Shivering at that, I lick my bottom lip and whisper back, “Sounds good to me.”
His face lowers so he can kiss me, and when he pulls away, I turn my head when a deep rumbly voice says, “Fuck me. Jesus Christ, fuck me, Evan?”
Looking toward the back bar, I watch a very handsome man step out from behind the counter and come toward us, smiling huge with his arms out at his sides.
“Colton.” Evan smiles, and my eyes go back to Colton.
Holy hotness.
I mean, I have my very own hot guy, a man that is the definition of hot, but this guy is gorgeous. Tall and lean with dark hair and even darker eyes, surrounded by thick lashes, his jaw is square and shadowed with stubble accentuating his full lips and straight white smile. Seeing him and his smile, I do not even understand how his bitch of an ex could stand to walk away from him.
“Good to see you, man,” Evan mutters, letting me go so he can hug his friend.
“Fuck, man, it’s been too long,” Colton rumbles, patting Evan’s back hard as they embrace. When they release each other, Evan’s arm goes around my shoulders, tucking me close to his side.
“Want you to meet June,” Evan says in introduction, and Colton’s eyes move between Evan and me.
“Nice to meet you.” I smile, and then his smile broadens and he tugs me from Evan’s grasp, picks me up, and hugs me so tight that my sides hurt from the pressure.
“Shit, man, you did not fucking lie. She’s pretty as hell.”
Okay, that was sweet and felt really good.
“You can stop touching her now,” Evan grumbles, and I bite my lip, trying not to laugh.
“Aw, I see you’re still a selfish bastard.” Colton laughs, setting me on my feet.
“With her, always,” he says, tucking me back to his side. “You got time for a beer, or are you working?”
“I got time.” He grins, patting Evan’s back once more and shaking his head before turning toward the bar, where we follow him. “What do you guys want to drink?” he asks, as we take a seat on two barstools.
“Whatever’s cold for me,” Evan says. “June’ll have a Miller Lite.” Giving his waist a squeeze, I lean deeper into him. I know it’s not huge, but I love that he remembers what I drink, how I take my coffee, what foods I do or don’t like, all of those unimportant things that end up being important in the end, because they tell you the person you’re with cares enough to pay attention to the small things about you.
“Gia, baby, come here,” Colton calls, looking to his right, and I follow his gaze toward the open door to an office, where a very pretty, petite girl with loads of curves, long, dark, wavy hair, olive-toned skin, and startling green eyes is standing next to an older woman who looks a lot like Colton.
“One day, I’m going to kill your son,” I hear the girl, who must be Gia, mutter. The woman she’s standing next to laughs loudly, saying something I can’t hear before shoving her our way.
“You rang,” Gia says when she’s close, and Colton grins at her.
“Gia, this is Evan. We were in the marines together, and this is his wife, June,” Colton says, and my heart contracts, and not in a good way. I’m not his wife anymore, and even though I’ve known that for a very long time and felt like I came to terms with it ages ago, hearing what once was kills me.
“Nice to meet you guys.” She smiles, showing off two dimples, one in each cheek.
“You too.” I smile back, as Evan lifts his chin and asks, “This your girl?”
“Yeah,” Colton says, smiling as Gia states, “No,” turning and tilting her head way back to frown up at him.
Giggling, I look between the two of them then watch Colton smirk down at her, as he mutters, “Babe, we’ve been through this.”
“That’s my point!” she cries, tossing her arms in the air. “We’ve been through this, and you’re still not listening.” In a flash, his hand is on the back of her neck, pulling her close, and then his mouth is on hers and he’s kissing her deeply, with tongue. By the time he rips his mouth from hers, her hands have moved from pushing him away to holding him closer.
“Oh my,” I whisper, once again wondering what the hell his ex was thinking.
“I told you to stop kissing me,” she breathes, blinking up at him, as her cheeks turn pink.
