Page 34

Monday nights at work mean I can usually have a breather between customers. It’s our quietest day of the week, and I would normally welcome the slower pace, but I’m working alongside two older girls I don’t know very well. They’re both nice enough but keep to themselves more.

Time ticks by far more slowly without Macy or Elsie around to fill the slow gaps with conversation. Levi offered to keep me company, but I felt bad making him sit through my shift, knowing he had two training sessions today.

“I seated two people in your section, Bear.” Gracie, the hostess, says as she passes me at the bar.

“Thanks, Gracie.” I grab my notebook and pen before heading over.

Approaching the table, I halt when I notice who’s sitting in the booth with a smug, self-satisfied smirk on her face. I don’t even try to hide my eye roll. I should have known it was only a matter of time before this scenario played out.

I’m still at a loss for what I did to get on Sadie’s radar, but she’s looked down on me from the moment we met. Not that it was much of a meeting seeing as how she barely acknowledged me. But clearly, her attitude toward me hasn’t changed.

Steeling my spine, I walk over to Sadie and a girl I’ve never seen before. She’s petite, with mousy brown hair and a nervous demeanor, dropping her eyes to the menu the moment mine meet hers.

“Welcome to Static,” I say, my tone flat. “What drinks can I start you off with?”

Not a hint of the chirpy tone I’ve mastered since working here slips out. It’s better for the tips, but Sadie doesn’t come across as the generous kind. I’ll be lucky if they don’t dine and dash on me.

“Manhattan iced tea for me, and Kristen will have a Coke with lemon.”

I presume the girl who still hasn’t looked up is Kristen, and I wonder what her deal is. She looks like she’s slowly shrinking into her seat and letting Sadie order for her? Weird. It doesn’t sit right with me. Not when it feels like I’m watching a snake play with a mouse.

Ignoring Sadie, I turn to Kristen and offer her a small smile. “Are you okay with Coke, or would you prefer something else?”

She glances up at me and then down again. “Coke is fine, but uh, no lemon, please.”

I nod and write it down before returning my attention to Sadie’s scowling face.

“Manhattan iced tea has alcohol in it, so I’m going to need to see some I.D.,” I say with a sugary, sweet smile.

She shoots me a dagger-like look and makes a big show of digging through her designer purse, handing over her ID. I flip it over, pretending to inspect the back and front.

I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I’m pretty sure it’s a fake. The card claims she’s twenty-five, but I doubt she’s much older than us, even with her heavy makeup and cosmetic enhancements.

“Is there a problem?” She snaps when I tut and tsk.

“We’ve been having some issues with people giving us fakes,” I lie, waving her card. “It wouldn’t be a problem if I put this into our machine, right?” I offer her a lopsided smile that says, trust me, I don’t want to, but those are the rules.

They’re not the rules. And I’m almost certain Preston does not have one of those machines in the back, but the anger blazing in Sadie’s eyes makes the lie worth it.

Sadie yanks the card from my hand.

“Iced tea with ice is fine.” She says, not looking at me.

“Coming right up,” I reply.

With my back to her, I can’t help but smile.

Unfortunately, my victory is short-lived.

Returning to the table, I hand Kristen her drink, and she thanks me. Sadie stares at the iced tea in front of her with an unimpressed look.

“I said no ice.”

“No, you didn’t.” I sigh, frustrated she’s being this way.

But I’m not surprised she’s acting like this. Girls like Sadie are all the same: predictable and self-righteous.

“Isn’t that what I told her?” She says, fixing Kristin with a stare.

Kristen glances up at me and then back down. “I don’t remember.”

Sadie’s eyes pivot back to me, and her glare turns icy. “We could call your boss and see what he thinks.”

My stomach plummets to my feet. With one sentence, she’s got me cornered. And she knows it too, based on the self-satisfied sneer plastered on her face.

“I’ll get you a new one.” Without waiting for her response, I grab the drink.

“God, is getting good service around here so difficult?” Her snarky remark follows me as I walk away, but I refuse to let it get to me.

The rest of the night is more of the same.

Sadie claims she wanted her salad plain with dressing on the side, not on top, as she’d initially requested. When I bring out a fresh salad, she complains about the croutons. The same croutons she specifically requested be on there.

And on it goes.

She complains. I grit my teeth and bite my tongue, knowing the only loser in this situation would be me if she made good on her threat.

After returning from the kitchen for the third time, Sadie begrudgingly tells me her salad is “acceptable” before dismissing me with a flick of her wrist.

It’s a relief when they finally leave.

When I go to collect the check from the table, the space next to the tip line unsurprisingly doesn’t have a dollar amount next to it.

But it’s not blank, either. There’s one sentence sprawled out in vaguely familiar handwriting.

But it’s also so generically feminine that it could have been from anyone.

Keep your slutty hands off my what’s mine.

