On His Knees by Tabatha Kiss

Chapter 80

Jenna

A Year-ish Later

Aline extends down the block outside of Brothers Bar.

Dozens upon dozens of patrons wait to flash their IDs and gain entry to the hottest new bar in town. A place where people can get together with their closest friends, drink good booze, and listen to some truly amazing local musicians hand-picked by the young owners themselves to provide one of the very best experiences Chicago nightlife has to offer.

And my best friend and I just so happen to know those young owners.

We walk right in.

Heidi and I stall in the entryway, our eyes scanning the absolute perfection that is Brothers Bar. It’s a large, open floor plan with two sitting rooms on the left and right of the entrance. There’s a beer pong table on the right side while the left side hosts a quieter, more intimate atmosphere with several couches and chairs for light conversation. The bar itself extends along the left wall as you walk inside. A banner on the wall promises half-price pitchers for eligible Chicago North students during homecoming week. Go, Bearhawks!

Continue forward and there’s the stage where an open mic sits above a wide area of fun and dancing. A sign on the stage advertises an exciting act for tonight’s entertainment: a popular, best-selling artist who grew up in the Chicago area, the talented Harvey Moon and special guest. (We know who, but we’re not telling.)

A staircase near the middle leads upward where even more young patrons linger and chat along the balcony, waiting for the show to start.

I glance at Heidi beside me. “Does something about this place seem really familiar to you?” I ask.

She squints as she scans the space. “Kind of,” she says.

“Can’t put my finger on it.”

“Hm.”

“Good evening, ladies!” Billy the bartender greets us from behind the bar. “Welcome back.”

We walk over to him, slipping through a group of young girls with stamps on their arms.

“Hey, Billy,” Heidi says, raising her voice to be heard over the music coming through the speakers in the corners. “Have you seen Drew?”

“Going backstage last I saw him,” he answers. “Can I get you a drink while you wait?”

“Yeah, that really nice wheat beer I tried the other night. Whatever that is.”

He laughs, somehow knowing what she’s talking about. “You got it.” He bobs his head at me. “Anything for you?”

I hold up two fingers. “Two cosmos, please.”

He smiles, then turns to go make them.

Heidi and I admire the bar from our stools. Tonight is the first fully open night here at Brothers, the previous two nights being part of a smaller soft-launch for investors and the media. Judging by the bustling crowd and the line curving around the block, the hype train is working.

Which means our men are stressed as fuck.

And it’s our jobs to make them happy.

“I can’t believe it’s finally here,” Heidi says, her eyes wide as saucers.

“I know,” I say, just as dumbfounded.

They did it. They really did it.

Not that I ever had any doubt.

I catch sight of Drew wandering out from the stage area behind Heidi. His outfit is casual, far from the suit and tie he wore for so long as Executive Assistant. Now, it’s hard to spot him in anything other than a pair of jeans and nice T-shirt, always his preferred style. He’s even let his hair grow out a little now that he can. Now that he’s his own boss with no one to tell him who he’s supposed to be.

I couldn’t be prouder.

He sees us sitting at the bar. The moment his eyes touch Heidi, he smiles. He notices me watching him and he brings a finger to his lips, a subtle beg to keep it to myself.

I look away, having seen nothing.

Billy returns. “Miss Heidi,” he says as he sets an open bottle down in front of her. “That really nice wheat beer you liked.”

Heidi smiles. “Thank you.”

“And two cosmos for Miss Jenna on the boss’ tab.”

I wink as he sets the two cocktail glasses in front of me. “Thank you, Billy. You’re a god.”

He bats his eyelashes before instantly getting flagged down by a man down the bar.

Drew hovers right behind Heidi now, but she hasn’t noticed him yet.

She takes a sip from her beer and makes a happy noise. “So good.”

I reach for it. “Can I try it?”

She hands it over. I’m honestly not a beer girl. I just don’t want her to spill it.

