AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ONE
piper
I’m going to miss this.
My heart pinches at the thought of not seeing my friends and family every day. Love Valley is a cozy community, and it’s been home for the last twenty-four years. But it’s time to go.
My gaze skips over the crowded bar’s wood walls and polished concrete floors. Game nights bring out regulars and tourists alike. And even though I’m only filling in for a friend, I know I’ll miss the ancient jukebox and all the memories made within these walls.
I swipe the towel across the bar top, soaking up the condensation from a pair of beer mugs.
What I definitely won’t miss is the ache in my chest that never seems to ease. I won’t miss pining for a man who can never be mine.
My hand pauses mid-swipe, and I close my eyes and take a steadying breath. It’ll be worth it to leave. It has to be, right? If I’m not in Love Valley, I won’t see the women fawning over him. I won’t feel his eyes on me as I walk across the street. He won’t sit at the bar, sucking all the oxygen from the room, making me want him just because he’s alive. And so painfully handsome. And thoughtful. His deep rumbling voice won’t make my knees weak because I won’t be around to hear it.
The air pulsates with energy. My tummy tingles, and I know without opening my eyes that he just walked through the door. It’s always like this. A full body flush and complete, deep awareness. The air thickens. A shiver inches up my neck, the hair on my arms lifts, and my nipples tighten inside my bra.
I’m in a constant blaze of horniness, and no amount of jilling off helps.
Even knowing all of that. . . I’m going to miss him most of all.
Hunter Dawson. Rugged. Older. Off-limits.
My father’s best friend.
Even though I try to mentally prepare myself, I open my eyes and am overcome by the man towering over the rest of the patrons. Tonight, he’s wearing an olive green sweater that makes his hazel eyes positively dreamy. He glances my way as I stride down the length of the bar toward him. I don’t know how he always knows the nights I fill in here for my bestie, but he shows up without fail. The dark jeans cling to his long legs in all the right places, and the chestnut-colored boots have obviously never seen the muck he works in daily.
My preppy lumberjack.
That’s how I think of him.
He keeps his beard short, his dark brown hair trimmed like clockwork. I wonder if that’s a holdover from his days in the military. But I’ll probably never know.
Ignoring the wall of TVs behind him, he cozies up to the bar, still sneaking glances my way.
I make him a Jack and Coke without asking what he wants and slide it across the polished bar. My heart climbs into my throat, and my stomach aches like I’ve been kicked by a newborn colt.
His fingers brush mine. Just a quick, innocent brush. Except, it’s no accident.
He knows it.
I know it.
I know it because when I pass his drink to him, I purposefully leave my hand on the glassware for longer than necessary. It’s a game we play every chance we get.
I try not to think about the bags I’ve packed waiting by the door of my apartment upstairs. Will this be the last time I ever feel his skin against mine?
“Thanks.” His deep voice is soft, almost husky, and I imagine he’s been yelling at his crew all day. If I got to go home with him every night, I’d make a cup of honey and lemon tea to soothe his throat. And I’d snuggle into his arms, relishing his fresh-from-the-woods scent. Somehow, even after he showers, he still smells like a forest.
I nod. My tongue feels too thick for my mouth tonight. Am I really going to be okay without seeing this man every day?
HUNTER
It takes everything in me to let Piper walk away instead of taking her hand and pulling her across the bar. In my fantasies, that’s exactly what happens. She lets me pull her in for a kiss, and I whisper how much I want her. She tells me I’ll have to wait until I take her home later with a smile on those sexy lips. And I do. I take her home. To our home. Peel her out of those curve-hugging jeans, kiss my way up her thighs, and have my dessert before letting her ride my cock until we’re both delirious.
But there are too many watchful eyes tonight. Just like every night. So I brush her fingers and let her go.
Everyone in this town knows Piper Huxley. And her daddy.
