4. Chris

FOUR

CHRIS

Something is tickling my nose.

That's the first thought I have as soon as I wake up. I let out a burst of air through my nose to try and move the offending object, but it just moves to my cheek then back up again.

I realize then that it's hair.

My eyes open in surprise and the blond mop of hair brings last night back in full detail.

Jesus, that was hot as hell. And also, in the light of day, maybe not the best idea.

I acted way out of character last night.

Not only finding a hook-up at the club and leaving with that hook-up right in front of all my employees, but going for seconds, and having a conversation about feelings ... Things that I've never done before.

All seemed like good enough ideas last night, not so much in the light of day.

I consider leaving silently but quickly dismiss it .

That would be cruel even though I'd be acting out of self-preservation. Benny, baby Benny doesn't deserve that from anyone, but especially not someone who he gave so much to. I do have to think of a way to leave that's friendly but clean-cut. Benny is clearly a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He wants love. So much so that I'm pretty sure he convinced himself he's in love with his best friend.

But that's neither here nor there.

What matters is making sure he doesn't get any love ideas when it comes to me.

Self-centered much?

Yeah, I know, but it's still important. Benny seems... well, impressionable isn't the right word. He's not innocent and he's definitely not fragile, but there's something so open about him.

Even though our hook-up makes me think otherwise, he believes he's in love with his best friend, and that he's heartbroken over him having a girlfriend. That alone tells me he's not opposed to a long-lasting, loving relationship.

Unlike me.

I shake my head and reach for my phone that's buried in the pocket of my jeans. Thankfully, those are on the floor right next to the side of the bed I'm lying on, so I don't have to get up to check if anyone called or needed help at the club.

There are zero messages.

That has to be good, I know, but there's still a prickling of worry in the back of my head. I've been maybe a bit too controlling with the club, and in the light of day, I can't actually believe that I left last night in the middle of peak hours.

That I didn't really think twice about it .

I need to go home, get changed, and then I need to stop by Lure. The need to leave slams into me again and I'm relieved when Benny stirs next to me.

"What's up?" he asks, his voice adorably sleepy. I lock my phone and turn my body to look straight at him. He looks just as adorable and, I sigh, beautiful. He really is one of the most handsome men I've ever had sex with.

"Hello sleepy head," I say, and surprise myself with how gentle I sound. I can't manage anything else though, when faced with so much sweetness. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Ugh." He groans and covers his eyes with a hand then scrubs them. "Just slightly better than yesterday," he says, then lets out a huge sigh. "Is everything okay with the club?" He uncovers his eyes and locks them on mine. The concern I see there is weirdly touching.

"No news." I shrug one shoulder. "That's supposed to be good news, right?" Benny smiles softly and it warms my heart in such a way that has alarm bells going off in my brain. "I have to go and make sure everything is fine at the club."

"Oh, okay." The smile disappears, replaced by a blank expression.

"Yeah, so..." I trail off, not knowing how to say goodbye. Which is a new thing for me. "I'll just show myself out." I settle on that, even if my voice sounds unsure—which is stupid.

"Let me go to the bathroom real quick and I'll walk you out." The smile is back on his face. The exact same one as before .

Why does that make me want to bristle?

Still, I enjoy the show of watching his ass bounce as he walks naked into his bathroom.

He comes out a minute later, still naked, and without looking over at me mumbles, "You can use the bathroom if you want." Then disappears into his closet.

I take him up on the offer, silently, and end up using and appreciating the toothbrush he gave me last night. When I'm done, I deliberately throw it in the trash. I won't be coming back here, after all.

Benny's nowhere to be found when I come out, so I get dressed quickly and find him frowning down at his phone. Leaning his hip against the breakfast bar, one foot crossed over the other, with soft-looking white sweatpants and a bright pink T-shirt, he looks fucking delectable.

"I'm ready," I say. I don't let myself go with the impulse of asking what's wrong, of telling him how good he looks, of asking if he wants to have one more round with me for the road.

None of those things would be wise.

He looks up at me and smiles again, so bright, carefree, and happy, that I fear for a second he's going to ask me for my number and I'm going to have to decline—always makes things awkward.

But he doesn't. "Okay, then," is all he says.

Jesus Christ, I seriously cannot be surly about this. It's exactly what I wanted. The perfect scenario after a hot night of sex with a practical stranger.

"Anyway," I say, sounding so fucking awkward I could kick myself. "I hope everything goes well for you, and..." What else am I supposed to say ?

He speaks before I have to figure it out, thankfully. "Yeah, I have a lot to think about." He runs a hand through his mop of hair and shrugs, with a smile that looks a little bit like a wince. His eyes look bright and full of laughter though.

