Bedding the Billionaire

Sutton

“You’re late, Sutton.”

I winced internally as I listened to my boss chastise me for being late. Flinging my bag under the dingy counter at Abberly’s bar, I looked up from my crouched position to see Gabriel Reece glaring at me.

Rather than answer him, I yanked my apron out of my bag and went to work tying it on. Sadly, the next time I glanced over at him it was just in time to see his nasty ass staring at the way my t-shirt pulled tight across my chest as I tried on my apron.

Perve.

“We have a start time for a reason, Sutton” he stated in that lofty tone of his.

Seriously, who was the man kidding? There wasn’t another soul in town who would put up with his shit and we both knew it.

“I’m sorry,” I grit out between clenched teeth. I knew better than to give an excuse, even if it was a valid one. Gabe didn’t care if I had an excuse, he just liked riding my ass. It started in Kindergarten and he hadn’t got bored of it yet.

“Look, this is getting to be a problem,” he began, scratching his chest. I didn’t even want to know what the stains were that currently decorated his shirt. There had been a time when Gabe was somewhat attractive. That time was long gone.

“I’m never late,” I started, but he cut me off with a raised hand.

“Sutton, Sutton, Sutton.”

I hated the way he said my name. It was as if he were speaking of dog poop or erectile dysfunction.

“Yes, Gabriel?” I answered frostily.

I could swear that there was a glint of smugness that entered into his cold eyes as he continued to stare me down. Finally, he spoke, “You are late—again. I told you the next time you came in here late I would be taking it off your wages.”

tempted to tell him what he could do with this job, and the stick lodged in his ass. But the familiar grumbling of my stomach forced me to hold my tongue. I needed

glare at him, I answered smartly, “It’s three minutes

hourly wage, I wasn’t bringing home the big bucks. I could see by his reaction that I wasn’t far off the mark. Gabe looked ready to

you should understand

I bet he would love that. Gabe hadn’t always been the owner of Abberly’s. His mama, God rest her soul, had always been good to me. Ruth Ann treated me like gold. Which was

the current customers. I smiled when I saw two of my favorite older ladies glancing surreptitiously over their menus, clearly trying to eavesdrop. As my eyes continued to scan the room, I saw a few of the other tables were taken. Nothing too stressful. This would be an easy-peasy kind of

for his drink.”

of tearing up at me?”

Otterville Falls. In a rush, I wound my long dark hair into a messy bun and secured it with a pen.

balanced the tray on one arm and strode across the old wood planks completely unaware that my shoe was untied. Tripping, I nearly ended up in Max’s lap. Thankfully the

a wink, ignoring his growl of

“You alright?” he replied

the look of someone that lived hard. I had heard any number of

what Mama was, and when he rolled into town on his big motorcycle and stopped at our trailer, I knew what was going on. But I also knew that Mama never cried in the morning when Max stayed over, and there were often groceries in the fridge when he left. Even after Mama died, Max still came in town every few months to check on me.

need money?” he asked in his gruff

same way I always did. “Nah, I’m doing fine.

went back to his drink. But I didn’t miss the slight twitch to his lips that indicated a smile was lurking somewhere under all of that gruff demeanor.

grin, I grabbed my notebook out of my apron and

Girls!” I said cheerfully as I greeted Alice and Reena. The two elderly ladies couldn’t have been a day over seventy- five. Best friends, roommates, and having never married, you rarely saw one without the other. The ladies were

asked. “Would you like the regular or do you want

get that boss of yours to lose his boxers, I am betting that there is nothing spicy around here going on

I gagged a

her drawn-on eyebrows, causing me to laugh. With fake seriousness I warned her, “Alice! That’s sexual harassment.” Lord knew that Gabe got a kick out of the ladies thinking he was a hot stud. I personally couldn’t see what they were talking about.

old lady lips lewdly, and I couldn’t control snort of laughter

me stand in your way,” I said, pointing to the office. “Go get your man.”

at me and turned back to her menu. “Maybe