Her expression is a mix of surprise and glee. “He is not!”

“Oh, he very much is.”

“So the sex was stellar? He’s got it going on?” She motions to her crotch.

“Oh yeah, he totally has it going on, and the sex was mind-blowing. He actually stayed over last night.” I can feel my face heating up, partially at the memories of what happened between the sheets, and on top of them, and in the shower.

“Whoa, wait, so this isn’t a one-time thing?”

I’m not sure what to make of her shock. “Uh, no, not a one-time thing.”

She props her hip against the counter, concern furrowing her brow. “Is that really a good idea? I mean, sure, scratch the itch, but now you’re what? Sleeping with the enemy on the regular?”

“He’s not the enemy.”

“Aren’t you the one who said he’s your competition? You’re both in the semifinals for Best Bar, and he’s got a lead on you.” She makes a hand motion below the waist. “You don’t want to let the D distract you when you’re in the home stretch.”

She makes a good point, one I’m not all that interested in admitting, if I’m going to be perfectly honest with myself. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve had great sex, and while she’s right about not losing sight of my goals, I feel like I can balance having my cupcake and eating it, too.

I motion across the street to the gaudy, ugly glowing D&B sign. “We have bigger competition to worry about now.”

Daphne raises a hand. “I know. I just don’t want you to get taken for a ride.” She rolls her eyes when I arch a brow. “You know what I mean. I don’t want you to get taken advantage of. He’s a smooth mother-fudger and damn pretty and you’re gorgeous and definitely beddable. I want to make sure he’s not using you to get what he wants aside from orgasms. There were orgasms, right?”

“Several.” I smirk. “I don’t think he’s using me. I mean, he introduced me to his family yesterday.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. We went over for New Year’s cookies at his grandpa’s place and I met his brothers and their wives. Guys don’t usually do the family-intro thing when their plan is a hump and dump.”

“This is true.” Daphne leans against the counter. “So this is a real thing?”

I shrug. “I think so. He introduced me as his girlfriend.”

“Oh, wow. You must’ve been amazing in the sack.” She rounds the cupcake display case. “You need to tell me all about it over coffee. I need details.”

I fully expect there to be a bit of a lull in business after New Year’s, especially with Dick and Bobby’s opening across the street. January can be a slow month for businesses, everyone tightening their purse strings thanks to big credit card bills post-holiday spend.

What I don’t expect is for B&B to be a virtual ghost town apart from when Ronan and I have our joint events. I was barely scraping by before, and now I’m veering into dangerous territory, dipping into my overdraft more and more often to make ends meet.

Even the attention we managed to garner from our New Year’s party on social media doesn’t buffer the impact of D&B opening up across the street. The great press from Tori Taylor and the fact that both The Knight Cap and B&B have made it into the top ten Best Bars doesn’t seem to be helping me keep my head above water.

I’m terrified, because Tori Taylor is planning her trip to Seattle this month and now more than ever, I need business to pick up.

To combat the slowdown, Ronan and I coordinate more joint events with deals and promotions to help entice the college kids to come to us rather than Dick and Bobby’s. I try not to let my desperation show, or to let Ronan know how bad things are getting. I know he’s feeling the pinch, too, but I don’t think it’s nearly as dire for him as it is for me since The Knight Cap is long established and he only has to recover the renovation costs.

It’s a Thursday morning and tonight I have a trivia night, followed by karaoke over at Ronan’s bar. Our duets have become a thing over the past few months, and we’ve started allowing patrons to request songs. I figure it’s a smart co-event with Tori coming to town because it always generates tons of posts and lots of interaction on social media before and after.

It’s only nine in the morning when Ronan drops by, far earlier than usual for him, even on an event night. “Hey, you got a minute? I need to show you something next door.”

“Sure, everything okay?”

“Oh yeah, I just want you to check something out.”

I leave Callie in charge and follow Ronan next door to The Knight Cap.

He ushers me down the hall to his office. “In here.”

I step inside, expecting there to be some kind of surprise, but it looks like the same old in-need-of-updating office. “Okay. What do I need to check out?”

I turn around and he takes my face between his hands, tips my head back, and slants his mouth over mine. I gasp in surprise but sink into the kiss.

His hand eases down my side and curves around my butt, over my dress, and he pulls me closer, grinding his erection against my stomach.

I fight a moan, not wanting anyone to know there are non-business-related things going on behind Ronan’s office door. His other hand leaves my cheek and his ancient and very squeaky rolling chair bangs into the wall. A few seconds later he picks me up and deposits me on the desk.

“What’re you doing?”

“Reenacting the fantasy I’ve had since New Year’s.” His left hand slides under my dress, up my thigh.

I have to press my knees together so they don’t automatically part for him. “Someone will hear.”

“They won’t.”

“I can’t be that quiet and you can’t not say dirty things.” I’d like to say I can bite my tongue, or his shirt, or something, but whatever his plan is, there is no way in hell he’s going to be able to keep his mouth shut and neither will I.

He gives me a knowing, satisfied grin. “We’re alone. There’s no one else here.”

“No one?”

“No one. I came in early on purpose.” He slides his other hand under my skirt and up my thigh.

“So you planned this?”