Kent closed his eyes, then turned away. “Can you give me a minute?” he asked gruffly.
Briana didn’t say anything, just turned and went back outside. She didn’t meet Colin’s eyes as she walked over to where Pete, Nicole, and Kara sat. She sat down, but didn’t join their conversation. She couldn’t help but picture Kent’s crestfallen expression before he’d turned from her.
Before she knew it, the backyard was full of people and she went in search of Kara. She walked up to where Pete stood alone and asked him if he’d seen Kara. He nodded his head towards the tree line of the backyard, where Kara was making out with some tall, lanky guy that Briana didn’t recognize.
“She’s drunk,” Pete stated.
“What?” Briana asked incredulously. “We have to be to work in an hour.”
“I don’t think she’s gonna make it.”
Briana walked over to Kara and tugged on her arm. “Kara. Kara. Stop. We have to go.”
The stranger pulled away long enough to say, “Fuck off,” then went back to slobbering all over Kara.
“Kara.” Briana tried getting closer and tapped her on the back. “We have to get to work.”
Kara looked back at her and said, “Hey, Bree,” then she giggled and turned back to resume her make-out session.
Pete approached from behind Briana and yanked Kara off the guy. He pushed her behind him and stood to face The Asshole.
The Asshole towered over him by a few feet and looked menacing, his jaw clenched and neck bulging.
“What’s your problem, Ginger?” Asshole yelled.
“You are,” Pete retorted. “You shouldn’t be taking advantage of Kara when she’s had too much to drink.”
“Shut up, Pete,” Kara shouted clawing at Pete’s back. “This is none of your business.”
“Why don’t you listen to her, Ginger?” Asshole said.
“Kara, just let me handle this. You deserve better,” Pete said to her over his shoulder.
Kara’s face turned red. She started to beat on Pete’s back. “Don’t tell me what I deserve.”
“How ‘bout you kick rocks and leave us be?” Asshole stated, trying to reach around Pete to grab Kara.
Then everything seemed to happen at once. Colin, Kent and Rich finally noticed what was going on and ran over to assist Pete. Pete knocked Asshole’s hand away from Kara, causing Asshole’s face to turn a bright shade of red. Kara continued to pound on Pete’s back.
Briana watched in horror as Asshole reared back, then punched Pete square on his jaw. The impact caused Pete to fall back, toppling Kara over. Pete turned to the side in order to avoid falling on top of her.
The other guys grabbed Asshole and held him back as Kara and Briana rushed over to Pete. He sat up and looked dazed, but other than a red mark on his jaw, he was fine.
Kara stroked his jaw. She looked into his eyes and started to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Pete. I should have listened to you.”
Pete pulled her to him and held her as she cried. Briana got up and walked away to let them have some privacy as the guys hustled Asshole out of the backyard through the gate.
“What the hell was that?” Roni asked. “What happened?”
“That guy got too rough and hit Pete, so they escorted him out,” Briana said, trying to play off the situation.
Nicole came running over. “Is Pete okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t think Kara’s going to be able to work tonight. Pam lets you serve sometimes, right? Do you think you’d be able to cover for her tonight?”
“Sure,” Nicole said with a shrug. “I don’t have any plans after this.” She glanced up as the guys walked back through the gate.
Briana recognized the look of longing on her face, but didn’t have time to wonder what had caused it. She was just grateful that Nicole agreed to cover for Kara so Kara didn’t get in trouble. She thanked Nicole, then walked over to meet Colin, Rich, and Kent.
“Hey, guys, Nicole is going to cover for Kara at work tonight, so we need to get going. Can you keep an eye on Kara and Pete and make sure they get home okay?”
They all nodded. Briana gathered her things and told Nicole she’d see her in a few minutes at the restaurant. Before she made it to the car she heard Colin calling after her and paused.
“I really have to get to work, Colin. I’m going to be late as it is.”
“I’ll just take a second, Bree,” he said quickly.
“Okay.”
“When can I see you again?”
“Um, I work the next few nights, but we can hang out before work, or we can get together on my day off.”
“Great.” He smiled. “Give me a call tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” she said, and started back towards her car.
“Hey, Bree,” he called after her, causing her to look over her shoulder at him. “What happened with Kent?”
“I told him I couldn’t see him anymore,” she replied, then got in her car and drove away.
When she looked in her rearview mirror, Colin was still standing in the same spot with a huge grin on his face.
Chapter Fourteen
When Briana woke up the next morning, she stayed in bed for a few minutes, replaying the previous day in her mind.
She couldn’t believe the way things had played out at the party: Kara getting drunk, even when she knew they had to work; the Asshole being belligerent; and Pete standing up for Kara and getting punched for his efforts.
Pam had been cool with Nicole covering for Kara. She said that she had been considering promoting Nicole to server, so it would give her a chance to see how she handled herself on the floor. Before closing for the night and heading home, Briana had thanked Nicole again for agreeing to help Kara out as they sat down and had a drink after work.
