Page 51 of I Wanna Be Your Lager

“Great. Thank you.” I walk to where Jake’s sitting and wrap my arms around his shoulders from behind. He freezes for a brief second but then relaxes and pats my arm. He’s never been one for hugs, but since I’ll be around more, he’ll have to get used to it. Plus, he’s kind of warming up to the touch. As I retreat to the opposite side of the counter, I shift my gaze to Lach to read his expression. But he’s like a statue, not giving anything away. Tonight will be interesting. Jake rises to his feet and exits the kitchen, leaving Lach and me alone. From under the table, his leg bounces on the ball of his foot. A few seconds pass before he stands. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he stalks toward me. He stands behind me, his hands on the counter, caging me in. With him so close, my heart flutters in my chest.

“Are you feeling okay?” His warm breath skates across the shell of my ear.

I nod, unable to find words because that’s what Lach, in close proximity, does to me. “Yeah.” I eventually spit out. “It must be the creamer. I’ll buy some to make sure it’s good.”

The tip of his nose brushes across my cheek. “Good.”

I’m seconds away from spinning around and kissing him, but he pushes off and stands to his full height. Before I can turn around, he’s strolling out of the kitchen and toward the basement. I blow out a deep breath.

We don’t speak to each other for the rest of the afternoon, not even in his truck. I’m convinced Jake almost catching us scared him away. In a weird way, I found it thrilling. We’re doing something forbidden. Naughty. It’s like telling a child no, but it only makes them want to do it more. I’m most definitely down for more. I hate that it’s my brother we’re keeping the secret from, but it’s Lach’s choice, so I will let him handle it. Now, I wonder if he regrets it.

After we arrive at Porter’s, Lach immediately busies himself serving customers on the far end of the bar, away from me andNora. A few hours later, the night settles down a little. I run to the back to grab a case of beer. When I return to the bar, Lach’s standing in front of the cooler I need to refill. I stroll behind him and set the box on the edge.

He glances at me. “I know what you were doing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Yesterday after I left your room.” His forearms flex as he grips the edge of the bar. “You were in your room pleasuring yourself.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks. “Oh, you heard me,” I said, a playful lilt in my voice.

“You wanted me to hear.”

“I needed to finish what you started.” I shrug, then I lean closer to him, my arm brushing against his. “Let me ask you this.” My eyes meet his. “What did you do while you heard me?”

Lust, thick and palpable, swirls within the dark pools of his eyes. “Wrapped my fist around my dick, pretending it was your tight pussy I was fucking. There was no comparison, though.”

His hand rests on my lower back, sending tingles of excitement through me. I don’t know how he does it, but every touch sends my body ablaze. His hand slides down the curve of my ass before walking behind me to the other end of the bar. With my head on a swivel, my gaze drops to his muscular ass confined in his tight jeans. When did a guy’s walk become so sexy? He has a certain confident, masculine swagger about him. When I peel my gaze away, movement to my right catches my attention. Nora’s hand rests on her waist, staring at me with a cat-caught-the-canary smirk on her face. I jerk my head away, hoping to hide the blush covering my cheeks.

She struts toward me, stopping a foot away, and props her hip against the cooler. “So I’m almost done with my dating app.”

I peer at her and smile. “That’s awesome.”

“I could use some beta testers. What do you say? Want to help me out?”

“Oh. Um.” Shit. What do I tell her? “Like, set up a profile?”

“Yeah. And match with others to test out those features. You’re single, right?” She lifts a brow, waiting for an answer.

Fuck, what do I say?

She leans in so only I can hear. “I know there’s something going on with you and Lach.”

My heart hammers in my chest. Deny. Deny. Deny. “What are you talking about?”

She barks out a laugh. “You can’t play me for a fool. Neither of you are Houdini hiding all the touching you’ve been doing tonight. Plus, every time you two lock eyes, I’m convinced you’re going to start dry humping each other on the bar. I’m slightly jealous.” She shrugs. “I would die to have a man look at me the way Lach looks at you. The best I get is a middle-aged drunk guy who’s excited when I pass him a new beer. Anyway, anyone with a set of eyes can see it.”

My shoulders slump. “Damn, I thought we were being inconspicuous.”

“No. You definitely need to toss out the ‘in’ in inconspicuous. But I still need beta testers. I mean, you could help me out as a friend, and then Lach can do the same. Then you two can go out on a date,” she lifts her hands, giving air quotes, “‘as friends’ while helping another friend.”

I bite my lips together. It’s a solid idea for us to have a date. “If Lach’s in, I’m in.”

“What am I doing?” Lach says from behind us.

Nora fills him in about knowing about us, how the app works, and needing our help as beta testers.

Lach rubs his chin. “So it’s like an organized foodie call.”

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