My mind was still on naughtier topics. “There are a few things I’d like to teach you.”
The glint in her eye made my cock stir. “I think I’d like that.” She grinned, reaching up to trace her finger over my lower lip. “I like this mouth. It teaches me the best business practices by day and makes me scream at night.”
I grinned. “I’d be happy to make you scream right now.”
She looked tempted, but shook her head. “We’ve got the conversation club tonight. I should hit the books a little before I need to prep the bar.”
“Another time, then.” Kylie picked up her backpack, but I caught her arm, stopping her. “Thank you.”
“What for?” she asked.
The answer was very clear in my mind, but it was hard to put into words. “For helping me get to this point. The point where I’m working with the cohort and doing things with you, Mason, and Jude. Not just X-rated things, but normal things, and the speakeasy, too. A month ago, I felt like a ghost. Now I feel like I’m a part of something again.”
Her smile was genuine and breathtakingly beautiful. “I’m so glad you do.”
“Because of you.” I kissed her on the forehead.
“Because of us,” she clarified, reaching for me again.
Smiling, I took her into my arms and lowered my head to hers.
Again.
I doubted it’d ever get old.
26
Kylie
“Honestly, I think you’d like a tequila sunrise better,” I told the brunette sitting across the bar.
“Okay, I’ll try that.”
We chatted as I mixed the drink for her. It was Thursday night, and there was quite a big crowd. Mason manned the door, making sure it wasn’t too crowded in here, and also making sure a line didn’t form out in the hallway. That’d attract the wrong kinds of attention. Instead, he took people’s numbers and texted them when there was space for them.
“Have you ever used the fireplace?” she asked, tilting her head toward it.
I frowned. We hadn’t turned it on the entire time I’d been here. “No, not yet.” Then I realized my mistake. “I mean, I don’t think the guys have.”
She laughed. “It’s okay. I know you’re dating one of them. I’ve seen you coming and going when I was at my boyfriend’s place. He lives a couple of doors down.”
“Yeah, I think I’ve seen you before, too.” I tried to keep my voice steady even though my heart pounded. “Here’s your drink.”
I’d hoped she’d drop the subject after that, but she didn’t. “Wow, this is delicious. Do I pay you now?”
“Either that or start a tab.”
She fished in her pocket and handed over some money. I put it in the drawer acting as our cash register. Then she shoved a few bucks in the tip jar. “Thanks.”
She sipped her drink and then leaned forward, smiling. “So which one are you dating? I’ve got to say, I’ve seen all three and there’s no bad options with those guys.”
Shit. The official line was that I was dating Parker, but what if she saw me someday walking arm in arm with Jude or Mason? We tried not to do anything outside of the room, but that’d gotten harder to avoid lately. “Do you mind if I don’t say? It’s just, one of the guys is jealous, so I try not to talk about it much.” Crap, that didn’t make any sense.
But somehow, she nodded. Thank God for alcohol. “Got it.”
She took her drink and moved into the living room to listen to Jude. He was playing guitar and had quite a crowd around him. Mostly females, I noted. It figured. On nights he didn’t play, we used playlists broadcasted on speakers—not too loudly, of course.
I took advantage of a few moments of peace to clean the top of the bar off. Then I cleaned the counter and sink of the little kitchenette. I was just about to slice limes when two guys came up and asked for beers.
It was tiring, but fun. One of the best parts for me was it was something the four of us were doing together. And although my professors probably didn’t agree, I really learned a lot from the experience, thanks to Parker. He made me keep a very careful track of the income and the expenses, and I became a lot more methodical about what to order more of and when.
We technically closed shop at eleven, but it was well after that, and the place was still full. At least, I thought it was. It was a little hard to see because an inebriated young woman had climbed up on my bar and was dancing there.
“Please get down,” I said for the tenth time. I tugged on her leg, but just a little. She had on high-heeled sandals and was none too steady on her feet. “Come on, could you just climb on down?” I tried to meet her eyes, but she spun, and suddenly, I was looking right up her short skirt. Great. Just what I needed.