8. CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

Chyler

There was music playing and pots and pans clattering behind me. I rolled over with a groan and rubbed my eyes. What the hell was going on?

Stretching out my arms and rolling my ankles, I noticed that I was in a living room—on someone’s couch. Looking down at the blanket covering me, I realized I knew where I was. I was in Madison’s townhouse, completely forgetting that last night, we decided it was easier to just stay with her instead of dropping Alexis and me at our apartments.

I always liked staying with Madison. She really knew how to make a home feel inviting, and she had one of the comfiest couches I have ever slept on. It was long enough for me to stretch out and not touch the armrest with my feet, but it was also wide enough for me to roll around and not fall off. It was almost like sleeping in a twin bed. The cushions were so soft and fluffy that you just sunk into them.

I sat up from my spot, smelling bacon. The sizzling sound soothed my senses and caused my mouth to begin watering.

“Well, good morning sunshine, how’d you sleep?” Madison’s amused voice carried from the kitchen to the living room.

“Like the dead.” I yawned and stretched once more before tossing the blanket off of my legs and standing up from the couch.

“That’s… morbid, after last night. Eggs?” She snapped her tongs at me and then flipped the bacon in the pan.

“Yes, please. Sunny side up.” I chuckled as I approached the kitchen island and sat on one of the bar stools.

“Mmm… Do I smell bacon?” A sleepy voice came from down the hallway as Alexis entered the kitchen, coming from the second bedroom.

“Yes, ma’am. How do you want your eggs?” Madison smiled.

“Same as Chy. I’m not fussy.” She yawned and sat on the bar stool next to me, nudging my shoulder with a smile. “Morning, girl.”

“Morning, Lex.” I beamed back.

It’s funny how we can go from working as hired hitmen at night to normal people during the day. I have worked with Madison and Alexis for three years, and I guess after everything, we’ve managed to find the balance. Waking up after a job like nothing has happened, we are just three best friends eating breakfast after a long night out.

Sleepovers have also become more common lately, especially for Alexis, which is why she uses the second bedroom. Four years ago, that bedroom was mine until I realized I needed a little more time to myself and got my own apartment.

“So what are the plans for today after last night’s almost disaster?” I placed my elbow on the counter and rested my chin on my palm. I still can’t believe we managed to get away from whoever that was.

“At this point, we are just waiting for Charlotte to give us further orders. I’m going to start doing some research on this Michael August guy and take the briefcase with the vial to the drop point.” Alexis has been able to get information on the fly, but if she has to do additional research, then getting to him might be just as hard as getting to Roman.

“Oh, how I love the waiting game,” I said with sarcasm, reaching across the counter to steal a piece of bacon that Madison had just placed on a paper towel—she swatted my hand immediately with a spatula.

“Ow!” I pulled my hand back as dramatically as possible and rubbed it like it hurt. I poked my tongue out at her like a child just to cover all the bases and chuckled.

A chime came from my phone, and I turned to look at where it was sitting on the coffee table. Odd . Who would be messaging me? Alexis and Madison were here, and they were the only ones who ever contacted me.

I heard a hum from Madison as I walked to the living room to retrieve my phone.

“What did you do?” Alexis whispered to her. Madison just winked in return .

I picked up my phone and unlocked the screen. There was a new message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey, this is Atlas. From last night…

My jaw fell to the floor as I reread the message and responded immediately.

Me: Who gave you this number?

Unknown: Your waitress friend.

I lifted my head from my phone and leveled a death glare at Madison from across the room. She returned a wide grin, her eyes lighting up in satisfaction for what she had done.

“Mads!” I yelled as I stomped into the kitchen and shoved my phone into her face. “What the hell?”

“You weren’t going to give him your number, and we both know he blew your mind last night— literally .” She emphasized the last word, rolling her eyes with a smug attitude.

She wasn’t wrong; he did blow my mind. I was still thinking about his mouth on me, how well he worked it— and that fucking tongue . I bit back a moan at the thought of him feasting on me like I was his last meal .

“I—You can’t—What am I—” I stuttered, throwing my arms up in the air, unable to come to terms with the fact that she just gave Atlas my phone number last night.

“Suck it up, and respond to him. Wear those big girl pants like you did last night.” She elbowed me with a laugh and returned to cooking our breakfast.

I sighed, leaning my hip against the counter, and responded back to him.

“He wants to grab coffee.” I read aloud.

“Where? Not dinner?” Alexis asked, typing away on her phone. She tried to be part of the conversation, but not really. She was always busy on her social media accounts.

Madison pushed a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast towards her.