“Boo!”Drew says in her ear as he gives her shoulders a shake.

She yelps in surprise, whipping around so quickly she definitely would have knocked this bottle over. I keep it held away as she slaps his arm and he hugs her close and she instantly forgives him as a dozen turtle doves circle around them in the light of a rainbow.

Not really. But they might as well.

I give her drink back. “Hi, Drew.”

“Hey.” He smiles, his arms wrapped around her from behind. “He’s in his office,” he answers before I can even ask.

I nod as I pick up our cosmos. “I’ll catch up with you guys at the show.”

Heidi nods, smiling in Drew’s tender embrace.

I drift through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone as I make my way toward the stairs. At the top, I walk along the balcony past the perfect view of the stage toward a door at the end marked Manager.

I open it, carefully balancing our drinks as I push the knob with my elbow.

“Uh-huh. Yeah. No, that sounds good!”

Seth stands at the two-way mirror on the opposite wall, looking down at the stage below as he talks into his phone. His back is to me; phone pressed hard against his ear. It’s a pose he’s been semi-permanently locked into for the last two weeks while he and Drew prep for this launch.

Unlike Drew, Seth prefers a more professional style. Tailored black pants. A tucked in shirt. A tie sometimes, but not always. With or without, he’s never too good to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. And show off those powerful forearms, of course.

It doesn’t seem like he heard me come in, so I quietly latch the door and linger back to watch him work. I love watching him work. My man in charge. My man with the impeccably decorated office, thanks to yours truly. I consider sneaking to the couch on the right side wall that I picked out just in case he had to catch a few Zs on his long shifts into the night. Or taking a seat at his desk with the chair so ergonomic he could sit in it for hours.

I ultimately decide to stand still and watch. His reaction will be better if I’m standing.

“Yes,” he says, still talking into his phone. “We can make that work. No problem. Let me...”

He notices me as he turns toward his desk. I smile, delighting in the way his eyes instantly fall downward and right back up again.

He’s always liked me in a red dress.

He clears his throat as he taps the calendar on his desk. “Let me double check with Drew and we’ll have a date set for you tomorrow morning. ... Uh-huh. ... No, I’ll call you. ... Thanks. Have a good night.”

Seth hangs up and happily discards his phone on the desk.

“Pardon me,” I say, “but I really need to speak to the manager.”

He smiles. “Is there a problem, ma’am?”

“Yes.”I step forward with our drinks. “I actually have a big problem, sir.”

“How can I be of service?”

“Well...” I present him his drink. “I’ll have you know that I haven’t been kissed in thirty-seven hours.”

He takes it with a smile. “Is that right?”

“That’s right. So...” I sit down on the edge of his desk. His gaze glides along my hips. “I have decided that I’m not leaving this spot until you rectify this situation. I am a customer and, therefore, I am always right.”

“Oh, you’re a customer, are you?” he asks.

“Yes, sir.”

“And who paid for these drinks?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

He laughs.

I raise my glass to him. He raises his, and we give each other a quick tap before taking a sip.

“You did it, Seth,” I say with a smile. “Number three.”

He shakes his head with a glance around his office. “It doesn’t feel real yet,” he says.

“Oh, but it is.” I lick my lips. “And now that you’ve done it... you can help me with my number five.”

Seth pauses. “Number five?”

I nod. “Uh-huh.”

“You don’t have a number five.”

“Sure, I do.”

“I thought you were done with vision boards.”

“Well, after watching you absolutely obliterate your goals over the past year, I hopped back on the board. So, number one: Learn a new life skill.”

He nods. “The Heidi classic. Number two?”

“Run a 10k with Seth.”

“We already did that one,” he says.

“Twice,”we say together.

“Number three.” I sip my drink. “Build my resume with more volunteer hours.”

Seth tilts his head, impressed. “Noble.”

“Number four.” I sneer. “Lose five pounds.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Shush.”

