“A few hours away,” Lennon responds. “We attend CSU in Fresno.”
My heart drops slightly when I hear she’s not a local, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to take her home and kiss every inch of her delicate skin. Something simmers between us, and I know she feels it too by the way her eyes study me. She’s intense and hot, setting my rapidly beating heart on fire.
“We’re here visiting friends for the week,” she adds. “They’re the half-naked ones on the dance floor with those guys who can barely stand.” She giggles as she points at the center of the bar.
When I look over her shoulder and see the girls she described surrounded by Brandon, Mason, and Liam, I grin. Of fucking course. I haven’t served them in the past hour and have wondered where the hell they went.
“Careful,” I warn, nodding toward them. “They’re just as plastered as you all are, considering I’ve served them all night too.”
“I already called the beefy one,” Lennon’s friend singsongs. “I hope he doesn’t get whiskey dick, though,” she blurts out, and I chuckle at the thought of Liam with a limp dick. I’m sure he’d have some asshole comeback at the mention of it.
“I think you’re safe. He can drink anyone under the table. He’s a bouncer here actually.”
Her eyes light up like a kid in a candy store. “Oh really? Well, don’t mind me then…” She trails off before slowly walking away and waving bye to Lennon.
“You want another?” I nod toward her empty glass.
“No, I shouldn’t.” She sets it on the bar, and I immediately reach for it before her fingers release. Electricity buzzes down my spine the moment I feel her skin against mine. Her eyes focus on where we’re touching, and she swallows hard. I pull away, and I almost see the immediate loss on her face. Damn, this woman could have come straight from my dreams.
“I have to start cleaning up soon, but can you come back in about thirty? Things will slow down, and I won’t have to rush around,” I say, hoping she gets the hint. I want to ask for her number or hell even just sit and talk with her until the sun rises.
“Sure.” She flashes me a sexy grin. As she’s walking away, Lennon looks over her shoulder at me and winks before going to her friends. The smile that fills my face might be permanent, and she’s definitely to blame.
Forty-five minutes fly by, and I finally have time to breathe. I look around the nearly empty place for Lennon but don’t see her anywhere. My heart drops at the realization that she’s gone.
Fuck.
The announcement for last call is made, and the lingering patrons order their last drink before leaving. We don’t close for another fifteen minutes, so I hang on to hope that she’ll reappear before then.
By the time I make it home, it’s well after three a.m. I’m bummed and almost feel numb that Lennon never came back. Whether it was her way of brushing me off or she left with someone else—and both options make my blood boil—I’m pissed at myself for not asking for her number when I had the chance. Considering she’s only visiting and not from here, I may never get the opportunity again.
The lamp casts a dim light in the living room when I enter the apartment. I know it was off before I left for work, so hopefully, that means Brandon made it home safely. The moment I see his shoes haphazardly thrown on the floor, I don’t bother checking because it’s confirmation he did.
It always takes me a while to wind down after a busy shift and even more so tonight because my mind is reeling over Lennon. Rather than going to bed right away, I take a shower and wash the night off me. It’s hard to think straight when her face is all I see and her voice is all I hear. She was something special, one of a kind, and no woman has ever had that effect on me. I’m kicking myself and wonder if it was for the best, considering she doesn’t live here. Still, I can’t seem to shake the feeling, gnawing me to the bone.
Once I’m clean and in bed, I toss and turn. I’m unable to fall asleep, but it’s not the thoughts of her keeping me awake. Rather…
Thump. Thump.
Moaning.
Thump.
What the fuck?
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
“Oh, come on.” I groan to myself.
Brandon bought some chick home, and now they’re fucking at nearly four in the morning. I wouldn’t give a shit, but his room is right next to mine, and I can literally hear every damn pant and movement.
The headboard slams against the wall we share, and I want to pound my fist against it and tell them to keep it down, but since I’ve done the same to him, I let it go. Instead, I grab my headphones and turn on some music. It helps for about thirty seconds until his bed pounds and rattles so hard against the wall, I’m certain it’s going to come through the drywall.