“And here we are. It’s not much, but you have your own bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom.” Sam unlocked the door and let us into a small apartment located above the bar.
We walked straight into a combination living room and kitchen. The kitchen had all the necessary equipment, and a small island with two chairs. The living room had a couch and a small coffee table.
To the left was a door that led to the bathroom, and to the right, a small room with a bed in the middle.
“It’s great, seriously, Sam. I’ve lived in places half this size, and that felt like a mansion. So, this will be like my own little palace!” I walked into the bathroom to check it out. No bathtub, but that was a luxury I could rarely afford.
“Live it up, princess. It’s all yours for now.” I could hear Sam’s laughter as I entered the bedroom and had a look around.
Sam snorted as he stepped out into the hall.
“Sleep tight, Princess. I’ll see you at 5 p.m. tomorrow for your first shift, yeah?”
“I’ll be there,” I said with a warm grin. “And Sam?”
He turned back to me.
“Thanks for giving me a place to stay. I really appreciate it.”
He nodded with a fatherly smile on his face before heading downstairs.
I shut the door behind me with a sigh of relief.
I had had a really long day, and as much as I loved the energy of the bar, it felt nice to be alone. I was more accustomed to that, since I’d never stayed in one place long enough to have meaningful relationships.
I was better off that way.
I’ve been a nomad since the day I turned eighteen. The social workers probably had their own little private party when I was no longer their problem.
Yeah, well, the feeling was mutual.
I unpacked my stuff, adding a few of my own personal touches to my new place. And by unpacking, I meant taking the clothes I brought with me out of my gym bag and placing them in the small dresser.
It wasn’t much, but it was all I had.
I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile after I was all ‘settled in.’
No matter how many times I arrived in a new town, I never got tired of it. I always had this vague feeling of hope. A tiny spark of happiness at the thought of a fresh beginning.
But I knew it wouldn’t last.
It never does.
Eventually I stopped being the interesting new girl in town and started becoming more of a permanent fixture there.
People got comfortable. They tried getting close to me.
At that point, I’d pack my bags and disappear into the night without a trace.
No good ever came from letting anyone close to me.
It would only be a matter of time before it happened here, too. But until then, I might as well enjoy this place while I had the chance.
I walked over to the window and swung it open, enjoying the crisp air.
The night sky was beginning to brighten over the lush forests surrounding the town, the predawn light giving the homes and stores a tranquil look.
Of all the places I’d randomly decided to go to, this one wasn’t half bad. It had a quiet, small-town feel that was a nice change from the city.
“What are you doing?” a woman’s voice rang out from the street below, shattering my peaceful moment.
“Mind your own damn business, Michelle,” a male voice growled.
My eyes widened and my heart raced in my chest. I knew that low, husky voice.
It was that stupid, gorgeous, beyond sexy asshole from the bar. I peeked my head out of the window and saw him and the brunette from earlier arguing outside.
“Aidan, what the hell was that back there?” Michelle looked furious. “Are you seriously going to treat her like that?”
To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I never thought that the rude brunette would stand up for me…or that it was such a big deal.
I’ve dealt with my fair share of assholes before. Granted, I’d never met an asshole as hot as he was, but he was an asshole nonetheless.
That didn’t mean I needed defending.
“You already know why I have to,” he said. “She’s not one of us.”
Anger rushed through me. Seriously? Just because I was from out of town? It was starting to sound like my stay here would be shorter than usual.
“So?” Michelle challenged. “It’s obvious that you like her. You can’t deny the connection you feel.”
“That’s none of your damn business,” he growled.
“It is,” she countered. “It matters to all of us.”
To say I was confused would be an understatement. What connection was she talking about? Was I missing something?
I thought back to my brief meeting with the caveman. We’d only talked for a few minutes. Sure, he gave off an intense first impression, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t fantasized about getting him alone.
The man oozed sex. His body was carved like that of a Greek god. He was every woman’s wet dream, and I could tell at just a glance that he would be amazing in bed.
But that was it. It wasn’t like I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. Why was this chick making such a big deal out of it?
“I’m done talking about this,” he said.
“But Aidan, she’s your ma—”
“ENOUGH!” His voice echoed out into the night with such authority that it even had me ducking back down beneath the window.
The silence that followed was eerie, and I cautiously peeked outside to see if they were still there.
They were. Mr. Adonis was staring hard at the brunette, and she was gazing down at her shoes, looking for all the world like she had her tail in between her legs.
“Not another word about this,” he ordered. “Besides, I think we have an audience.” He suddenly looked up right at me, his eyes flashing in the predawn light.
“You having trouble sleeping, princess?” he taunted. “Because I can come up there and tire you out.”
“Kinda hard to sleep with people shouting right outside my window!” I yelled back.
“Well, close your window then, kitten, before I come up there and close it for you.”
I stared at him, and a part of me wanted to call his bluff. But the look in his eyes said he was dead serious. And there was no doubt in my mind that if he actually came up to my room, I wouldn’t be doing any sleeping…
So instead I flipped him the bird and shut the window, taking cover from that smoldering gaze of his.
I dragged myself to bed and pulled the covers over my head, trying to stop myself from imagining him walking through my door.
“Stupid fucking sexy asshole,” I muttered.
It might have been my imagination, but I swore I heard his laughter echoing from outside.
