Page 104 of Preacher Man

They had a handful of times together, and somehow, he’d slid beneath her defences.

He never did text her again on the long bus ride home.

But she thought about him the entire journey.

It was back to reality that week. Her shift at the bar began with a bang. Literally, a young couple fucking in the toilets, it wasn’t something Ruby wanted to see, ever. She’d kicked them out. It was a bonus it hadn’t been Preacher in there, she supposed. Her belly curled at the thought. Now she was intimately acquainted with that sex-maniac she didn’t know what she’d do the next time he hooked up with one of the waitresses.

Stabbing was a possibility.

“Someone is asking for you, Ruby,” Tom informed, poking his head around the doorway. She was busy collecting a new bottle of spirits to change with the empties on the optic pumps. Funny, how her job title was no different to any other bar-staff, but it always landed on her toes to replenish the stock, to close the bar, to open the bar, she was doing the managerial position for shitty pay. One of these days she’d stop people walking all over her. As it was she needed this job more than ever so she kept her mouth shut.

“Okay, I’ll be right out.” Speaking of jobs, she had that one over in Westbank Falls to chase up, she hadn’t heard back from the tattoo place either. Luck was not on her side.

Ruby was shot with adrenalin walking back behind the bar and seeing who was waiting at the far end. She didn’t have to check with Tom who was looking for her.

Preacher had the gaze of a man who was on a mission.

After she hadn’t heard anything from him for more than a day she’d assumed he’d agreed with her that what had shared between them had come to its natural end.

Liar. you want more.So much more. Her body spoke for her when her brain refused to voice the words. Looking at him her belly curled inwards, grew warm.

“Hey, Asher.” Sparks flew between them. “What can I get you? Your usual?”How about me spread over the bar, maybe?Her traitorous body wanted him more than it ever did. She wished it had gone better for their couple days away, to end on a sexual high rather than her sneaking out unable to face his questioning. Now he knew it all.

“You got a minute to talk, beautiful? Somewhere private.”

“Uhm. Sure. Is everything okay?”

“Fine. Just need a minute with you.”

Ahh…he was doing the kiss-off face-to-face. It was admirable of him, at least. No one could accuse Preacher man of bad manners. A stab of pain. She pointed towards the other end and Preacher followed silently. All too aware of his prowling gait from her peripheral. Over her shoulder, one fast glance, she encountered a green stare so hot.

Oh, my god.

Oh, fucking god. She’d opened Pandora’s box by sleeping with Preacher, and now there was no closing it. She wanted him and would always want him. And he was about to give her the cringing kiss-off.Great. Well done, Ruby.

Be strong. Let him say what he had to say then you can get back to … not having that man inside you, on you, over you.

Ruby fortified her shoulders with a strength she didn't feel, leading him into the staff room. It was empty, all the girls were busy working on the floor and Tom was behind the bar. She let him go in first, closing the door slowly after him, she could do this, let him tell her their booty calls were done and then she -------

He grabbed her around the waist and slammed her up against the door. All air vacating her lungs in a fast whoosh. Eyes wide looking up at him she was in no doubt what he was thinking, it was there on every angle, every line of his well-worn face, the pupils so dark they practically masked his irises.

“Asher. What----”

“You fucking took off, Ruby.” Breath touched the side of her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek until she felt marked.

“----are you doing?”

“---- Didn’t like it one bit.”

They talked over each other but she heard his every growled word, the noise doing funny things to her heart.

“I explained why,” she said feebly, his hand moved from her waist, up her belly, causing heat to follow in its wake, he grasped her gently around the neck, angling her head back until it lay against the back of the door.

“You took off. And now you’re going to give me the time you wasted.”

“I’m going to give you-----” her eyebrows dropped in confusion and then flew up into her hairline with a realization of exactly what he meant. This didn’t sound like any kiss-off she’d ever heard before.

He still wanted more from her?