Page 10 of Sweet Whiskey

brOOKS

I fix my hair in the mirror of my truck and tuck in my shirt when I see the shine of auburn hair as she makes her way to the café.

My heart is racing in my ribs as I call out to her. “Kinsey, hey!”

She startles, turning to me with wide greenish eyes. Her hand flies to her face, and I can see the dark smudges of makeup under her eyes. I almost smile as her cheeks blush. “Brooks, hi. Good morning. You and Colt get up early.”

I chuckle. “Way of life round here, seems like so do you. Can I buy your coffee this morning?”

She groans, touching the ponytail and looking down at her hoodie and sweats, then back at me. “How do you look so good for six o’clock?”

I force away the urge to puff out my chest in pride because she thinks I look good. My eyes drag the length of her, and I raise an eyebrow. “Between the two of us, you look like you rolled out of bed, and there’s nothing I want more than to join you instead of going to work.”

She tilts her head. “That was somehow insulting and charming at the same time.”

I scratch the back of my neck in confusion because I hadn’t meant to insult her at all. “I just mean you’re pretty.”

She smiles with a small giggle. “Thanks, Brooks. I’d love a coffee.”

Her hand slips into my elbow, and I lead her into the small café. Connie waves at us excitedly.

“You’re back! Yay!” she says to Kinsey.

Kinsey smiles back. “Yeah it was really good. And I mean that. I tried a lot of places in the city, and this is hands down the best. ”

“Have you tried the coffee cake?” I ask, licking my lips.

Connie laughs. “Brooks would clear out the pastry section if we let him, but Colt said to limit him or else the horses will pay.”

Scoffing, I put a hand to my heart. “Ouch. You calling me fat?”

Connie scrunches her nose. “There isn’t an ounce of fat on you.”

I shake my head. “I’ll take my usual and whatever this lady wants,” I tell her, grinning at Kinsey.

Connie’s eyes widen, and her lips form into a small O as she takes our order. When we move over to the other counter, I lean down to whisper in Kinsey’s ear. “We’re about to be the talk of the town.”

She looks up at me in surprise. “We will?”

“Yup,” I say, enunciating the p with my lips. “I bet by lunch it will spread that I paid for your coffee. By dinner, it will have transformed into me asking for your hand in marriage. ”

She giggles. “Straight to marriage, huh? What happened to good ole fashioned courting?”

I swallow and our eyes lock. Her smile falters, and I clear my throat. “Would you… Is courting something you’d be interested in?”

Kinsey’s breath hitches. “Like in general? Or…with you?”

“With me…and my pack,” I add hesitantly. We haven’t officially discussed it, but it’s as good as done at this point.

Her eyebrows raise. “Your pack?”

“Colt and Dallas.”

“Oh,” she whispers, her lips quirking, “uhm…maybe? But like at a slow pace. My heat shouldn’t be for another few months. Oh my god, I don’t mean to mention my heat—I wouldn’t expect. Of course you could decline?—”

I put my fingers to her lips, and she quiets as I chuckle. “I know what you meant. We’ll go at any pace you need.”

She clears her throat. “I’d like that. I’m not sure how long I’m staying in town, but I’m not looking to leave anytime soon.”

I nod, tipping my hat toward her. “I can work with that.”

A light blush blooms on her cheeks, and then Connie sets our food and drinks down with a grin.

“I tossed in an extra coffee cake for ya, but don’t tell Colt,” she says with a wink.

Kinsey watches amused as I grab the bag and she grabs our drinks. I walk with her to the milk and sugar stand and watch her prepare her coffee to her liking, taking note to remember it so I can just order it for next time.

“How was the rest of your first night after we left?” I ask her.

Her hand slips, almost dropping the milk canister. She laughs nervously. “Uhm. Not bad at all. We only had one more song for the rest of the night.”

I wonder if she knows that we know Colt helped her get off in the alley, but I’m not trying to embarrass her.

“And no one cheated you on tips, right?”

Her head tilts to the side, looking up at me with a thoughtful expression, and she shrugs. “I wouldn’t really know what the going rate is, to be honest.”

Scratching my jaw, I shrug. “I wouldn’t know either. I know Dallas really had to think about it.”

