Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Any other day, this might freak me out, but losing this job wouldn’t be the end. It’s the first time in my life I don’t have a rush of panic over the possibility. Travis is making more now. There is a bit of a cushion. Not much but still.
I feel someone staring at me as I keep doing my count. When I glance up, I see it’s Ben.
“What?” He opens his mouth and then closes it. “Okay, you’re being weird.” Ben is a pretty cool boss for the most part. He’s not handsy and only wants you to do your job. He also always gets straight to the point.
“You see that man in the back of the bar?” he asks, finally shifting on his feet.
“No, I work behind the bar.” I point out what he already knows.
“I know who you’re talking about. He gives me a hundred whenever he’s here to pretty much leave him alone,” Cara says, cocking her head to the side. “Is he the buyer? Is that why he’s lingering around? Is he here checking things out?” Her face lights up at the possibility for some reason. Now my curiosity is peaking at whomever this man is.
“I didn’t say that.” Ben gets defensive. I guess Cara was right about her call.
“My count.” I hand over my receipts and paperwork. He snags it from my hand.
“You help Linda close behind the bar tonight?” I hear Ben ask Cara as I get my stuff from my locker.
They bicker back and forth as I slip out. My curiosity still lingers about who this new owner might be. I take the long way around to hit the far side of the bar, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man they were speaking of.
I stop dead in my tracks when I see who is sitting there. Ivan almost looks as surprised to see me standing there as I am to see him. He’s dressed differently tonight in jeans and a simple black shirt. Still, even without the suit, he gives off that unapproachable vibe that keeps most at bay.
It didn’t stop Cara, though. She got her hundred dollars from him. A flare of jealousy hits me in the pit of my stomach.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, making my way over to him. My eyes flick to the tables nearby. One has a couple and the other three girls doing a round of shots.
“It’s a bar.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “You’re not drinking.” I lift my eyebrow at him. His table is empty. “Wait, are you the one possibly buying this place?”
“Your shift done?” He stands from his chair. “I’ll walk you out.” His hand goes to my back as he starts to lead me toward the front exit. Normally, I have to slip through the fog of people, but they part, stepping quickly out of the way for Ivan, who has tucked me closer into his side. I mean, I don’t blame them; his size is intimidating. But that’s the last thing I feel when I’m this close to him. His hand has shifted from my back now to my hip. I let myself lean into him, and as I do, his fingers grip me tighter.
I suck in a breath. My body lights up more with each of his touches. When we step out into the night, the cool air is a quick reminder that he didn’t answer the question I’d asked him.
“Ivan.” I pause when we move out of the way of the door and over to the sidewalk. “Why are you here?” I turn to face him. He doesn’t let my hip go. Actually, he pulls me in to be flush against the front of his big, warm body. The man is a freaking furnace of heat and warmth.
“I…” He trails off. I stare up at him, and I don’t think he’s trying to come up with some lie. For the first time since I met him, I actually believe he’s not sure himself.
“Ivan.” I rest my hands on his chest. “Why are you here?” I ask again, not backing down. I can’t help the smile that lights up my face because I think I know exactly why he’s here. I can try to deny it in my mind because it’s crazy to me that Ivan would track me down to see me, but here he is.
“I wanted to see you.”
“Was that so hard?” Butterflies fill my belly at his admission.
“Little bit.” I burst into laughter at his response. His other arm wraps around me, his hold engulfing me now. The laughter fades from my lips as Ivan leans down, his mouth taking mine. The second his lips connect with mine, I know I’ll never be the same again.
7
Ivan
I don’t want to release my hold on her lush body, but the overwhelming urge to dig my fingers into her hair tempts me as well. It’s always that way with her. There is no control. My body does as it wants as the only other thing I can think to call it is primal need. She brings it out in me.