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  I close my eyes and release the breath I’ve been holding and let out a sigh.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  What the fuck is wrong with me? I feel like she has a hold on me, pulling me to her, and I can’t shake it off. But do I really want to shake it off? No, but I need to. For her sake. Nothing good can come out of this, for her. This is the first time I’ve wanted to stay some place, actually set roots, but maybe it’s time for me to leave.

  After sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, I begin to clean the floor behind the bar. Once I’ve gotten that all cleaned up and mopped I turn around and see a plate of food sitting on the counter and Pearl sitting down on a stool on the other side eating. I look over and see another plate of food on the counter beside her. “Come on, take a break. You’ve more than earned it and you must be hungry.” I look at the plate and then at her. “Even you have to eat.” She gives me her cute smirk and on cue, my stomach growls. Leaning the mop handle against the back counter I walk across the floor, through the side of the bar and then around until I sit down on the stool next to her. I pick up the burger and take a huge bite. My eyes shift and follow her as she stands and walks around behind the bar and grabs two glasses. She holds one up to me and smiles. “Drink?”

  I chew up the huge mouthful and then swallow. “Water. Please.” She nods and scoops up ice in both glasses, and fills one with water and the other with her favorite, diet Coke. She sets mine down in front of me and starts to walk back around the bar. As I pick up my glass and start drinking, my eyes follow the sway of her ass and then as she sits down and starts eating, so I do the same.

  “So,” she begins and I’m already cringing inside. She’s gonna try to get information from me, again. “You travel a lot. How many places have you been to?” Wasn’t expecting that one.

  “I’ve actually lost track. Maybe twenty, thirty?” I take another bite and feel a little relieved. That wasn’t so bad.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as she picks up a chip, her teeth biting it and her lips curving around the tip of her finger. I can’t help but watch her jaw and the side of her face move as she chews, and then I stare as her throat moves up and then down as she swallows. She turns her eyes and mine snap back to my hamburger, quickly. “Wow! Then you’ve probably seen a lot in your life. So is there any place that you like the most? Ever think of staying some place, I mean, for longer?” She’s fishing now, but she’s right. I’m just not sure I want her to know.

  “There’s been a couple.” I turn my head towards her, her blue eyes shining in the bar lights and her face looks almost, hopeful. “I move on when I need to.”

  Her smile drops, slightly, but she sits up straight. “That must be great though, traveling, seeing sights and having no one to answer to but yourself. Kind of a freedom. But…. It must get a bit lonely?”

  I pick up the last bite of my hamburger, shoving it in my mouth, and stand as I grab my plate and glass. As I walk behind her, I hear her sigh and continue until I’m behind the bar, washing the plate and glass in the sink under the counter. When my eyes move up, I see she’s playing with a French fry in her ketchup. After drying off my hands with a clean rag, I clear my throat and her head lifts, her eyes immediately zone into mine. “Well, thanks for the food. I’ll, uh…. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” She barely nods as I walk by and get to the end of the counter when I stop and turn my head to the side. “Don’t forget to the lock the door behind me.” I face forward, not waiting for a reply, and walk into the kitchen through the back door and then when I close it behind me, I lean my back against the brick wall and let out a breath. Fuck! For the first time, I wanted to tell her more. She’s getting to me, too much! I slam my fist against the rough brick and use my foot to push off, jamming my hands into my front pockets and walk out of the alley and towards my truck.

  At work, the night is long. Every time she’s near me the feelings of wanting her and holding her in my arms are strong. My cock has even begun to take notice too, pressing against my jeans and wanting inside her so badly. Fuck! I have to stay away from her. This can’t end well. The crowd was pretty mild tonight, only one dispute that was easily taken care of. The mess wasn’t too bad to clean up and most employees are gone now. Pearl is talking to her brother and sister in law, laughing and having a good time, but I did notice Bo’s eyes on me a couple of times, giving me the look of ‘you better not think about it’, so I’ve kept busy in the backroom, for the most part. I’ve just finished and walked out of the room when Pearl walks up to me, her smile sweet, but the look in her eyes tells me her thoughts are anything but sweet.