“Our usual coffee shop across from the sculpture park. And you know I don’t do dinner.”

“Ooo, smart man. When?” She smirked, putting down her phone and stuffing a piece of bacon in her mouth, moaning from the deliciousness of it.

“Tomorrow… at nine.” I bit my cheek, wondering if I really wanted to commit myself to this date . Sure, I was attracted to him, he was fucking gorgeous, and I couldn’t get him off my mind, but a date meant more. A step towards potential relationship territory. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that.

“Look at you, planning your first date with a man you just met and fucked in a public restroom. I’m so proud of you.” Madison chuckled, bringing her hand to her chest and fluttering her eyes.

“It’s not a date; it’s coffee.” I scoffed, placing a hand on my hip .

“Call it whatever you want, but it’s a date. He’s taking you out so he can get to know you. It. Is. A. Date.” She emphasized those last words by poking at me with the tongs as she served up another plate of food.

I sat back down at the island counter, and she pushed a plate towards me, along with the salt and pepper shakers. I sprinkled a little of each over my food and dug in to avoid talking. I could see why Alexis moaned with the bacon; it was crispy and delicious—perfection.

The eggs were cooked just how I liked them, the yolk runny and the bottom caramelized. I picked up a piece of bacon and dipped it into my egg yolk, bringing it to my mouth and savoring the flavor on my tongue. I did the same with a piece of toast. Breakfast at Madison’s was the best.

“You want to know what happened between us last night, Mads?” I poked my slice of extra crispy bacon towards her and narrowed my eyes. She raised a curious brow at me and leaned forward on her elbows. I knew she’d bite at that.

“He was as amazing as this.” I pointed my piece of bacon down at my plate and moaned again for emphasis.

“Well, that’s saying something; hopefully, round two will be even better than my bacon.” She laughed and began eating her own breakfast—and there went my mind, straight back to Atlas and the thoughts of what I would do to him if there were a round two. What I would let him do to me…

The three of us talked a little more, gossiping about our jobs outside of the work we do together and last night at The Landing. After we cleaned our plates, I stood up and went to fold the blanket I used last night on the couch in the living room. Alexis got up and retreated back to her room to lay down again—that girl loved her sleep, and so did I, but I loved the gym just a little more.

“If we don’t have any plans today, I am going to head to the gym and get a workout in before lunch.” I chirped over to Madison as I dropped the folded blanket over the back of the couch and moved to pick up the rest of my things.

“That sounds good to me. I have lunch plans already, but do you want to meet up later in the evening?” Madison started cleaning the dishes, drying them, and putting them away.

She liked her place to be absolutely spotless when she came home, so she always cleaned up before doing anything else.

“I think I might just take the day to myself, actually. Try to clear my head from last night.” I walked back over to her in the kitchen and leaned on the counter with my forearms.

“From which part?” She inquired, raising a curious brow.

“The latter of the two.” I sighed.

“Good idea,” she nodded. If you need anything, just give me a call; otherwise, I’ll see you later tonight.” She smiled as she dried her hands with the kitchen towel and moved to leave the kitchen.

Realizing I had not responded to Atlas’s last message, I pulled my phone from the back pocket of my shorts and sent him a reply.

Me: I’ll see you tomorrow at nine .

“Thanks, Mads… For everything.” I gave her a genuine smile back and made my way to the front door.

I didn’t need to be specific; she knew what I was thanking her for. I just hoped I wouldn’t regret any of it.

After leaving her townhouse, I returned to my apartment to change into my gym clothes and head to class.

“Last, five… four… three… two… and one. Alright, ladies. We are going to finish up with your mermaids on the reformer. Great job today, everyone.” I could barely hear the trainer over the blood pulsing in my ears as I tried to catch my breath and cool down. By the end of the fifty-minute class, my muscles were shaking, and I was dripping with sweat.

I got lucky with my last-minute drop-in. Usually, they are booked full two weeks in advance, and there is a waitlist to get in, but when I checked at the front desk, Reformer Flow 2 had one space open.

Wrapping up from my late morning class, I decided to take the long route back to my apartment, grabbing lunch along the way. Before leaving the studio, I stepped into the bathroom, sprayed my hair with dry shampoo, and reapplied my deodorant to fight off the scent of sweat oozing out of my pores. Just before leaving, I ruffled my hair to work in the last of the dry shampoo and fluff up my natural waves. When I let down my hair, it reached mid-back, but I preferred to keep it up in a messy bun most of the time .

As people started leaving their offices for the lunch rush, the sidewalk filled up with extra bodies to navigate around. I turned a corner sharply, paying more attention to the traffic than what was in front of me, and ran into a hard body.

