Twist--A Dive Bar Novel(33)
Without further ado, he dragged his tongue up the length of my slit, making my back arch. Strong arms circled my thighs, cast and hand resting on my belly. And that beard, Christ, did he know how to use it. Soft wiry bristles tickled and teased while his mouth went to work. As with everything Joe did, he did it damn well. Complete concentration, absolute dedication. He suckled the lips of my labia before slipping his tongue between them to get at the tender flesh below. The man treated my sex like a smorgasbord, he could not get enough. Fingers spread me open and he lapped at and all around my clit, making me squirm.
Fucking good. He was so fucking good and he’d barely gotten started.
Up and down he dragged his tongue, setting me alight. Every nerve ending in me was giving him its complete attention. My toes curled when he flicked his tongue back and forth across me. The sheet fisted in my hands, I held on as if gravity might give way. For sure, my mind had been flung into outer space. Kissing and licking, he left no part of me unloved. A wet thumb pad slid around and around, teasing my back entrance, opening me just a little.
It all felt so incredibly good while his arm in its cast, laid across my stomach, held me down. The man ground his face against me, making me pant, before flicking his tongue over and around my clit. If the man didn’t suck on it soon, I might just have to kill him.
“Joe.”
“Mm?”
“Please,” I begged, pushing my pussy into his face.
His hot mouth covered the top of my sex and I died just a little. To feel his lips drawing on me, suckling that tight bundle of nerves. Absolute pleasure surged through me, racing up my spine, making every nerve in me riot. I came and came as he kept at me, drawing it out. Even when it got to be too much, his hold stayed strong. The man was relentless. I choked out a cry, every hair standing on end. I couldn’t stop shaking, muscles jumping and my sex tight. The man owned my body.
I loved him and I hated him, and I honestly hadn’t known him long enough for either. But he had me. There could be no fighting this one true fact. Joe had me, whether he wanted me or not.
All I could do was try to continue breathing. It wasn’t easy. My body lay limp on the bed, legs dangling off the end of the mattress. Beneath me, the sheet clung to my skin, wet with sweat and cum. And still Joe kept his face pressed against my thigh, fingers digging into me as if he was afraid to let go. Now and then he’d press a soft kiss against my damp skin.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“For what?”
“I want you to go, Alex,” he said eventually. “Back to Seattle.”
“Wha—”
“This isn’t … I can’t do this with you right now.”
“You can’t do what with me right now?” Rising up on my elbows, I looked down at him in horror. Wet lips set and eyes sad. Christ, he was serious. This couldn’t be happening. “You go down on me and then you dump me? Are you serious?”
Nothing.
“Joe, look at me.”
He sighed.
“Is this about Star coming back to town? She’s the one you talked about in that email, isn’t she?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “The one you wanted to settle down with.”
“It’s not about Star or you,” he said, face turned aside. So much guilt. “It’s me.”
“You mean it’s the car accident,” I said, voice rising in volume. “It’s Nell losing the baby. It’s your ex coming back to town. It’s everything. You’re overwhelmed, I get it.”
He flinched.
“For the first time, you’re not everyone’s Mr. Fixit and it’s messing with you. It’s hurting you,” I said, trying to go gentle but failing. “I understand, I do. But ending this, us, isn’t the answer.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Joe, please.”
Slowly, he got to his feet. I didn’t even have the presence of mind to close my legs. After what we’d just done, like decency fucking mattered. Too many emotions warred inside of me. I didn’t know who to give the microphone to, anger and frustration or love and understanding. They all had a hell of a lot to say.
“I’m sorry,” he said again as if that fixed anything. Then he opened the door, walked through it, and pulled it closed. All without looking back at me once. He was gone.
I’d walked out on a lot of men. I’d also been walked out on by a lot of men. This, however, was the first time it’d ever mattered. If this was what it felt like to have your heart broken, it sucked.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Like hell.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Awkward didn’t cover how it felt walking into Dive Bar the next day, having been dumped by one of their favorite sons. Val may have had to nudge me through the door when I stalled at the entrance. Bravery and I weren’t well acquainted. Maybe I’d be in luck and discover he hadn’t told anyone yet. Either way, I had to get an idea of where things stood.
