Memories immediately transported me back to the past.
Driven by alcohol and about one hour of sleep, I made a lame last-ditch effort to talk to her at a local grill. I had to explain why. Even if she didn’t listen, I still needed to confess.
“Avery!” A buff jock-type dude I didn’t recognize wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. His mouth was on hers before I could announce my presence, and then his hands pressed against her hips as her shirt rode up past his fingertips.
Jealousy surged through me.
Even though I had no right.
Not at all.
I fisted both hands and gritted my teeth, just as a girl to my right winked and then crooked her finger.
I walked over to her.
I meant to turn away the minute I realized she was drunk and wanted more than just a polite conversation.
She was kissing me before I knew what was happening.
I didn’t just like it.
I loved it.
The rush.
The feeling of kissing a stranger a few days after breaking off an engagement, a promise of lifetime commitment that never felt quite right.
It was exciting.
Wild.
And the best part?
There was no chance I would hurt anyone—or anyone would hurt me. It was in that moment that I realized I wasn’t the guy who committed—I was the guy . . . who cheated.
Sighing, I pushed the memory away.
My arm moved up and hovered around her shoulders, tugging her body into mine while I used my free hand to reach for my wallet.
“I’m not Friday,” she said under her breath. “No need to mark your territory.”
“I’m just . . . being protective.” I shrugged. “Trust me; I’m well aware that hitting on you could get me shot.”
“And if there was no chance of bodily harm?” She paused, blinking innocently up at me. “What then?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Morbid curiosity?”
“Yes.” I shrugged. “I’d totally fire my Monday—she’s got nothing on you.”
Avery wiped away a fake tear. “Gosh, you’re such a winner.”
“Seven,” I whispered in her ear. “Seven women think so. Most men are lucky to get one. So think about that tonight.” My lips touched her ear. “When you’re alone in your apartment, in your cold bed—I have seven.”
“That you cheat on.”
“Not cheating if they all know,” I said for the second time, sliding a fifty-dollar bill over to the bartender and then leading her out of the bar.
Once we were outside, I had the valet hail a taxi for her.
“I can’t afford—”
“Business meeting, I’ll pay for it,” I interrupted.
“Why?” Avery put her hands on her hips, her green eyes wide. “Why do you do it?”
Nobody had ever asked me that. Maybe nobody had ever cared.
A taxi pulled up to the curb.
“Good night, Avery. I’ll see you Monday.”
“You aren’t going to answer?”
I opened the door for her and almost shoved her in. “Sex, Avery, I do it for really good sex.”
She blinked. “I don’t believe you.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” My tone was mean. I should have cared that I was being harsh with her. I didn’t. “Sometimes a guy just needs good sex.”
I shut the door in her face and didn’t look back.
Chapter Six
AVERY
I dreamed of the devil, also known as Lucas Thorn, all night long. In my dreams, he appeared beautiful, like an angel. He even wore white, and then he tied me to a chair and force-fed me my mom’s horrible macaroni.
Things got a little dicey when his body turned into a snake wearing a football uniform and a helmet, and then he handed me an apple and told me to take a bite.
Once I bit, his clothes disappeared.
Pretty sure I was having an actual flashback of the Garden of Eden.
To say I’d slept horribly would be putting it mildly, and the worst part was that I didn’t really have the extra money to spend on coffee.
I thought about Lucas’s stupid schedule during the entire walk to work. Right along with his aggravating midnight text that demanded I come in on a freaking Saturday morning.
I was about five blocks away when my phone rang.
It was Kayla.
Of course, it had to be Kayla. I chewed my bottom lip and stared at the phone. Whenever she called, a picture of us flashed across the screen. We were happy in that picture.
We were always happy unless someone mentioned weddings, dogs, football, cheerleading, or white gowns. Okay, so she was basically happy if you walked on eggshells around her and pretended like everything was totally fine and that life was superawesome and fun!
UGH!
I swiped to accept the call and answered with a bubbly “Hello!”
“I’m so glad you answered!” Kayla shouted way louder than necessary for my sensitive morning ears. “So, listen, I was thinking of visiting this weekend.”
“Um . . .” I quickly tried to think of an excuse. “I can’t, Kayla. I got a new job, and I may have to work.” Total lie, but the last thing I needed was her breathing down my neck while her ex-fiancé texted me instructions about how to keep the clingers away from his regular sister wives.
“Oh.” Her voice deflated. “Well, how about next weekend?”
I crossed the street, almost got hit by what I assumed was a poorly rated Uber driver, and managed to make it to the sidewalk in one piece. “Yeah, let’s maybe talk about it tomorrow? I’m on my way to work, and my boss is a complete jackass.” HAH! That part was true. “I don’t want to be late.”