I cursed and spun my head around as two hands gripped my arms and supported me from falling backward onto the sidewalk.

“You.” A familiar voice spoke in surprise.

“You,” I whispered as my gaze locked on to a pair of immaculate heterochromatic eyes, based in blue and bursting with greens and browns.

I knew whose eyes those were, and my breath hitched as I snapped back into myself—realizing that he was holding me against him and looking down at me. I couldn’t help but tense in his grasp. When he was near, I lost all sense of self-control. One minute, I could care less if I ever saw him again, and the next, I felt the need to strap him to my bed and claim him as mine. His scent consumed me, wrapping me in a blanket of cedar and spice—I could drown in his smell alone, his eyes the weights pulling me down beneath the surface.

I cleared my throat and pushed away from him, creating distance between us. If I could, I would spend the rest of the day wrapped in his strong arms, forgetting who I truly was behind closed doors.

The monster that came out at night when requested by Charlotte.

The animal with an off switch to her humanity.

“Out to lunch?” He asked with a light chuckle .

“Actually, yes. You?” I replied, feeling flustered and sliding a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“Same. I was just heading to the sports bar across the way. Did you want to join me?” He gestured in the direction of the sports bar.

I was at war with myself. Part of me was screaming “yes,” and the other begged me to deny him and go home. Knowing I had already agreed to coffee tomorrow, the screaming won that fight.

“Sure, why not,” I said with a shrug. He smiled, held his hand out towards the bar, and rested the other one on the small of my back. “After you then.”

We walked across the street with the lunch crowd and entered a bustling open-air sports bar that had opened about a year ago. I had visited a few times to take advantage of their happy hour and game day specials.

We chose a high-top table facing the sidewalk. The waitress placed the menu in front of me, and I started browsing the lunch options. This restaurant is popular for its buffalo wings on Twins game days. They always have a killer deal; I've been here specifically for that a few times since they opened.

The light breeze that flowed through the interior of the bar was more than welcoming after my workout; my skin was still radiating heat from it—or was that Atlas?

The tables were deep navy, and the long oval bar was dark brown, glossy, and pristine. The bar's upper level hosted virtual golf booths, which guests could reserve on the weekends. During the week, when it was slower, they were open for anyone to use .

I decided on buffalo wings for lunch. Today, I was just an ordinary girl who enjoyed indulging in messy food. Whether that was appealing or a turn-off to Atlas, I would let him decide.

“Since we didn’t get to talk much last night, maybe we should start from the beginning?” He started, and I looked up at him, placing the menu back down on the table.

I had a feeling he would take the opportunity to turn this into an impromptu date. What has he done to me? Counting coffee tomorrow, I’ve gone from not dating, period, to two dates within twenty-four hours. I’ll never hear the end of this from Madison…

“Sure, you first.” I gave him an amused smile, lacing my fingers on the table. I’ll play this game—see where it gets me.

“Well, you already know my name, but in case you have forgotten since I messaged you this morning, I’m Atlas Jensen.” He smiled. A charming smile. One that showed off his beautiful dimples and caused my insides to melt. Those lush, smooth lips, I swear I could feel my skin tingling in all the places he kissed me last night. My blood turned molten, searing down between my thighs. I pressed them together and bit my bottom lip.

Without giving it a second thought, I blurted out, “I’m Chyler… Tate.” Wait!

“Chyler?” He nailed me to the wall with an incredulous look, and I realized the mistake I had just made. “I thought your name tag last night said Stella. Actually, I swear the other bartender called you that when she called for you in the alley.”

Well, shit—I already fucked this up.

I coughed and cleared my throat. This first “date” was going great so far. I’ve already built our foundation of trust issues with my first words. I imagined palming my forehead at my stupidity. Here is where I try to recover from the mess I just created.

“I was filling in for a friend that works there normally. Her name is Stella.” I said, pushing as much confidence as possible into my words. Nice recovery; high-five, Chy! Let’s hope he takes the bait, and we are home free.

“And the other bartender just decided to call you by that name instead of yours?” He raised a brow in curiosity. I couldn’t tell if he was or wasn’t falling for my bullshit excuse.

“She was new. Barely knew who Stella was.” I laughed and blew it off like it was nothing but a simple mistake.

The waitress came over to us just in time to change the subject of our conversation. Thank god.

“Good afternoon. Can I start you both off with some drinks? Or are you ready to order food?”

“I’ll take a Nordeast, and let’s go with the… house burger and fries, please,” Atlas ordered from the waitress, handing her his menu and returning his gaze to me.

“Coors Light with olives and the buffalo wings, please.” I handed her my menu, and she nodded.

