Always (New Adult Erotic Romance) (The Tryst Series #3) (2 page)

A few hours later, it dawned on me that I never asked what the dress code was. Since I’d be working for tips, I assumed sexy yet comfortable was best. I slid into my favorite distressed mini skirt and tight white tank top, put on my white Converses, and then headed back to Baile’s.

Dee and Cole hadn’t gotten home from work yet, so I left a note to come down and say hi. I arrived at a quarter to, and went in with a smile. The place already had a crowd, and Gary was running back and forth behind the bar. But, I only noticed him for a second. To his left, Jaxon worked with familiar ease. Pointing at people, taking their orders, and maneuvering around like he’d been doing it for years.

He rested his hands on the wood bar, his biceps bulging against his weight. My stomach clenched, seeing the way he smiled at the blonde girl in front of him. I didn’t think I was the jealous type, but thinking of him flirting with her, meeting up with her after his shift, filled me with disgust.

I ignored the jealousy rising inside of me, and pushed my way to the bar. “Hi Gary,” I said, as I approached, purposely ignoring Jaxon.

“Lyla! Thank God you’re here. It’s a little hectic. Ready to jump in?” Gary asked.

Jaxon came up beside him, eyeing my perfectly planned cleavage, and held up his hand. “Not so fast. Do you even have experience?” Jaxon asked, as he passed the girl her drinks.

“Yes,” I lied. Seriously, how hard could it be to take orders and deliver food and drinks?

Jaxon eyed me curiously, but I didn’t break under his scrutiny. “In that case, we’ll skip the training.” He reached under the bar, and handed me a t-shirt. “Go put this on.”

I held it up to my chest, and gaped at all the excess material. “This is like an extra large.”

Jaxon shrugged. “So?”

“I’m a small. If I put this on, I’ll be swimming in it.”

“Yeah, boss. That’s kind of big,” Gary agreed, and I wanted to reach across the bar and hug him. Jaxon glared at him, so Gary held his hands up, and walked to the other end of the bar.

“Thank you, Gary,” I called after him with a victorious smile. Gary turned back around. “And wait a minute. “Neither of you are wearing t-shirts,” I pointed out.

Jaxon’s eyes darted down to my perfectly planned cleavage. “Our tits aren’t hanging out either.”

They weren’t hanging out more than usual. Besides, Jaxon never had a complaint about them before. Fine, if he wanted to be honest, so would I. “I’m here to make tips.” I put the oversized shirt down in between us. “I can’t do that looking like I’m wearing a sack.”

“Guys can get a little crazy here. Do I have to remind you of the last time I had to save your drunk ass?”

Was he seriously bringing that up? I made one drunken mistake, and he had to hold it over my head. I bit back the anger building inside of me, and calmly spoke. “First of all, I’m working, so I won’t be drunk. And, secondly, I didn’t need you to rescue me. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. I had that situation under control.”

He smirked. “Sure you did.”

More people came in, and made their way toward us, trying to get Jaxon’s attention, but he didn’t pay them any mind.

I met his hard stare, and refused to back down. “Are you going to let me work, or are you going to continue ignoring your customers?”

“Fine,” Jaxon growled, and snatched up the t-shirt, tossing it under the bar. “Just do me a favor. Watch out for the assholes.”

The way he looked at me meant I knew he only wanted me to be safe. So, I nodded. “I will.”

He picked up an empty bowl, and filled it with pretzels. “Gary and I have the bar. Take the booths. There’s an apron in the back with an order pad and a pen. Declan’s the chef, and Tara will be in at eight to help with the booths.”

“Got it,” I replied, and strutted away, knowing damn well he was watching my ass.

I found the green apron he was talking about, and tied it around my waist. A man sat in the corner with a book. He was probably early thirties, with auburn hair and a dark beard.

“I assume you’re Declan, the chef,” I said, as I approached him.

He put his book on his lap, and glanced up with beautiful blue eyes. “That would be me.”

“Hi, I’m Lyla, the new waitress. I just wanted to introduce myself.”

