On The Rocks

I find Gabby on the back deck of the bar, on an eight-foot ladder, checking the electrical wiring that had been installed the day before by her subcontractor. Walking up to the base of the ladder, I let my eyes leisurely crawl up her body, knowing that while her attention is preoccupied, I can take my time with my perusal.

Not that she minds me looking… I know that for a fact after last night when she put on her own private show for me. Just the thought of her hand skimming into her panties to touch herself threatens to give me a semi, so I have to turn my attention elsewhere. Instead, I choose to focus on Gabby as a whole. The way she confidently stands on the ladder, focused and intent on her work. Her movements are efficient, nothing wasted. When she’s concentrating, she tends to chew on her lip and her brow will knit together on occasion.

“You make a mighty fine spectacle, Miss Ward,” I say as I reach a hand up and wrap it around her ankle… just in case my words startle her.

As ever, though, Gabby is cool and collected, not even flinching or looking my way at the contact. But she does giggle, which is so contradictory to the general contractor standing before me that parcels out orders and can curse like a sailor when she’s pissed about something.

When she is finished to her satisfaction, she finally glances down at me, giving me a welcoming smile. She doesn’t seem put out that I’m touching her publicly, but it wouldn’t matter if she were or not.

I’m done hiding it. Casey knows… Brody knows… my mom knows, and I’m sure Dad will get an earful when he gets home tonight. All the people whose opinion matters know about it, so there is absolutely no way I’m going to curb my need to touch her.

In fact, I think I’ll test out her thoughts on the matter right this very moment. Gabby bends slightly to balance her hands on the top of the ladder, so she can start climbing down. I use the opportunity to put my fingers in the back waistband of her jeans and give her a tug backward. She’s not prepared for it and immediately starts to fall, giving a small yelp as she does so. But she’s easily caught in my hold, and I’m pleased when her arms go around my neck and she smiles at me.

I figure if she’s okay with that, then she’s okay for this. I lean in and touch her mouth with mine, giving her just a moment of a kiss. She lets out a little sigh from the contact and I feel my heart squeeze inside my chest, so pleased is it from her reaction.

When I pull back, I ask, “So… I’m guessing you’re okay now with some PDA?”

She’s beyond adorable when she shrugs her shoulders, and her cheeks go red. “I suppose a little can’t hurt.”

Let’s test that little theory. I lean back in and kiss her again, this time hard on the mouth. She opens up to me, warm and sweet. The decadence of the kiss is exquisite, and it fills me up with something other than the normal surge of lust I get when our mouths mate.

Finally, I pull away, because I can’t take this any further… not here at Last Call… in public. Setting her on her feet, I take her hand and start walking toward the front bar. “Got time to eat lunch with me?”

“Sure… but Alyssa said she might stop by and eat here today, so I hope three’s not a crowd.”

“Oh yeah, because eating a meal with two beautiful women is a complete hardship,” I say sarcastically.

When we reach the front bar, both of us take a stool. Brody is there to serve us. He gives me a Diet Coke and pushes a bottle of water across the bar to Gabby, then turns to head back to the kitchen to put our orders in. A BLT for Gabby and a turkey on rye for me.

While we wait on our food, Gabby and I angle our bodies in toward each other and lean against the bar. Her foot kicks companionably against mine, and she has a lazy grin on her face.

“Tell me how it went with Casey,” I say to her.

“It was fine,” she says after taking a sip of water. “I apologized, she forgave, and then we trash talked Sasha.”