“I will put that in for you and return with your drinks in a minute.” She smiled at us and left the table. The waitress returned shortly after with our beers, placing them on the coasters in front of us. The olives in my glass were bobbing up and down with the bubbles .

“Olives, huh?” He picked up his beer and took a sip.

“You’ve never had? They add the perfect amount of saltiness to the beer.” I picked up my glass with a smug smile, took a sip, and then placed it back down. “Ah, delicious.” I was overdoing it, but I really didn’t want us to go back to our previous conversation where I screwed up my own damn name. I suppose it's not so bad that he knows my real name now. I don't have to pretend to be "Stella" for however long this thing between us will continue. I never liked that name anyway, and it would have been painful to claim it as my own, even temporarily.

“I haven’t, but since I’m in the mindset of trying new things lately—” He reached across the table and took my beer, lifting it to his lips.

He placed them exactly where my mouth was and dragged the tip of his tongue along the rim before taking a sip of his own. Fuck, this man was incredibly hot. I couldn’t help but stare at his mouth as it pressed against the glass, caressing the rim. I bit down on my bottom lip as he replaced the glass on the coaster and wiped the side of his mouth with his thumb.

Suddenly, I was no longer hungry for food.

“You’re right, it is delicious. I might have to order mine like that from now on.”

Our waitress interrupted our brief moment of flirtation and placed our plates of food on the table.

“Here is your burger and fries, and here are the buffalo wings. Can I get either of you anything else?” She asked with a smile .

“No, thanks.” Our voices rang in unison as we eyed each other, and the waitress took that as her queue to leave.

To avoid making eye contact with Atlas, I focused on my plate and started eating my order of wings. The wings were crispy and double-fried, just as I liked them, and the sauce was smooth, buttery, and spicy. I couldn't help but let out a low moan after biting into a flat wing, leaning back, and licking the sauce from my lips. The spiciness was starting to turn them a slight shade of pink.

Atlas chuckled, and I snapped out of my food-induced haze to look up at him. He gave me a smug smile as he took a bite of his burger and then placed it back onto his plate.

“Nice to see you feel comfortable enough around me to eat like a man.” His tone was dripping amusement, and suddenly I felt self-conscious. I looked down briefly, noticing my hands were covered in sauce, and I probably looked like a starved, rabid animal from the mess—but I was so hungry, and the wings were so good.

Why am I suddenly caring if he judges my appearance?

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t.

Damnit.

I tried to turn the situation around and be as seductive as possible instead—to brush off the hint of embarrassment that threatened to show on my face—and slowly dipped my fingers into my mouth, sucking off every last drop of sauce.

Pulling my thumb out of my mouth with an audible “pop,” my eyes met his .

“I just couldn’t help myself. This sauce tastes just like heaven .” I emphasized the word to remind him of last night. His eyes and nostrils flared slightly, and I knew I had gotten to him just as he had gotten to me.

“Careful, I may be a nice guy right now, but I can change that very quickly for you.” His voice dripped honey as he took another pull from his beer. He had me lusting over him before this meal, and now I was becoming starved for more. I was tempted to bring him back to my place for some more fun.

We talked for what felt like another two hours after finishing our food.

He told me about how he moved here about three weeks ago and hadn’t taken the time to see the city aside from his morning runs around the neighborhood where he lived—which turned out wasn’t too far from me. He still never told me what he did for work, just that he worked in an office around the corner. I didn’t press any further; it wasn’t any of my business what he did for work, just like mine wasn’t any of his.

When we decided to leave the bar, I reached to take the bill, but his reflexes were faster than mine.

“I won’t let you pay for our lunch date.” He grinned as he pulled out his wallet, placing his card on top of the bill. The waitress promptly ran it and returned with a pen for him to sign.

“This wasn’t a date ; I never agreed to those terms. This was just… lunch. A date would imply that I was interested in you.” I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest .

“Keep telling yourself that you’re not, and see where it gets you.” He raised a dark brow, signed the check, and placed it back down on the table. Atlas is very different from the men of my past, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing.

He stood and held his hand out to me.

“Shall we?”

“What? You’re going to walk me home now?” I laughed, taking his hand and standing up from my seat.

“No, I’m going to walk you out like the gentleman that I am. I have to return back to the office, so even though I’d love to find out where you live and entertain you more, that will have to wait until next time.” He winked and escorted me out of the bar.

Parting ways at the corner, I couldn’t help but wonder why I found myself wanting him even more than I did last night—and if I was enjoying it more than I should.

I wanted to take him home.

I needed to.

What has this man done to me?