Sin & Tonic Read online

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll go first,” Courtney said. “Truth.”

  For someone who was reluctant to play, I already had a question. “Is it true that you made out with Mitch Severson behind the school?”

  Mitch had been a senior when we were freshmen, and Courtney had never told us if the rumors were true or not.

  Courtney pushed her hair behind her shoulder. “I suppose I have to answer. I started the game after all.” She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Yes, we made out behind the school.”

  Jenn and I clapped and made happy noises.

  “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Jenn asked.

  “Because he went back to his girlfriend the next day. I didn’t want anyone to know he’d kissed me and gotten back together with his ex.”

  “Oh. Yeah, that’s understandable,” I said.

  “Okay, my turn,” Jenn said. “I pick dare.”

  “You have to take a shot of tequila,” Courtney said.

  Jenn made a gagging sound. “I hate tequila.”

  “That’s why it’s a dare,” I said.

  “Fine.” Jenn went to the bar and ordered a shot.

  Courtney and I watched to make sure she actually took it and didn’t give it away to someone.

  When it was my turn, I picked truth. Jenn asked me if I had ever been in love. I answered no. I’d come close, but I didn’t think I’d really and truly loved him.

  We played a few more rounds, and I chose truth every time. I finally decided I should pick dare.

  “I dare you to kiss the next guy who walks through the door of the bar,” Jenn said.

  “What?” I sat up straight in my seat. “You can’t just pick someone like that.”

  “That’s why it’s called a dare,” Jenn said, throwing my words back at me.

  The door opened, and I held my breath. Please be cute. Please be cute.

  There were two big windows at the front, but they were covered with blackout shades most of the time. The only time we opened them was on Sunday morning at brunch. It would be nice if I had a good idea of who was going to walk through the door.

  In walked Denise and Bud. They were both in their late sixties. And married.

  Jenn and Courtney laughed.

  I held up my hand. “I’m not backing out of the dare, but we need a few guidelines. The guy has to be under fifty, and he can’t be married. Or have a girlfriend. I’m not getting sucker-punched for your stupid game.”

  “Okay, it’s a deal,” Jenn said.

  “Who are you hoping will walk through that door?” Courtney said.

  I lifted a shoulder. “Ryan Reynolds. Idris Elba. Chris Hemsworth.”

  Jenn shook her head in disappointment. “A Canadian, a Brit, and an Australian. We said American dick, Lacey,” she said, circling around to our earlier conversation.

  “Right now, we’re just talking about American lips. You only dared me to kiss someone.”

  “Okay then, whose American lips do you hope will walk through the door?”

  I lifted a shoulder “Jason Momoa.”

  “But he’s married,” Jenn said.

  “I’d make an exception for him,” I said. “Getting punched by Lisa Bonet would be worth it.”

  Jenn laughed.

  “I was hoping you’d say Jake,” Courtney admitted.

  “What the hell? No way. We hate each other,” I pointed out what they already knew.

  “But hate sex is the best,” she said.

  “Not going to happen.”

  For more than one reason. He was already in the bar, working tonight, and he’d probably call the cops on me for assault. But I did have to admit that he was probably a good kisser. All that brooding funneled into sex.

  I lifted my drink and took a long sip. It was best to not think about sex and Jake Russo.

  The door opened again, and in walked a group of girls that were probably barely over twenty-one.

  I tapped my glass. “I’m almost done with my drink, and I have to be up early tomorrow.” The bar had started serving a Sunday morning brunch buffet in the last couple of years. I had to open the bar tomorrow morning. “If a single guy the right age doesn’t walk through by the time I’m finished, I’m calling it quits to your dare.”

  Courtney’s eyes glittered. “Do you promise to kiss whoever it is?”

  I had a feeling I didn’t want to agree to this, but I wasn’t going to back out now. “As long as they meet the rules, yes.”

  “Okay,” she said, all smug.

  The woman knew something I didn’t. She had to.

  The door opened again … and in walked Jake.

  “What?” I looked to the bar as if there were really going to be two of him. “How? Why?”

  Courtney clapped her hands. “He went out back with the garbage. He always walks around to the front, so he can scan the parking lot for any trouble.”

  “You tricked me,” I accused.

  “No, I didn’t. I had no idea he was going to do that until just now.”

  “But I can’t.”

  Jenn put her hand on my arm. “It’s okay, Lace. I’ll take one for the team and do it for you.”

  I snorted. “You make it sound like a real hardship.”

  Courtney was shaking her head. “No way. Lacey has to do it. She agreed.”

  My shoulders slumped as I watched Jake head back behind the bar. He smiled at a customer, and I couldn’t deny how hot he was, but he hated me.

  “I’ll do it. But you’d both better promise to bail me out of jail.”

  Chapter 8

  JAKE

  T onight was busy, as were most Saturday nights, and I had to admit that having Lacey on staff did help. It was a relief that I didn’t have to get up and come in tomorrow to open the bar early.

  Last call was around one thirty, and we closed the bar at two in the morning. But, by the time we got everyone out and cleaned up, I didn’t usually get home until after three.