He held his hand out, and I accepted his greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Lyla. Welcome to the Baile family.”

“Thanks.”

“Lyla,” Jaxon called from the doorway. “Where the hell are you?”

I popped my head around the prep station, and waved. “Right here.”

Jaxon walked toward us, this time his dark gaze on Declan. “What’s going on?” Jaxon asked, and I swear I saw a flash of jealousy in those eyes of his.

Satisfied with his reaction, I smiled. “I was just introducing myself to Declan. We’re going to be working together, so I thought it was the polite thing to do.”

“Oh. Right.” Jaxon replied. “Now that’s out of the way, you’re needed out in the front.”

“Is he always this cranky?” I asked Declan.

Declan looked to Jaxon, giving him a curious eye, and then, with an amused smile, turned back to me. “Not usually. Must be something getting under his skin.”

“Don’t you have something to grill?” Jaxon muttered to Declan.

I wondered then if Jaxon was jealous. If the thought of me talking with another guy really did bother him, just as seeing him with that female customer earlier bothered me. Because, despite the fact that he left, and made it perfectly clear I was only good for sex, a part of me still hoped that he thought more of me.

Declan slid his book into a backpack. “It’s about that time, isn’t it? It was lovely meeting you, Lyla. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.” He went over to the fridge, and started grabbing ingredients.

“Did you find everything okay?” Jaxon asked, the terse tone he had only moments ago was gone, replaced with a much sweeter one.

I patted the apron. “Yup. This is actually one size fits all,” I joked.

An amused grin teased the corners of his lips. “Cute.”

He seemed to be lightening up, so I went with it. “I try.”

His eyes locked with mine in one charged moment. The look on his face turned dead serious as he stared at me. “You don’t have to try.”

My lips parted at his words, and all the resentment I felt for him leaving me disappeared. He had a way with saying things that made me feel like I was the most special girl to have ever stepped foot into his life. And, every time, I fell victim to his sweet compliments, holding out hope that maybe he wasn’t trying to be charming, but honest. Yet I swore I could decipher between the flirting pleasantries and the sincere truth, but he always proved me wrong, and disappeared from my life. So I likened this to nothing more than his charming nature, and met him with my own.

I winked. “Right back at ya.”

He quickly averted his attention from me, and cleared his throat. “Here’s a list of the specials tonight. People usually come in for dinner between five and ten. After that, it’s mainly people getting drinks. So, I might need you behind the bar. Your shift ends at midnight.”

I went to take the paper from his hand, and my fingers skimmed his. It was the slightest of contact, but it still set my skin ablaze. His hand lingered, and either he felt it too or he knew the affect he was having on me and was enjoying my torment.

I pulled my arm back, and tucked the paper into my apron pocket. “Sounds good,” I countered, and before he could detect any hesitation in my tone, I headed to the front.

The first diners sat, and I walked over to them with a bright smile. I took their order, and assumed I should bring it to the kitchen. I pushed through the kitchen doors, and walked over to Declan.

I held up the ticket as I approached. “I give this to you, right?”

“This isn’t your first rodeo, is it?” he asked as he pulled a basket of fries off the deep fryer.

I bit my lip and shrugged.

Declan laughed, and it was loud and robust, but warm and friendly at the same time.

“I might have lied a little bit,” I admitted.“Please, don’t tell Jaxon.”

“Your secret is safe with me. But, watch out, Jax’ll probably be watching you like a hawk.”

That should’ve intimidated me, but, instead, the thought of Jaxon watching my every move turned me on.

“Thanks for the advice.”

“I’ll take that ticket. Just stick them here as they come in.” Declan pushed the ticket into a spot right above him. “They just slide right in here. When I’m done with it, I’ll take it down, and stick it on the spike.”

“Lyla?” Jaxon’s voice echoed through the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes, and, with another robust laugh, Declan turned back to the grill. “Coming,” I called out. Jaxon walked around the corner, and the hot, sexy look on his face had me wishing I actually were coming.

