Chapter 7

SEVEN

KYLE

As I walkinto Sal's Bar, I can't wipe the smile from my lips. I have had the best day to date. I woke up after a peaceful night of sleep. I took a long hot shower, and then I went and got something to eat. I bought some groceries at the store for the little kitchenette in my room, then walked around downtown.

It was amazing.

Every time I don't think I could love Pineville more, I fall a little deeper in love with the place.

The bartender, Dennis, is already behind the bar setting things up for the evening. I almost ask him if it's going to be as busy as it was last night when Sal walks out of his office and clears his throat.

"Dennis and Kyle," he booms.

Swinging my head over to look at him, I smile as he grins widely in my direction. "We have two bachelor parties tonight. It's going to be absolutely chaotic."

I can't imagine it being even crazier than it was last night, but at the same time, I'm glad. A busy night doesn't just mean more money. It also means I'll be able to keep Xavier off my mind a lot easier.

I want to forget about his existence. I know it makes me na?ve. I shouldn't ever drop my guard. I've done that before, and it did me absolutely no favors.

But I can't shake the sensation of feeling safe here.

If there was absolutely anywhere in the world where I could breathe easy, I truly believe it's here in Pineville.

Sal throws up his arms before he says one more thing. "Let's have a great night."

And that is that.

Tossing my belt bag beneath the bar, I grab the apron from the hook and tie it around my waist. Then I gather the rest of my things before I tie my hair up in a ponytail. If this is going to get wilder than last night, I'm going to need to try and stay as cool as possible.

With a wave and a smile, I watch as the girls begin to file in. Bren rushes over to me and wraps her arms around me in a hug, her lips at my ear before she whispers to me.

"It might get wild tonight. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate."

I don't even know where exactly she is in the building, so I don't know how I would find her to ask her for help, but I don't say any of that. Instead, I thank her and squeeze her before she releases me and takes a step backward.

"On nights like this, we go to the all-night diner on the outskirts of town to eat and unwind. You're coming with us. I'll give you a ride," she announces. "You, too, Dennis," she calls out before she spins around and walks off.

I watch her for a moment, unsure of what's just happened, then I hear Dennis chuckling behind me. Turning my head, I look over my shoulder at him. He is grinning at me, shaking his head from side to side.

"What?" I ask.

He snorts. "If you thought you were just going to come here and live a quiet life, you are fucked."

"Why?"

Dennis leans forward, placing his elbows on the table as his eyes find mine. He holds my gaze, his expression growing a bit serious, and then he clears his throat.

"Because Bren won't let you. That girl will bring you out of whatever shell you got and unravel any wall that you have built up around yourself. Known her my whole life. Her mama was the same before she got all fucked up on drugs and shit."

I bite the inside of my lip as my brows knit together while I think about poor Bren having a mother and a childhood like mine. I hate that for her because she's been an absolute ray of sunshine since the moment I met her.

"She's a good girl, that one."

"Are you dating her?" I ask.

Instantly, his cheeks turn bright red. "No," he grumbles.

"But you'd like to?" I ask.

He doesn't answer me, mainly because the front door opens, and the group that walks through is, without a doubt, one of the bachelor parties. I open my mouth to ask them how I can help them, but Sal appears from his office again and personally approaches them before he guides them down the dark hallway I've yet to venture down.

I know I'll see those guys again. Anyone who goes down that hallway ends up back in the main floor of the bar. And with that first group, the bar is open. And I am swamped every single second of my shift. I don't even have a chance to pee.

It's amazing.

The closer it gets to closing time, the less I can wipe the smile from my face. If I thought the tips were good last night, they are at least double that tonight. I haven't counted, but I can just tell by the weight of my apron.

I can't believe my luck with this place. I should probably be waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I can't because I am so happy.

Making my way to the bar, I throw out the empty bottles that were on my tray and gather a few full ones to take back to the table I am waiting on when the door to the bar opens.

It's late. The last call was just called.

Turning my head, I watch as four men in leather make their way through the door, and one of them is him—Gnaw.

"Shit," Dennis hisses from beside me.

"What?" I ask.

He hums. "These are Sal's new business partners, and they are fucking dangerous."

"Dangerous?" I whisper.

He doesn't answer my question. Instead, he hisses, "And one of the worst ones has his eyes on you, Kyle."