"You'll have time on your vacation. And if you feel like it, you come over to Lure anytime you want, baby Benny." The words are out before I can even process them.

What. The. Fuck?

Why did I add that?

For that , a voice deep inside me answers when Benny reacts with a big, genuine, perfect smile and even giggles a little. Damn, he's so fucking cute.

"I'll keep that in mind," he says cooly, his voice not matching his reaction at all. And what the hell am I supposed to do with the fact that he's the one giving me the cold shoulder?

Nothing, I realize. I'm supposed to just walk away.

There are plenty of opportunities for hook-ups, I reason with myself, as I nod at him and walk down the hallway to his door. I manage to close it behind me without looking back and count it as a win.

Even though I haven't really had time this past year for hook-ups because I've been so busy with the club, and because I knew hooking up with patrons was bound to be a bad idea, that doesn't mean I can't take a stroll through the pool party tomorrow night. It's my off night after all. I can find someone to fuck without a problem there, I bet.

I ignore the sudden revulsion at the thought and walk into the elevator when the doors open .

It means nothing because Benny was just a random hookup.

A hookup you broke all of your rules for. My brother's voice sounds inside my head and I sneer at my reflection in the elevator's mirror.

It's just because he's hot as hell, that's all.

I decide to go up to the club when I arrive at the Winner to pick up my car. I thought about driving home to get a change of clothes, but no one will be at Lure at this time in the morning, so no one's gonna be able to see me and rib me.

Or ask any questions.

It'll save me the trip back, and that way I can relax a few hours at home before needing to be back here at one.

As predicted, the club is empty except for the clean-up crew. I greet them but leave them to it pretty quickly to go to my office. First thing I do is check the safe, and though Roxy has been taking care of this part for the last few months, and has been doing so expertly, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the full bag of cash.

The sheets with orders, updated inventory, and card transactions are on top of it. That's something I do, normally.

They really did take care of everything.

I still cross-check to make sure it all balances correctly, and breathe another sigh of relief when everything checks out.

I lean back in my chair and feel ridiculously bereft.

The whole thing took less than twenty minutes .

The realization that Roxy and Drake can probably be made managers in a few months isn't far-fetched anymore.

What am I supposed to do all day now?

Reeling a little, I lock everything back up, take the bag and put it in my briefcase that I left here last night, and make a pit stop at the bank on my way home.

I feel better the second I open the door through the laundry room, but there are still a million thoughts coursing through my brain while I take a shower then make myself some breakfast.

I eat it out on the patio table with the fan furiously spinning above me and the heat getting more intense by the second. I don't make a move to go back in where there's AC though.

First, because I like the heat—not enough to sit out in the sun, but enough to stay out here—but also because I need the shock of temperature to feel like myself again.

The very few, and very casual friends I had made in Vegas since moving over here when I graduated college, all deserted me after I got too busy with the opening of the club.

They were never lifetime friends—I've never looked for those. I met them at a time when Jake had encouraged me to travel, to live life to the fullest and party all I wanted to.

I did all of that until I was twenty-four then came back home, found this house to buy, and started thinking about the possibility of opening something I could manage day to day. Jake supported me, of course, like he has with everything else in my life.

When all of that happened, my friends were still in the mindset of partying all year round, and I don't blame them for it. I took advantage of that time, and even let myself be as wild, and honestly as slutty, as I wanted to be when I came back for a few weeks to be with Jake.

I've had Jake all my life and only really need him. At least, I never felt like I needed more. Not since Mom and Dad died.

I take a sip of my lemonade and stare at my yard. Owning a house at twenty-six was never something I thought I'd achieve, even ten years ago. And I know it's mostly because of luck. Because of everything Jake and I built, but I also know we worked our asses off to get everything we have.

I know he's probably still sleeping, and that's why I don't call to alleviate at least some of the oppression on my chest, but I do wonder...

If Jake, the manager of the resort, and I all agree that hiring another manager for the club is a good idea once we've hit the one-year mark, then that means I'll have more free time to get a life.

The image of Benny last night, of the way he moaned and groaned and looked so focused right before he came, comes into my mind at that second. It steals my breath and makes my hands shake. I put down the glass just to make sure I don't drop it.

I bet Benny has lots of friends. I bet he makes his personal life a priority when he's not working. Aside from the whole "loving his best friend" thing, he seemed like a happy enough guy.

Does he ever worry about them deserting him? It's impossible for me to think he doesn't.

I shake my head, coming back to the present. Back to the reality where I have my dream home, my dream job, and everything else I could ever want. I have to make sure I don't jeopardize any of those things.

With the club doing so well, I might be able to change my life as much or as little as I want. Right now, I can't think of a single thing I want to change. Everything is perfect as it is. Why would I ever want to change that?