“No problem,” Nicole said. “I’m sorry about what happened at the party, but I made out great in tips tonight. It was fun.”
“That’s great,” Briana replied. Then she studied Nicole, taking in her good looks and the way she carried herself, as if she’d been born to privilege. “So, what’s your story, Nicole? No offense, but you don’t seem like the type to be working as a hostess at a bar and grill in the middle of nowhere.”
Nicole had turned pink, then looked down at the napkin that she was slowly tearing to pieces. “Well, I grew up in Dallas. My parents are wealthy and I went to private schools all my life. It was expected that I would go to SAGU and study Youth Ministries, then come home and marry my high school sweetheart, and we would start a congregation together. The problem was that I don’t love Jake, and I couldn’t go through with my parents’ plans for me. I studied English in school and broke it off with Jake. My parents were very disappointed in me and I just couldn’t go back, so I came here to start a life on my own.”
“Wow. Did you know anyone here before you came?”
Nicole smiled and giggled a bit, as if still amazed by her decision. “No. I just picked a random spot on the map and showed up. I had a little money saved up, so I was able to rent an apartment, but even with the money I make as a hostess, it is started to become a struggle. That is why I’m hoping to move up to a serving position, and I’m thinking about getting a roommate.”
Briana looked at her in amazement. “You’re so brave. I don’t think I could ever do what you did, not in a million years.”
“Thanks, but it’s no big deal.” Nicole said with an embarrassed shrug.
Thinking back on the conversation, Briana couldn’t help but be impressed about Nicole and the decisions she’d made in order to be happy.
Deciding it was time to get some coffee, so she rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. When she walked in, she saw that Pete was already there making a pot.
“Hey,” she said with a yawn. “What are you doing here?”
When Pete turned, she saw that his jaw was colorful with the bruises that were starting to form.
“Ouch.”
“It’s not so bad,?
?? he replied, gingerly touching his jaw. “I brought Kara home and stayed over. She was pretty shook up last night, and I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“Is she?”
“Yeah,” he said smiling to himself as he made two cups of coffee. “She’s great.”
Before Briana could ask him about that smile, he wandered out of the kitchen and into Kara’s room, shutting the door behind him. She looked at the shut door for a moment, then shrugged and poured herself a cup of coffee.
Once she’d gotten her caffeine fix, she looked at the clock and decided that it was late enough to give Colin a call.
“’Lo,” he said gruffly, answering on the third ring.
“Hey, Colin, it’s Bree. You asked me to give you a call.” Even though that was true, she felt nervous now that she was talking to him.
His voice got softer. “Good mornin’. I’m glad you called. I was just getting dressed, so I didn’t even look to see who it was before I answered it. I’m happy it’s you.”
She smiled at his response, and felt herself grow warm at the thought of him pulling his clothes on after a hot shower.
She cleared her throat. “Um… well, I was wondering if you wanted to do something today. I have to work tonight, but not until five.”
“That would be great. I’m working later tonight, too, because we have inventory, so that works out perfectly.”
Briana swore that she heard a smile in his voice. “Well,” she began, “I was thinking that I could come over and make you lunch. I’ll pick up everything at the market, then come by. Will that work for you?”
“That sounds great.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a little bit.” She smiled as she disconnected, then ran to the bathroom so she could shower and get ready. She shaved, lotioned, and primped. She put on a red sundress with white sandals and blew her hair dry. She was trying to look effortlessly casual. It took a lot of work.
When she finished she headed to the market and picked up ingredients for Chicken Milano, with fettuccini noodles, salad, and asparagus. As an afterthought she grabbed a bottle of red wine, and headed to the register. She really wanted to impress Colin with this meal.
When she arrived at his place, she felt butterflies in her stomach as she carried the bags up the stairs.
Before she could knock, the door flew open, and Colin stood before her, all sexy and smiling. She took in his bare feet, cargo shorts, and grey T-shirt, before reaching his face and the flash of dimples. It was all she could do not to sigh and stare, but she gathered her wits and smiled up at him, lifting the grocery bags to show him what she’d brought.
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, as he took the bags from her hands and moved to the side to allow her access inside.
“Hi,” he said as she walked past him.
“Hi,” she said back, her smile still in place.
They walked back in to the kitchen and Colin began taking the items out of the grocery bags. “What do you need me to do?” he asked when everything was lined up on the counter.
“If you want to start cutting the vegetables for the salad, I can get started on the main course. Is it okay if I rummage through your kitchen to find what I need?”
“Sure. Mi casa es su casa. My mom loaded it up when I moved in, so I should have everything that you need.”
“Cool.”
Briana started to prep the chicken. While she worked, she was conscious of Colin standing next to her chopping and building the salad. Her body seemed to hum and her pulse quickened at his nearness. She watched his bicep flex with every slice of the blade, and started to feel lightheaded.
She cleared her throat and focused on the chicken, getting it breaded and placed in the sauce so she could put it in the oven. Once that was done, she put the pasta water on to boil.
“Do you have a grill?” she asked.
