His Gothic Valentine

I get back downstairs and see that all the glasses are gone from the tables, and he’s already wiping them down and stacking the chairs on them as he goes. I can see the corded muscles in his white t-shirt as he works, and my mouth waters. He’s ditched his bulletproof vest, shirt, and utility belt and left them on the bar. How long was I up there?

“About ten minutes,” he says, and I realize I said that out loud.

“Oh, you work fast,” I say, grabbing a broom from the little hallway that leads up to my apartment.

“How do you know that I won’t try and kill you or something?” I ask, gesturing to the pile where I know his gun lies.

“Just a feeling, Rainn. Should we finish this up?” I smile and nod at him, getting to work. In the back, I turn the dishwasher and the washing machine on before heading back out to the central area of the club.

I spend a little while sweeping and then mopping. He surprises me further by breaking down the bar, cleaning it, and restocking whatever needs it from the back.

“I was a bartender in college,” he says when I just sit at the bar staring at him.

“Where did you go to college?” I ask, wanting to know everything about him.

“University of Georgia,” he says, the little twang in his voice is more noticeable now.

“Ah,” I reply, hoping he’ll tell me more. He doesn’t disappoint.

“Full ride, football scholarship. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise, but I made sure to make the most of my time there, unlike my teammates, and studied criminology.” We don’t have a single thing in common, but I am drawn to him all the same. Maybe even more so. I’ve never been alone with a man before, so these feelings that I have for him don’t make sense, but I don’t want him to go. I want him to stay forever, and I know that I will love this man for the rest of my life, and I don’t even care how crazy this sounds. It was the same for my parents and grandparents. It was an instant bond that can’t be broken.

“Were you good?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation light—no need to scare the shit out of him in the first hour or two.

“I was a top ten draft pick, so you tell me,” he says expectantly, cockily even, but I am at a loss.

“I’m sorry. Sports aren’t my thing,” I say, looking down at my hands folded on the bar. Never in my life have I wished I were some other kind of girl before, but I do now.

“I was very good,” he says honestly.

“Why’d you give it up?”

“I don’t know why. It just wasn’t right. My dad still won’t talk to me. It’s been twelve years.”

“What are you into?” he asks.

“Huh?” I ask, confused.

“You said you weren’t into sport, so what are you into?”

“Oh, reading, dancing, hanging out with my little sister, Rainbow. She’s twelve and is dying to work here,” I say, smiling.

“Twelve. That’s pretty young,” Everett says, nodding. “How old are you?” he blurts out, looking concerned. No one ever glosses over our names are Rainn and Rainbow, but he does, which makes me smile.

“Eighteen.” When he just stares at me, I fidget with the tear in the thigh of my jeans. For some reason, I don’t tell him that I just turned eighteen a few weeks ago.

“No, no, of course not. You’re just so young. I knew you were, but when you said your sister was twelve, I thought you might not be legal, but then your grandfather left you here alone with me.”

“How old are you?” I ask, needing to know.

“Thirty-three. That’s not weird for you, is it?”

“No. Not at all. I have an old soul,” I reply.

“I believe that you do,” he says, coming around the bar. He pulls me to my feet, and without a word, he kisses me. My lips are tingling, and my arms and legs feel heavy. He kisses me so good that I feel it in my soul. Does he? How do I even ask such a question? I open my mouth to him, and he deepens the kiss. Moaning, I run my hands under his shirt and feel his hot skin.

“Fuck, Rainn. Your hands on me are like fire,” he groans, and I start to pull my hands away. “No. In a good way.” Leaving my hands where they are, I continue to explore the expanse of his muscles. His hands find my ass, which he squeezes.

I have never felt this way before, and I’ll do anything to keep feeling it.

Chapter Three

EVERETT

I feel like I am under some kind of magic spell, and I don’t care one bit. If it gets me closer to Rainn, the better. The feel of her in my hands is almost more than I can bear. She is so responsive. She pulls her head away from me, and I hate that we aren’t connected anymore.