She rolled her eyes, knowing the words were a lie as much as I did, but at least it was enough to get her off my back—for now.
After we settled back at the table, the rest of the night went smoothly. Gemma and I exchanged an awkward goodbye in the driveway, polite but firm enough that she didn’t expect a phone call. As I drove back into the city, anxious energy radiated through me, and I wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet.
My usual clubs and bars were a no-go, marked off-limits by Melanie. Phase one of getting my shit together, I supposed. Without any of my vices, there was no way I’d be able to sleep, at least not yet.One drink couldn’t hurt, right?
Driving by a couple of sports bars, I kept going. My face was too recognizable in those circles. But when I found a small dive bar on the edge of the city, I slowed down and pulled into its empty parking lot. Grabbing my hat from the backseat, Iambled inside, not bothering to look around before taking a seat at the counter.
As I signaled to the bartender for a drink, a loud laugh came from the back corner. I turned over my shoulder, catching the eyes of the last person I expected to see here.Brianna. She had to be a hallucination. Lord knew I’d conjured her image plenty of times over the past few weeks, but I saved my memories for when I fisted myself in the shower, remembering the sight of her at my mercy, begging for more of my cock.
I wiped my hand over my face, trying to fix my vision. However, when it dropped away, Brianna remained, her hazel eyes wide in shock. My face twisted in a surprised smirk, taking in her features. A knot tugged in my chest, desperate to move closer to her. It had only been two weeks since I’d been in her bed, but it seemed like longer. It’d been too long since her fingernails traced my thighs as her mouth swallowed my length, since I sank deep inside her and finally understood nirvana.
All I could do was stare, taking in Brianna’s subtle features. The way the light toyed with her hazel eyes, the soft cupid’s bow in her upper lip. I wanted to trace the freckles that lined her nose and cheek, to memorize every hidden detail about this woman.
Fuck, this was too much. I turned away from Brianna as the bartender dropped off my beer. Distance. I needed distance from her. After all, I was no stranger to one-night stands. Even though Brianna clung on a little longer than most women I met, her memory had to fade eventually. There’d be a day when I’d see her across the room and my dick wouldn’t instantly get hard—at least I fucking hoped so.
Just as I gathered all my resolve to finishmy beer and walk away, a group of guys crashed into my side, ordering another round of shots. They must have slipped in while Brianna held my attention. There were only three of them, but they were louder than when the entire team filled the locker room. They glanced around the bar, stopping when they spotted Brianna in the corner. One made a comment I couldn’t pick up, but the slimy look on his face made my blood pressure rise.
When they started walking toward Brianna and her friend, I couldn’t help myself, standing and blocking their paths. As they muttered curses at my back, I kept moving toward the table. Brianna’s eyes jumped to meet mine, and she shook her head before ducking down in the seat. Her voice squeaked out from under the table, “Do you think he saw me?”
“Yup,” I answered for her friend as I slid into the booth next to Brianna. “Although, that was pretty smooth. No one’s ducked me like that in a long time.”
She lifted her head and gaped at me. “Damien? Wh-what are you doing here?”
“Getting a drink,” I mused, holding up my beer. I glanced at the empty glasses on the table in front of her. “Same as you.”
A snort echoed from the other side of the table, and I turned, finding Ollie smirking at me. She beamed hello, her eyes darting between me and Brianna. “How did you even know about this place?”
“Parker mentioned it last week, said it was a good place to go if you wanted to keep your head down. I’m trying to keep a low profile.” I motioned for Brianna to move over and slid into the spot next to her. All night, I’d waited for sparks, to see if my sister’s set-up was more than met the eye, but there’d been nothing, not even little interest on my end. Shewas smart, kind, and beautiful, all the things I should want. However, as I slid in next to Brianna, every inch of my skin prickled with awareness.
Ollie’s smile turned downright devilish as she looked between the two of us, me with my easy smile and Brianna with the most adorable blush filling her features. “I knew it! You two totally hooked-up in Dallas. No way you found some random guy when Damien was around.”
I arched my brow as I turned to Brianna. “Random guy?”
She groaned then turned back to Ollie. “Fine. I might have made that part up. We, uh…” Brianna looked over at me, silently pleading for permission. I nodded, suddenly not caring who found out.
But she didn’t get a word out before Ollie held up her hand. “Actually, no. Don’t tell me anything. I need plausible deniability if Park asks.” She winked at Brianna. “Buuut…this does give me some new ideas.”
Brianna shook her head, her cheeks now that delicious red hue I liked so much. As she stayed silent, I looked in Ollie’s direction, seeing her scribble on a piece of paper in front of her. When I tried to get a closer look, Brianna grabbed it, moving it far from me.
“What are you hiding from me, angel?” I asked, lowering my mouth to her ear. God, as much as I wanted to stay away, being close to Brianna felt better, like when two magnets finally collided. Her floral shampoo filled my senses, and I stared at the column of her throat, disappointed that the marks from our night together had faded from her skin. It made me want to mark her up again.
“Nothing,” she blurted out. “At least nothing you should concernyourself with.”
“Aww, I think you should tell him,” Ollie said. “He might help you out.”
“I don’t need his help.”
The bite in her tone made my hackles rise. I turned to face her, taking in her sour expression. “Are you okay, Bri? What’s wrong?”
If possible, she blushed even harder. “It’s not like that… I’m fine. It’s just a project Ollie is helping me with.”
Now that I knew nothing was wrong, I leaned back in the booth and un-bunched my shoulders. “Sure you don’t want to tell me about it? I can be very helpful, after all.”
“See, Bri,” Ollie said, smirking wildly. “He isveryhelpful. You never know what he might think.”
THIRTEEN
Torture. Slow, painful torture. Mental images of tossing Ollie into the lake danced through my mind as I glared at my roommate. I might love her, but she deserved it, especially as she sat on the other side of the booth, smirking like she’d just won the lottery. It was bad enough that she’d gotten me to confess some of my deepest, darkest desires, but now, she was baiting me in front of Damien Ramos.