  “Good night. I’m still amazed by your drink skills. Where in the hell did you learn to make all those and how do you remember them all?” She leans against the hallway wall and I lean my back against the wall across from her.

  “I dunno, just played around and over time came up with a bunch. Photographic memory,” I smirk while crossing my arms over my chest. Her smile grows, but her eyes follow my movements, looking at my arms, then up to my chest and finally back to my eyes. Her actions are causing my heart to beat a little faster and God, I hope she can’t see my hard cock as it strains against my jeans. I start to push away from the wall and turn. “I, uh…. I need to go.”

  She’s quickly in front of me, her warm hand against my shirt and the heat inside me just rose about thirty degrees. “Um, I just wondered if you want to stick around for a drink. But you don’t have to if….”

  “Sure.” The fucking words jump out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop them. What the fuck? You’re leading her on, asshole. She doesn’t deserve that.

  Her face brightens, and her smile increases until I see the white of her teeth. “Great. What’ll you have?” She turns and starts walking to the bar, so I follow, my feet also not minding me, but my brain doesn’t seem to be coordinating with my body very well.

  “Beer’s fine. Doesn’t matter.” I sit down on the closest stool, my hands not knowing what to do with themselves, so I clasp them together on top of the counter and watch as she grabs two beers and two shot glasses. She pours a shot of tequila in each small glass and places them on the counter, along with the beers, in front of me. Pearl walks around the bar and sits on a stool beside me, standing up on the low stool bar and leaning over to get the drinks. I watch as her t-shirt rides up, showing her porcelain skin and lick my lips. My eyes shift away as she lowers herself back onto the seat and I pick up my shot glass as she picks up hers.

  Without a word, we both slam the liquid into our mouths. Her full lips pucker and her eyes squint and I have to hold my laughter in as I set my empty glass down. She quickly picks up her beer, and I watch those luscious lips encase the top of the bottle and then watch her throat constrict as she swallows. “Well,” she says as she sets the bottle down. “I haven’t had one of those in a while but damn, that tasted good.” Now my chuckle escapes my mouth, and her eyebrow raises in question.

  “Yeah, by the look on your face, it appeared you really loved it.” I laugh again and take a swig of my beer. “How long has it been since you last had tequila?”

  Her brows now crease as she thinks, and then they raise up high. “Oh! Actually, this is the first time.” We both burst out laughing, and I stand, walk around to the back of the bar, grab the tequila bottle and pour us both another shot.

  “Well, the second one goes down much smoother.” Her lips turn up into a smile. I grab a lime, cut it into quarters on the small chopping board, and then turn and grab a salt shaker. I head back around the bar with them and sit back down. “Now, to do it the right way. You need to lick the side of your hand, pour salt on it, lick it, down the shot and then put the lime in your mouth and suck on it.” Her eyes turn from being bright to pure lust. Fuck, she’s hot! I watch her tongue seductively lick her hand. Fuck, I want to be that hand. I take the salt shaker, and as she lays her hand on the counter, I pour some on it. I watch her eyes follow my actions as I do the same, and I raise my glass to
her. She smiles, raises her glass, and I can’t take my eyes off her as she licks her hand, downs the liquid then quickly puts the lime in her mouth. I do the same as I watch her eyes close and swear I hear a soft moan. Damn, this isn’t helping my hard on at all.

  “That was…. Much smoother,” her voice is soft and a bit hoarse as her eyes open and sparkle. She shudders a little, and I know it’s from the warmth of the alcohol, but I also think it’s from the feelings she is experiencing, and I can’t say I’m not feeling the same. She leans over the counter again, and I swear if she doesn’t quit doing that I’m not going to be held accountable for my actions, right here and right now, on top of the counter. My mind is picturing a lime, salt and her cleavage as I look at the flawless, beautiful skin on her back when her shirt rises again. She grabs the bottle and pours another shot into each glass, and she slowly sits back down. She licks the side of her hand, suggestively, and hands me the shaker. Her eyes are watching me intently as I lick mine. We both drink the shots at the same time and then as I put the lime in my mouth, she leans towards me as she puts her lime into her mouth. I start to lean closer then she backs up and laughs, spitting the lime onto the counter, her body swaying a little. “Damn, that’s good shit!”

