Page 34 of Vodka And Virtue

He slid his tongue inside my mouth, tasting and exploring every inch. I tightened my hold on his neck, and his hand slid around my back. That feeling was returning, the dizziness and the sweating. I was coming undone.

He lifted his head long before I was ready to let him go.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“In the morning? Why?” We weren’t due at work until five.

“Because we’re a couple now. The least I can do is take you to breakfast.”

Half of his mouth crooked into a smile, and it was the sexiest expression I'd ever seen on his face.

“I guess I’ll see you in the morning then.”

* * *

I had only been herefor four hours, and I was already sick of myself.

Every time my eyes found Rory, he was already staring at me. Time and time again, I would sneak a glance at him, and his eyes were already glued to me. I was blushing like a teenager with his first crush. My dopey smile was even more juvenile. I just couldn’t stop grinning and blushing and simpering. I felt positively giddy with excitement!

Never in a million years had I seen this coming. Me, Mr. Do-The-Right-Thing, closeted bisexual, had a boyfriend. I was dating a man! And people knew, and yet they carried on with their lives, like it wasn’t the biggest news in the entire world.

At least, it was to me.

How did people function like this? I couldn’t eat because my stomach was full of butterflies. I felt exhausted because my heart wouldn’t stop racing, like I’d run a marathon. My cheeks were beginning to go numb from my perma-smile.

It was all so…consuming. Thoughts of Rory, visions of him without a shirt on, sitting astride his motorcycle, or cooking in his kitchen, filled my thoughts every waking minute. I'd even fantasized about him outside in the yard, shirtless of course, and sweaty, biceps bulging as he chopped firewood. Did he even have a fireplace? I hadn’t slept but three hours last night. I had to shower twice from the mess I’d made of myself and strip my sheets this morning.

Yep, I was definitely sick of myself.

And to make everything worse, my brother kept giving me these creepy knowing looks, laughing every time he caught my smile. I felt totally transparent and ridiculous. It was odd for me to feel as if everyone knew my business, and that I was the chosen topic of conversation and gossip around the bar, or more likely, my family. My life was never worth discussing.

Ryan slid onto a barstool and smiled. “You look like you have a juicy secret to tell. Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“Ha,” I scoffed. “Like you don’t already know all of my business.”

He pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key over his shoulder. “I’m a vault. The soul of discretion.”

Then he winked his pretty blue eyes, drawing a smile from me. It was impossible not to feel lighter around him. Ryan radiated happiness. He was a sunny person and his joy sucked you into his orbit, so you could soak up his warmth.

“That’s all right, Boytoy. I know a few secrets about you, too,” I teased, using my brother’s nickname for him.

He raised his blond brows. “In that case, let’s drink! Alcohol loosens the tongue. We’ll be spilling secrets in no time.”

“Did you come for the tasting event tonight?”

“I did. And to see your brother. Did you know he fell asleep last night while we were talking on the phone?”

My lips stretched into a smile. “And how long did you listen to him snore before you hung up?”

“He does not snore! He snuffles.”

“Ryan, I’ve shared a bedroom with him most of my life. Trust me, not only does he snore, he talks in his sleep and wet the bed for years.”

Ryan cracked up. “There’s nothing you can say that would make me think he wasn’t the sexiest guy alive.”

“My God, you’ve really got it bad. He’s totally brainwashed you,” I joked.

“Probably. So what do you have in store for this tasting event?”

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