Only in Dreams (Road Trip Romance Book 9) Page 2

  Intrigued, I asked, “So, what’s it about then?”

  “Being my best friend and Granite.”

  “I’m sorry… Granite?” I questioned her.

  Nodding, she explained, “My cousin just opened a new bar not quite two months ago, and he’s been telling me to stop by to check it out. So, I’m doing my familial duty to be supportive. I’d really love it if you’d join me.”

  When she put it like that, it wasn’t like I had much of a choice. She was my best friend; she wanted to support her family. And since I wanted to support her, I knew I had to go.

  “Fine,” I agreed. “But tonight is going to be just like you said. You’re supporting your cousin, and I’m supporting you. That’s it. No boys allowed.”

  Demi’s head tipped to the side, and she grinned at me. “That right there is your whole problem,” she declared.

  “What is?” I wondered.

  “When the time comes that you’re ready to really let loose and find someone, there should never be the thought of finding a boy,” she remarked. “If he’s going to be the man of your dreams, there needs to be nothing about him that indicates he’s anything but all man.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re crazy.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Okay, let’s get out of here,” she ordered.

  With that, I gathered up the rest of my things and followed behind Demi as we left my office. Then I followed her in my car to her cousin’s bar. And on the way there, I decided this wasn’t going to be so bad. Sure, I had things I had planned to do for my T-shirt business, but taking an hour to unwind after the day I had might actually be good for me.

  I could clear my mind, and by the time I got back home tonight, I’d actually be more productive than if I had just gone straight there from work.

  After we pulled up outside Granite and parked, Demi got out and waited for me to meet her by the entrance since I had to park a couple cars away. I was simply grateful the weather was gorgeous today. It wouldn’t have surprised me if it had started raining just as I got out of the car. That was how bad the day had gone.

  By the time I made it to where Demi was standing at the front entrance, I started to settle into the fact that perhaps my day was turning around.

  But not long after she grabbed me by the hand and led me inside did I learn that this was not even close to being a good idea.

  We had strolled in slowly, and both of us took in the space. Directly to the left of the entrance were several high-back booths that ran all along the front wall of the bar. A couple feet in front of the booths were a handful of high tables and stools. Off to the right, the bar opened up into a much deeper and more expansive space. More booths and tables lined the front and far wall. A little less than half of the open space on the right side was filled with a couple rows of low tables and chairs. Directly in front of that, along the back wall on the right side, was what could only be described as the dance floor. There was a raised platform in the far corner of the dance floor as well. And finally, along the back wall directly in front of the entrance was the actual bar.

  I was about to say something to Demi, but before I could, she squealed with delight and shouted, “Cal! I am so proud of you.”

  I looked in the direction she was headed and stopped dead. Was this guy her cousin?

  Demi was charging forward toward the bar as the man she referred to as Cal shifted his gaze between the two of us and ultimately landed on her. My best friend leaned across the bar and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into what could only be described as an awkward hug at that angle.

  I watched as his strong arms wrapped around her back, the plain black T-shirt he was wearing pulling taut around his biceps. A moment later, they disengaged and Demi waved me in their direction and demanded, “Sam, get over here.”

  I hesitated only briefly before I became unstuck and moved forward. Once I made it to her side, she said, “Cal, this is my best friend, Samantha Roberts. Everyone calls her Sam. And Sam, this is my favorite cousin, Calvin Gates. Everyone calls him Cal.”

  Yeah.

  Nope.

  This was not a good idea at all.

  Because not only was Cal incredibly handsome with such kind eyes, the minute he extended his hand to mine and I placed mine in it, I knew I was in trouble.

  If I thought I could make one trip here to unwind and never want to come back just to see this man, I was crazy. And if the way his touch ignited on my skin was any indication of the attraction I had to him, it was safe to say it was love at first sight.

  Impossible to ignore it.

  I should have gone home. Definitely.

  Because this was not what I needed right now. I had other dreams to fulfill. But Calvin Gates… well, he was the kind of man dreams were made of.

  Two

  Calvin

  Was this for real?

  Was she for real?

  I hadn’t ever been a believer in love at first sight, but I was beginning to wonder now if it was a real thing.

  Because this woman was everything. And I hadn’t even spoken to her yet.

  Beauty.

  My God, I didn’t know beauty like hers even existed. She had golden-brown hair that hung in loose waves to about the middle of her back. And her skin had the same golden hue that her hair did. She looked like she’d been sunbathing for months, but unless she’d recently returned from some tropical island destination, I knew there was no way she’d gotten it here. Unless, of course, she spent nearly every single moment of her life living outside. I didn’t think that was the case, though. Her eyes were striking, almond-shaped, and the color of Caribbean seas. Everything about her was beautiful. Even her cheeks were attractive, and I didn’t think cheeks could be alluring. Then she smiled, which only accentuated those cheeks. At the same time, her smiled revealed her perfectly straight, dazzling white teeth.

  There was no doubt about it.

  Samantha Roberts was the woman of my dreams.

  And my cousin had kept the existence of this woman from me. Pissed was an understatement.

