Page 2 of The Year of Us: April

“I know you’re working and that we have plans to see each other later so I won’t stay long. I just…”

Couldn’t wait to see you.

I swallowed hard, my cheeks burning from his attention.

“It’s fine,” I promised. “I’m glad you’re here.”

CHAPTER 2

Cory

Jet lag was makingme its bitch this week. I’d flown in that morning and had spent pretty much every waking moment since trying to keep Reese off my mind long enough to get my job done.

God, I loved watching him at work. The way he moved, always confident. Always assured. He was friendly with the patrons, personable, but there was an extra depth to the way he smiled at me that wasn’t present when he smiled at them.

I nursed the drink he made me and managed to steal snippets of his attention between customers. He kept circling back to one woman in particular, the one he was touching when I walked in. I tamped down the urge to claim him right there in front of her. It made me feel like a possessive little monster. I watched them interact while I drank. More than anyone else in there, he seemed familiar with her. Friendly. I made a note to ask about her later. In a totally not possessive little monster way.

When my drink was nearly done, Reese found time to return to my side of the bar.

“Sorry about that.”

“You’re working. It’s expected. I don’t mind.” I let him see me check him out. I loved how he dressed for work. The tight shirt with the sleeves pushed up. The jeans that clung to his ass in a nearly obscene way.

Reese looked at me, concern making his brow furrow. “You look tired.”

“I’m wiped.”

He grimaced when he glanced at the time. “I still have hours left.”

“I know, but I had to see you. I’m going to head to the hotel and get some sleep.” I stood and pulled my wallet out. “I had the front desk give me an extra keycard. Come wake me up when you get off.”

Our fingers brushed against each other as he took the card. Every time we touched, it reminded me how much I liked it. It left me aching for more. If he wasn’t at work, I’d have grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him in for a kiss. I’d have bent him over the bar and—it was definitely time for me to get out of there.

Peeling a bill that would more than cover the drink out of my wallet, I handed it to Reese.

“That’s too much.”

“The tip isn’t negotiable, Reese.”

He glared, but took the money.

“See you at three-ish.” I started to sway forward as if to kiss him goodbye, but held myself in check. Only barely. Seeing him and not being able to touch him, kiss him, torment him… it was a torture in itself.

“See you at three,” Reese promised.

Dragging myself out of the bar was the hard part, but falling asleep was as easy as stretching out in the hotel bed. One day, maybe I’d have a life that allowed me to sleep in a bed that was more familiar than not. Maybe one day I wouldn’t feel out ofplace in my own apartment, like I was a passerby and not an occupant.

I took those thoughts with me as I crashed into a dreamless sleep.

It felt like I’d only just closed my eyes when I stirred, a heavy weight pinning me to the bed. Reese. He smelled of work. Of cheap liquor and a hint of sweat, but mostly of that rich earthy tone I’d come to know as his own scent.

“Hey,” he whispered as my eyes fluttered open.

I grabbed him and pulled him down to me. He had stripped out of his clothes and climbed into my bed stark naked.

I could have had him right then. Could have flipped him over and licked him open and fucked him until he forgot his name.

But we kissed instead. Long, lazy licks, caressing each other. Greeting each other after a month apart. Four weeks that had started to feel like forty at the end. I’d missed him, I realized with startling clarity. Sure, we kept in touch while I was away. Talking. Texting. Sexting too. A lot of sexting, to be honest. But the more time we spent being open about that, about our desires, our needs, our wishes and wants, the more other parts of us crept into the conversations.