Page 33 of Bad Boy Next Door
Twelve
Nick
Leaning against the outside door of the club, I watched the fog roll in. It was ninety minutes after closing and everyone was gone. Watching Jade work her second shift at Solid Gold had been both better and worse than seeing the first. Better because I got to soak in how freaking good she was—a natural—and worse because looking at her was painful.
Painful and yet I couldn’t look away.
My brothers’ teasing had only amplified my lust for this girl, planting even more pornographic ideas in my head and making me feel guiltier about our situation. I’d planned to come clean on the way to work tonight, with Melodie in the car as buffer, but Jade had peppered Melodie with questions, and I never got a chance to interrupt.
Melodie had gone home early, so plan B had been to talk to Jade while we shared an Uber or Lyft, but some assholes had started a fight right at closing. One of the jerks—from Milwaukee of all places—called the police to press assault charges against another customer. As a result, I’d spent the hour and a half after closing dealing with the cops. Finally, the club was cleared and it was time to go home—alone. I’d tell Jade tomorrow.
The clink of bottles surprised me as I walked into the bar. I wasn’t alone. Miguel, the head bartender, was still boxing up empties.
“Hey, Miguel,” I said as I entered the main room. “Front door’s secure. Can you make sure the staff door closes up tight when you leave?”
Jade’s head popped up from behind the bar.
My balls tightened. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I work here?” She lifted a box of empties. “You got me the job. Remember?”
“Let me take that.” I grabbed the box, impressed she’d been able to lift it so easily. She went back for another, so I bent for her to put a second box on top of the first, then she grabbed a third to carry herself.
“Miguel asked me to finish closing up the bar. He had a family emergency.”
“Pure bullshit.”
She frowned. “Why would I lie?”
“Not you, him.” I followed Jade toward the back storeroom. She was still in uniform and I wanted to lick the sliver of ass that showed below the back of those shorty shorts. So fucking sexy.
She looked over her shoulder. “Why do you think Miguel was lying about his family emergency?”
“He doesn’t have any family. It was more likely he had a chance-to-get-laid emergency.”
We set the boxes in the storeroom along with the rest of the empties that would get set out in the alley for a Thursday-night pick up.
“So you’re telling me I got played.” Her eyes narrowed. “And here I was starting to like Miguel.”
“I can’t believe he left you here all alone.” I held open the storeroom door for her.
“He didn’t leave me alone.” She grinned. “You’re here.”
Yes, I was. I was here. With her. Alone. With her.
I took a deep breath. I was pissed at Miguel for conning Jade into doing his job, but it gave me an opportunity to come clean. Hopefully she’d laugh, and we’d move past it. Past it to what I hoped could be a real thing between us. A pretty fucking great thing.
Even though I’d known her for three days, I wanted this girl. Bad. I’d continued with the deception at least partially because it gave me an excuse to be around her.
“Miguel is so dead to me.” She brushed past me, through the door. “Nothing worse than a liar.”
My throat squeezed. “Miguel’s not such a bad guy,” I croaked out.
“Lying scumbag.” Such fury on her face.
How was I supposed to confess now?Um, speaking of liars…
Fuck. I needed to man up and just do it.