  George and I had always split Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, and now, Lacey and I were doing the same. It was also a way for us to not speak to each other.

  Try as I might, she was growing on me. She’d been working hard the last month. I’d thought she’d do the bare minimum, but she’d been pulling her weight. Even if she constantly messed up the cash registers. She’d locked everyone out on multiple occasions. It was a good thing we had more than one register.

  It would have been nice if she had picked somewhere else to go tonight. She was with Courtney and Jenn. Being a small town, I knew the other women. We weren’t quite friends, but I would say we were more than acquaintances. They often came in on Saturday nights to eat. Normally, I’d go over and say hi, but I didn’t feel like it with Lacey there. I didn’t want to ignore her, but anything friendly would feel fake. It was better to just avoid their table.

  Too bad they sat in front of the bar, and I had to watch the three laugh and have fun.

  Every time Lacey’s eyes lit up or she threw her head back and exposed her neck, my groin got tight.

  I was sick of walking around work with a constant hard-on. My dick was supposed to have a nice, relaxing break tonight.

  It didn’t help that she was wearing a skirt and that her shirt showed just enough breast to make a man’s mouth water.

  I wished I could kick her out.

  “Hey! Jake,” someone called my name.

  I turned to see a customer looking at me with impatience all over his face.

  “Sorry. What can I get you?”

  “A rum and Coke.”

  I quickly made his drink and handed it to him. I rang up his order and gave him his change.

  Jessie came back from her break, and I took the opportunity to empty the big garbage cans under the bar. I took the trash out back, and the door slammed behind me. I took a minute to enjoy the quiet and the night air.

  After throwing the bags in the big bin, I walked around the front, going through the parking lot as I went. There were a f
ew times where people had passed out in their cars or a couple was fighting. I liked to make sure everyone was safe when they came to visit Leather & Lace.

  Everything was peaceful tonight. I waved good-bye to a couple that was leaving and entered the bar from the front.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lacey, Courtney, and Jenn all looking at me. Lacey’s eyes were round, and her mouth hung open as if she couldn’t believe what she saw. I refused to turn my head and look at the three of them. It was better to pretend like I hadn’t seen the three of them at all.

  Closing time was drawing near. Many customers had already left, except for Lacey and her two friends.

  Maybe I’d get to kick her out after all.

  The thought put a smile on my face.

  “Why are you grinning?” Jessie asked.

  Jessie was twenty-two and had been working at the bar for two years. She had gone to college, but she had dropped out when she realized it wasn’t for her. She’d come home and started working for George. She was one of our best employees.

  “Just thinking about something. Nothing important though.”

  “Do you have plans after work?” she asked me.

  “Yeah. It’s called planting my body face-first onto my bed and falling into a dreamless sleep. You?”

  Jessie laughed. “I have plans with some friends.”

  “To be young and able to party all night,” I said nostalgically.

  Jessie scoffed. “You’re not that old, Jake.”

  “Tell that to my body. I’m thirty-two, going on sixty.”

  Jessie laughed again and left to wipe down the tables that were empty.

  I threw a towel over my shoulder and approached Lacey’s table. “Ladies, we’re closing soon. Last call was fifteen minutes ago.” I looked at Lacey. “Shouldn’t you be home already? You have to be back here at seven.”

  She ignored me and looked at her friends. “Do I have to do this?”

  Courtney slapped her hand on the table. “Hell yes, you have to. If I had to call my ex-boyfriend and ask him if his refrigerator was running, you’re doing this. You’ve been stalling all night.”

  I was curious as to what they were talking about but not curious enough to ask.

  “Okay, well, make sure you finish up before the doors close,” I said and turned to walk away.

  “Jake?”

  I swung back around as Lacey got off her stool.

  “Yeah?”

  “Please don’t punch me.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Why would I punch—”

  Lacey fisted the front of my shirt and pulled me down to her until our lips met.

  Surprise didn’t even begin to cover how I felt, but that quickly turned to arousal. My hands came down on her ass and yanked her against me as I swiped my tongue over her bottom lip.

  Lacey opened her mouth and moaned into mine as she rubbed her crotch against my erection.

  God. She felt amazing against me.

  Someone whistled, and I let go of her as quickly as I had grabbed her.

  What the fuck am I doing?

  We were both panting, but I refused to meet her eyes. I felt like I’d been put under a spell.

  “Damn. I didn’t know we were getting dinner and a show tonight,” Jenn said.

  That snapped me out of my trance.

  I scowled at Lacey, turned on my heel, and walked away.

  Chapter 9

  LACEY

  A week had passed since I kissed Jake, and the two of us had been strongly ignoring each other.

  I was avoiding him because the kiss had been explosive. I hadn’t felt sparks like that in a long time. And I wanted more.

  I’d had to stop myself from jumping him several times.

  Every time he lifted his arm and his muscles flexed under his T-shirt, I had to pull my eyes away. And I had somehow missed how great his ass looked in jeans. It wasn’t fair. He was my enemy. My competition. I shouldn’t want him.

