Kickstart My Heart (Burgers and Brew Crue #1) - Lacey Black Page 0,24

woman. But it doesn’t sound like it gets physical, just that they like to yell. The fighting doesn’t happen every night, but most anyway, and thanks to walls made out of tissue paper, I get to enjoy their spats as if they were happening in the room with me.

I try to focus on the movie, but it’s hard to watch Dora the Explorer when someone’s being called a dumbass on the other side of the paneling. Yet, I leave it on, determined to ignore the dispute and keep my attention on the girl’s magic backpack.

After an hour of listening to the fighting, the television already off thanks to the end of the DVD and being too lazy to get up and change it, my eyelids finally grow too heavy to control. It’s starting to quiet down next door, and I’m hoping it stays that way so I can get a little sleep before Lizzie wakes up in the morning, demanding my full attention.

Just as I start to drift, I’m startled awake once more. A loud moan echoes through the wall, followed by another. “Really?” I whisper, rolling over and jamming my pillow over my head.

Something starts smacking into the wall in quick rhythm, the moans of pleasure growing increasingly louder. The noise level increases, as does their panting and groaning. I can hear the thrusting and the slapping of skin as if they were having sex right beside me. “Yeah, baby. Do you like that hard cock? You want me to fuck you with this big dick?” I hear him grunt.

“God your dick is huge! Fuck me harder!” she yells.

And he does. The woman is practically screaming in orgasmic bliss as he pounds into her, whatever they’re against most likely about to burst through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man.

“Jesus, just get off, will you, so we can all go to sleep?” I whine, holding the pillow tightly against my head.

Finally, he explodes in an eruption of colorful language. The banging stops. The moaning and panting subside. Blissful silence surrounds me as I slip the pillow beneath my head and take a deep breath.

When all is quiet, I get up and check on Lizzie once more. Still sound asleep, curled in the middle of her bed as if nothing was going on a few rooms away. I leave the door cracked open so I can hear her if she wakes and fall back onto the couch. The clock reads almost midnight. My eyes are heavy, and I’m exhausted from the day, but my mind goes ahead and conjures up images of Walker.

Inappropriate images.

Ones of him pounding into me from behind, as he brings me to orgasm twice before taking his own.

Desire swirls in my belly, but I ignore it. No way am I slipping my hand beneath my waistband and touching myself, even though the need is very much there. Instead, I ignore the hum between my legs, close my eyes, and try not to think about him.

It doesn’t work.

***

I’ve successfully avoided Walker, though not so successfully when I close my eyes. I’ve only seen him in passing, and he was off yesterday. Six whole days of not having to worry about doing something embarrassing like tripping over my own feet or dropping a tray of drinks. But today is a different story. It’s Wednesday, and I know he works the same shift as me.

I slip inside the back room and get ready for the day. I tie on my apron, yawning. I still can’t believe, though I’m eternally grateful, Lizzie slept through all of last night’s excitement. Me, on the other hand, still struggled to fall sleep long after my neighbors had.

“Gonna be a busy day, ladies. We have our favorite two parties coming in this afternoon,” Gigi says as she enters the room in a flurry. She looks at me, the new girl with only a week’s experience. “You can handle it.” It’s not a question, but a statement. She gives me a reassuring smile and leaves just as quickly as she entered.

“Tips are usually pretty decent when these groups come in,” Marla says, as we follow behind Gigi. “You and I will take the larger group, with Gi taking the slightly smaller one. Plus, we’ll have our regular tables, so you’ll be on your toes today.”

We busy ourselves with setting up the dining room for lunch service, Marla telling us about the phone call she had last night with her daughter in college. It’s easy to relax