“No, you don’t get to touch me. Not unless I say so.”
I stiffened at her words, pulling back despite every instinct telling me to go to her. “I thought you came here to fuck me.”
“When I say so,” she slurred, slumping into a chair. “You know, it’s funny. I waited my whole life for you. What a disappointment.”
I knew I was a disappointment, and worse, I knew that no matter how hard I tried to change what I had done, nothing would ever make it right.
Sitting down on the coffee table, I took her hand in mine. “Bailey, you are by far the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, and I know you would never let anyone ruin you.”
“I used to think so,” she said softly.
“I know so. I am not worth this.”
She snorted softly, curling up into a ball in my chair. Just the sight of it sent my heart racing. But she couldn’t stay here, no matter how much I wanted her to. Hell, Austin could be watching right now, and he’d already proven to be difficult.
“You need to get the hell out.”
When she didn’t move, I decided to be the asshole she already assumed I was.
Grabbing her by the arm, I yanked her upright. “Either fuck me or get the fuck out of my life,” I hissed.
When she didn’t say anything, I pulled her flush against me and pressed my mouth to hers, getting lost for a moment in the feel of her lips on mine. Fuck, it was everything I dreamed of, everything I could ever want.
Sliding my hand around to her ass, I groped her like I was an asshole after a good lay, and not at all like the man who loved her.
“You want to fuck me, don’t you?” I hissed. “Drop your pants and ride my cock. Otherwise, get the fuck out of here.”
She stiffened in my arms, my words finally breaking through the fog of alcohol muddling her thoughts.
“You’re such an asshole,” she whispered.
I cursed myself as the words tumbled out. “And if you were a better lay, I might have kept you around.”
The final blow struck hard as intended, though I was pretty damn sure it hurt me a hell of a lot more than it hurt her. With any luck, she wouldn’t remember my words in the morning.
Snatching her shirt, she shoved past me and stumbled to the door, barely pulling her shirt on before running outside.
Quickly following, I saw Archer rushing out of the truck to catch her just as she tripped and nearly went down. The look he shot me only made me feel like a bigger ass than I already was. But there was nothing I could do about it.
Bailey wasn’t mine, and hopefully, now she would finally get the message.
As he pulled out of the driveway, he tipped his head at me, letting me know he had her. That was the only thing that kept me from losing my shit.
But as the taillights disappeared over the ridge, I turned and looked at my lonely house that used to have the woman of my dreams, and I lost it.
“Goddamnit!” I shouted, throwing a rocking chair across the living room.
It crashed into a light just as I picked up the table and upended it. My fury knew no bounds as I systematically went through the house and destroyed anything I could get my hands on.
It was only when my shoulder started to hurt that I finally stopped my tantrum and looked around at the mess in front of me.
It was an ironic representation of my life—how Austin was trying his best to ruin my life, but I ended up doing it all on my own.
I wasat his hotel before the sun came up, pounding on his door.
When it swung open a minute later, Archer was not only sleepy but grumpy as hell. “What the fuck do you want?”
“What were you thinking, bringing her out to my house last night?” I asked, shoving past him, only to stop when I saw Bailey sleeping in his bed.
