“I know. I’m staying at the same one.” He placed his hand on the small of my back. I shivered at the touch, savoring the rough callouses against my skin. Hell, when was the last time someone put their hands on me?Too freaking long.As much as Iloved the new toys that filled my bedside drawer, the one thing they couldn’t do was replace a man’s rough touch.
Damien nudged me into the night air, a warm, sticky breeze blowing around us. It had been blaring hot all day, and apparently, it had no plans of breaking anytime soon. We moved together until we reached a sleek sports car, one that didnotbelong in this dingy bar’s parking lot.
My hand flew up to my lips, trying to hold back my giggles at the sight. It was like a diamond in the middle of a pile of dirt, so out of place, it was comical. Damien stopped, turning to stare at me with one of his brows cocked. God, he was so handsome. There were a lot of attractive guys on the Hawks’ team, but no one made my stomach somersault like Damien. His dark eyes spoke of delicious, dirty promises, especially with the devastating smirk on his full lips. He was the polar opposite of my ex-husband, with his preppy attire and gelled blond hair. Todd might be attractive, but Damien’s smoldering good looks were soul-shattering.
Shaking my head, I forced those thoughts away. This wasn’t me. I was the girl who always chose the safe option. Must be leftover lust from my conversation in the bar. Ollie opened my mind to so many new options in the bedroom. Most didn’t appeal to me, but I had to admit, a few of them had my thighs clenching together.Please tell me I packed my favorite toy. Between our conversation and my closeness to Damien Ramos, I really needed to take the edge off.
“Do you need anything before we head back?”
Damien’s rich voice shocked me out of my thoughts. “I, uh?—”
Just as I opened my mouth, the world around me shifted, and my knees buckled.My stomach twisted, and I slammed my mouth shut.No, dear God, please do not let me lose my dinner next to this man. I will do anything.
Suddenly, Damien shifted us, pressing me against the passenger-side door. My hand reached behind me, slamming against the glossy paint. My chest heaved as I looked up at him, and the unease in my stomach twisted into something else entirely.
I inhaled, soaking up the warm leather scent that wafted off his jacket. Being in this man’s presence was more intoxicating than any of the drinks I’d had, making my heart pound and my head spin. Oh, wait, no. That might have been the tequila.
Damien frowned. “How much did you have to drink?”
“Me?” I said. “Too much. I normally stay away from shots, but Ollie convinced me otherwise.”
“Celebrating or commiserating?”
The question brought Todd’s wedding invite back to the forefront of my mind, and I frowned. Fresh shame rushed through my cheeks. My ex had won.Again.While he tasted cake samples and erased our marriage from his mind, I was drinking like I was back in college, perseverating on the end of our relationship.
I shifted away from Damien, not wanting him to witness anymore of my pathetic state. “Have you seen my purse? I should call a rideshare.”
“Already told you, Brianna. I’m driving you back.”
“But why?” I shook my head. “It’s not your responsibility to make sure I get home okay.”
“No, but I still want to do it.” He shrugged. “You’re a good friend of Hadley’s, and she’s part of the team. No way am I letting you hop into a stranger’s car in an unfamiliar city, especially when you’ve been drinking.” He reached behind, and for a moment, I thought he was leaning in tokiss me. I froze, unsure of what to do. Did I lean into his touch, letting him erase the memories plaguing me? Was this the opportunity to have some fun, like Ollie suggested?
Before I could figure out my answer, Damien’s hand found the handle, pulling it open for me.Oh God.Shame washed over me. At least I didn’t lean in to him or make a move to kiss him. That would have been the actual end of me.
“Do me a favor,” Damien said as I climbed into the seat. “If you get nauseous, let me know so I can pull over. This car’s a rental.”
Fresh mortification filled my cheeks as I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. Damien’s spine straightened. “Shit. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, Brianna.”
“It's fine,” I said, brushing off his concern despite the tight knot in my stomach. I was too old for this nonsense. When was the last time I even got drunk? It was so far in the past, I couldn’t even remember when I’d had more than one glass of wine at a function. “For what it’s worth, I have a pretty iron stomach, so your car is safe.”
Damien smiled down at me. “Full of surprises, aren’t you?”
No, not even a little.I’d never been the girl with the layers, the one who got more interesting the more you got to know her. Damien must have seen the defeat in my eyes, because he knelt and took my hand. His thumb swiped over my bare ring finger—like he wanted to know what happened. But I couldn’t talk about it, especially not with this man. He was used to spending time around the most beautiful women in the world, not pathetic divorcees hiccuping cheap tequila. He didn’t need to be exposed to my mess.Besides, when I cried, I turned into a red, splotchy raccoon. That was a sight no man wanted to see, especially not Damien.
“We should get going,” I whispered, tugging my hand out of his.
With a frown, Damien shut the door and walked around the front of the car, God, my head throbbed. I should’ve skipped the last couple of shots. Tomorrow was going to be a nightmare, especially with my mid-afternoon flight. I’d much rather spend the day binging a bunch of the newest crime documentaries.
But all thoughts of tomorrow died as Damien closed the driver’s side door, sealing us inside. As he turned the key in the ignition, he leaned over, tugging my seatbelt to check if it was secure.
“You ready?”
No, I was not.
SIX
What the fuck was wrong with me? My car sped along the empty city streets, passing through the streets of Dallas. The established city made me miss home. Erie City wasn’t the biggest city in New York, but it was growing constantly. What had started as a small port city near the border was becoming a modern metropolis, and I loved getting to see it grow. I’d lived there for only three years, and my neighborhood had already shifted before my eyes.
