Page 42 of Love Is Ale You Need

A wide grin covers Dessa face. “When you come into work all smiling and giggling, I know you’ve just had sex.” She inches closer to me and sniff my shoulder. “You smell like sex too.”

“I do not.” I discretely twist my head for a sniff to confirm I don’t smell like sex. “And I don’t giggle.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Like a schoolgirl, especially when Trey’s around,” Lach adds.

I shake my head and continue past the bar and down the hallway to the small break room with Dessa and Lach hot on my heels.

“Why are you fighting this so hard?” Dessa asks from behind me.

I yank open my locker and throw my purse inside. “Because they’re all the same. And the last time I was left to be a single mom.” While Abby is the best thing to have happened to me, everything after that sucked and I’d rather not live it again.

Dessa leans against the lockers next to me. “Not every guy is going to be like Kyle.”

“Or they are. It’s best if I keep my guard up. It’s just sex. That’s all it is.” I slam the door shut.

“Guarded is fine, but you’ve built a fortress equipped with a moat and bloodthirsty alligators around your heart.” Lach raises an eyebrow.

I shrug. “Whatever works.”

As the saying goes, give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile. I know if I give Trey an inch of my heart, he has the ability to take the entire thing. The orgasms are great. Better than great. Mind blowing. Earth shattering. All-consuming. But that’s all they can be, just orgasms. I’m not in the market to have my heart broken again and I know if I let my guard down, that’s exactly what will happen.

“Also, what’s with the double team?” My gaze jumps between them.

“With everything that you’ve been through, you deserve some happiness. You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been struck by lightning.” Dessa rests her hand on my forearm.

“Who said I wasn’t happy? I am perfectly content with my life right now.”

“Content isn’t necessarily happiness.” Dessa purses her lips together, biting back the urge to say more.

She’s been my best friend since we both started working at Porter’s four years ago. She knows everything about my situation with Kyle, so she’s seen me at the lowest of lows, but she hasn’t seen me truly happy. Shit. It’s been so long since I’ve seen myself happy. Maybe she’s taking whatever this is between Trey and me as happiness.

“You two can continue discussing my happiness, but I’m out.” I sidestep the both of them as I strut out to the main bar to take inventory.

Once I’m done restocking the front, I take inventory of the dry storage room and walk-in cooler to give a list to Jake for ordering tomorrow. Ever since Jake passed on the inventory duties to me, I’ve been able to find ways to make it more efficient while also saving money, which Jake was more than excited about.

By mid-afternoon, I’m finished putting away the liquor delivery with Lach’s help. Now, I’m sitting at the bar, waiting for Chad to arrive for his shift. I check the beer bottle shaped clock hanging behind the bar for the tenth time. He’s fifteen minutes late and clearly doesn’t realize other people count on him to show up to work on time. And it’s definitely not the first time.

Finally, Chad strolls through the front door like he’s taking a leisurely walk through the park. His hood is pulled over his head while his hands are shoved into his pockets. He’s the adult version of a moody teenager.

“Good luck with that. I’m out,” I say to Dessa and Lach.

* * *

I’m climbing the stairs to my apartment when my phone vibrates against my butt. I pull it out and Trey’s name flashes with a message.

Trey

I miss you.

Rylee

Barely twenty-four hours have passed.

Trey

Twenty-four long, agonizing hours.

Trey

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