God, she is delusional. I have nothing that belongs to her.

Crumpling the paper into a tiny ball, I throw it in the trash with her half-eaten salad.

It’s nearing midnight when I quietly let myself into Levi’s apartment. We’ve been going back and forth between his place and mine.

Levi’s lying on the couch, school papers sprawled across the coffee table, while some sports channel plays quietly in the background. It’s the usual scene I walk into, and I’m not surprised when he looks up the moment I slip inside.

No matter how often I tell him not to wait up for me, knowing how brutal those early morning practices are on little sleep, he always shuts me up with a kiss and a promise to see me when I get home.

Tonight, I’m relieved to see him. The whole Sadie thing rattled me more than I’d like to admit. Confrontation like that never leaves me feeling good, even when it’s unavoidable. Deep down, no matter how brave I act, I’ll always be the girl who’d rather turn the other cheek.

I take off my shoes and crawl onto the couch, stretching out across his rock-hard stomach, my cheek resting on his solid chest. His body heat and scent flow over me like a cocoon of comfort and safety.

The feeling of coming home has me letting out a content sigh.

My entire body relaxes as he wraps his arms around me, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“Missed you.”

“Missed you too,” I murmur, happy to spend the rest of the night in his arms.

Knowing I have to shower and do my nightly skincare routine makes me want to cry, but I can’t go to sleep otherwise.

“How was work?”

I debate telling him about Sadie but decide against it. I don’t want to spoil the moment by bringing her up. Maybe it’s petty, but I know she’d find some weird satisfaction in knowing I’m thinking about our encounter long after it happened.

And as far as I know, she hasn’t been bothering Levi. I still don’t know the true extent of their history, and honestly, I think I’m better off not knowing.

All I can do is hope she gets over herself and finds someone else to annoy with her mean-girl act.

“Long and tiring.” I push up onto my hands to see his handsome face.

Sleepy eyes stare back at me.

My stomach still dips and flutters at the thought of him being mine.

He cups my cheeks between his palms. “You want to go to bed or take a shower?”

It’s cute how he still asks, even though he knows I never skip an evening shower after work, no matter how exhausted I am.

I turn my head slightly, nipping his palm. “A shower with you”

A moan escapes me as Levi massages my tight shoulders. Between the cascading hot water and how his hands ease my achy muscles, the last few hours melt away. The tension in my body swirls down the drain along with the water.

“That feel good?” he murmurs, kissing my shoulder. I hum contentedly.

When the last of the soap suds dissolves under the spray, his hands stop their magic. I turn in his arms, causing my peaked nipples to brush up against him. The sensation sends a surge of lust straight through me.

I need him.

Ache for him.

And when I see the desire swirl in those beautiful eyes, I know he feels the same.

Sliding a hand between us, I grip his erection that’s been present since I stripped naked.

His lips part on a silent moan when I give him a lazy pump up and down.

“Bear,” he mutters, his breathing ragged, when my grip tightens around his thick length.

I drop to my knees, not caring that the shower tiles dig into them uncomfortably. I want to make this good for him.

Gripping him at the base, I work my hand up and down, causing a low hiss to escape him. Lowering my head, I run my tongue over the tip, and his stomach muscles contract from the sensation. He tastes sweet and clean.

“ Shiiiit ,” He groans, the sound only intensifying as I take him deeper.

When he reaches the back of my throat, my gag reflex kicks in, but I don’t stop. I lift my hand, letting it rest on his muscular thigh to steady myself.

Levi gathers my hair in one hand and tugs lightly, forcing me to look up at him. I moan around his dick. The slight sting from my roots being pulled mixed with pleasing him is such a turn-on.

Heavy-lidded eyes stare back at me. Face twisted in pleasure.

“Fuck Bear, if only you could see yourself like this.”

His grip on my hair loosens when his head tips back against the tiled wall. I continue licking and sucking him like my life depends on it. Between my thighs, desire pools, but I’m so focused on pleasing him that I ignore the throb.

“Such a pretty mouth taking me so well.” He praises, thrusting in and out slowly, matching my rhythm.

The words flow over me like the water running down my back.

So, good. Just like that. Keep going. Levi’s encouragement spurs me on.

His noises of pleasure intensify, and I know he’s about to come when his thighs tighten under my hand, and his hips rock forward on impulse.

“Bear, if you don’t want me coming in your mouth, you have to stop now.” He warns thickly, but I don’t let him go.

My mouth and the hand at his base only work him harder.

He stills for a beat, and then his salty release coats my tongue as my name falls from his parted lips. I only come up for air once I’ve swallowed every drop of him.

“That was incredible.” He says, voice hoarse. “You’re incredible.”

I look at him from under my lashes, flushing at the praise.

He pulls me up and kisses me. Between us, his dick stirs again.

“Insatiable,” I smile against his lips.

“Only for you, Bear. Only for you.”