Best Of My Love (Home to Green Valley Book 4) (6 page)

“I’m sure there would be other compensations.” Erica winked, and the two brothers laughed. She felt good as she pushed open the swinging kitchen door and walked into the bar area.

The sight of Riley behind the bar nearly stopped her in her tracks.

“Hey, love.” He grinned.

“Hey.” She fumbled with the strings of her apron, getting them knotted. Her hands shook badly.

He noticed. “Let me help you with that.” He went to her and very solemnly helped her untie the knots before tying a neat bow. “There. All set.” His hands found her hips, and he smiled as he rested them there.

“Riley, what are we doing?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“Right now, we’re getting ready for a Friday night. It’s gonna be packed in here.” He grinned. “That’s what you meant, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Sure.” She rolled her eyes.

He chuckled. “Let’s just take it one day at a time, right? I know I had fun last night.” His green eyes smoldered, reducing Erica’s knees to jelly. “I want to have more fun with you, if that’s what you want, as well.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to have fun, Riley. It’s just, you’re my boss…”

His face grew serious, then he nodded. “That’s right. I am. But your job is safe, Erica, no matter what happens between us. I want you to know that.”

She swallowed hard, searched his gaze, then nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”

He winked, then turned his attention to bar prep. She had to admit, having him back at the pub added a breath of fresh air. She’d gotten tired of working without him. He had her laughing within minutes, nerves forgotten.

Good thing she forgot them, too, since there was no time to think about anything other than the customers from the minute happy hour started. Before long, Riley and Erica raced back and forth behind the bar, filling orders, laughing with the regulars.

They had a good rhythm together, too, which she appreciated. They didn’t have to overthink what they did or even talk about it very much, anticipating each other’s moves. If he needed a soda gun, she handed it to him while filling glasses with ice. She would then lift the glasses over his head while he ducked, so they could trade places. If he stood near the cooler and a customer asked for a bottle of beer, he’d have it open and ready for her before she had to ask.

It didn’t hurt that working together gave them the opportunity to brush up against each other, either. At first, Erica had assumed it was a thoughtless mistake. They bumped into each other all the time. It was unavoidable, working in such close quarters.

Up until that night, though, he’d kept his pelvis away from her butt when he passed behind her. When she felt a distinct bulge brush against her, she blushed.

“Watch that gun, Riley,” Erica said, glancing at the dispenser in his hand. “You wouldn’t want to shoot off accidentally, would you?”

He turned his face to the glasses he filled with soda, but she saw the grin he fought to contain. “I’ll have to be more mindful of that,” he said.

“Good. Nothing worse than walking around with a sticky stain all night. From soda, I mean.” She turned away, taking another order, and heard him laughing behind her.

Minutes later, she leaned over the bar to collect a few empty glasses and heard him make an approving noise behind her.

“Yes?” she asked, turning to him.

He only grinned, but there was no concealing his thoughts. They were written all over his face.

“You know,” she murmured, ringing out a check, “you could be a little more discreet in your ogling.”

“Was I ogling? I’m sorry.” He moved closer, his mouth on her ear. She caught her breath. “I was thinking about the way you screamed last night. You’re not the prim-and-proper girl you make out to be, are you?”

She bit back a smile. “Maybe it was the late hour. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“Or maybe you just needed an excuse to let loose a little. I wonder what else you could do if you gave yourself permission to let loose.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she asked, turning to give a customer change.

“Wouldn’t you like me to know?” He moved away, leaving her a little breathless. Yes. she would like him to know. She’d like him to take her up against the bar, frankly. Erica deliberately brushed her breasts against his arm the next time they crossed paths, and heard him groan under his breath.

“You’re trying to kill me here, aren’t you?” he asked.

“You started it.” She flashed a smug smile his way.

It went on like that for hours, both of them one-upping each other. It was a struggle to keep things under control, to stay professional. It was also the most fun she’d ever had while working on a Friday night, no question.

“What’re you doing tonight, then?” Riley poured two glasses of wine and handed them to a waitress, then turned to Erica. “More studying?”

“You mean will I be alone in my room, thinking about…being on the phone?”

He grinned, and she knew that was what he was driving at.

“Sorry to say, but no. I have plans tonight. It’s Friday, after all.”

“Oh. You have a date? With Rob.”

He said it as a statement, and though he tried to hide it, he looked decidedly unpleased. Jealous. Maybe even sad. She shook her head. “Nope. Not with Rob.”

“Oh.” His expression brightened considerably. “Then what will you be doing?”

“I’m going to head into Sonoma with some girlfriends. To a bar with great dancing called
Sure Footed
. Ever been there?”

“No, but I’ve heard tales. I didn’t think girls like you patronized such places,” he said in a teasing, chiding tone.

“Oh? And you know so much about it?”

“Sure, I do. Dark corners, dirty deeds.”

“Well, all I’m going for is dancing.” She mixed a couple of drinks, while Riley pulled two more beers from the taps. She handed off the drinks then brushed past him to cash the customers out. As she did, her hand gazed his butt. It was just as firm and delicious as she’d always imagined. Her heart raced, and she couldn’t believe her gall.

He cleared his throat, indicating his surprise. “Come on. You can dance any night. Why don’t you come out with me?”

“Why do I feel like you would only want to go back to your place?”

“Me? Would I do that to you?”

“Yes, you would.”

He laughed, shrugging. “It was worth a shot, anyway.”

“Sorry about that,” Erica winked.

“Fine, then. Maybe I’ll see what this dance club of yours is all about.”

She eyed him up, wondering if he meant it. He seemed serious enough. “Really, now?”

