EXCERPT 1.
“How are you doing on your part of the list so far?” I ask, situating myself on the barstool directly across from June.

“Doing good.” Her eyelashes flutter a little. She’s working hard to keep her attention on the bottles she’s probably pretending to count, but her eyes keep darting in my direction. “Everything’s ready to go for ticketing and admission, and the staff are all confirmed for tonight.”

“OK, fabulous. Sounds like the perfect time for the two of us to grab a bite to eat.”

“Oh. Thanks, but I’ll get something later.” She angles her body away even further.

She’s adorable.

June’s making me work for it, that’s for sure. She’s a tough nut to crack, so I wasn’t expecting her to toss her panties at me or anything, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping she’d be a little more receptive. But that’s OK. We’ve got three whole days together, and this time I’m playing the long game.

“My treat.” I slide over one stool and inch myself back into her line of sight. “How about a quick sandwich?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” She finally turns to face me, looking skeptical.

“Come on, Chicago,” I tease, lowering my voice. “What. Are you afraid I’m gonna put the moves on you?”

She rolls her eyes. “I freaking know you will.”

“No. This is a professional lunch outing.”

“Uh-huh. Sure it is.” She shakes her head, smiling. “Yeah, all right. But just a quick bite.”

“Absolutely.”

She reaches for her coat and we step outside. I swear it’s even colder than it was this morning, and it takes my eyes a minute to adjust to the bright sun after spending all day in the club.

“We could grab barbecue sandwiches at that place around the corner,” June says.

“Actually, I heard there’s this great place a couple of blocks down. Follow me.”

The truth is I know exactly where we’re headed. It’s the diner where June and I used to go sometimes after closing up the bar.

The first time she asked if I wanted to get a bite to eat after work, I thought she was asking me out on a real date. We were sitting at that diner, facing each other across the table, when she first started telling me about all the different bands she was into. Eclectic stuff. She could appreciate things in the music that most people never even notice. That was when I realized she was someone special.

As we make our way down the sidewalk, I can’t help but feel giddy. It’s good to be walking through the city side by side with June again.

We round the corner and I slow down as we approach the restaurant.

“Oh, I see what you did here,” she says. “A trip down memory lane, huh? I recall being promised a quick sandwich.”

“But if you’ll remember, June, the service here is incredibly speedy,” I reassure her with a wink, and she rolls her eyes.

We score our usual cozy table by the window and put our sandwich orders in right away to speed things up.

June leans toward me, resting both hands at the edge of the table and giving me a little scowl as the server pours us each a cup of coffee.

“I can’t believe you brought me back here,” she says, shaking her head. “You’re hilarious. You know that?”

“It’s one of the things you love most about me.” I grin.

“That’s debatable.” She’s giving me one of those feisty June expressions that I’ve missed so much. 

“Well, you guys sure have been getting around this past year.”

“Oh, you’ve been paying attention?” I wink.

“I did receive thirty-eight postcards.” She gives me a sideways glare, and my heart does a flip-flop. She actually read my cards.

“Ahh, but who’s counting?” I tease.

“Right.” She nods slowly, but her cheeks flush pink.

I pause, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this past year.”

“Yeah? About what?” She takes a sip of her coffee.

“About us, actually,” I say softly.

That must’ve caught her off guard because those dark eyes lock right on mine, and her cheeks flush a deep shade of pink.

“Oh.”

“Sorry. Is that weird?”

“No, I mean, it’s fine,” she says, dropping her voice a little. “It’s just—I’m worried we got our wires crossed somewhere.”

“What do you mean?”

“Last year—when we hooked up—I didn’t mean for it to be anything more than one night.” She’s watching my eyes closely now.

“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” I say.

“I know. I really fucked that up. I should have been clear about what I was looking for from the start. That wasn’t fair to you.”

I shrug. “Nah, you’re OK. We didn’t make any promises that night.”

She gives me a little smile. “Well, thanks for saying that. But I shouldn’t have ghosted you. We’ve been friends a long time, and you deserve better.”

“OK. But I get it. It was intense, what happened between us.”

She stops mid-sip, almost choking on her coffee. “Err, umm—hmm? What do you mean?”