  “It’s really nice to meet you,” I said just before I released her hand from mine.

  “Likewise,” she returned. “Congratulations on the bar. Demi said you just opened a couple months ago?”

  I nodded as Demi and Sam each grabbed a seat at the bar. It was early on a Thursday evening, so it wasn’t too busy just yet. I was beyond grateful that they hadn’t decided to stop in on a Friday or Saturday evening when I wouldn’t be able to give them some time.

  Leaning my hip against the side of the counter, I answered, “Yep, that’s correct. In fact, it was on April fifteenth, to be exact.”

  “Tax Day,” Demi chimed in. “Seems foolish to me.”

  I shrugged. “We’re not all cynics,” I said. “I chose to look at that as a good thing.”

  “There’s nothing about paying taxes that’s a good thing,” she argued.

  I rolled my eyes at my cousin.

  She laughed and said, “I’m really proud of you, Cal. This place is amazing.”

  “Thank you, Demi,” I replied. “That means a lot.”

  “How has it been going here for you?” she asked.

  Nodding, I answered, “Really good. Though, I guess it can always get better. Right? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I can’t complain. I’m doing well enough to pay the employees, the bills, and even take some home for myself. I don’t want to jinx myself, but the turnout each week has been steadily increasing.”

  “That’s really great. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Yeah, and that’s why I’ve wanted you to come down to check it out for yourself,” I told her. “I wanted to serve you your first drink at Granite. The first one is always on the house.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “Always?”

  “For you? Yeah.”

  Demi grinned at me. “We’ll each take a margarita,” she declared.

  “Coming right up.”

  After I set their drinks down
on the bar, having done it without making much eye contact because I didn’t think I could handle it, Sam spoke.

  “What made you decide to open your own bar?” she asked.

  My eyes returned to her gorgeous face for the first time since I’d initially taken her in, and I still couldn’t handle how beautiful she was. I knew absolutely nothing about Sam beyond her name and how she looked, but it was safe to say I was in love. Of course, I realized that everything I felt was based purely on my assessment of her physical appearance and that she could have very well been a crazed lunatic. I didn’t care.

  Quite frankly, I didn’t think it was possible. Demi might have been a cynic, but she was still a good woman. I didn’t think she’d be friends with a woman who was crazy.

  Fighting to keep myself in check and from jumping over the counter to scoop Sam up in my arms, I recalled her question and focused on giving her an answer. I loved that she seemed genuinely interested in getting to know more about me.

  “I liked the idea of having the freedom of running my own business,” I began, wondering if it made me sound like I was cooler than I was. Then I admitted, “But I’ve certainly been putting in a lot of work lately so right now there isn’t a whole lot of freedom. Anyway, I’m sure that’ll get better as time goes on and everyone gets into a routine. It’s taking time to work out the kinks, but we’re finding our groove.”

  “So, it was just about running your own business, then?” she pressed. “You didn’t necessarily care that it was a bar?”

  “Well, I like people, and I like a nice cold beer every now and then, so I put those two things together and came up with this,” I explained.

  The next thing I knew, I had to put my hands on the bar to hold myself steady because Sam grinned at me and nearly knocked me off my feet. This wasn’t simply the smile she’d given me when she first arrived. This was different. I was getting this not because she was being friendly. I was getting this because she liked what I had to say.

  I needed more.

  Moving my eyes between Demi and Sam, I asked, “So, how do the two of you know each other?”

  “We work together,” Demi answered.

  “Oh, so you’re both at the hotel then?” I confirmed.

  Sam shook her head and clarified, “No. Demi is the hotel manager. I’m the event sales director.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means she’s likely to stop in here more frequently now that she knows you’re here to help her unwind after a day like today,” Demi answered.

  My brows shot up as I gave them both a questioning look. I could think of a million ways I’d like to help Sam unwind, and none of them had anything to do with serving her drinks.

  Before I could verbally respond, one of my employees, Melissa, interrupted, “Hey, Cal, you’ve got a supplier on the phone.”

  I looked over to Melissa, jerked up my chin, and turned back to the women in front of me. “I’m going to need to hear all about this day today,” I started. “But I’ve got to take this call first. Can you excuse me a minute?”

  “We’ve got drinks, so we’re good,” Demi insisted.

  “Good. I’ll be right back.”

  With that, I moved across the bar and took the phone call. As I listened to the supplier on the other end of the line, I couldn’t help but allow my eyes to drift back to Sam. She and Demi looked like they were deep in conversation about something serious before Sam threw her head back laughing. I stopped breathing at the sight of it.

  Damn.

  I wanted a whole lot more of that.

  As quickly as I could, I finished up the call and returned to the women. And for a little more than the next hour, I spent most of my time listening to horror stories about Sam’s line of work. Of course, Demi had her fair share of experiences to fill me in on, too, so there was certainly no shortage of conversation. Occasionally, I’d have to step away to get a beer for a patron or to handle other bar owner duties, but I mostly spent the time catching up with my cousin and her friend.

  Well before I was ready for it to happen, Demi said, “Well, I should probably get going. Sam might not need to go into work until later tomorrow, but I’ve got to be up and cheerful first thing in the morning.”