“Yes, really.” He moved closer, brushing up against her. She felt the hardening in his pants, and something deep and primal within her let out a roar of approval. She gripped the edge of the bar to keep herself upright.

“Save a dance for me?” he murmured in her ear, and she trembled in spite of the heat from his breath.

“If you’re a good boy, I’ll do better than that.” She turned her head, meeting his eye. “I’ll dance
just
for you.”

He twitched against her leg, and she was sure the heat between her thighs would kill her. For a moment, it was just the two of them.

Then the breathless, thrilling moment was over, and they went back to taking care of the customers. For the sake of both of them, Erica kept the rest of their interactions as professional as possible. Otherwise, there was no telling what might happen.

Chapter Seven

He could hardly stand it. No way she knew what she was doing to him, or the supreme self-control he employed to keep his hands off her. A little brushing, a little teasing, that was one thing. Before long, all he wanted was to take her by the hips and drive himself into her until she couldn’t do anything but scream his name.

During the first lull in the crowd, he ducked into the kitchen to catch a bit of air and clear his head.

“How’s it going out there?” Brady filled a tray with some of the gourmet pub fare they served, then handed it off to one of the two servers on duty that night.

“Typical Friday. I need a breather.” He stepped out back, where the air was crisp and cool. It was just the thing for an overheated mind.

Had he really just agreed to go to a dance club with Erica? It was hardly his scene—then again, the thought of watching her dance was enough to get his engine purring. It would be worth it.

“Riley! She needs you out there! Stop fapping about!” Riley grinned at the sound of Sean’s voice, and went back inside.

* * *

Sure Footed
was less like a dance club and more like a sardine can, Riley observed ruefully. Was this what people his age enjoyed doing? What ever happened to a nice, quiet football game at the pub?

Bodies thrashed around to eighties music. Eighties music! Something his mam would have listened to. But it made him smile seeing Erica looking so totally relaxed and confident.

She caught his eye from across the room and waved. He lifted a hand in greeting, then took a long swig of beer. Watching her move was like watching water flowing through a stream. She was fluid, graceful. As adorably clumsy and awkward as she could be in everyday life, she was just that beautifully coordinated when she danced. She seemed to feel the music on a deeper level than those around her. She wasn’t just moving to the beat. The music was literally moving her.

Then again, it might be me that’s moving her, he thought. He remembered her promise of a dance just for him. Was she dancing for him then? Or was there even more to come? He was hooked, either way. He couldn’t wait to see what the night promised.

She took a shot, offered by one of her girlfriends. That gave him pause. She was drinking a lot—not that it mattered whether or not a woman drank, but it did matter when Riley was considering sleeping with that woman. He wasn’t overly fond of the thought of a drunken partner. Much more drinking and he would have to postpone any festivities either of them had in mind. He didn’t play games with drunk girls.

She sidled up to him with a bright smile on her face. “What are you doing, sitting here all alone?” she asked, yelling to be heard over the music.

Riley raised his glass. “Enjoying the view,” he said, winking.

She grinned, and if her face weren’t already flushed from the effort of dancing he thought she might have blushed.

“If you think it’s good from far away, you should see it close-up.”

Something stirred inside him when he heard her words, saw the challenge in her eyes. Her voice was low, intimate. Reminding him of the way they talked to each other on the phone.

“You should dance with me. I’ve seen you move well enough,” she challenged.

“And when was this? And where was I, because I certainly don’t remember it.”

“At
The Stylish Irish
.”

He frowned. “I’ve never danced at the restaurant.”

“No, but you’ve moved well. When you’re behind the bar, and you’re not thinking about anything, you move very gracefully. You’re very…sensual.” Erica bit her lip.

Riley’s pants tightened around his growing cock. “Oh, sensual, is it?” He grinned, and she ducked her head.

“Yeah, so? What’s so bad about that?” She looked touchingly embarrassed. So she wasn’t all that drunk yet, if she could still feel embarrassment. That was promising.

“Nothing, nothing. I just wonder how close you’ve been paying attention to me all this time.”

“Very close.” All joking ceased. She was dead serious. There was frank, honest need in her eyes. He wanted to take her, then and there, the rest of the room be damned. “So, are you coming out there with me, or not?”

He couldn’t refuse an invitation like that, so he allowed her to take his hand, leading him to the floor. Her girlfriends gave them wide berth—Riley wondered if she’d already talked it over with them, letting them know her intentions for the evening. He saw the way they looked at them, with a mixture of amusement and jealousy, and imagined the gossip they’d be exchanging the next day.

Erica didn’t seem to care, and he followed her lead. She wore a tight, black tank top and tight jeans—the button-down she’d worn at the pub was a thing of the past, and her hair was no longer in its customary ponytail. Instead, it swung free and loose over her shoulders, a golden waterfall that rippled as she moved.

He took her hips in his hands, positioning her against his body as they swayed together. He didn’t know the song, only vaguely recognizing it. Erica seemed to know it, though, and was more focused on singing it than she was on dancing with him. Her slightly-off-key voice warbled as she belted out the lyrics with great gusto. He bit his lip to keep from laughing, enjoying the fun, goofy side of her even as he imagined skewering her tight, tiny body with his aching cock.

She smelled incredible, even a little sweaty as she was. He pulled her even closer, his face in her neck. She stopped singing, sighing instead when she felt his breath on her skin. She moved with him, then, giving him her body. Her arms wrapped around his neck. His thigh rested between hers, and she ground gently against it. He groaned in her ear, so close only she could hear it. She gasped softly. He wanted to lick her, suck on her, sink his teeth into her flesh until she cried out. The urge was so great, he had to break apart from her.