  I chuckle, but as she closes her eyes, I reach down and adjust myself and then frown. “I think maybe it’s time to get you home.” Her eyes snap open, and the look of lust fills them once again.

  She puts her head into her hand, and I swear I’m about to cum just looking at her sexy face. “Oh, yes. I think that’s a wonderful idea.” She almost falls off her stool as she leans towards me, and I grab her waist quickly with both of my hands. Her laughter ensues as I lift her then set her down and put my arm around her shoulder, her arm moving around my waist as I guide her towards the kitchen. “Oh! We need to clean up our mess,” she giggles.

  “Tomorrow,” I whisper as I walk her through the kitchen and out the back door. “Keys.” She clumsily digs in her front pocket and brings out her keys and dangles them in front of me, smiling as she giggles. I take them, tingles radiating through my hand and down my arm when our fingers touch and our eyes snapping to each other’s, her brows lowering, and I quickly look away. After locking the back door, I squeeze her shoulder as her body sways while we walk to the stairs, and I catch her when she misses a step. Again, our eyes lock for a brief moment, but I push on trying to get her into her apartment before I lose all my self-control, what little of it I have left. Finally, I get her into the door, lock it, and then half carry her down the hallway. Once I fumble with the lock on her apartment door and then get her to the couch, I help her sit and her lips form a pout as I start to walk backwards to the door.

  “Aren’t you staying,” she asks with that fuck hot pout. I want to bite that lower lip, suck on it and then capture her mouth with mine.

  “It’s late. Early. I gotta go.” I hit my back against the door, grab the knob behind me and step forward, pulling the door open and stop as her body turns. She looks down at the huge bulge in my jeans, licks her lips and then her eyes move back to mine.

  “Are you sure,” she whispers.

  Fuck no! I’m not sure. I want to rip your clothes off and bury myself inside you. Fuck! Without a word I nod, walk out the door and close it quietly. Shit! I wish I could go take a cold shower right now! Quickly, I walk down the hallway and out the door, then run down the stairs and down the alley. I slow down as I approach the street, looking both ways, then cross it. Since it’s so early in the morning, no one is around, but I can faintly hear footsteps behind me. I tilt my head enough where I can hear better and as I slow my walk around the corner of the building where my truck is, I hear them getting closer. Leaning my back against the brick wall I listen and when they get to the edge of the building, I step around the corner, grab the person by the throat and pull them around slamming them against the wall. The blue eyes of Pearl are wide with fear, her hands on mine trying to pull it away from her throat but all I see through my eyes that are heated with desire, are her luscious lips. She’s only about an inch shorter than me, so I don’t need to lean down much as I smash my mouth against hers, her lips parting immediately, and I ram my tongue inside, tasting tequila, beer and her sweetness. My hand leaves her throat and glides under her soft hair and wraps around the back of her neck as I move closer, my hard cock pushing against her covered pussy. Her hands wind around my neck, her fingers sliding into my short hair, and I moan when she tugs on the longer hair on top, my mouth pressing even harder as my hips buck against her.

  As my mind begins to clear I pull my mouth away, pressing my forehead against hers as our chests heave into each other’s, our breathing labored, and I try to catch my breath. “Fuck! I’ve wanted to do that for so long.” I rub my scruffy face against the side of hers, my words spilling from my mouth, whispering in her ear, before I can stop them. Her head raises and her swollen lips find mine again. I move my hands and push against the wall breaking free of her hold on me. “I shouldn’t have done that. That…. That shouldn’t have happened. I….” I run my fingers through my hair in frustration and take another step back.

  She steps towards me and I take another step back, and I watch as she stills, her brows creasing and the frown I didn’t want to see appears on her sweet face. “But…. I thought….” She looks into my eyes and then turns her head, and I know she’s spotted my truck. Her head moves back to me and tilts to the side, her eyes wide. “Is that yours?”

