Chapter 9

LENNOX

The bar is packed tonight, a constant hum of conversation and laughter filling the air. The clinking of glasses and the steady thump of music from the DJ booth have my head pounding tonight. As usual, I'm behind the counter, forcing a smile, mixing drinks and pouring beers like a pro. Alora is working beside me tonight. While I wasn't too thrilled about having her behind the bar at first, I've got to admit she's grown on me. She can pull her own weight and keep up with the rush. She's a natural, and it's good to have an extra set of hands that we can count on to help us out around here.

Her puppy, Yara, is lying on a small dog bed behind the counter with us. Watching and listening to the customers as they line up along the bar demanding drinks.

Lloyd, the cook, just went home. He's deaf and old as fucking dirt, but he's been working at BB since it was owned by our parents. I've always respected Lloyd; he's a part of this place's history at this point, and the regulars look forward to seeing him.

Weekends are always busy for us, especially during tourist seasons. It's been non-stop since the doors opened, and the crowd doesn't seem to be thinning out anytime soon.

As I serve another round of shots to a group at the end of the bar, my mind keeps drifting back to Stevie. I've been scanning the crowd all night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her fiery red hair. But so far, there's no sign of her. However, I do spot her employee, Jesse, and his fiancé, Micah. They've been here for a few hours, surrounded by friends, and they're clearly hammered. Not that I'm surprised, they've ordered enough shots between them to put a horse on its ass.

Something about Jesse and Micah being here without Stevie makes me think she's making her move tonight. Though I guess she could be doing other shit too. I know for a fact last night was the first time she's been to my bad since moving here, so I suppose she could not have plans to come back just because her friends did.

But no. She'd want to see me. Right?

This feeling can't be one sided. Not after the connection I felt with her.

The electricity.

No, if she's not here, it's because she's out making her move. Playing our little game, granted she doesn't know it's me she's playing with. But fuck if I'm not excited to see her reaction when she finds out. The thought sends a thrilling chill down my spine. I can't wait to see what she decides to do. Pouring myself a shot of our top-shelf bourbon, I toss it back.

"You good?" Alora asks as she hands off a couple of beers.

Confused, I eye her, "Yeah? Why?"

Her lips pull into a smile, "You just seem very, well, chipper? I guess. Hyped up. Did I miss something?"

Smirking, I grab the white towel from over my shoulder and wipe down the bar counter. "Nah, I'm good," I reply. Accepting my response, she takes another order, some a couple down the bar, and gets back to work.

Fuck. I am clearly buzzing tonight if even Alora is noticing my mood change, and it's not because of the alcohol.

Its Stevie.

It's the anticipation of waiting for her to make her move.

As if reading my thoughts, a couple of guys sit down at the bar, one of them talking about a fire in the Quarter that's being broadcasted by the news live on TikTok. My ears perk up, and without thinking, I grab the guy's phone out of his hand, eager to see what he's talking about.

"What the fuck, man!" he protests, his voice rising in anger as he rises from his seat and tries to reach for the phone. Standing 6"3, I can easily hold the phone of out his reach, but that doesn't stop him from trying to grab it while cursing me.

"You can't just steal someone's phone, you fucking piece of shit," he snaps, "Where's the fucking manager? This is bullshit" I ignore him, holding the phone up above my head so I can still watch the screen.

The footage shows flames licking up the sides of an old building and fire trucks surrounding the scene. I can't hear what the new anchor is saying over the music and chatter around the bar, but I don't need to. The moment the camera pans over to where a message is spelled out in the ash and debris along the gravel parking lot at the back of the building.

KEEP WATCHING

I smirk, a cocky grin spreading across my face. "There it is," Fuck, this bitch is fun. She's the fuel to my fire. The perfect accelerant to my blazing inferno, and fuck, with a mouth like hers, I'd let her burn me alive if only to feel her heat for a few minutes before I meet my death.

She was fucking made for me.

The guy whose phone I took is still yelling at me, his face red with anger. "What the hell, man? Give me my phone back!"

I glance down at him, still smirking, and drop his phone into his pint of beer. The look on his face is priceless as I hand the glass back to him, flipping him off as I head into the back room. I can hear the guy shouting behind me, but I don't care. My mind is racing, and my heart is pounding with excitement.

Greyson follows me into the back, closing the door behind him. "What the hell was that about, Lennox? You can't be doing shit like that. You need to keep your cool with customers."

I shrug, still grinning. "Don't worry about it."

"Seriously, man. What's got you so wired up?"

I shake my head, not ready to spill everything just yet. "Nothing. Just a little excitement, that's all."

Greyson gives me a skeptical look but doesn't push it. He knows better than to pry too much. Instead, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Just...try to keep it together, okay? We don't need any more problems tonight."

I nod, though my mind is still racing. I can't stop thinking about Stevie, about the fire, about the message she left. KEEP WATCHING. It's like a challenge, a taunt, and I'm more than ready to play along. This girl is something else, and I'm fucking down to see where this little game between us leads.