  “Yeah, I need to get going, too,” Sam agreed.

  “It was great of you both to stop in,” I started, hating that they were leaving. “I expect that now that you know I’m here, you won’t be strangers.”

  “Of course not,” Demi promised. “We’ll definitely make it a point to visit again soon.”

  “Thanks again for the drink, Cal,” Sam said. “It was so nice to meet you.”

  Fuck, I loved hearing her say my name.

  “Yeah. Good luck with that wedding next week. If you need a drink afterward, you know who to call,” I offered.

  Sam laughed, and I knew she thought I was trying to be lighthearted and funny. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. I was serious mostly because I was trying to gauge when I might be able to see her again. Considering I’d just met her, I didn’t want to completely creep her out by demanding to know her schedule.

  “I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” she replied.

  A few minutes later, Sam and Demi had left. Thankfully, it picked up a bit after they were gone, and the next several hours passed by quickly.

  But by the time I got home early the following day and laid my head on the pillow, hours after she first walked into my bar, I could think of nothing but Samantha Roberts. There was nothing I’d wanted more than to know when I’d see her again.

  Much to my surprise, it was a lot sooner than I expected. Because when I closed my eyes and drifted, Sam was the woman who occupied my dreams.

  One month later

  The moment the door to the bar opened and Sam walked in, I felt like I could breathe again.

  Though I knew I could have easily called Demi to get Sam’s number, I thought it would be a bit too much. It was clear to me when they had both stopped in a month ago that my cousin didn’t pick up on any weird vibes from me. The last thing I wanted to do was anything that would jeopardize my chances of getting to know Sam better.

  So, I tried to play it cool.

  But I had to admit that the last month had been killer.

  Because I thought about nothing but her for weeks on end.

  Sam strode toward me with a smile on her face while I tried to figure out what was going on. She wasn’t dressed like she had just come from work, and I hadn’t gotten a call from Demi telling me that they were stopping in for a visit.

  “Hey, Cal,” Sam said after she hopped up on a stool in front of me.

  “Hey, Sam,” I returned. “How’s it going?”

  She slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the bar and said, “I need whatever you’ve got that’s going to wipe away the stress of the last four weeks.”

  “That bad, huh?” I pressed.

  “You don’t even want to know,” she murmured.

  I want to know everything about you, I thought.

  “Let me get you something that’ll do the trick, and then you can fill me in,” I suggested.

  As I got Sam a drink, I found it difficult to ignore the blood rushing in my veins and my heart pounding in my chest. It was like I’d suddenly come alive at the sight of her again.

  After setting her drink in front of her, I urged, “Lay it on me.”

  Sam shot me an incredulous look. “I really don’t think you understand what you’re asking for,” she said, the warning in her tone clear.

  “This is what I do, Sam,” I told her. “I serve drinks and listen to people’s problems.”

  “Maybe you should do my job then,” she teased. “I’m not sure if it’s something in the air or what, but people have been especially nasty lately. And the thing is, none of their actual problems are things that I can fix. I’ve just become their punching bag because they’re stressed about something else happening in their lives.”

 
; “I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied. “Look on the bright side, though.”

  Looking at me even more dubiously, Sam asked, “Is there one?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. No work today.”

  Her brows pulled together as she questioned me. “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe I’m being a bit presumptuous, but when you and Demi came in a month ago, you both looked like you came straight from work. Jeans and a kick-ass tee don’t exactly scream event sales director,” I explained.

  Something washed over Sam’s face. Surprise, maybe? No, that wasn’t it. It was something else. Her face softened so much, I thought she was going to burst into tears. Not even remotely interested in seeing Sam cry, I quickly apologized, “Sam, I’m sorry. That was—”

  She lifted her hand and cut me off. “It’s okay, Cal. You aren’t wrong,” she assured me. “I don’t go to work dressed like this, but I did have to work today. I just… well, before I left, I told Demi I was thinking about stopping in for a drink to unwind, and she told me she’d meet me here after she got off. I decided to head home to change first.”

  I lifted my chin in understanding. None of that explained why Sam had been so emotional only moments ago, and since I didn’t want to risk that happening again, I decided to let it go.

  “Alright, babe, so tell me what happened at work,” I encouraged her.

  Sam smiled at me and launched in. For the next fifteen or twenty minutes, she told me all about everything she’d been through over the last couple of weeks. By the time she finished, I had placed another drink in front of her.

  “Thanks,” she murmured. “Just telling you all of that and having to relive it made me all jittery.”

  “You’re welcome. After all that, I’ve got to ask one question.”

  “What’s that?”

  “What did you do before?”

  “Before?” she repeated.

  Leaning forward, resting my arms on the bar, I clarified quietly, “What did you do without me?”

  Something moved over her face. And this time, it had nothing to do with feeling emotional or sad. It was heated, intense, and very, very sexy. The tip of her tongue came out and licked her lip. My eyes immediately dropped to it, and there was no denying the effect it had on me. I could feel all the blood in my body rushing to one place.