Midmorning, the restaurant was quiet. Only a couple of people sat nursing coffee and cake. Despite my skulking, Lydia noticed me immediately.
“Hey.” Her smile gentled, her eyes filled with empathy. Never had anyone looked quite so sad on my behalf. Lydia really was a sweetheart. “How are you, Alex?”
So, everyone knew.
“Hi, Lydia. I’m fine,” I said through a twitchy grin. “This is my friend Valerie.”
Val lifted a hand in greeting.
“How is Nell?” I asked.
At this, Lydia’s smile strengthened. “She’s at Pat’s place, she’ll be off for a couple of weeks at least. It looks like she and Pat are back together. Losing the baby is horrible, but it’s nice that something good has come out of this.”
“Yeah.”
“Does that sound awful? It’s hard to know what to say at times like this.” She worried at her short black apron, turning to glance at Vaughan busily setting up behind the bar. “And you and Joe were banged up pretty badly too.”
“No, it doesn’t sound awful. And I’m on the mend. Val has concealer and knows how to use it, so…”
“Good. That’s good.” She sighed. “Eric took off. No one knows where to.”
“Crap.” No wonder Joe was stressed out and taking on everything himself. I looked around the room, as if I were seeing it for the last time. The dark brickwork, the mix of industrial and old style blending so beautifully. The man had made the place perfect and yet avoided any of the credit. I took a deep breath. “Is Joe here?”
Hesitation hit her, her eyes straying upward. “Um…”
“Could I get a coffee?” Val smiled, smoothly stepping in to distract her, and earning herself another nomination for best friend of the year. “And Alex tells me you have the best brownies in town. You gotta hit me with one of those.”
Lydia laughed, letting herself be swept toward the counter.
Meanwhile, I headed through the kitchen toward the back of the building. The same route Joe and I had taken the infamous night of the red candles, heart-shaped pizza, and horrible music. Boyd and the kitchen kid were busy prepping for lunch. Neither paid me any attention. Out the back door and up the stairs I went. The pounding of a hammer echoed through the upstairs hallway. When it paused, exuberant swearing took its place.
Joe stood in the last room, trying to beat a piece of pine into submission. Unfortunately, while his good hand had the hammer under control, his broken hand obviously made holding the wood in place impossible.
I slipped in beside him, holding the beam steady. Neither of us said anything, but the tension radiating from him almost rattled my teeth. A moment later, the thudding of the hammer started up once again, the wood vibrating beneath my fingers.
“What are you doing here?” he growled, tone low and fierce.
“Helping.”
Out of the corner of my eye, his chest rose and fell beneath an old Violent Femmes T-shirt. “I told you to go home.”
“I remember.”
“And?”
“If you want to end it with me, that’s your choice. I can’t stop you. But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re still friends.” I dared a look at his face. His eyes were distinctly unamused. Sucked to be him. “And a friend would stay and help, Joe.”
He shoved the hammer back into a loop on his tool belt and stared down at me, hands on his hips. “I don’t need help.”
“Bullshit. What are we doing next?”
“I’m serious.”
“Me too.” I crossed my arms. “What next?”
With another growl, he shoved his good hand through his hair, pushing it back off his face. My, but the man was agitated. Way cranky, not so cute.
“Would you like me to tie back your hair for you?” I asked. “Put it in a ponytail?”
Teeth gritted, he leaned back against a wall. “Why are you doing this? We’ve got no future. Never did.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t want you here.”
“Duly noted.”
He turned and kicked the wall, leaving an almighty hole. The man was going all-out toddler tantrum. “Fuck! Just go, why don’t you?”
“No.” And yes, his continued rejection stung like a bitch, but this wasn’t about me or my pain. “Rant all you like, I’m not doing that, Joe. I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone. Everyone here is hurt and grieving, they’re either busy or they’re gone. I don’t see anyone having your back, and to me that is unacceptable.”