Page 45 of Thirst For Me
“I guess this is war, then,” he says flatly.
“Yeah. Let the best woman win.”
He grunts. He holds my gaze for a long moment, like,You sure this is what you want?
I’m not sure. But I’m definitely not going to stop defending myself against his ridiculous accusations or asserting my right to be here.
That, and I’m competitive as hell. And this guy thinking he can just drive me out is lighting a fire under my need to win.
It has been way, way too long since I just had a fucking win.
“Come on, Scar.” He turns, giving me a sudden, unneeded view of his broad back and tight, mouthwatering ass as he walks away.
He turns back once, catching me staring. “Good luck staying on June’s good side,” he says ominously.
“Whatever!” I call out to his back as he leads the dog away. “June likes me!”
He chuckles, but doesn’t look back.
Chapter 9
Sierra
“What an incredible day!” Sophie turns up the music. “People really showed up for us.”
“I know. Where did they all come from, right?”
It’s early evening at the smoothie bar and our last customers have just left, happily slurping smoothies. Sophie dance-wipes the equipment down as she does at the end of every shift whenever she joins me at my pop-ups.
I’m feeling effer-fucking-vescent as we tidy up.
Sure, my life back in the city is in ruins. And my new small-town life, temporary as it is, has been made shittier by one particularly maddening local. But I have Cutie Fruitie, a small business I built myself from the ground up, and no one can take that from me.
No one. Not even a rude, entitled, grossly overstepping, and infuriatingly attractive lumberjack-looking bar owner.
Here in my shop, no matter where it pops up, I’m in slay mode. I’m at my best. Doing what makes me happiest. Which is making super-fun, nutrient-dense,anddelicious smoothies that put a smile on my customers’ faces.
And if our grand opening day here has been any indication, we’re a hit in Orchard Cove. As it turns out, things here—other than Mason—are truly looking up for me.
“I have to give it to the forest witch,” I muse. “She was smart, inviting me here. I know tourism is supposed to really pick up for the summer season this week, but a lot of the customers I served weren’t even tourists.”
“It didn’t hurt that it was pretty warm out today, too,” Soph points out. “And maybe opening day, locals are curious? I wonder if it’ll be dead now until the weekend.”
“I hope not.”
“It does seem like there’s been a lot of gossip that Mason doesn’t want us here, though ...” she ventures.
“So far, maybe that’s been good for us?”
“Which means they’re either super supportive of him and just getting eyes on us, super against him, or just plain thirsty and bored out of their fucking trees from living in a small town too long?”
“Let’s hope it’s the latter and not the ‘super supportive of him’ thing. I will not let that man interfere with my business. If he shit-talks me around town, we will have words.” I saw Mason today, when I popped out on my lunch break, arriving at the bar in his Sea Haven-branded truck. I don’t know if he saw me and I did not go talk to him.
But I will, if he gets in my way.
I step out from behind the counter to go flip theClosedsign when the door suddenly opens—and in walks Mason’s brother, Layne. With his daughter.
I stop in my tracks and backtrack around the counter as Layne says, “Hey, Sierra. Are you closing?”