“The two of us. We’re something else together. I know you felt it too.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Her pupils dilate and her lips part a bit, the way they do when she’s turned on.

“It wasn’t just a hookup, June.” I let my tone drop down low, just the way she likes it. “No matter what you want to tell yourself.”

“Um, no, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was,” she tries, but her voice is breathless, and her hands are trembling. “Just…a hookup.”

“If you say so, Chicago,” I tease, giving her a wide smile.

 

EXCERPT 2.
“Holy shit!” I hop away from the pool of whiskey and broken glass that’s spreading around my feet.

What’s he doing here so soon?

“Whoa. Let me help.” Anthony comes around the bar, and I stand—frozen—watching him closely as he bends down and carefully plucks a few larger chunks of glass from the floor. Then stands and meets my gaze.

“Hey, June.”

Jesus, he’s so handsome.

And tall. I’d almost forgotten how tall he is. I’m tiny—maybe five feet five in my stilettos, and having Anthony’s six-foot-five-inch frame looming over me again is giving me goose bumps.

“Hey, Anthony.” My voice trembles a little, betraying me.

“It’s good to be back here. With you.” His voice is so low it’s almost a whisper, and I feel my nipples tingle in response.

“Wow. Yeah, it’s good to have you back.” My voice is coming out all breathless.

He’s just…mouthwatering. Peering down at me with that come-hither smile on his face. It’s making me hot all over.

I manage to drag my eyes off of him, but it still takes a moment to get my brain working again.

“Can you grab the trash bin?” I try to avert my gaze, but as soon as his back is turned, I cave and let my eyes soak up all the delicious goodness.

He’s in his usual skinny jeans that show off his great ass and long legs, and he’s wearing this soft button-down shirt that’s framing his broad shoulders perfectly. His reddish-blond hair is a little longer now, tousled and oh-so-sexy.

But it’s that familiar Anthony swagger that completely does me in.

Good Lord.

“Not a fan of Crown Royal, huh?” he teases, heading back my way with the bin. “I would have been happy to take it off your hands.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” I narrow my eyes and reach for the broom we keep behind the bar.

“What can I say? I’m a funny guy.” He gives me another one of those beautiful, broad Anthony smiles, and my knees threaten to buckle underneath me.

“Yeah, I remember.” I give him a flirty little smile back.

His lip curls a little on one side, and I feel the pulse between my thighs.

Uh-oh.

Pump the brakes, girl. And fast.

Jumping back into bed with Anthony is not the plan. In fact, it’s the exact opposite of the plan. But if he keeps on looking at me like that, my plans are going to fly right out the window and burst into flames.

 

EXCERPT 3.
I grab her tight ass with both hands and hoist her up onto the bar. Her legs curl around my hips as I press against her body, kissing her fiercely and taking her breast into my palm.

I can’t get enough of her sweet little body.

“I’m serious.” She sighs, her voice heavy with passion.

I tug the neckline of her top down and taste along the tops of her breasts.

“Oh yeah?” I say between licks.

“This thing…it’s only for right now…” She sighs again, arching her back to give me better access to her chest.

I tug her top down even further and cup a hand under one breast, working her nipple into my mouth.

“I mean it.” She’s panting.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

I gasp as her fingers plunge down behind my fly, and she fumbles with the button for a moment until it pops open.

A fucking train couldn’t stop me now, but anyone could walk in, and she could get into trouble. “We should take this downst—”

“No. Right. Here.” She drags my zipper all the way down, releasing me.

“Fuck,” I manage through gritted teeth as her soft hand grasps my cock and she draws me out. I’m rock hard as her fingertips play over me, her movements delicate and thrilling.

“I almost forgot how freaking glorious your cock is,” she whispers, bringing her dark eyes up to meet mine, her soft fingers still stroking my shaft. “Almost.”

Christ.

So many nights I’ve spent dreaming about being with her like this again.

“I’m fucking crazy about you, June,” I whisper, breathless.

“No.” She moans. Her soft lips graze my ear as she grips me firmly. “You’re crazy about me this weekend.”

“God, yeah.” I sigh. “You have no idea.”