Page 11

11

Bee

This is hard.

As much as I'm trying to act like I'm holding my own, maybe getting a job at a bar isn't the best thing for me to do when I'm so fresh from being an alcoholic.

Fortunately for me the bar gets pack and fast, before I know it I'm buzzing around picking up cups and chatting with the same people I used to get drunk with. I'm finding besides the desire to just put one of the cups up to my mouth for a swallow of that burning liquid I'm still able to have fun and be my normal self. The only difference, I'm much less sloppy than I usually am.

Rye keeps his eyes on me the entire time.

I should feel uncomfortable about it, but if I'm honest I like the attention. There are even times that I catch him biting his lip and his gaze much lower than my face. Yeah, he's liking what he's seeing. Maybe there is something more to what he's saying. So far he's only admitted to the fact that he's here to help me, but maybe he wants more the same way I do.

I want to feel his lips all over my body. Want those rough hands squeezing and pulling at me.

I just want this man.

The fact that he was so determined to keep me out of his troubles because he wanted to keep me safe is just another reason I want him. He didn't want to keep me out because he thought I couldn't handle myself, he wanted to keep me out to make sure I wasn't harmed.

I don't know who this Evan or Sonny characters are, but from what I saw going on earlier, it seems like they are bad news.

Bad news I'm definitely going to have to bring to Vexx's attention.

I'm sure with the club and with Rye, we can make sure that nothing happens to Rye or his bar.

I just hope he doesn't start feeling some sort of way having a bunch of women helping him. That's usually the rub when it comes to the men around here. They see us as dainty ladies when in reality we're all vicious lionesses. Rye will figure it out sooner or later.

I lean down to grab a cup off a table so I can bring it back to the bar to get washed, unfortunately the person that was drinking seems to think this is the perfect opportunity to stop me.

"Where you going with that, beautiful?" He grabs hold of my wrist, stopping me from pulling back.

In one second, I look him over and know that I'd have no problem putting him down if I need to. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. It'll be fun if it does, though.

"Oh, no where far if you don't let go of me. In fact, I'm pretty sure you can find it rammed up your ass in the next ten seconds if you don't remove your hand from my wrist." I bat my eyelashes at him and all at once all the men that he's sitting with at the table roar with laughter. Right away, he lets my hand go, and I'm walking with the empty glass back over to the bar.

Rye is standing stock still, his eyes no longer on me but glued to the profile of the man who just grabbed me.

"What the fuck was that about?" He growls, and I can already see his muscles bunching and coiling like he's ready to rip the man's face off.

"Easy, killer. It's nothing I can't handle." I stand in front of him and force him to look down at me. "You know if I'm going to be working here you're going to have to get used to the fact that some people might touch me. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

His face softens, "You shouldn't have to. That's what I'm here for."

Those words hit hard, but I refuse to let him know just how much they mean to me. I've never needed anyone to save me, not even my sister though she tried her hardest. Maybe I can let this bear of a superhero be the first one to sweep me off my feet.

"That's what we're both here for." I correct him. "You've got me and I've got you. We've got each other's back. I'll let you know if I need you, okay."

"Swear it." He grits through his teeth.

I put up three fingers and snap my feet together, "Scouts honor!"

At once, the grim look on his face drops, and he smirks at me, "You're so strange."

"I'll take strange over drunk and deranged any day." I shoot him a wink and go back out into the fray to continue cleaning up.

By the time Rye and Barley is ready to close, I'm nearly dead on my feet. Rye and I never talk about my duties working here, hell we never even talked about pay, but I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to do this. All I want is the bed.

"Go on, we're closed fellas." Rye rushes the last stragglers out of the bar and of course they come up with every excuse they can to get one more drink, but Rye stands firm.

"You can have another drink tomorrow."

I lean against one of the stools near the bar feeling my eyes already starting to droop. How the hell am I going to get back to the clubhouse like this. I swear I used to have more energy when I was drinking. I turn my gaze to the rows and rows of liquor behind the bar and once again I feel the urge to just reach over and grab one. I'm not going to. I'm doing so good.

To drink means I'll be failing the club, my sister, myself. It means I'll fail Rye.

Instead, I reach over and grab a bottle of water. It's nice and cold. Definitely not what I want, but it does give me a bit of a boost.

Rye turns to look at me and when he sees the bottle of water to my mouth, he smiles. "That's a good girl."

I shrug, "If you say so."

"I do."

With my help through the day, there's not much left at night for him to clean up. He closes out the till and hands me fifty dollars.

"This good for the night?"

Fifty? Just for picking up glasses? I wasn't expecting this much at all. "Super cool, in fact, it might be too much." I slide the money in my pocket.

"You earned it. Besides, it looks like you've cut my closing time duties nearly completely. Everything already is so clean. You're a lifesaver. Truly."

I humph not wanting to remind him that it's him who is the lifesaver. Just a few days ago I was banging on his door nearly one foot in the grave from detoxing.

He seems so docile and sweet, yet I know what's under it all. I saw him earlier with that gun pointed at Evan's head. I know Rye can get dangerous quickly. That only makes me want him more.