“And I told you, baby, that’s never gonna happen,” he whispers back, kissing her once more, this one swift and just a touch of his mouth to hers.
“Don’t mind them,” the woman who looks like Colton says, coming to block our view of them as she leans over the bar and pats Evan’s cheek. “I miss you, kid.”
“Miss you too, Ma Rose,” Evan says, sliding his arm around my shoulders. “I want you to meet June.
“June,” she speaks quietly, moving her gaze to me.
“Nice to meet you.” I smile, and her eyes move between us before she focuses on Evan once more.
“You got your girl back?” She smiles a soft motherly smile that makes me like her even more.
“Pulled my head out of my ass,” Evan replies, and she laughs then shakes her head.
“Kirk’s gonna be happy,” she mumbles, still smiling.
“Where is the old man?”
“Home, he was at the bar late. He should be here in a couple hours, if you two want to stick around. If not, you can ride over to the house. I’m sure he’s up puttering around the garage, working on his bike.”
“We’ll be here for a while,” Evan says, and she smiles and pats his cheek again. I know he and his mom are closer than he is with the rest of his family, and by close, I mean they talk, but his mom isn’t around unless she wants something. So, I’m happy to see he’s built relationships with people who are healthy and normal, relationships that are two-sided, where he’s not the only person doing all the work.
“Here.” Colton slides a beer bottle in front of me and mug of beer in front of Evan, and then leans against the bar, crossing his arms over his chest.
“So, I take it you’re good?” Evan asks, looking back toward the office, where Gia has disappeared along with Colton’s mom.
“Couldn’t be better. Well, it could be, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.” He shrugs, grinning, and Evan laughs, shaking his head.
“That, I understand.” Evan looks at me, and Colton’s grin turns into a small smile.
“Man, it’s really fucking good to see you,” Colton says quietly, the words spoken with a deeper meaning than just seeing his friend after so long. They’re spoken in a way to where I know he understands, more than most, that had Evan not gone back to check in the house, he wouldn’t be sitting here right now.
“You too, brother.” They hold each other’s gaze for a long time before each of them clears their throat and looks away. Leaning into Evan, I press a kiss to the underside of his jaw that is clenched. His eyes drop to mine and his face softens, along with his jaw.
Are you okay? I mouth, and he nods then presses a kiss to my forehead. The words I love you are stuck in the back of my throat as I sit back and take a sip of my beer. I feel so torn between the need to tell him how I feel and the need to hold on to those words. My gut actually aches every time I think about saying the three words out loud, as though by saying them, I’ll wake up and realize all of this was just a dream.
“You okay, baby?” Evan asks against my ear, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yeah, sorry, I spaced out,” I mutter, then my eyes go to Colton and I notice him watching me closely. I give him a smile, and he returns one, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes this time.
Oh well.
Taking another sip of beer, I lean closer to Evan and listen to him and Colton talk, and occasionally laugh or smile when they tell me stories about things they did together or things that happened when they were deployed. When Colton’s dad arrives and introduces himself, I look around. I didn’t even notice how much time had passed or how full the bar had gotten. There must be at least a hundred people here now, if not more.
“I’ll be back,” I tell Evan, sliding off my barstool.
“’Kay, baby, come right back.”
Rolling my eyes at that, I mutter, “Yes, sir,” under my breath, and his eyes darken at my words. Before I know what’s happening, I’m back in his grasp and his mouth is close to my ear.
“I’ll be sure to put that into play tonight.” His words vibrate against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine and a tingle between my legs.
“Ev.” My eyes slide closed when his teeth nip my earlobe, making me clutch onto his shirt at his ribs so I don’t fall on my face.
“Go and come back to me.” He grins, looking smug.
“Tease,” I whisper, leaving his side, hearing his laugher behind me as I head toward the restroom. Walking into the girls’ bathroom, I find Gia is standing and waiting for the one and only stall with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at a tall brunette who’s washing her hands.
“Hey.” I smile when her eyes come to me.
