She crosses her arms over her small chest. “I just want you to know that this won’t affect my ability at the shop.”
I nod. Ah, I get it. She doesn’t want to get fired. Rachel here works for me at my tattoo shop inside of Kingdom. I started fucking her not long after I hired her. “You’re fine.” I dismiss her and get into my car, having somewhere to be too.
ALEXA
A LITTLE AFTER one a.m., I’m standing behind the register, closing out a tab, when I look up to see Cross sitting at the bar.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I ask, looking around to see if he’s alone, which he is. No other King in sight.
“Came to see you.” His green eyes drop to my chest, and he licks his lips.
My thighs tighten, and my heart instantly picks up. I look away from him, biting my lip. “And why would you do that?” I haven’t messaged him today because I didn’t want him to think that I thought last night was more than it was. I’m a big girl and understand what a one-night stand is. Last night wasn’t my first rodeo in that department. I’m twenty-two, not sixteen.
“I think you can guess why,” he replies.
My eyes snap back to his, and he leans forward. Placing his tatted forearms on the bar top, I remind him, “We said one night.” I lie because I’m not really sure what all was said last night, but it’s worth a try.
He slowly shakes his head, the corner of his lips turning up into a soft yet very heart-stopping smile. “I don’t remember making that promise.”
My wet pussy reminds me that it wants a replay while my mind says back the fuck up and say hell no. A King is the last thing I need to get addicted to. Especially one who promised his best friend he wouldn’t. “Well, we did.” I close the register and walk over to the other end, placing Jake’s change in front of him. “Do you need me to call you an Uber?” I ask the old man.
Lucky’s isn’t a hip bar, if you know what I mean. I took it over last year. Lucky was a friend of my mother’s, and when he passed, he left it to me. He had no kids and no siblings. I had my first job here when I was sixteen. It was just my brother and me with my mother, and we fell on hard times. He hired me and paid me cash under the table—because of my age—to pick up after everyone. I had dreams to go to college and do something else with my life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love what I do now.
“No, I’m good,” he answers through a cough. “My friend is coming to get me.”
I smile at him. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then I lift the bar at the end and walk down the hallway to my office. I instantly spin around when I hear someone enter behind me. Cross is shutting the door. “What are you doing?”
“You,” he says matter-of-factly.
“I’m working,” I answer, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach and give him my back. I don’t have time to become Cross’s little fuck toy, no matter how much I want that. This is the very reason I avoided messaging him today. What was I going to say? Hey, let’s fuck? Or hey, thanks for last night? It was going to be awkward no matter what I chose to say. So, I just didn’t. I never thought he’d show up here.
Grabbing my arm, he spins me around, and before I can protest, his hands cup my face, and his lips are on mine. He kisses me deeply, passionately. Like I’m dying, and he’s trying to give me his air.
My arms go around his neck without thought, and I lean into him, pressing my body into his, and I feel his hard dick push against my lower stomach. I moan at the feel of it, the memory of last night. The King knew what he was doing. Not like I’m surprised. Guys like him are usually the best fucks and toxic as hell.
I suck in a deep breath when he pulls away.
“I’ve got work to do,” I protest one last time, trying to make my body understand what my head is screaming.
You’re sober now, Alexa. Just say no.
He spins me around and picks me up, dropping me onto the old brown leather couch. His hands quickly go to my jeans, and I don’t stop him. Instead, I tell my mind to shut the fuck up and push my hair back from my face. Lifting my hips, I give him better access to remove them. Then he drops to his knees beside the couch and throws my legs over his broad shoulders.