"So..." He says, looking around once all the busy work is done.

It's the end of the night, and he's about to go home.

Crap, that means I have to leave too.

"Oh, yeah right. I guess it's time for me to hit the bricks." I joke and chug the last of the water in the bottle.

"I didn't say that." He keeps his eyes glued on me.

"What exactly are you saying, then, Rye?"

"I'm just letting you know there's another option…if you want."

"And that other option is?" I plan on making this as hard for him as possible. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. I love getting him riled up.

"Bee, you've spent the night at my place before. Same rules apply. I'll stay to myself, but you shouldn't have to travel all the way back to the clubhouse so late at night... not if you don't want to." He shrugs before he reaches up to turn the lights off over the bar.

I could spend the night here with him. His arms around me in the middle of the night is one part of our time together that I miss. I didn't want to become dependent on falling asleep with him next to me, but now that he's offering it seems stupid not to take him up on his offer.

"Sounds good to me. Take me home, Bear." I joke with him, and he squints his eyes at me as if he doesn't like me reverting to his nickname.

I know he does. The way his chest puffs out just a little bit. He's easy to read when it comes to stroking his ego.

"Crazy ass." He mutters as he walks to the door snagging my hand on the way. We turn off the rest of the lights before he turns up the alley and walks up the stairs that leads to his apartment. Three steps up and I'm already dragging. I'm so tired.

"Really." He groans before he turns and in a swift move lifts me into his arms and continues his way up the stairs. I yelp at the sudden feeling of being weightless.

"Hell, keep this up and you're going to have to carry me up these stairs every time I visit." I joke and I watch the desire flare to life in his eyes.

This is the same man who told me that he would never touch me like that. That he didn't want to fuck me but now there's no mistaken what I see.

Oh...yes.

"You make it sound like you're going to be visiting often." He questions as he pushes open the door to his place.

"We'll see." I mutter as he gets me inside and slowly lowers me to the ground.

I don't want to assume he's on the same page as me so I make my way to the living room.

"When was the last time you ate?" Rye asks as he goes to the small kitchenette.

"Food? Uh..." My words trail off. I don't think I've eaten anything all day. No wonder I'm so lethargic. I've been going at a break neck pace for hours with nothing in my system besides water.

"Yeah, like I thought." Rye grumbles, his grumpy side already showing back up again.

I lean back and watch him working in the kitchen. He whips together some spaghetti so fast it nearly makes my head spin. I'm impressed that it's not just something he had to heat up. No, he sautes the meat and seasons the sauce. He checks the noodles to make sure they are the correct texture. I'm enthralled for the full thirty minutes it takes him to finish.

I was tired before but seeing him in the kitchen doing what he needs to do is more than enough to give me my second wind. My stomach growls loudly when he makes a plate and starts over in my direction.

"Come, eat." He gestures to the plate.

I'm not hungry anymore...not for food.

"That's okay, you eat." I nod my head so he knows I'm okay.

He presses his lips together tightly before blowing his breath out of his nose. "Why you always gotta be so difficult."

"Making things hard is my specialty." I smirk at him and his eyebrow hitches up. The innuendo isn't lost on either of us.

"Food." He twirls up a bit of the pasta making sure to get some of the meat on the fork before he purses his lips and blows it.

Good god, why is that so fucking sexy? Slowly he brings the fork to my mouth.

Opening up I take the food inside. The second the flavors hit my tongue I can't help the moan that leaks out. It's so good.

I chew it up and swallow. He's already ready with the next bite.

We do this for a few minutes, his eyes are focused on my mouth. His pupils wide and his breathing heavy. Something about feeding me is turning him on. I've been with a lot of people who had different kinks but this is a first for me.

"You like this don't you?" I ask just to verify.

He blinks a few times breaking out of the trance, "I like you being taken care of. I like taking care of you."

I'm not used to someone waiting on me hand and foot but if this is what he's like I'm not going to be the one to deny him. Besides I can get used to this.

After a few bites, I turn my head when he tries to feed me again. It wasn't much but I'm full.

"You ready for bed?" He whispers.

"Mmhmm." I nod and he puts the plate down on the small table in front of us before scooping me up and carrying me to the room. He's not even out of breath.

"You know I can walk." I poke fun of him.

"Hmm."

Quickly I get out of my pants and pull the blankets back so I can get under but he's still staring at me from the foot of the bed.

"You okay?" I ask. He's right it's not like we've never slept in the same bed before, this is already our nightly routine but something feels different.

"Yeah, you want a shirt?" He asks making himself move to the dresser where he keeps his limited supply of clothing. I'm sure since I've been staying with him I've gone through most of his stuff.

"Sure." I reach out for the long shirt he's pulled out for me. Usually I'd wait until he went to the bathroom or something to change but tonight I'm going to push him out of his comfort zone. I want him to see that I'm not just some broken woman he needs to take care of. I want him to see that I have other needs as well. Needs I didn't even think I'd get to fulfill with him.

Tonight is going to be fun, one way or another.