered.

  Yes, yes, I did. I wanted all of that. And more. I wanted him to choke me while he told me I was a naughty girl.

  This was a bad idea on so many levels, but horny Gemma had taken over, and she didn’t care. Not one bit. The only thing she cared about was getting underneath this tattooed hottie as soon as possible.

  “Let’s finish closing up and then I’ll take you home and wrap my mouth around your clit, huh, sweet thing?”

  I must have been drunk on his kisses because I nodded instead of telling him to go fuck himself. Felix threaded his hands through my hair when he kissed me one last time, nice and slow, like he was savoring me. Like he was promising me what would come later if I behaved myself. But I didn’t want to be good. I wanted to misbehave so badly that he punished me for it.

  I opened my eyes when he pulled away, and his dark eyes bored into me. Then his lips turned up into a mischievous smile. “The quicker we finish tonight, the quicker I’ll have you coming, okay, sweet thing?” he purred.

  I didn’t know why I nodded and agreed with him. I shouldn’t be doing this, but I was horny with a capital H.

  “Wait, I want to know one thing,” I said.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  His eyes were still dark with desire. He wanted me as badly as I wanted him. Dec was right. Maybe Felix and I needed to bang it out. If we got all our aggression out in the bedroom, we wouldn’t bring it to work anymore. That would have made Declan happy, since he threatened to write us up after our last fight. He didn’t give a damn if I was family. He was serious about making sure the brewery wasn’t a hostile working environment.

  “Who was that guy tonight?” I asked.

  Felix’s eyes narrowed, and he looked pissed off.

  Felix was a dick, but he never looked furious at me before. The look that marred his face was scary.

  He ran his tattooed hand down his face. “Gem, I don’t want to talk about my ex.”

  Oh.

  Ohhh.

  Wait a second.

  “Wait, are you gay? Is that why you stood me up? If that was the case, that’s totally fine.” I held up my wrist. On it was a heart filled with block colors of pink, purple, and blue, depicting the bi pride flag. “I’m a loud and proud Bi girl, but I’m confused because you—”

  He slanted his mouth on mine again, silencing my confused questions. When he pulled away, he pressed my hand against his raging boner. “Definitely not gay, or you wouldn’t do this to me. I’m bi too. I hate that I’m expected to ‘come out’ when straight people don’t have to do that shit.”

  “Oh. Okay, I get that. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  He grinned. “It better be, or I might have to spank you.”

  I gave him a cheeky grin. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

  “Oh, yeah?” he asked and raised his pierced eyebrow.

  “We’re gonna do a bad job closing, aren’t we?” I asked with a laugh.

  “Let’s get it done, so I can taste your cum on my tongue.”

  I whimpered a little at that.

  “Now, Gemma,” he snarled and gave me a light tap on the ass. He didn’t have to tell me twice. I practically raced out of the supply closet to do the quickest closing possible.

  “Oh, fuuuckkk,” I moaned as Felix’s vibrating tongue ring hit the perfect spot on my clit.

  Yes, the man had a vibrating tongue ring he carried around with him. And holy shit, he was good at eating pussy.

  “That’s it, come for me, sweet thing,” he purred when he lifted his head up from between my legs.

  After we did the worst closing I’d ever done in my life, we went back to my place since it was closer. I’d get an earful from Declan about it, since it was unlike both of us. But I didn’t care because Felix had a VIBRATING tongue ring, and he was using it on me. His tongue ring was enough to make oral interesting, but I gasped out loud when he turned it on in the middle of going down on me. It made me wonder what other sorts of toys he had.

  Focus, Gemma! This is a one-time thing!

  Watching his tattooed arm slip down between my legs while he pressed two fingers inside my pussy had been the hottest thing I’d ever seen. I arched my hips off the bed, pressing myself further into his mouth. I cried out as my spine tingled, and I came all over his face.

  It took me a couple of seconds to come back down to earth. When I opened my eyes, he looked up at me with a satisfied smirk across his bearded face. He turned off his tongue ring but pressed small kisses on my thighs.

  “Good, sweet thing?” he asked.

 

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