“Hey.” Her face softens, and then she moves back as the stall opens up and a girl with long blonde hair stumbles out, giggling when she bumps into Gia.
“We really need an employee bathroom,” she mumbles, looking between the girl at the sink and the girl who just came out of the stall.
“So you and Colton?” I ask, bumping her shoulder with a grin on my face, blaming the question on the five beers I’ve had since I’ve been here.
Gia’s eyes meet mine, but before she can reply, one of the girls at the sink whispers to her friend loud enough for us to hear, “Did you know Lisa and Colton had lunch yesterday?”
Turning to look at them, I blink then feel my jaw clench when the other one answers, “I know. Lisa said she’s so happy to be wearing the ring he gave her again.”
“No,” I mutter to myself. I feel completely invested in Colton’s life, like it’s a daytime TV show and he’s the leading man, and Lisa is the conniving bitch who is secretly sleeping with his brother. Not that he has a brother, or that I know him at all, but after hearing his story from Evan, I know if he gets back with his ex, I’m going to kick his ass myself.
“Who are you?” the brunette asks, sliding her eyes from her lips, which she’s applying lip-gloss to, to mine in the mirror.
“Colton did not have lunch with her,” I say, not answering her question and really having no idea if he did have lunch with her yesterday or not. For all I know, he could have, but judging by the way his eyes followed Gia all around the bar, I didn’t think that was true.
“He did. Lisa told us,” the blonde says, turning to face me.
“Well, Lisa is a liar and a dumbass,” I tell her, looking to my side and seeing Gia glaring at both girls.
“Who are you?” the blonde asks again, turning to face me and crossing her arms over her obviously fake boobs.
“Who I am doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah, if you’re calling Lisa a liar, it does matter,” the brunette states, turning to stand by her friend.
“Why are you guys even here?” Gia asks, looking between the two of them. “This isn’t your normal hangout, and last I heard, you weren’t even supposed to be in the bar.”
“I doubt Colton’s going to kick out his fiancée’s friends.” The blonde rolls her eyes.
Okay, I’m officially crazy, or maybe I had one too many beers—not that I feel even a little drunk—but these chicks are seriously pissing me off.
“He is not her fiancé,” I growl.
“He is.” The blonde leans forward, pushing me in the chest with a finger.
Um, hell to the no.
“Did you just touch me?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?” she snaps, taking a step closer to me.
Leaning forward, I open my mouth to reply, but jump back when—“What the fuck is going on?” echoes through the room. Putting Gia behind me, my eyes fly to the door, where Colton is standing, looking pissed.
“Thank God you’re here. This crazy girl was just telling us that you and Lisa aren’t together!” the brunette cries, dramatically pointing at me.
Hearing a rumbled, “June, come here,” my eyes skate past Colton’s shoulder and meet Evan’s cold gaze.
Crap.
“I told you once, and this is the last time I’m saying it. Get the fuck out and stay the fuck out. You are not welcome at my bar,” Colton grits out though his teeth, and I fight the urge to stick my tongue out at the girls and say “I told you so.”
“But—” one of the girls whispers, as Colton roars, “Now!” making them jump and move quickly through the small space Colton and Evan allow them.
“Gia, baby, are you okay?” Colton asks, and I turn to look at Gia, seeing her face is set in annoyance, but her eyes look watery.
“I’m fine.” She moves, turning her back on him, going into the stall, and shutting the door.
“June,” Evan repeats, and my eyes move to him.
“Give me five and I’ll be out.”
“You don’t come out and I have to come back in, we’re gonna have problems.”
“And where exactly am I going to go?” I ask him, which probably isn’t the right thing to say, since his jaw ticks at my question. “I’ll be out.” I sigh then look at Colton, and whisper, “I’ll make sure she’s okay,” pushing the door and effectively moving him out of the bathroom.
“Is he gone?” Gia asks after a moment from the other side of the stall door.
“Yeah.”