He laughs. “Okay, then. What’s your number five?”

I press my red lips together. “Number five is... to christen your new office on the opening night of the bar.”

Seth purses his mouth. “Oh. Really?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s very specific.”

I gently take his drink from his hand and set both of them out of the way behind me. “I like my goals to be very, very specific.” I reach out, sliding a finger into the belt of his pants. “So, if you don’t mind, I would be very, very grateful if you would assist me in achieving my goal tonight.”

Seth answers with his golden eyes, so full of heat as I push his zipper down. His bulge tents his boxers already, begging to be freed. With our eyes locked together, I wrap my hand around him and squeeze, triggering a quick intake of breath from both of us.

“Thirty-seven hours, huh?” he asks as he cups my face.

I stroke him. “Give or take.”

“I’ll never let it happen again,” he promises.

“You better not.”

Seth kisses me, firm and passionate. I push his pants down over his ass, grabbing his rear and pulling him even closer to me as I balance on the edge of the desk.

He pulls my skirt up, trying to find panties that aren’t there. With a smile, we align our bodies. One kiss becomes another. And another. Until the desire between us threatens to drive us mad.

Seth enters me, and I whimper with pleasure. We moan quietly, fully aware of our surroundings as he moves in me. In and out. Hard and fast.

I grip the desk’s edge beneath me, my toes curling already. Sparks between us ignite just as hot as they always have. I burn. I melt. And Seth doesn’t stop. He fucks me the way he always has, the way I’ve always wanted him to.

He kisses me, enveloping my heart and crushing my soul.

“Marry me,”he whispers.

I gasp in pleasure and surprise. “Excuse me?”

Seth kisses me again. He keeps fucking me, too, holding me on the brink of ecstasy. “Marry me,” he repeats.

“You...” My body trembles. “You serious?”

“Yes.” Another soul-crushing kiss. “I’m serious.”

“You’re asking me now? Like this?”

“Well, you said that if anyone ever wanted to marry you, they should just ask.”

“How is this the time?!”

Seth grunts. I gasp for breath.

“When you know you know,” he says, finding my eyes with that deep, penetrating stare again. “And I know I can’t imagine my life without you, Jenna.”

Oh.

Oh.

Climax tears through me, a blissful reaction to his words. I throw my head back, gasping for breath as his smooth kiss grazes my throat. My body quivers all over, but Seth wraps his arms around me. He performs a hard finishing thrust and stops, our orgasms blending together as we kiss again.

After a minute, I open my eyes again. Seth stares, his expression full of love. For me. Me.

Of all the boys in the world. It was this one?

“Are you sure?” I ask, my heart pounding.

Seth kisses my forehead. The tip of my nose. My cheeks. “Marry me, Jenna Abrams,” he whispers.

He slides something onto my finger.

I look down. It’s a ring.

A big ass fucking ring.

“Holy shit.” I gasp at the diamond. Princess cut on a band of gold. “You are serious!”

Seth chuckles. “I am.” He nudges my chin, forcing me to look up. “I was going to ask you later tonight, but I saw you standing there and I couldn’t wait anymore.”

Fresh tears cling to my eyelashes. “Seth...”

“Just say yes,” he whispers with a smile. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”

I look into his eyes and I see love. I see passion and desire.

Above all, I see truth.

“I can get down on my knees, if you want,” he says.

“No,” I whisper. “You’re right where I want you.”

“Is that a yes?”

I laugh. “Yes.”

Seth kisses me, sealing the moment forever.

Of course. How could I ever say no to a future with Seth Newbury?

My first crush. My biggest enemy, once upon a time.

The greatest love of my life.

And now, my future husband.

But first...

I break the kiss and sit taller on the desk. “Ground rules,” I say. “One, I—”

Seth purposefully shuts me up with another kiss.

Okay.

We’ll figure it out later.

* * *

For a glimpse into Seth and Jenna’s future,

read their extended epilogue here!