"Gnaw?" I ask.

"Oh fuck."

He doesn't say anything else because Gnaw is just a few feet away. I watch as Dennis slips down the bar to get the rest of those dangerous business partners drinks. Gnaw smiles, leaning against the edge of the bar.

"Umm, let me get these to their owners, and I'll be right back," I murmur before hurrying away from him.

GNAW

Dennis wasa little too close to Kyle, although I can't really say shit because I haven't even asked her out or anything yet. That doesn't mean I had to like that moment they were sharing.

Atomic wanted to come by tonight, bringing King and Clink to discuss the ideas and take a look at the place. Clink is our treasurer, so he wanted to get an idea of what we needed to bid out and figure out exactly what we needed as far as contractors.

I wanted to come by tonight to see Kyle again.

I watch her deliver the beers on her tray. She smiles and talks to the men at the table. She's not flirting that I can tell, but she's smiling and chatting to them. They are focused on her, which is easy to do—she's captivating.

They all hand her some money, and I know she's probably making a damn killing here. Good for her. I don't know much about her life before she came here, but I make it my mission to fully research her.

I want to know what she's running from. I want to know about her past because she's going to be my future. I'm sure it sounds cheesy as fuck, but I don't care because it's the truth. I don't know how long she's going to be my future, but I know she'll be part of it… without a doubt.

Kyle makes her way back toward me, and without a word, I slide my hand around her waist and haul her against my chest. She gasps, placing her hands on my pecs as she tilts her head back to look into my eyes.

My lips twitch into a grin as I search her gaze in silence for a moment. "Gnaw," she exhales.

"Invite me into your room tonight," I murmur.

Her breath hitches, and I can tell she's surprised by my bold demand. Instead of instantly denying me the way I thought she might, she clears her throat and swallows loudly.

"I'm going out to breakfast with all the girls and Dennis," she breathes.

"I'll be here waiting when you're done," I state.

I'm not giving her the option. I don't know if she thought I was, but I'm not. I'm not going with her to the diner, but I'll be right here waiting for her to return, and then I'm going back to her room with her. She gives me a small smile, then dips her chin in a nod.

"Okay," she exhales.

And there it is.

Fucking amazing.

Beautiful.

Instead of kissing her the way instinctually I want to do, I give her a wink, release her, and take a step backward. Turning my back to her, I join my brothers because I know we have a bunch of shit to talk about, and I want to get it over with as soon as possible.

"She looks damn good, brother. Although I wouldn't think you'd go after someone who didn't," Clink mutters.

Reaching for the only beer that is fresh and not in someone's hand in front of me, I lift it to my lips and take a pull. I think about his words. Go after someone. Is that what I'm doing here? I mean, sure, I want her. I want to fuck her and maybe keep her, but going after her like an old lady? I'm not sure that's something I want.

Then again, if I just wanted to get laid, I could think of a dozen other women who would spread. I don't think this is one of them, though. I mean, sure, I plan on fucking her tonight. But I can already tell that Kyle isn't a one-and-done girl. And I don't think I could even one-and-done her.

I know, down to my dick, that I'm going to want her over and over and over again.

She is not going to be someone who I can just fuck and forget. There are women like that. I've been with them a lot.

Kyle is not one of them.

My eyes scan the room, and I watch as the last patrons leave the main bar and then the ones who file out of the back rooms. One by one, until the last one vanishes.

My brothers are chatting with Sal, but I can't even listen to a single word they're saying. All I can hear are voices that sound a lot like white noise. They're talking about plans, about how they want the new buildings to look inside and out. I don't really give a fuck about aesthetics.

I care that it makes the club money, but even that is not my main concern. My only concern right this moment is Kyle. I've become obsessed with her, and I haven't even tasted her yet. But I will. I'm going to taste every square inch of that girl before I'm through with her.

"You good?" Atomic mutters beside me. Tearing my gaze away from Kyle, I look over to him.

He's watching me, but he's wearing a smirk, and his eyes are dancing like he thinks this shit is hilarious. It probably is. When the tables were turned, I sure as shit thought him pining after Shawn was downright hilarious at times.

And here I am, succumbing to this creature I don't even know, and yet I'm so drawn to her that I can't even breathe right. It's ridiculous, really. I've never felt this way before, and honest to fuck, I hope I don't ever feel this way again.