Kinsey’s eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean?”

I laugh. “Well he wasn’t sure if he left too much, it might seem like he was tipping because of the…uh, show.”

Her flush spreads, and she groans. “Oh my god. I hope he’s not too uncomfortable. I didn’t mean for it to get that far.”

“No, no, not at all,” I say quickly. “Uh, we all enjoyed it. We just didn’t want you to feel like, uh?—”

“A stripper?”

“Yeah,” I say, embarrassed. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that either. Your body, your choice. I’m just?— ”

She grabs my arm, watching me with soft, amused eyes and a humored smile on her lips. “It’s okay, Brooks. I got it. It means a lot that you guys didn’t want to make me feel uncomfortable.”

Then she shifts on her feet, pulling her hand back to curl around her coffee tighter. “Did Colt tell you what happened after?”

My cheeks flame at the memory of her taste on his fingers, and my cock twitches to life. “It was kind of hard to miss.”

She groans. “God, my first night there and I perfume like a needy omega in a bar full of alphas. It’s so embarrassing.”

“Hey,” I say softly. “It’s not embarrassing. If it’s what your body needed, I’m just glad Colt was there to help you. Hell, I would—” I slam my mouth shut.

Kinsey’s tongue peeks between her lips. “You’d what?”

Clearing my throat, I shake my head. “Let’s just say Colt has more control than I do. ”

Hints of her perfume curl around us, and I grunt, rubbing down my face. “Now none of that, pretty girl. We’re far too much in public.”

She brings the coffee to her mouth, sipping it loudly while averting her gaze. Her perfume is making me dizzy and I clear my throat, nodding to head outside. At least the open air can help me breathe properly.

“Is there a library in this town? Or a newspaper office?” she asks after we stand a moment in silence, soaking in the morning sun.

My eyebrows furrow, and I point toward the road that goes to the high school.

“You can’t miss the school. It has the biggest library in town, and they run the newspaper through the school department as well.

Depending on what you’re looking for, there’s a small bookstore by the bakery on the next street.

But it’s mostly like sci-fi and romance from what Marley told me. ”

Kinsey’s eyes widen. “Marley? Like my coworker?”

“Yeah. She’s Cooper’s sister. You haven’t met him, but we’re good buddies,” I tell her, reminded how little she realizes that everyone knows everyone in this town. She’ll catch on eventually.

Kinsey nods. “Oh okay. I’ll check out both. Thank you.”

I’m about to ask her what she’s looking for, but I catch Colt moving on from the grocery store to the automotive store and realize my time is running out.

“Can I kiss you?” I ask, knowing it’s out of the blue and not the best way to approach her.

Kinsey’s pupils dilate and she nods. I set my cup of coffee on my hood, then take hers out of her hands to set it next to mine.

I cup her face and then crash my lips to hers.

She gasps into my mouth, her hands clawing at my shirt to pull me closer.

She tastes like coffee, but with a hint of strawberries and honey.

It’s the second-best thing I’ve ever tasted, considering I’ve tasted her arousal, and that’s worth dying for.

I pull away, panting into her mouth. “You taste like… mine .”

She shivers and then lifts onto her tiptoes to kiss me again. My hands slip to her waist, pulling her fully into my body.

A sharp whistle breaks us apart, and I lick my lips as she touches hers with her fingertips, staring up at me with a flushed face. I don’t bother looking at who whistled at us and keep all my attention on her, smiling.

“We should do that again.”

She tilts her head to the side playfully. “Kiss? Or coffee date?”

My eyebrows lift. “Date, huh? You haven’t seen a date yet. This is just the warm-up.”

Her nose wrinkles and she smiles. “I’d like that either way.”

Nodding, I bend and kiss her on the cheek. “See you around, Kinsey.”

I stand on the sidewalk, watching her walk down the road before moving to the automotive store where Colt had been shopping. He’s just checking out as I walk in. His nostrils flare when I get closer, but he doesn’t say anything until we’re at the truck.

“Did you at least grab me a coffee?” he grunts out.

My mouth drops open and cheeks flush. “I’ll grab it right now.” I hurry back into the café before he can object, knowing it’s gonna soothe the ache of being next to me while I smell like her.