“God, I hate those girls,” she says, opening the door and moving to the sink.
“They’re liars,” I tell her, hoping it is something she knows herself.
“I know,” she agrees softly, washing her hands. “I shouldn’t let them get to me, but I can’t help it. Lisa is constantly showing up or calling. I have so much going on that I can’t even focus on her and Colton. Not that I want to, but…” She shrugs.
“I get it,” I say softly, giving her shoulder a squeeze as I move past her into the stall, taking care of business quickly.
“How did you know they were lying?” she asks, when I’m out of the stall and washing my hands.
“Um… I’m not sure if you noticed, but Colton doesn’t exactly let you out of his sight. I can’t imagine that a man who’s trying to get back with his ex would be so invested in someone else,” I point out the obvious, and her cheeks darken as her face drops.
“He makes me crazy.” She shakes her head, closing her eyes before opening them back up and meeting my gaze.
“He’s hot.” I grin, and she tries to fight it, but she can’t. She tries to cover her smile by hiding her face behind her hands and laughing, but I know it’s there.
When she pulls her hands away, I see why Colton is obsessed with her. She’s fragile; something in her needs protecting. And for a guy who put his life on the line for his country, I bet her soft spot isn’t something he can resist wanting to protect.
“Thanks for taking my back.”
“Oh, please. That was fun, and seriously, I don’t know much about Colton, but my guess is he isn’t the kind of guy you let go of. Only, his ex is an idiot and did it in a big way. Now, she’s realized her stupidity, and her loss is definitely your gain, sister.”
“You should see her,” Gia whispers, and my brows draw together.
“Who?”
“His ex. She’s like a walking Victoria’s Secret model.”
“Have you looked in the mirror?” I question. I mean, seriously, Gia is gorgeous, and honestly, she fits Colton perfectly.
“I’m serious! She’s, like, perfect, and I’m—well…” She pauses. “Me. I don’t get it. Plus, there is all kinds of stuff going on, and I hate having Colton and his family involved in it.”
“One thing I know about men,” I start, gently grabbing her hand, “is they don’t do anything they don’t want to do. And honey, for real, you are gorgeous. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I guess,” she mutters, then looks
at the door when it opens and a woman walks in. “I better get back out on the floor.”
“Wait, let me get your number. If you ever want to talk, you can call me. Anytime.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Us girls need to stick together.” I smile again, taking my phone out of my pocket. I add her number to my contacts, and we leave the restroom together. Once I’m back at the bar, I go directly to Evan’s side and take a seat on the barstool next to his.
“What the hell happened?” he asks, leaning closer to me, but my eyes are on Colton’s, which are filled with concern as he looks behind us, where I’m sure Gia is waiting tables like she was doing earlier.
Pulling my attention from Colton, I turn to meet Evan’s gaze. “I’ll tell you later,” I murmur, and his eyes search my face before he nods and wraps his warm hand around the back of my neck, so he can tug me closer and place his lips to my forehead.
“You okay?” he asks when he pulls back.
Grinning, I answer, “Absolutely.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.” He smiles, and I lean closer, pressing my mouth to his ignoring his statement.
“Oh, my God,” I hiss, holding on to Evan’s hair as his mouth devours me, my naked back pressed to the wall just inside the hotel room’s door, with him on his knees in front of me, still fully clothed. As soon as we got into the room, he made quick work of stripping me naked, and then made even quicker work of giving me an orgasm. Now, I was working toward the second.
“Fuck, baby, get there. I need inside of you,” he growls, thrusting two fingers deep, sending me to my toes.
“I’m close.” I moan, “So close.”
“Fuck,” he snarls, tossing my leg over his shoulder, opening me up more. My head bangs back against the wall and I cry out as another orgasm slices through me, sending me reeling. Before I’m even back to earth, my body bounces against the bed and Evan is towering over me. Ripping his shirt off over his head, my hands go to his chest then down to his abs.