she’d allowed this to happen. “I’m not discussing this with you guys. It was totally unexpected and not worthy of our time.” A lie, because Mallory couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed like that. Because she hadn’t. Ever. And as much as Hope irritated her, she did have the most awesome mouth that was all soft and demanding. Plus, she knew how to—
“But we always discuss sexy kissing when it happens,” Brooklyn said, confused and looking to her friends for support.
Samantha nodded. “It’s a cosmic sexy-kissing rule. She’s right. Did you kiss her or did she kiss you? Important detail.”
Mallory blew out a breath. “What do you think?”
“Hope made the move,” Hunter said with confidence. “Trust me on this.”
Brooklyn placed a solemn hand across her chest. “Young female hearts are breaking all over Soho tonight. You realize that, right?”
Mallory rolled her eyes. “Please. It was one kiss, an isolated incident. It’s never going to happen again.”
“Whatever you say, Mal. Whatever you say,” Hunter said, smiling.
Well, that was enough of that. “I’m going to go settle up with Marcus and see if they need any help tearing down,” Mallory said, and without waiting for a response, headed off toward the house.
“Was there tongue?” Brooklyn called after her.
“What about groping?” Sam echoed. “Where were her hands exactly? Can you show us on a diagram?”
Mallory rolled her eyes and ignored the questions—not that she didn’t have a few of her own about the evening’s happenings and um…her own very visceral response to said happenings. But she meant what she’d said. That beach kiss was a one-time thing, and she should probably make sure Hope knew that. The fact that her lips still tingled and she could still feel sparks the kiss had ignited was far, far beyond the point.
*
Hope drove back to the city with the windows down and her music blaring. Her Mustang was just over twelve years old, but you’d never know it from the way it handled on the winding roads that led her out of the Hamptons and back to the city. Thank God she’d picked up a few skills with a wrench in her younger years to keep the thing running. The car was her prized possession, and driving it now, she remembered why. She loved the feel of the road beneath her, the give-and-take of the gas under her foot. The city didn’t offer up many chances to drive, so nights like this one were to be enjoyed. She checked the time on the dash and called Teddy to check in.
“Why are you bothering me, boss?” The thrum of the music in the background was commonplace to Hope.
She smiled at the lack of greeting. “Have you run the place into the ground yet?” she asked over the sound of the wind racing past her car. It was a joke, as she’d grown to trust him implicitly with the bar.
“Nope. But the new girl is here again and dressed a bit like a nun. You sure this is going to work out?”
She sighed. “No, but she showed up, right? That’s something. How many drinks has she spilled?”
“Make that three.”
Ouch. “Well, that’s an improvement over the four from last night. I’ll swing by on my way home and pick up the bank drop.”
“That should work. If I get a spare minute, I’ll try and have it ready for you.”
“Cool. And thanks for stepping up tonight. It was nice to have a night off.”
“Anytime. You should give yourself a break more often. Drive safe, boss lady.”
She clicked off and relaxed into the leather of the driver’s seat as memories of the night flickered. The house had been breathtaking and belonged to Mallory’s parents. Translation, she came from money, and a lot of it. Not surprising, given the way she’d carried on. Who knew the woman was such a princess? She’d been aloof at the bar, sure, but the consummate socialite was a side of her that Hope had yet to experience. She flashed on Mallory moving from one guest to the next, working the place
“But we always discuss sexy kissing when it happens,” Brooklyn said, confused and looking to her friends for support.
Samantha nodded. “It’s a cosmic sexy-kissing rule. She’s right. Did you kiss her or did she kiss you? Important detail.”
Mallory blew out a breath. “What do you think?”
“Hope made the move,” Hunter said with confidence. “Trust me on this.”
Brooklyn placed a solemn hand across her chest. “Young female hearts are breaking all over Soho tonight. You realize that, right?”
Mallory rolled her eyes. “Please. It was one kiss, an isolated incident. It’s never going to happen again.”
“Whatever you say, Mal. Whatever you say,” Hunter said, smiling.
Well, that was enough of that. “I’m going to go settle up with Marcus and see if they need any help tearing down,” Mallory said, and without waiting for a response, headed off toward the house.
“Was there tongue?” Brooklyn called after her.
“What about groping?” Sam echoed. “Where were her hands exactly? Can you show us on a diagram?”
Mallory rolled her eyes and ignored the questions—not that she didn’t have a few of her own about the evening’s happenings and um…her own very visceral response to said happenings. But she meant what she’d said. That beach kiss was a one-time thing, and she should probably make sure Hope knew that. The fact that her lips still tingled and she could still feel sparks the kiss had ignited was far, far beyond the point.
*
Hope drove back to the city with the windows down and her music blaring. Her Mustang was just over twelve years old, but you’d never know it from the way it handled on the winding roads that led her out of the Hamptons and back to the city. Thank God she’d picked up a few skills with a wrench in her younger years to keep the thing running. The car was her prized possession, and driving it now, she remembered why. She loved the feel of the road beneath her, the give-and-take of the gas under her foot. The city didn’t offer up many chances to drive, so nights like this one were to be enjoyed. She checked the time on the dash and called Teddy to check in.
“Why are you bothering me, boss?” The thrum of the music in the background was commonplace to Hope.
She smiled at the lack of greeting. “Have you run the place into the ground yet?” she asked over the sound of the wind racing past her car. It was a joke, as she’d grown to trust him implicitly with the bar.
“Nope. But the new girl is here again and dressed a bit like a nun. You sure this is going to work out?”
She sighed. “No, but she showed up, right? That’s something. How many drinks has she spilled?”
“Make that three.”
Ouch. “Well, that’s an improvement over the four from last night. I’ll swing by on my way home and pick up the bank drop.”
“That should work. If I get a spare minute, I’ll try and have it ready for you.”
“Cool. And thanks for stepping up tonight. It was nice to have a night off.”
“Anytime. You should give yourself a break more often. Drive safe, boss lady.”
She clicked off and relaxed into the leather of the driver’s seat as memories of the night flickered. The house had been breathtaking and belonged to Mallory’s parents. Translation, she came from money, and a lot of it. Not surprising, given the way she’d carried on. Who knew the woman was such a princess? She’d been aloof at the bar, sure, but the consummate socialite was a side of her that Hope had yet to experience. She flashed on Mallory moving from one guest to the next, working the place
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