“Those are big promises to make.”
“Experience tells me I can keep those promises.”
“I don’t think so, but thanks for the offer. No need to muddy the waters of our hatred with a one-night stand.”
“Who says anything about muddying them? We’ll only be splashing around for a short time in the waves.”
I shake my head, but inwardly my resolve is crumbling. I do want this man regardless of the consequences. I can’t do this. I can’t. Sleeping with him would be a blow to my self-worth. I deserve better, and so did Anna.
“What do you say? Want to take a walk on the wild side with me?” His cocky grin should irritate me, yet I find him even more irresistible.
I shake my head as my body screams yes, yes, yes.
Drakos leans in, and his breath tickles my ear. “Aria, I won’t disappoint.”
I shiver involuntarily and shut my eyes in order to regain my wits about me. Something I can’t do when gazing at him. The internal struggle is real. I’m a hot mess of contradictions and confusion. I want him. I don’t want him. I hate him. I kind of like him. I want to leave by myself, yet I really want to leave with him. I open my eyes to find him studying me closely. His face is only inches from mine.
I open my mouth to reject him but blurt out the wrong words.
“I’m still going to hate you afterward.” I panic and try to find a way to back out or claim I’m joking, but I’ve forgotten the gift of speech.
“Anything less would be disappointing.” He grins widely in triumph. I don’t smile. I merely stare straight ahead.
Drakos finishes his beer and asks for the tab. I sip the last of my drink and watch while he pays. My brain works overtime on how to get out of this or if I even want to get out of it.
He takes my hand in his as we stand, but his phone beeps. He glances down and grimaces. “Oh, shit. It’s Kirby. I have to take this.”
He turns away and carries on a muffled conversation. I gather something has gone wrong by his tone. When he turns back around, his exasperation is clear. “We’re going to have to take a rain check. Kirby needs me.”
“Is something wrong?”
An inward struggle plays out on his face before he responds. “No, nothing. Just team business I have to take care of. How about tomorrow night?”
“We’ll see.” I’m not committing to anything. Once I’m away from him and come to my senses, I doubt I’ll be agreeable. We aren’t seizing the moment, and the moment will fade.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s for the best.”
He hesitates as if he wants to say more but doesn’t. Instead, he leans in and gives me a deep kiss before hurrying off. I grab the bar counter to hold myself up. Shit, that kiss just about spun the barstool. It left me feeling dizzy enough.
Watching him go, disappointment laced with relief floods through me. I won’t be able to experience his extensive talents in the art of intercourse, nor will I have the morning-after blues. Intercourse? Damn, I hate that word. It’s so sterile and gross.
I gather my wits and leave the bar. Once in the lobby, I spot Drakos exiting the front doors. I glance toward the elevators, then make what might be a fatal decision. I walk briskly in the same direction he did and onto the sidewalk.
I look around and catch a glimpse of him disappearing into a bar at the end of the block. Marco’s Sports Bar is the name on the outside.
I’m almost running until I reach the bar, then I carefully peek in one of the windows. It’s dimly lit, but squinting through the glass reveals a disturbance in the back near the pool tables. This might be the very incident Charles salivated over. And if it’s real, I won’t be breaking my promise to Gardenia. I might be able to save my job after all.
I slip inside and keep to the darker edges of the room as I make my way toward the back. No one notices me. They’re focused on the group of people gathered around one of the pool tables.
“This asshole cheats at pool,” a big guy with a mullet and beard declares and jabs a beefy finger in the direction of Koko. My one date with the guy had been uneventful and frustrating. I didn’t even get a kiss goodnight, not that I wanted one. He’s even more full of himself than Drakos.
“You’re the fucking cheater, and you’re also a liar.” Koko is a hothead. I’ve seen him lose his temper before with other players. When he was in the minors, he came out of net and dropped the gloves on a forward who slammed into him. That forward happened to be on his own team.
Drakos and Kirby flank Koko with hands on his arms to hold him back. Dash steps in front of Koko and faces mullet guy, whose buddies step back. As I move closer, I hear one say to the other, “These guys are professional hockey players. They get paid to fight. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“What about Bubba?” They both glance at their friend, who’s blustering with bravado.