“There’s another table out there. You can’t be back here flirting with Declan.”

I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from smiling. Jaxon Reed was jealous. I wanted to bask in the glorious fact, relish the reality, and I did for a moment, while his dark stare turned stormy. “I just brought a ticket to him. Who said anything about flirting?” I played the sweet and innocent card.  I just found it funny that he was the one who left me in that hotel room, not the other way around. So, whether I was flirting or not (and I wasn’t) was none of his business.

His mouth parted, and it looked as if he was about to say more, but thought better of it, and rubbed at the back of his neck instead. The muscles in his arms strained against his t-shirt, and without thinking, completely consumed by his beauty, I licked my lips.

Once I realized, I snapped my tongue back in my mouth, and darted my gaze away from all his magnificent bulges.

Dark eyes caught mine, and desire flashed in those beautiful irises. It was filled with longing and heat, but it was gone within mere seconds. “Nevermind. Just get back out there,” he said, and then flung the doors open.

I watched him disappear, wishing I had the guts to bring our last night together up to him. If I could just put it behind me, maybe I could finally get over him. This wasn’t me. Pining over a guy that did everything to resist a relationship. That only wanted sex. I should’ve been looking for the guy that would give me the white picket fence I always dreamt of. And not just someone who just gave it to me, but someone who actually wanted it with me.

The thing was… that girl? She didn’t exist anymore. If she did, I wouldn’t be homeless. I wouldn’t be jobless. And I sure as hell never would have slept with Jaxon that first time. And definitely not the second. So, even though I knew nothing could come of us, I didn’t care. If sex was all Jaxon would give me, then I would take what I could get, and hopefully get him out of my system.

And I would love every second of it, while it lasted.

Waitressing was harder than I expected. Between remembering orders and carrying that damn heavy tray, my brain and body were at their limits.

My latest table, a group of five, ordered everything on the menu, I swear. I picked up the food from the kitchen, and headed out the door. The tray weighed heavy on my hand, and I prayed to God I would make it to the table before my arm gave out.

I passed the bar, and Jaxon’s hot gaze followed me. If I weren’t holding up twenty pounds, I’d have given him something to stare at. I was done analyzing, and ready for some fun.

A few more feet, and I’d be able to put the tray down. The tray wobbled, and tilted to the left.
Oh, shit.
My arm, unable to hold up for another second, gave out, but before the tray tumbled to the ground, it was lifted off of me. My arm fell limp to my side.

Jaxon held the tray like it was no heavier than a stuffed animal. He leaned toward me. “Too much for you to handle, sweetheart?”

My heart raced, due to a combination of his closeness, and thinking about what an absolute disaster that could’ve been if he didn’t step in. But I couldn’t let Jaxon think I was inexperienced. I needed this job. So, I forced a smile, and let my frantic heart calm down. “No. I just didn’t have a good grip on it, that’s all. Thanks for your help, but I got it from here.”

He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off of him. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you a hand.”

My eyes lingered on his fingers, remembering how skillful they were. How he knew all the right places to touch and work. Lost in thought, I didn’t realize Jaxon had already started making his way to my table. I shook the thoughts from my head and followed him. I came up beside him, and handed out the plates while he held the tray in place.

“Enjoy your meal,” he said, cocking his lip with the perfect amount of charm. The girls at the table blushed. Not that I could blame them.

I laughed, and then poked his side. “And you accused me of flirting,” I said, as he glanced back at the table, and offered a wink to the blushing girls.

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. “I’m not flirting.”

“You do it so much you don’t even realize you’re doing it.”

He stepped closer to me, taking my chin in his hand, and running a finger down the length of my jaw. His hot intense stare zeroed in on me, making me feel like the only person in the crowded room. Very slowly he leaned in, just missing my lips, and grazing my cheek with his own. His mouth skimmed my ear, shooting warm tingles down my body. “I always know when I’m flirting.”

Moisture pooled in my panties, anticipating another touch. Instead, he pulled away, and, without another word, went back behind the bar.
Bastard!

