Page 8 of Vesper Martinis

After that, I was officially done. It would be only one-night stands for the rest of my life or until even those didn’t matter to me anymore. I just don’t see the benefit of being in a romantic relationship if I’m only going to be cheated on or criticized. Putting all my trust into someone and having it broken just doesn’t seem worth it.

What I didn’t see coming was Wesley and the fact that those one nights of passion became boring after him. No one made me buzz like he did. No one made me desperate or made me want them as much as he did. From the moment I met him, the pull came out of nowhere. I looked into his brown eyes, and it felt… familiar. As if we’d met before that night, but I would definitely remember him if we did. I suddenly wanted to know everything about him. I wanted to know his hopes and dreams, whether he was a cat or dog person, and what kind of toppings we wanted on his pizza. All of it. But then my past came back and surrounded me like a shield, protecting me. That’s why I didn’t take off my clothes when we had sex. Sex with my clothes off is too intimate, and we were there for only one night.

I push off the railing and head back into my office.

I shut myself in the darkened room. There’s minimal furniture, dark wood, and leather. I turn on the small light on my desk and then my computer.

Despite having a bunch of emails I need to send before the weekend, I instead find myself opening the security camera feed, looking at the one pointed towards the bar.

This is stupid, I think to myself.

I hate pining like this, but I can’t get him out of my mind. Every time I see him flash a smile or roll up his sleeves, I want to pin him against the wall, lick his neck, and run my hands over his chest.

Images of our night together flash before my eyes.

When we started, I had him standing up and facing away from me. I was too overwhelmed with all of it—the way he looked at me at the bar with such need and…trust. His trust in leading a stranger to his hotel room. I didn’t know what I’d do if he looked me in the eye. It wasn’t until the end of that first round that I turned him around and locked gazes with him as I stroked his cock until he came.

After that, we went to the bed, where I tied him up with my tie, still keeping my clothes on, and kissed him all over. I feel like I memorized every square inch of that man. When I close my eyes, I can remember the way he squirmed under my touch, the way he moaned, the way his skin tasted. I remember the rough way he gripped my hair as I sucked his cock. I lick my lips, recalling the way he tasted as he came down my throat.

He submitted to me despite not knowing each other, which was frightening. I’ve never connected with someone so quickly. Had them melt for me as easily as Wesley. We knew how to move with each other without talking.

It was… nice.

I shake my head and click the X on the screen, returning to my email.

He works for you. He works for you. He works for you. I chant in my head as I work.

I open one of the emails and it’s from Hawk Johnson, the owner of Carolina’s Bar and Grill in Vancouver. I already know what he wants before I open the email.

Hello Mr. Donnelley,

I hope you had a chance to look over the job offer of being the new manager of Carolina’s Bar And Grill. We can use a man like you. Let me know.

Thank you, Hawk Johnson.

I rub my temples as I look over the email. He’s a quick-to-the-point guy, so there’s nothing more than that. He offered me this job a few months ago. He emailed me and said that he thought I would be a great addition to his bar. He liked how I brought organization and efficiency to Sweet Cocktails in such a short time and wanted to steal me away. Although I just got this job, he figured he'd shoot his shot. The man has no fear of asking anyone anything. And ever since, I’ve been thinking about it.

I know that taking that job will solve one of my problems, but a part of me doesn’t want to eliminate this barrier between me and Wesley. Without this job I have no other excuse, nothing to hide behind. And I’m not ready to admit how deep my feelings go for that man, or maybe they don’t go deep at all, but the fact he gets to me in the slightest has me off my rocker.

Plus, Sweet Cocktails is my kind of place. High end, with bartenders in uniforms who make fancy drinks for people with a lot of money. Carolina’s Bar And Grill is more of a homey place where you can take your kids during the day. Two very different places but I do love a challenge.

Either way, I close the email and head home. No need, as he said, to make this decision now.

All I need right now is a cold shower, a glass of whiskey, and some sleep.

Chapter 3

Wesley

I step into my apartment, put my keys in the ceramic bowl, and toss my coat onto the hook on the wall. Minnie has a hotel for tonight, and she won’t be coming over until tomorrow afternoon. That gives me enough time to clean this place up.

It’s not exactly a pigsty, but towels are tossed on couches, and almost all my clothes are hanging on a single chair in my bedroom.

I got lucky with apartments when I came to Canada. This one is a two-bedroom, and one of the bedrooms has its own bathroom. It’s not cheap, but it’s about the same as New York.

I toe off my shoes and then start unbuttoning my shirt. After all the buttons are undone I take it off and throw it in the hamper. I do that with all my clothes until I’m in my boxers.

Standing in front of my closet, I look around for my sweatpants when I come across the T-shirt I wore six months ago at that bar. It’s ridiculous, but I kept that shirt and didn’t wash it because it smelt like him.