Read Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1) for Free Online

I owed her one.  
    She winked at me as she walked away, and I turned back to face Cameron.  
    “I guess it’s a date,” I said, trying not to cheesy-grin too hard until he left.
    “Great. So I’ll pick you up…where, exactly?”
    “Oh, here’s fine. My apartment is upstairs.”
    “Really? So you weren’t kidding when you said you lived at work.”
    I shook my head. “In more ways than one.”  
    Cameron nodded at the ugly tarp I was hoping he wouldn’t notice. Which was like asking someone not to pay attention to an elephant in the room. Maybe I should paint the stupid thing.  
    “You expanding?” he asked.
    “I am. The booziery side of the business has taken on a life of its own, and we need more space. I was hoping it’d be finished by now, but the guys are running so behind, and I’m not sure it’ll be done for the Expand Your Empire contest in a couple months.”
    “Is that the one Wake Up America is doing? Damn, that’s huge.” Cameron gave a low whistle. “So the expansion isn’t just limited to next door?”
    “Nope. Hoping to take Licked nationwide.”
    “That’s incredible, Ryleigh. You should be proud.”
    As my eyes wandered the room, taking in all that I’d accomplished so far, I had to agree. “I am.”
    “You know,” he said, looking back at that damn tarp. “I could get Hunter to stop by and take a look, see what’s holding up the renovations.”
    “Oh, you don’t need to do that, I’m sure he’s booked—”
    “No, it’s no problem. He owns his own construction business, so maybe he can light a fire under their ass.” Cameron winked, and I melted into a puddle. Checking his watch, he stood up and pulled a few bills out of his pocket before pushing them my way. “I’ve got to get back to the office, but I’ll pick you up tomorrow at, say, seven?”
    “Seven’s perfect. And it’s on the house,” I said, shaking my head at his attempt to pay. He stuffed the bills into the tip jar on the counter and gave me one last gorgeous smile before heading out the door.
    As the deliciousness that was Cameron walked out, a new recipe took hold in my mind. A Sex God Sundae: a king-size banana split, salty nuts, extra cream…

THE NEXT DAY, I was scooping balls of Like a Virgin vanilla bean into a Coke Whore float when the front door chimed, and in walked Cameron’s roommate. Hunter . Sporting another pair of worn jeans that sat on his hips and looked like they’d been dark to begin with.  
    He looked… Well. Fucking hot. Not that I had noticed.  
    Okay, fine, so I noticed. It was hard not to with the way he sauntered into my shop. I handed the Coke float to the last customer in line and then wiped my hands on a wet towel.  
    “Let me guess,” I said. “Your Ass is Grass?”
    When he raised an eyebrow at me, I noticed how impossibly long his lashes were. Why do guys always get the perfect ones, and women have to pay for them?
    “Excuse me?” he said.
    I shrugged. “You look like a mint chocolate chip with brownies kind of guy.”
    “And what makes you say that?”
    “It’s my job to know these things.”
    He smirked and then glanced around the store. “Cameron mentioned you needed help with renovations.”
    “I’ve got some guys on it already, but they seem to be taking their sweet-ass time.”
    When Hunter’s eyes landed on the tarp, he inclined his head. “They working today?”
    “Should be.”
    He walked over and lifted the edge of the cover to peer into the workspace. Over his shoulder, he asked, “Mind if I go in?”
    “No, give me a sec and I’ll join you.” I untied the apron I’d chosen to match my burgundy swing dress and placed it on a hook. “Be right back,” I told my staff.
    I followed Hunter into the empty space next door, the smell of woodcuttings greeting my nose.  
    “How long have they been on the job?” he asked as he walked slowly around the room, taking in every inch of the space from wall to ceiling. It was a mess. Even I