The pace was steady right up until closing. Zoe had shut down the kitchen an hour before. Drying off her hands and tossing the towel at Finn before heading out, Zoe nodded. “Thanks again, Haley. Let me know if you need any help moving furniture; there are four of us Halseths and we know how to work. Like you. We owe you big-time.”
When had they had time to talk? Zoe flashed him a wink as she escorted the last of the customers out the door, flipping the sign to closed and locking up on her way out.
While he wiped down the bar and sealed everything up for the night, Haley disappeared to the supply room and reappeared with the mop.
“I can get that,” he said with a nod. “You’ve already done so much. Really. I can’t thank you enough.”
She grinned back. “If there’s one thing I do know how to do after the last few weeks of my life, it’s clean.”
“Well, when you’re done there, I have to share a bathroom with Zoe, and she leaves her crap everywhere…” Shit, he almost invited her to come over tonight. That would have been the world’s worst pick-up line of all time.Come on over and clean my bathroom, and I’ll clean your…Nope, there’s nothing sexy about any of that.
Haley seemed to catch the terrible line and laughed, sweeping the mop side to side as she glided across the floor. “Sorry, bub. You’re on your own there. I used to hire a cleaning service. Times have changed.”
Ducking into the kitchen for a moment, he muttered on his way out. “Same here.”
When he reappeared, she stood in the corner, wet floor all around. Looking around at her predicament, she threw her head back and laughed out loud. “Rookie mistake. Mopped myself into a corner.”
“Need a rescue?” Not that she’d needed one before, and he suspected she preferred to claw her own way out of about any predicament.
“Nah, I got this.” She shifted the bucket ahead and tiptoed out, mopping her way out of the corner and over to the edge of the bar. Pleased with herself, she leaned the mop handle against the wall and stood with her hands on her hips like a superhero.
Chuckling, he stepped closer. She grinned up at him as he approached. Damn, when was the last time a woman had looked at him like that? Like he was a juicy steak. Not in a creepy piece of meat way, but that he was done exactly right, exactly the way she wanted. Okay, he’d spent too much time helping his dad and Evan smoking meats lately.
He stopped inches away, needing her to make the next move.
Shifting from superhero pose, her hands moved to his waist, her fingers trailing along his abdomen. Inhaling sharply, he stilled. Through the jersey fabric, her touch left a blazing fire in their wake.
Looking up at him, the corner of her mouth quirked into a flirty smile.
Leaning in, he splayed his hand over her low back and hauled her against him. Her hand reached up and gripped the back of his neck, enticing him down until their lips met.
Detonating on impact, the supple spice of her lips, the velvet of her tongue melted away his hesitation. Angling his mouth with hers, he intensified the kiss. Hands encircling her waist, her hips, their mouths never parting, he scooped her up and set her on the bar.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged him against her. Hands embedded in his short hair, she gasped as he kissed along the line of her jaw, nipping her ear before moving onto her neck. Tasting her skin, trailing his tongue down the pulse of her neck, he stalled when he met t-shirt.
Damn, he might have tugged it right off her if he hadn’t remembered where they were. Hell, anyone walking by could see exactly what they were up to. And neither of them needed that kind of attention right now.
Both breathless, he scooped her down from the bar. She tossed her bangs out of her face and grinned up at him. The easiness, the lightness of her demeanor broke down the last of his barriers.
He laughed out loud. “Sorry, I, uh… you know.”
“Yeah, wow,” she laughed. “I’m sorry. As previously mentioned, I’m in the middle of a nasty divorce and apparently needed a little release, and not just of the rock-throwing variety.”
“I know the feeling. Last six months of my life have been, well, weird as fuck. Not in a good way. And, not even close to the worst of it, my girlfriend just dumped me. So, yeah, I’m with you. Pent up.”
“My friend says I need a rebound. Honestly, not something I’d considered, or would ever ask of someone as that’s awfully pressuring—”
“Yes please,” he blurted out. Stepping back, he leaned against the counter behind him. “That came out wrong. I mean, I’m not looking for anything either, but I really like it when you come in here and visit with me, distract me from everything else. So if you’re asking me to be your rebound, I’m open. I mean, shit, this is why Zoe and Tara are telling me I need a fling; I don’t even remember how to talk to a woman.”
She grinned. “I like the way you talk to me. And kiss me.”
“That too.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Nice work tonight. My head was about to explode when you appeared.”
“You were right, it was hard, but exactly what I needed. I am officially in a good mood.” As if startled, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a stack of neatly folded bills. “I’m not sure how this is done, but I am aware splitting our tips is a thing.”
“Keep it, you earned it.”
“I’m not keeping it all. That would be weird.”