I'll do more than keep watching, lil spark. Just you fucking wait.

I head back out to the bar, my adrenaline still pumping. The crowd hasn't thinned out at all, and Alora is doing her best to keep up with the orders. I jump back in, working alongside her, but my mind is only half on the task at hand. The other half is still with Stevie, replaying that night in her kitchen, the way she smelled and the way her body responded to my touch. She can act like that shit was just a fling. A random hookup on a drunken night, but I know it wasn't.

She might not know it yet, but it was so much fucking more.

As I pour drinks and take orders, I keep an eye on the door, hoping she might walk in now that she's made her move. Left her little message in reply to mine. But she doesn't.

The night drags on, and the bar eventually starts to empty out as people stumble home. Jesse and Micah are still here, though, looking worse for wear.

"You guys got a ride home?" I ask, approaching their small VIP table at the back of the bar. Jesse's eyes widen with my approach.

"Lennox," he smirks, his words slurring. "Yeah, we've already called for an Uber, just waiting for it to arrive,"

"Okay, cool. Enjoy your night, guys," I add politely. I don't normally care how people get home. Babysitting isn't my fucking job. But they're important to her. To Stevie, so I feel like I need to make an exception and make sure they get home safe.

Finally, the bar clears out, and it's just me and Alora left to clean up while Greyson is in the back handling the tills and inventory counts. She shoots me a curious look as we wipe down the tables and stack chairs. "What's going on with you tonight, Lennox? You've been on edge all night."

I shrug, trying to play it cool. "Just a lot on my mind, I guess."

She doesn't look convinced but doesn't press the issue. "Well, whatever it is, try to get some rest. You seem to be on edge, and we don't need to replace any more cell phones, okay?"

I nod, my lips pulling into a coy smirk as I'm reminded of the douche guy and the shock in his eyes when I dropped his phone in his beer. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Alora. I can finish up here,"

"You sure? I don't mind," she replies as she tucks a loose strand of her blue hair behind her ear.

"Yeah. I'm good; I can handle the rest and close-up. You guys have a bit of a drive to the farmhouse anyways,"

"Alright then, I'll let him know. Thanks, Lennox," she adds with a soft tone. She heads to the back room to join Greyson, with Yara following closely behind her, leaving me alone in the bar. I take a moment to catch my breath, leaning against the counter and letting the silence wash over me. My thoughts drift back to Stevie, to the fire, to the message.

KEEP WATCHING.

It's a promise and a threat all rolled into one. It's my move, and fuck, I know just what to do.

I lock up the bar and head home, my mind still buzzing with thoughts of Stevie. She's got me hooked, and there's no denying it. I can't remember the last time i was this excited or worked up about something. Is this how Greyson feels when he makes his kills? Because if so, I finally fucking get it. The thrill, the danger, the excitement—it's all worth it. She's fucking worth it.

When I finally get home, I collapse onto my bed and pull out my cell. A simple Google search brings me to the videos from the fire tonight, and I spend hours watching them. Replaying them over and over. Watching how the flames cling to the building. The way Stevie clung to me in her kitchen.

My cock hardens at the memory. The marks from her nails are still etched into my back like the burn patterns of a fire. Still lingering. A consent fucking reminder of her. Pulling my cock out, I wrap my hand around its girth and slowly stroke it as I watch the fire she set for me break havoc on the old building.

Pumping myself to the speed of the flickering orange flames. I envision the soft whispers she moans into my mouth. The taste of her sweet goddamn lips. Faster. Fuck, she felt so fucking good wrapped around me. So goddamn tight and warm. A perfect fucking fit in every way.

One of the main beams of the house collapses. It crashes to the ground, sending embers and ash into the air. Fuck. I pump faster. So fucking close.

My orgasm builds as I think back to her sassy goddamn mouth. The defiant venom she spits so confidently. The flames grow taller, regardless of the firefighter's attempts to douse them. Spreading up the building, lighting up the night sky.

The camera turns, panning back over the message Stevie left me in the gravel.

By how charred everything is I can just picture the intensity of the fire. Perfectly matching the intensity of my need. Her message taunts me. It's both a challenge and a promise. My breathing draws ragged, the tension coiling tight inside me as my release nears. I can't hold back any longer.

As I reach the edge, I picture her smirking defiantly, knowing the effect she has on me. The image sends me over, and I shudder, pleasure crashing through me. The video keeps playing, the flames dancing across the screen, a testament to her power and control. Closing the video, I bring up Stevie's contact info I saved when I looked up her shop. Complete with a picture I snagged of her from earlier today, watching her at her shop.

I am so fucked.

No, I am fucking obsessed.

I lie there, breathing hard, the remnants of my climax leaving me in a daze. Stevie's message, burned into my mind as much as it is into the gravel, leaves me wanting more. I know this is just the beginning. The game is on. It's my move now, and I know just what the fuck to do.

"Oh, I'm watching, lil spark, and I'm coming for you,"