He stopped cutting and looked up at her. It seemed like a current passed through the air, and she knew that he was as aware of the sexual tension as she was.
“Hmm?” he asked. “Did you say something?”
She laughed, her eyes blurring a bit as she met his gaze.
“Do you have a grill?” she asked again.
“Yeah. Do you need me to light it up?” he asked, placing the knife on the cutting board and waiting for her answer.
“Um, yeah.” Her lips felt as dry as her mouth and she licked them quickly out of habit. His gaze followed the flick of her tongue and stayed there for a moment, as he hoped she’d do it again. Her throat tightened and she struggled to remember what they were talking about.
“Oh, um… yeah. I wanted to grill the asparagus.”
“Sure.” His movements seemed slow, as he went out the back door to where she assumed he kept his grill.
Briana shook her head to try and clear the fog, then got out the asparagus and coated it with olive oil, pepper, and salt.
When Colin came back in she asked, “Is it gas or do I need to wait for the coals to warm up?”
“It’s gas.”
She picked up the plate of asparagus and walked by him, accidently brushing her arm against his taut stomach. She heard his quick intake of breath, and bit back the groan that started in the back of her throat. She rushed out and put the asparagus on the grill.
When she got back into the kitchen, she looked at the timer and saw that the chicken still had forty-five minutes to bake, so she turned off the water that had begun to boil. Apparently being in the kitchen with Colin was making forget the basics.
“Shoot.”
Colin came up behind her, as if to try and get close enough to hear what she’d said.
“What is it?”
“I put the asparagus on too early. The chicken won’t be done for a while and I don’t need to cook the asparagus and the noodles yet.”
Colin went back outside and came back in a few seconds later.
“No problem. I turned off the grill and we can set it up again when you’re ready.”
“Thanks.”
“So,” Colin began, “Does that mean we have some time to kill before we have to do the rest?”
Briana looked at the timer again. “Yeah, about thirty minutes.”
She’d barely gotten the words out, when Colin pulled her against him. Her arms went around him eagerly and her mouth eagerly found his. He backed her up against the counter and she felt the long hard length of him against her.
His mouth was everywhere, her neck, her jaw, her earlobe. Her head fell back to allow him better access, and her hands began an exploration of their own.
His hands found their way to her bottom and he lifted her easily, causing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He set her on the countertop, and she shifted down, so she could feel his erection press against her. She began to thrust as she tried to work his shirt up and off of him.
He broke away from her to help her, tearing the shirt over his head and coming back to meet her lips with his.
Her hands thrilled in the feel of his bare skin. She loved the muscles that rippled with each movement and started to feel crazy with need.
She struggled with the straps of her dress. He reached down to help her, pushing the straps and the fabric down over her stomach, and taking her bra off in the process.
When their bare skin touched it was like a fire erupted inside of her. She rocked against him again, causing Colin to moan and he leaned her back to gain access to her breasts. Then he sucked on one nipple as he used his fingers to knead and stroke the other.
Briana kissed his forehead and leaned towards his ear, trying to reach his skin, but not interrupt his wonderful assault on her breasts. She scooted down a little further, eager to have him inside her. This caused her dress to push up further along her thighs. She was frustrated by his shorts and her panties, which caused an unwanted barrier.
Her movement caused a tortured sound to emit from his throat. Colin left her breasts and brought his lips back to her mouth, suckling and biting her lips,
as he pulled her closer to him and lifted her off of the counter.
He carried her back to his room, but before placing her on the bed, he pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.
“Is this okay?” he asked, clearly trying to keep his control in check, even as she rocked against him once more.
“Yes,” Briana said with total confidence. “Please.”
That was all the affirmation he needed. He laid her down and took off her clothes. Then he took off his. He laid next to her on the bed, stroking her skin with his hands, as he placed light kisses down her down her body. He started with the nape of her neck, then travelled along her collar bone to her breasts. After licking and nibbling her nipples again, he continued his descent along her stomach to her thighs.
He moved down the bed so he was in front of her, and nudged her legs, asking her to open them for him. She did as he requested, the blood pumping hot through her veins.
He kissed his way up her legs, starting at her knees, and ending in the one place that burned the most. When his mouth touched her, she felt momentarily embarrassed. No one had ever kissed her like this before, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
One second later, when his tongue began to lick her and he looked up to make sure she was okay, she lost all thoughts of embarrassment and let herself be taken away by the feelings he evoked.
It didn’t take long for the tension to build in her core, causing her to buck and thrash against his mouth. He took that as a sign of encouragement and began to lick faster and deeper.
She came with a shout and a moan. She couldn’t believe she was being so vocal, but she was no longer in control of herself.
Colin kissed her thighs once more, before kissing a trail back up her stomach to her chest. Her sensitive nipples tingled when he stroked them. She worked to catch her breath.
When he was fully on top of her, she moved appreciatively at the feel of his weight. His skin felt silky and slick, and she knew that he had to be ready to explode himself. She felt him throbbing against her.