Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(31)

I cut him off, my cheeks hot to the touch as I yanked on his arm, pulling him to his feet. “Get your shoes on, it’s time to go.” He laughed at me as he steadied himself. “Yeah, all right…maybe next time then.”

Walking into Pete’s with Kellan a little while later, I was greeted by a bubbly Kate. Since Jenny had the night off, she was my partner in crime for the evening. “Hi guys!”





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“Hi, Kate.” I smiled at the bouncy woman and attempted to extradite myself from my boyfriend so I could go put my purse away. Just as our fingertips separated, Kellan grabbed my waist, pulling me back into his hips.

“I’ll have my usual,” he growled in my ear.

I bit my lip as his voice sent shivers down my spine. Twisting to give him a dirty look, I shook my head. “I know what you like, Kellan.” He grinned devilishly, his hand slipping around to slink inside the back pocket of my jeans. “Yes…you certainly do.” Realizing how suggestive what I’d said was, I pushed him away from me. He had such a dirty mind sometimes. Well, most of the time actually. He laughed at the color in my face, then kissed my cheek. “You’re so adorable.” Leaning in he whispered, “Have I mentioned how much that turns me on?”

Laughing as I untangled myself from him, I murmured, “What doesn’t, Kellan?”

Smiling, he shrugged one shoulder and walked back to his table. I sighed, watching his back pockets walk away from me. Kate beside me sighed too. I turned to look at her as she dreamily said, “God he’s got great hair. He always looks like he just got out of bed.” Meeting my eye, she frowned. “How does he do that?”

Biting my lip, hoping my face wasn’t beet red, I shrugged. I couldn’t exactly tell her that he was currently rocking an amazing head of sex-hair because he’d just had sex. That was a little too much information to give my co-worker. Shrugging, she shook her head and handed me a fistful of lollipops from the pocket of her apron. “Here, Pete had these made to give out to the customers.”

Unwrapping a red label with “Pete’s Bar” clearly written across it, she popped one in her mouth. “I keep forgetting to give them out though.” She smiled around the stick in her mouth. “They’re apple flavored.” 87



I smiled and thanked her, then went to put my stuff away. Once I was back on the floor, I unwrapped one too and stuck it in my mouth. God, I love apple flavor. It’s so much better than actual apples.

Rita had Kellan’s beer ready before I even got to the bar to pick it up.

Staring across the room at Kellan, she sullenly handed it to me.

“Here…this is for sweet cheeks.”

Snatching it from her, I murmured, “Thanks,” and rolled my eyes as I walked away. It was so irritating to have my guy mentally undressed over and over again. And people think men are the hornier bunch. I was beginning to doubt that.

Pulling the sucker out as I approached where Kellan was alone at his table, I handed him his drink. “Here you go…your usual.” He smiled at me as he took the beer from my hand. Then his other reached up and grabbed the hand holding my sucker. Closing his fingers over mine, he brought the treat to his lips and closed his mouth around it. Not breaking eye contact, he sucked on my lollipop for a moment, then let it go. It was horribly erotic and I heard a few groans from a nearby table of girls watching him. Wanting to lean down and taste the apple on his tongue, I instead decided to stick up for my rights.

Shoving his shoulder back, I frowned. “Eww, Kellan. That’s mine.” Nothing about his mouth on or near anything of mine actually grossed me out, but it was the principle of the thing. You don’t suck another person’s sucker uninvited. Smiling, like he knew I’d let his lips go anywhere, he tilted his head at me. “What? I can put my mouth on your—” I covered up that mouth, taking a quick peek at the girls at the table next to him, subtly leaning over in their seats to hear him speak.

“Kellan!” I hissed under my breath.

Removing my hand from his lips, he continued undaunted. “…but I can’t enjoy your sucker?”

Shaking my head at him, I felt a smile creep into my mouth. He was giving me a slight frown and puppy dog eyes. And damn if it wasn’t 88



hopelessly attractive. Giving up, I shoved the sucker in his mouth. Those eyes had earned it. He smiled around the stick and I sighed in annoy-ance. “You could at least ask first.”

Removing it, his lips curving over the edge of the ball seductively, he raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t think I had to ask to suck on your…candy.” I frowned genuinely. “Don’t say candy.” After the afternoon I’d had, I really didn’t want to ever hear that word again.

The smirk fell off his face as he understood my expression. “Sorry,” he whispered.

Shaking my head, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his; the apple was as marvelous as I’d thought it would be. “It’s alright.” Ignoring the disgruntled noises from the table of women to my left, I softly kissed him again. “Just ask next time, sucker thief.” He was grinning and thoroughly enjoying his sweet treat as I walked away.

Not too much later, as I was relaying my day at school to Kate, minus the Candy-fiasco of course, the doors burst open. Startled, I looked over to see Matt stepping through them. His face was beaming as he immediately looked back to the guys’ table. Seeing Kellan, his smile got even bigger and he practically bounded to the table.