  I take a step towards her, my hand up in front of me. “You need to go home.” Her head shakes as she takes a step back. “NOW!” She jumps with at growl, her eyes filling with tears, and she turns but stops quickly, turning her head to me.

  “You wanted that as much as I did. Your body doesn’t lie.” Her head turns back, her body straight in her quick soberness and I watch as she looks both ways and then crosses the street. I lean against the corner of the building and watch until she’s turned into the alley, making sure she’s safe. I wait a few minutes, my eyes closing when I hear the echo of her back door slamming shut.

  Fuck! What have I done?

  I lay in the bed of my beat up truck, my arm beneath my head as a pillow and look at the stars that are out in full tonight. It used to be easy traveling place to place, never having any ties to keep me anywhere for long. But now? I find myself wanting to stay here. Why? My heart has started beating for the first time in the longest time for a girl. I must be crazy! Why her? Her long, dark hair with subtle blonde highlights, her beautiful smile with her perfect teeth, her eyes that glitter in their blueness and the way she looks at me like I’m the only one on earth. I must be crazy or she is.

  In my travels when I reached Florida and found this new bar, I was hesitant, but yet the need for more cash was uppermost in my mind, so I applied and showed the bar owner what I can do as a bartender, and she hired me quickly. Pearl. What kind of name is that for a woman? A beautiful woman. I guess it suits her. Things had been going pretty smoothly until a fight broke out one night and the bar owner’s brothers fury to protect his woman had me stopping him before he killed the drunken fool he was beating into a pulp. My past had flashed before my eyes, and he’d been so nice to me, I couldn’t let him make the biggest mistake of his life, so I stopped him. I couldn’t let someone so innocent, with so much life ahead of him and his woman, to end up going to prison. I’ve been there. It changes a man.

  But you won’t catch me going back there. Never. I paid for something I shouldn’t have, spent time I’ll never get back for defending myself. This is why I’ll never get attached to anyone, never let anyone in and I’ll never, ever fall in love again. But Pearl? She’s making that very hard not to do.

  Rolling over onto my side, I pull up the old blanket as the coolness of the breeze blows across me. It’s going to be fall soon so I might need to purchase a thicker blanket soon.

  Chapter Three

  I trip over my jeans as I try to step out of them, catching myself with my hands on the be
d. I’m so pissed off, sexually frustrated and want to storm back over there and beat the shit outta him. I swear if I wasn’t still so tipsy, I would. Why? Why in the hell would he kiss me like that and then just push me away. And was that his truck parked in that parking lot? Is he sleeping there? Dammit! Not that I can ask him because he probably wouldn’t tell me anyway. I grab my jeans from the floor and throw them across the room. I practically rip my shirt and bra off and throw them as well. I grab a t-shirt, pulling it over my head in exasperation and throw myself onto my bed. Who in the hell does he think he is? He has issues. I get it. But does that make it okay for him to ignore me, ravish me and then push me away like I don’t matter? Damn, he’s so frustrating! I slam my fists down onto the mattress and look up at the ceiling. He wanted me, there’s no doubt in my mind, but he’s afraid of something. Afraid to show his feelings? Afraid to get involved with someone? “UGH!” I scream out into the darkness. Finally, I close my eyes and press two fingers against my lips lightly, his touch still tingling there as well as throughout my body. My mind begins to relive his forcefulness, slamming me against the brick, his mouth on mine, and I succumb to darkness.

  I beat on the door again, hearing a moan from inside, and as I raise my fist again, the door opens and there stands a very sleepy Stormy with Bo behind her. I storm in, sitting down on the couch and watch as Bo leans down, kissing her on the forehead, and then he rolls his eyes at me as he walks passed me towards the stairs. I look at Stormy as she sits down on the couch, covering her mouth with her hand as she yawns. “Morning. Do you want some orange juice?” She asks as she starts to rise but my head shakes quickly, and she sits back down. “What’s wrong, Pearl? It’s like….” Her head turns to look at the clock on the wall and then back at me. “It’s seven in the morning? You’ve been asleep for what? About three…. Four hours? Aren’t you tired?”