Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
You get me on the ground and show me you could kill me in the first minute of meeting me…
But with everybody else you trick them into thinking you’re some charmer?
He finally approached my tent, and now he was up close, in a fitted black T-shirt and dark jeans that hugged his body.
“Holy shit, cowboy at ten o’clock,” Andrew murmured to me as Draven came up, not bothering to be very subtle with his comment. “Howdy.”
“Pleasure. I’m Draven,” I said, shaking Andrew’s hand.
“You know this guy?” Andrew asked me.
“I know him,” I said.
I crossed my arms.
“Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” Andrew asked.
“Lily’s boyfriend,” I said.
Andrew nodded.
“Ex-boyfriend,” Draven corrected.
“Oh. Sorry to hear that,” Andrew said.
“We’re friendly. It’s fine.”
“Would you like the Radler, the shandy, or a standard summer ale?” I asked Draven, abruptly changing the topic.
“Trying to put a beer in my hand so I’ll leave?”
“Just trying to serve a customer.”
“Cute video you filmed earlier,” Draven told me. “Bet your followers will love it.”
He wouldn’t take his eyes off me. My cock was already perking up, thinking of every awful thing Draven had sent me.
The pictures of the outline of his cock.
And where I’d been yesterday, just inches away from it.
My body had somehow gotten addicted to the feeling of complete and utter frustration.
“Watch out. Keg coming in.”
It was Kane, wheeling another beer keg into the side of the tent. Thank fuckin’ Christ. Having Kane around always felt like having a true adult in the room—I was 22, but Kane had to be in his early 40s, not that I’d ever asked.
He owned the Hard Spot, and he ran it well.
He always had the right answer to everything.
And if Draven tried to pull any weird shit, Kane wouldn’t let it happen.
“Still plenty of space in the corner,” I said, moving a couple of cardboard boxes to the side so that he could slide in the extra keg. He situated it, got it off the cart, and stood back up, looking toward the front of the tent.
“Draven,” Kane said, a rare smile coming over his gruff face. “Glad you’re here.”
“Didn’t want to miss it,” Draven said, nodding.
Sorry.
What?
How the fuck do they even know each other that well?
Kane gave Draven a nod back. “How’s the house so far? Did you fix the main bath?”
“It’s nearly there,” Draven told him. “The leak is fixed, now it just needs a new shower fixture and it’s good to go.”
“You’re going to make that place shine. Okay. I’ve got one more keg to bring out, and you’re going to love it. It’s the first of the October Oak Ale you tried.”
“I do love that.”
“Be right back out with it.”
I turned and gave Andrew a confused look.
Kane had been downright friendly to Draven. He’d smiled. He was usually the biggest grump in all of Bestens, but not only did he somehow seem to know Draven already—he was acting like they were friends.
“Since when do you know Kane?” I asked Draven.
“There are nights when you don’t bartend at the Hard Spot,” Draven said. “Kane was very happy to have me there last night. We talked about you.”
My stomach did a little flip. “Bullshit.”
“Kane told me he thinks of you like a little brother,” he continued. “I thought that was cute.”
“He’s just that kind of guy,” I explained. “Kind-hearted. Likeable.”
“Oh, shit. Robbie’s over there,” Andrew said, nodding over toward a stall across the way. “I’m going to go join him and see if Jesse’s around, too. Might be back in a bit, might not.”
“Go join him,” I said. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got things covered here.”
“Nice to meet you, Draven,” Andrew said before heading off into the crowd.
As I watched Andrew walk off, a wave of jealousy moved through me.
Just a year ago, I’d been a TNU student just like him, and everything had felt simple. Andrew played football, drank beers, and went to parties. My life used to be like that, too.
Easy.
Not completely confusing, like it was now.
Because the moment Draven was in my presence it was like hundreds of volts of electricity started coursing through my veins. Being alone with him made me feel like every cell in my body was on fire.
Secretly I wished I could reach out and yank Andrew right back into this tent.
Now it was just me and Draven here.
I looked down, organizing the tiny beer sample cups that I’d just poured, putting them into neat rows. Suddenly the sound of the crowd seemed deafening.
“I’m going to tell you why I’m really here,” Draven said.
I knocked one of the cups onto its side.
It had a domino effect, and a few other sample cups tipped over, each of them spilling two ounces of beer onto the table.
I pulled in a long breath. “Why do I still feel like I don’t believe you?”