He always knew how to leave me wanting more, practically dropping to my knees, and begging for it. I swore he had a degree in it. No more. Two could play this game. It was time the tables were turned. Sex might be the end goal, but, in the meantime, I was going to wind him up so tight, he’d be begging
me
for release.

***

By eight, I thought I was going to die. Every muscle in my body hurt, and I felt like I had the scent of burgers oozing from my pores.

A cute blonde with big brown eyes and a perfect smile strolled into the kitchen. She was absolutely radiant with her summer glow. “Hey, Declan,” she said, and placed a kiss on his cheek like two long time friends. Except I could see the fire in his eyes as he watched the extra bounce in her step when she walked away from him, and tied her apron around her small waist.

I noticed the low cut shirt that showcased her ample cleavage, and the tiniest sliver of a flat stomach. Her frayed jean shorts covered just a little more than a bathing suit would, but barely. Yet, Jaxon didn’t give her a t-shirt to put on. Unless she fought the good fight like I did.

“Oh!” she said when she spotted me. “You must be the new girl. Jax just told me about you. Lyla, right?”

“That’s me. You must be Tara.” I stuck my hand out.

“In the flesh,” she said, and accepted my offer. “Are you from these parts?”

“I’m actually from New York. I just moved here a few days ago.”

Her eyebrows rose as she nodded. “And you already have a job. I’m impressed.”

“What can I say, I’m pretty impressive,” I joked.

She pointed at me, and laughed. “I can already tell I’m going to like you.” She turned from me to Declan. “Dec, what are the specials tonight?”

He handed her a piece of paper, and she smiled her appreciation. “Thanks, handsome.” She ruffled his hair, and then came back over to me.

“So, are you from here?” I asked, curious.

“Oh, yeah. I’m a lifer. Born and raised and will probably never leave.”

“You love it that much?”

Tara laughed, and it was vibrant like her. “Oh, God no. It’s just every time I’ve tried to get the hell out of here, something prevented it from happening. It’s like a black hole, always sucking me back in,” she chided

“You’re still young,” I said, guessing she was my age if not a year or two older. “You still have time.”

“It’s a nice thought, but why think about it, you know? You can’t change the past or predict the future. But what you can do is live in the now. Ain’t that right, Dec?”

Declan stopped putting fries in the fryer and nodded. “You know it.”

“And right now, I have tips to make.” She reached into her bra, and adjusted her cleavage so they were center of attention. She then cupped them, and gave them a good push up. “Girls, let’s make momma some money tonight.”

I was about to ask her if Jaxon ever gave her shit for her attire when the devil himself walked in.

Jaxon stopped in front of us, and crossed his arms. “I’m not paying you to chitchat.”

Tara tilted her head. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

Jealousy twisted into a curious ball in my mind. What did Tara know about Jaxon’s bed? Any guy would be crazy not to want her, and she seemed like the type of girl who got what she wanted. Did she ever want Jaxon?

“He’s been like this all night,” Declan said from behind the grill.

“Let me guess,” Tara said, tapping her lips. “Gary broke something? He gave away free drinks to a cute girl?”

“No! For once, Gary didn’t do anything. I’m just...” Jaxon ran his hands through his hair then looked up almost pleading with Tara in a single glance. “Can you please just get to work?”

“Well, when you put it like that.” She swiped up her bill book, and strutted something fierce out the door.

I envied her confidence.

“That goes for you too,” Jaxon said. “This isn’t going to work if I have to keep telling you what to do.”

Thinking of my earlier plan, and how I wanted to turn the tables, I took a page from Tara, and strutted over to where he stood. I leaned against him—stealing his infamous move—pressing my tits against his side, and whispered against his ear. “I thought you liked to tell me what to do. Or is that only in the bedroom?”

I pulled back, and locked eyes with him for the briefest of seconds, just enough to see the desire flash through his alluring dark irises then I walked away. My only hope was that I left him rock hard and wanting just like all those times he left me soaking wet and needy.