He needs to see how a real man pleasures a woman.

“I think we should do it.” I step closer to her, stopping right in front of her bed.

She looks up at me and swallows nervously as I lean forward and place my hands on the outside of her thighs. “Do what?”

Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine as she waits patiently for me to answer. I may be making a huge mistake with these next words, but I can’t help but to want this more than anything I’ve ever wanted before.

“Have sex.” I lean over her, causing her to let out a small moan as she looks up at my chest. “I think that Lucas needs to see how a real man fucks. If you’re going to be exclusive to Lucas then he needs to know how to satisfy you in every possible way. You deserve that at least.”

I take notice of her breathing as it picks up and the red of her cheeks as her whole body flushes from my words. “Alex, I don’t . . .” She swallows hard and squeezes her eyes shut. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend. I need you.”

I hate that she thinks she could ever lose me. Grabbing her hip, I scoot her across the bed until I’m leaning completely over her with my body aligned with hers. “That would never happen,” I say gently. “I need you just as much.” I run my fingertip over her bottom lip. “I can’t stand the thought of him fucking other women while you just sit around. You deserve to be pleasured just as much as he does. I promise you that there is nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure of that.”

Her eyes meet my lips as she whispers, “I trust you.”

“Alright,” I say softly. “Get some sleep. We don’t need to worry about the details right now.” I bend down, kiss the tip of her nose, and smile, as the tension seems to leave us both.

She smiles back and pushes my arm as I roll over beside her, wrapping my other arm around her waist. I lay here for a while until she falls asleep next to me. Then, I go and take a shower before going back to my room and just sitting on my bed, staring at the wall that she painted for me. I love her for that damn wall. I stare at it until my eyes become so heavy that I have no choice but to close them.

I’M ZONING IN ON THE table that I’m cleaning, when I feel something bounce off the back of my head. I swear, sometimes Harley acts like such a two year old, and I’m just really not in the mood for it.

“I’m not cleaning that up.” I point out. “I’ve been busting my ass for the last hour. I’m ready to go.”

“Yeah, so leave it for the morning cleaner. Who gives a crap about a tiny beer cap?”

I hear the click of her heels as she walks around the bar to join me by the table I’m cleaning.

“Is Lucas picking you up tonight or do you want a ride?”

I toss my towel down and turn around to lean against the table. “Lucas is on his way to get me.”

We both look up when we hear Dax’s office door slam closed.

“I need to get the hell out of here before I lose my shit.” He looks around the empty bar. “Can you girls handle closing up while I go choke out my little brother? He’s in trouble again and this can’t wait.”

Harley gives him two thumbs up and I nod my head, not really wanting to deal with him or ask him about his troubled brother.

“Thanks.” He walks past us in a hurry. “I’ll see you in the morning, Harley.” He taps the doorframe before speaking again. “Enjoy your day off, Tripp. I’ll see you on Friday.”

I just look at him and nod my head.

“Alright,” he mumbles while rushing out the door.

“Why have you been so tense lately?” Harley questions, while looking me over. “Do you need to get laid or something? I don’t like it. This distance bullshit does not look good on you, sweets.”

I roll my eyes and toss my towel down beside me. “No. What? I don’t know.” I look up at her. “It’s complicated. Just never mind.”

Harley jumps up and takes a seat on the table I just finished cleaning. “Oh no . . . I don’t think so. Spill it.”

Feeling as if I will explode if I keep it in any longer, I decide to spill the details. Well some of them at least. “Alright . . .” I take a seat in one of the chairs and Harley reaches out and tugs my hair until I’m close enough for her to play with it.

“Lucas wants to watch me have sex with another man. There . . . that’s what’s up.”

I let out a small yelp as she yanks my head back and screams in my ear. “He actually said that?”

I pinch her thigh, letting her know to loosen her damn grip on my hair. “Yeah, but if you keep pulling my hair every time I spill the details, then you’re not going to hear much. Trust me.”

She lets go of my hair completely. “My bad. Sorry. I’ve been a little sexually frustrated since your party last week, and I refuse to call Ace and let him think that he has the upper hand.” She throws her arms up to show me that I’m safe from her grip. “Okay, so what’s the problem? I would love for a guy I was seeing to request that. You’re not really serious right now anyways, so do it.”

I run my hands over my face in frustration from the confusion that I’m still feeling over this. “It’s not that simple, Harley. There’s a lot on the line with this.”

“How?” She wraps her legs around me and squeezes. “Tell me!”

“Dammit, woman.” I squirm my way out of her ninja grip and jump to my feet. “I’m not getting close to you until you get out your damn frustration.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re pushing me by taking forever for the details. You know I’m not a patient woman, and mixed with an unhappy vagina I’m a bitch to deal with.”

I grab for my towel again and quickly start on the last dirty table. I just want to explode. “Because it’s with Alex. That’s why! Tell me that doesn’t mean something.”

“Oh . . . that means something alright.” She hops down from the table and starts following me around the room, eager for me to keep going. “Are you going to do it? What does Alex think? Does he want to?”

I stop and think back to my conversation with Alex last night. He made it clear that he wanted us to, but for a certain reason. I’m not sure if that can be the only reason for me.

“He said we should do it. He has his reasons for it and with it being Alex and how he is, I don’t blame him.” I walk to the back and dump the bucket of rags into the sink, with Harley following close behind. “But what if it feels too good?” I turn around to face her and place my hands behind me, gripping onto the sink. “What if I fall in love with Alex? That’s what I’m worried about. I’m just not sure if it’s worth one night of pleasure with him.”