My shift doesn’t start for another hour, but I figured coming in early would mean missing Colson and not having to communicate with him on my way inside.
      As I pull into the back parking lot to find him standing against the door, resting his skateboard above his shoulders, I realize I was wrong. He’s talking to two girls and Travis, but his attention is focused on me parking my car.
      He’s cool, calm, and collected, just smoking his cigarette, eyes still on me as I step out of my car and shut the door behind me. Swallowing, my gaze wanders down the plain black T-shirt and ripped-up jeans he’s wearing. No one pulls that look off better than he does. I’ve always found the way he dresses to be so damn sexy. Even back when I didn’t think he was.
      The tan blonde standing a bit too close in his personal space says something that catches his attention, and that’s when I notice the ass hanging out of those cutoff shorts belongs to Emery Wilson. No one could mistake it for anyone else’s.
      Should’ve known she’d still be on the hunt for his dick. She’s a year younger than Colson and has had a thing for him since she was twelve. She learned how to skate just so she could spend most of her time at the park stalking him.
      Keeping his attention on me, he says something to his friends before putting out his smoke and disappearing inside. What the hell is he doing?
      I hurry inside myself, my attention immediately landing on Colson behind the bar with a towel now over his shoulder.
      “What are you doing behind the bar?”
      He smirks and slaps a coaster down in front of me. “Maybe I’m just getting a soda. Want one?”
      I place the coaster back on the pile, annoyed. “Where’s my grandmother?”
      “Said she had to take off a little early. I was here, so she asked me to keep an eye on things until you arrived.”
      “So, you’re here alone?”
      “Not anymore.” He looks me over, jaw flexing as if he’s holding himself back. “But I would definitely enjoy it if we were.”
      “I can take it from here.” I snatch the towel from his shoulder and make my way behind the bar, ready to get him back outside where he belongs. “You can go out back and skate around for a while or something. Anything but hang around in here.”
      “Why was Dax here last night? Did he fuck you on the bar?” he asks, his question catching me off guard. I thought he’d left by the time Dax arrived.
      “That’s none of your business.”
      “Maybe I want to make it my business.”
      Exhaling, I toss the rag into the bucket of bleach water and turn to face him. Instead of making his way outside like I asked, he’s making himself comfortable on a stool. The way he’s looking at me is making me the opposite. I can’t deal with those eyes of his on me right now, so I think of what is necessary to get him outside quicker. “He doesn’t know you’re back yet, but I’m sure he will when he stops in later.”
      “Any particular reason you didn’t tell him?” he pushes, grabbing a toothpick and sticking it between his lips. “Guilty conscience?”
      “There’s nothing to feel guilty about.”
      “You wanting me wouldn’t bother him?”
      “You’re delusional if you think I want you.”
      “You expect me to believe you’re not thinking about what it’d be like for me to fuck you on this bar right now?” He smirks. I swallow. “We both know my brother isn’t man enough to.”