Page 24 of Promise Not To Fall

My response is curt, more so than I intend it to be, but there’s a lot about my mom that still makes me sad. “She… died two years ago.”

His eyes snap to mine, worry digging into the crease of his brow. “Shit… I’m sorry.”

I shrug. There’s no sense in telling him that I hadn’t seen her in nearly a year before that, and we lived in the same city. Caught up in making a life better than the one she had, I hadn’t spoken to her in the three months before she died. Worst of all, I was stuck in the traffic jam her death caused.

Jake doesn’t need to know that. None of it. Sometimes I think it’s better not to ask and, even more so, not to divulge information that’s not needed. When you’ve had too much to drink, none of that matters, but this, my mom drama, it’s off limits.

“So what’s your story, then? How did all this come about?” I motion around to the bar. I think I already asked this, but it doesn’t explain why he works here.

“Dad owns the bar, and I just sort of grew up here. Seemed only natural to work here.”

“I see.” I give a nod and then reach for my napkin to wipe away the condensation that’s formed around the glass.

Jake notices and laughs at my habit. “Do you need a new napkin?”

“No. This one’s fine.”

“But it’s pretty wet. You sure?”

I can’t help myself. “You’rethat guy, huh?”

“I’m not sure what you mean bythat guy.” He tips his head to the side, like he’s playing it off. “But—” He pauses and leans in, his breath blowing over my face. “—I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

Holy shit. I have to take a breath—a deep one to keep from sighing and batting my eyelashes at him. “Are you a male prostitute?” I can’t believe I just asked that.

That earns me a laugh as he straightens his posture. “No.”

“Good. I’ve already been offered drugs. I’m assuming prostitution is illegal too?”

“Yeah. It is.”

Something tells me maybe I should stop talking for fear that I’m going to get an answer I don’t want. Like that he’s Mormon and can’t have sex until he’s married. But it isn’t enough to actually stop me from talking. “Sounds like you have it all figured out, don’t you?”

A satisfied smile lights his face. “Uh-huh.”

“I bet you have a dirty mouth too?”

By the look on his face, it’s fairly obvious he’s about to say something dirty. “Sweetheart, you’d be surprised what this mouth can get me and what it candofor you.” And then he purposely sinks his teeth into his bottom lip.

“Wow.” I throw my head back. “You’re so fucking arrogant.”

“Arrogance is a blessing.”

“How so?”

“No matter what you say—” He pauses and leans in a few inches to put some meaning behind his words. “—youwanta man with confidence. Every woman does. You don’t want the guy with a shaky hand as he’s slipping your panties off. You want him with sure, steady movements and tellin’ you how it’s gonna go, don’t you, City Girl?”

He has every woman everywhere pegged, doesn’t he?

A raucous burst of laughter brings me out of my Island Boy trance.

I bring the glass to my lips, finishing my drink, and watch a group of intoxicated girls grind on each other. Next to them, a group of men watch, quite frankly drooling.

I turn back to Island Boy. “A girl really did a shot off a guy’s dick?”

Jake grins and holds up the bottle of tequila in one hand, the other one undoing his belt buckle. “Wanna try?”

Holy shit. Yes!

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