Page 518 of Not Over You

Alex glances at his watch then mutters to himself.

“First shift.”

Neither of us are usually here for another half an hour at the earliest. We started opening our doors early for staff to come by and grab a meal. Our cook makes a range of food and they put it out buffet style.

Most of the people in our employment make decent cash but there are times when someone will fall short or something comes up and they have to choose between eating and rent, so the offer of a bite to eat first thing in the morning is always on the table.

“Grab me a coffee. I’ll be out in a moment.” Alex steps into the hall with me but instead of walking into the main room, he turns toward our office.

“Where are you going?” I turn to face him and take two steps backward as the lights behind me turn on and the sound of a few staff members enter the room behind me.

“Something isn’t sitting right with me. I’m going to give Tray a call and have him look into a few things.”

I stop walking and nod my agreement.

Now that he says the words, an unease nags at me.

Like, how did Willow know about our game and where is her deadbeat ex now. Then a thought worries its way into my head. Willow was terrified Dale would come back. Is there anything about their relationship she isn’t telling us?

With the exception of those months she spent away from her work, nothing seems out of place. Now that we know she had Annie during that time, it checks out. But what if it doesn’t?

The only ones in the club so far are the kitchen staff and I grab two coffee mugs off the shelf, filling them both full and make my way to the front window where Alex usually sits alone.

The panes are tinted and one way so you can’t see into the club from the street. This is what made it easy for Alex to gawk at Willow every morning as she walked by.

Now all I see are wasted mornings. Time that could have been spent waking up with Willow in our bed instead of watching her from afar.

My mind wanders to how that might work.

While Alex and I work together, we live in separate apartments. Alex and I have shared a woman before but it was just sex. I’m possessive of Willow and I know Alex is the same.

While we’ve proven the sex is amazing together, what would happen when it moves beyond the physical and we both want her to sleep in our bed at night?

My cock strains at the memory of last night. Taking turns with Willow as both voyeur and exhibitionist. I had every intention of fucking her again when we woke up just so I was sure she knew we were serious about keeping her. But the escape artist had other plans and it’s something I plan on making her answer for at another time.

“What’s that look for?” Alex’s question cuts through my fantasy and I relax the muscles in my face.

I must have been grinning.

“Nothing. Just picturing our little angel riding you while I fingered her ass. Fuck. I’m going to need something stronger than caffeine.” I take a gulp of my coffee as one of our cooks drops a plate of toast on the table and leaves as if it’s no big deal we stayed here last night.

I steal a glance at the bar.

I rarely drink our own stuff but maybe one shot won’t hurt considering the circumstances. My muscles tense as I plan to rise but the sight of Alex stops me cold.

He’s remembering last night too.

“I shouldn’t have kept them from you.” Muttering under his breath, he takes a sip of his coffee before looking out the window like he does every other morning.

“What are you talking about?”

“Willow’s fantasies. I thought”—he looks around the empty room—“I thought I was protecting her, but from what? From us, Shane? Not a day went by where I didn’t want to pull her into our world and make every one of them come true. I thought I was dark, but knowing her fantasies made me slip even further into my own depravity, and she just shows up. She hands herself over to us, and I took one look at her, and I was done trying to give her the perfect life. There’s no such thing if we are all miserable alone.”

The sigh I release catches Alex’s attention and he meets my gaze.

“You did what I would never have done back then. You put Willow first, and when she walked through our door last night, you put her first again. You know this is what is meant to happen, and it’s what is best for our girl. It’s what is best for us too, but you wouldn’t have taken her if it also wasn’t what she needed. I am lucky you are looking out for her because I would have been selfish. It only feels like you made the wrong decision back then because you sacrificed your happiness for hers.”

Silence stretches out between us for a long minute until Alex grabs a piece of toast off the plate and takes a bite.

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