  Of course, Jake had been nothing but curt with me since the kiss. I could tell it had pissed him off. I thought about telling him about the dare, but I was unsure if it would make him more or less angry. I had no idea what he was really like because all I got was Mad Jake. Everyone else got Nice Jake.

  A few more weeks went by, to the point that I had been there for two and a half months. The kiss awkwardness had passed some, although it helped that Jake had scheduled us on completely opposite shifts. We rarely worked together anymore, and it was usually only a couple of hours at a time.

  I was feeling better about my position at the bar now. I had finally made the registers my bitch, and the employees were getting to know me better. And the customers were warming up to me as well. Not everyone held it against me that I’d moved away.

  “Lacey, can I get two vodka sours and a martini?” Wendy, one of the servers, asked me.

  “Yep. Coming right up.”

  When I’d started, I hadn’t wanted to work behind the bar because I hadn’t made drinks in forever. My father had taught me everything he knew, but as someone under twenty-one, I had always been a server for my father back in high school. I had only made drinks when I was practicing.

  All of my father’s teachings were slowly coming back to me, but I had to admit, my favorite order was beer or soda. Those were stress-free orders.

  “Uh-oh,” Wendy said while she waited for me to finish with the order.

  “What’s uh-oh?” I asked.

  “Alan just texted me that he is sick. He said he tried calling, but no one answered.”

  “Crap.” I had heard the phone ring, but I hadn’t been able to get to it in time. “Can you call Jessie for me?”

  “I’ll text her right now,” Wendy said.

  A minute later, Wendy looked at me apologetically. “She’s out of town.”

  “Damn it. That’s right.” I took a deep breath and blew it out. “I guess I’m staying late tonight.”

  “I can stay late, too,” Wendy offered. “I need the money. I just have to be out of here by ten.”

  I nodded. “Let’s split it then. I’ll go home for a few hours, eat, maybe take a nap, and be back by ten.” I set the last drink down. “Thank you.”

  She smiled at me. “You’re welcome.”

  I’d been so relieved about getting Alan’s shift covered that I had completely forgotten about working with Jake until I walked back into the bar that night.

  Thankfully, the bar was packed, and I didn’t have to spend any downtime with him alone.

  It was another Saturday night, and since it was summer and hot outside, the bar was full of people. Jake was making drinks beside me, and I decided to throw him an idea I’d been playing around with awhile.

  “What would you think about putting some seating outside, so not everyone has to be crammed inside?”

  Jake made no indication that he’d heard me.

  I knew he wasn’t my biggest fan, but I couldn’t believe he was going to ignore me.

  He finished filling up the glass in front of him with beer and slid it over to the customer. After the guy paid and walked off, Jake turned to me. “I think that’s a good idea.”

  So, he had been listening.

  “Really?” I asked much too brightly. I shouldn’t let him know I was delighted that he liked my idea.

  “Yeah. I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but your father thought it would be more work. Which it would be, but I think it would be worth it.”

  I sighed. Of course he liked my idea. It had been his first.

  “Maybe we should go over some ideas on what we can do to expand to outside?” I suggested.

  “Like, you and me, sitting down and having a conversation?” he asked.

  “Yes. Is that so strange?”

  Jake chuckled. “In a way. You and I barely speak.”

  It secretly pleased me that he’d paid enough attention to me to notice that we hardly talked to one another.

  “Well, I do have a little over nine months left he
re. We might as well work on stuff together. My father obviously wanted us to be partners.”

  His smile fell, and I had a sense that he was disappointed in me. “Sure. We can talk about expanding later.”

  I didn’t get to say much more because a customer knocked his knuckles on the bar to get my attention.

  Chapter 10

  JAKE

  J ust when I’d thought having Lacey in Becker Falls wasn’t that bad, she’d had to go and ruin it.

  I had actually felt excited about hearing that we had the same idea for the bar. She had obviously been thinking about it for some time, and it pleased me to know she cared enough about Leather & Lace to put in some effort for improvements.

  But then she’d had to comment about how much time she had left of her year. I didn’t understand why she wanted to make changes if she was just going to up and leave. It would have broken George’s heart.

  Later, after all the customers left and the staff went home, it was only Lacey and me. She straightened all the chairs at the tables after she finished vacuuming, and she came around the bar to wash her hands.

  We hadn’t spoken to each other since our earlier conversation, and I could tell she wanted to say something to me. I could feel her eyes tracking me.

  I turned around and crossed my arms. “All right. What’s wrong?”

  She grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands and shrugged. “Nothing.”

  I shrugged. “Okay then.” If she wasn’t going to tell me, I wasn’t going to bug her about it.

  “Why are you mad at me?”

  I chuckled. “Sweetheart, I would have to care about you to be mad at you.”

  She flinched.

  Too harsh?

  If my mama were here, she’d have slapped me on the backside of the head and told me that I needed to respect all women.

  I sighed and dropped my arms. “Look, it’s not really any of my business.”

  “Even if it’s not, it doesn’t change your feelings, so you might as well spit it out.”

  She had a good point.

  “I guess, after your idea to improve this place, I can’t believe you’re still going to leave. That you can just sell it outright and not look back. I can’t help but think of your father.”