Page 33 of Crave

“We’re just trying to live vicariously through you, babes,” Deanna laughs. “I’ve been fucking her and the same strap-on for the past three years.”

Just in time to interrupt this conversation, the waitress approaches with a tray of fresh drinks for each of us. Setting them down, she gestures behind her, “These are from the gentleman at the bar.”

Deanna spins around to look and promptly turns back with her mouth agape, “Him. You one hundred percent take that home!”

Peering behind her, Mr. Ramirez raises his glass as a perfect smile spreads across his face.

“Fuck,” Deanna continues, “Don’t even go home. Just let him take you out back.”

“That’s my new boss,” I huff as I awkwardly raise my glass to him as a thank you.

“That man is your boss?” Jessa questions, “You’ve been working for him for weeks and haven’t said a word about him!”

“If you aren’t going to walk your fine ass over there to talk to him, I will,” Deanna interjects. “He’s hot as fuck. Jessa and I aren’t really into dick, but I’m pretty sure we’d make an exception for him.”

“Fine,” I roll my eyes at them and grab my drink before heading to the bar.

I fucking hate my friends.

“Thanks for the drinks, Mr. Ramirez,” I awkwardly say as I slide onto the bar stool beside him.

“Andres,” he turns to face me, “Call me Andres, Lex.”

His eyes linger on my face after he finishes speaking, and it has to be the longest he has ever actually looked at me.

“I also really want to thank you for the opportunit—”

“No!” he cuts me off and shakes his head. His voice now has that same gruff tone I’ve become used to, “Don’t do that. I didn’t buy you a drink to sit here and talk to my employee about her job.”

“Oh,” unsure what to say, I slowly sip of my drink and stare at the bar.

Placing my drink on the bar, I catch a glimpse of his fingers reaching toward my face. As my eyes meet his, he pushes the hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. His thumb delicately brushes over the healing scrap on my cheek, and he feels like fire over my skin. “It looks like this isn’t going to mar that beautiful face of yours.”

As much as I want to look away, I hold his gaze as I gently remove his hand from my face and place it on the bar.

“Mr. Ramirez,” his brow furrows at my words, and I promptly correct myself. “Andres, I think I’m going to go back to my friends. You barely give me the time of day at the office. And while I appreciate your compliment and the free drinks, I’m not interested in earning a promotion or being your consolation prize tonight.”

“My consolation prize?” he chuckles. “You, my dear, are definitely no one’s consolation prize. One drink. Just give me one drink.

“Fine,” I sit back on the bar stool and hold my drink, “but I’m not opposed to chugging this or throwing it in your face. Understood?”

“Understood,” he nods in agreement, with a devious smirk spreading across his face.

twenty eight

ANDRES

I can barely contain my sly smile as Alexys agrees to stay to finish her drink.

“Spill it,” she takes a generous sip of her drink and it feels like watching sand fall through the hourglass.

“I’m your boss,” she fidgets as though a disgusting proposition is going to be the next thing out of my mouth, “and that comes with rules I have to follow. Even when I desperately don’t want to.”

Being her usual defiant self, she lifts the glass and holds it to her lips, silently telling me how important the next words from my mouth are.

“I’m not supposed to think about how gorgeous you are, and I’m certainly not supposed to tell you,” I pause as she takes a small sip of her drink. “So I force myself not to look at you because it’s the only way to keep from staring at those honey-blue eyes all day.”

She places her drink on the bar and looks at me for a moment before speaking, “So what now?”

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