“Appreciate it, Tom.”
“Let’s get you a table.”
“Actually, we’re headed to the bar.”
“Nah, you men need space, and the bar’s crowded.”
“The bar is fine. We’ll make room.”
His grin goes to a full-out smile, his eyes lighting up. “It’s about time you ‘head to the bar’.” His meaning is clear.
He leads, taking us to the far side where four stools are empty. In front of them is a folded sign that reads Reserved.
“I had a feeling I’d need these seats tonight. But hear me now, Ace. I don’t want any trouble. You start shit, you answer to me.”
“Got it. No shit,” I agree.
“You’re a fucking terrible liar, boy. Remember that.”
He slaps me on the shoulder and walks away. I swear I hear the faint sound of whistling as he goes.
My eyes scan the area, not finding Harley anywhere. I’m thrown off balance, my ass almost sliding off the seat when a weight hits me from the side. Small arms wrap around my waist, and Jewls’ face flashes in view before she buries it in my chest.
“Hey, Jewls.” I squeeze her neck and kiss the side of her forehead. “Good to see you.”
She presses back, her bright eyes wide and shining. “So good to see you, Ace.”
“What about me?” Ford spreads his arms, and she moves into them.
“She’s in the stockroom. And you can thank me for those seats. I passed up an offer for two hundred dollars saving those.” Jewls turns to me. “You’re also late.”
“Late for what?”
“We started our shift at five.”
There isn’t a chance for me to answer before the catcalls sound out, and all the hair on the back of my neck stands.
“Oops, I better go help!”
My eyes stay trained on her as she runs to the end of the bar and Harley comes into view. She’s overloaded with liquor bottles, carefully balancing as she slides them to the edge, and Jewls takes them from her.
She laughs at something Jewls says, and then her eyes shift to me. There’s a flicker of surprise, her smile spreading as she steps around and comes my way. I do a quick scan over her.
Relief washes through me that her shirt isn’t nearly as tight or revealing as last night. Her hair is tied on top of her head, the curls escaping in all different directions. There’s a flash of something bright, and I chuckle under my breath when I notice her pink Converses. For all the years, she still loves those shoes.
“Hi, guys,” she says sweetly. “Did I miss the apocalypse?”
“Nope,” Ford replies.
“Did pigs fly?”
“Not yet.” Major laughs.
“Did hell freeze over?”
“Possible,” Talon answers.
“So, what’s the occasion?” she asks me.
“It was time to check this place out.”
“Check it out?”
“Yeah, heard some great things.”
She stands in front of me—eyeing me as if she knows what I’m thinking, and looking gorgeous, confident, and absolutely breathtaking.
Even with the distance between us, I hear her breath hitch and her eyes shimmer. My mask falls and she notices instantly, understanding washing over her features.
In a flash, she’s in my arms, wrapping herself around me as a small sob escapes. “I’m proud of you, Achilles,” she whispers with a broken voice.
My heart stops at my given name. No one refers to me as Achilles anymore. I’ve gone by Ace for as long as I can remember. But she never cared, always saying how much she loved Achilles.
And like the young teenage boy that met her at one of the lowest points of my life, I curl her into my body and allow myself to feel her pureness seeping into me. Her scent invades me, and my body reacts, hauling her tighter.
“Harley,” is my only response.
I don’t know how long we stay like this, her in my arms while I memorize the feel of her body pressed close. A throat clears and she lifts her head, one of her curls tickling the edge of my ear. She turns her attention to the guys.
“Congratulations to all of you.” She aims her full smile at them, and the jealous motherfucker in me wants to cup her head back to my neck and haul her out of here.
The urge grows when she embraces Ford warmly.
“Well, look at this shit!” Glen Bates steps into our circle, the stench of beer hitting me hard. “The Casanova Club has finally come out. It’s about time, Rookies!” He sets his eyes on Harley, raking them over her until they land on her ass. An unmistakable hunger fills his expression. “Can I get one of those hugs, pretty lady?”
Jealousy ricochets to possession, and I stand, putting force into my right side and my bulk pushing him back into a stumble. Major takes my cue, sliding Harley to me, where I tuck her under my arm.
“Watch where you’re going.” The sloppy grin on Glen’s face turns into a scowl.
“I was. You were in our space.”