Chloe nodded solemnly. “Who hasn’t?”
Jesusfuck.
As covertly as possible, I exhaled an unsteady breath, too busy trying to regulate my galloping heart to respond with anything coherent. So instead, I took another deep breath and brought my drink to my mouth with a shaky hand just to buy myself some time.
Sutton leaned in. “Seriously, we don’t evenneedto grill you. The way you look at each other? It’s obvious.”
“What is?” I asked.
“Like you don’t know,Mrs. Steele.” Chloe’s eyes twinkled as she looked at me before glancing to her right, straight toward thebar. “You should see Lincoln right now. You’ve been pretending not to look at him, but he hasn’t taken his eyes off you since you walked in. It’s so fucking adorable, it makes me wanna puke.”
I huffed out a relieved laugh that probably sounded half hysterical. “You have no idea what happens behind closed doors.”
“Oh, babe.” Sutton smirked at me and patted my hand. “We don’t need to.”
“She’s not wrong.” Chloe shot me a sly grin. “What we see in plain sight is enough to slap an NC-17 rating on the two of you.”
“You act like a couple who’s been circling each other for years, just waiting for your chance.” Sutton took another sip of her margarita, eyes dancing. “And he watches you like he wants todevouryou.”
“And don’t even try to act like you don’t like it.” Chloe swirled a finger in my direction. “You’re glowing like someone getting the good D on the regular—dickanddevotion.”
Sutton snorted, and the two of them shared a laugh while I smiled and didn’t say a word. WhatcouldI say? They weren’t wrong.
And that was the problem.
The three of us talked too much and laughed too loud, and I downed my drinks like they could burn the unwelcome feelings for Lincoln straight out of my chest. Like tequila could cauterize longing.
Unfortunately, they didn’t.
They only made me feel warmer. Looser. A little more like myself and a lot more like the woman I was afraid of becoming. The one who counted on someone else. Who let herself believe in things like quiet moments in the dark and a man sending his mom my favorite Danish and coffee order just because.
And that, more than anything, terrified me.
Because who would I be when this was all over and I was on my own…again?
When our glasses were empty and we were about to flag down Lisa for refills, Lincoln stepped up to our table with a smirk and a tray of three lowball glasses. “Thought you ladies could use another round.”
“Ohhh…what are these?” Chloe rubbed her hands together and bounced in her seat.
“Black Cat,” he said, setting the other two on the table and sliding mine in front of me. His gaze dipped to my lips, and my body lit up like a firework. “Brand new recipe. Bourbon, bitters, my wife’s blackberry syrup I stole from the pantry. And a lemon twist.”
He braced one hand on the table and leaned in until I could feel his breath across my lips. “Tastes like you,” he murmured. “All bite at first, but it finishes sweet.”
There was no doubt in my mind he was referencing our night together. When I’d attacked him in the kitchen then came all over his cock—twice—like I’d been born to do it.
He pressed a quick kiss on my lips before standing to his full height. “You ladies let me know if you need another one.”
And then he walked away, and I stared after him, my cheeks flaming and my body flushed all over.
“Oh mygod,” Chloe hissed. “Did hename a drinkafter you?”
“That’s what it sounded like to me,” Sutton said, her tone laced withI told you so.
Chloe smirked, her expression positively gleeful. “Black Cat, huh? All sass, no snuggles—at least until he makes youpurrrrr?”
“I hate you both,” I grumbled.
“You don’t,” Sutton said. “You love us.”
