“You were meant to,” I counter.
“Pepper Penelope Bryant, I’m dragging your ass out of this apartment in four minutes.”
“All right,” I say in exasperation.
My simple lime-green slip dress is less racy than Mia’s getup. The transparent platform heels I wore on my birthday complete my outfit. Sudden flashbacks of Dom pounding between my legs while wearing the stripper-style shoes bombard me. My libido sparks to life, and my neglected center throbs, recalling every detail of my stay on the island. I grip the edge of the dresser and squeeze my thighs together. I’m in desperate need of a Dom fix. Tremors rack me as I’m overcome with the need for his kisses, his caresses… his barbaric domination. Initially, the violence of his claiming shocked me, but it has become my addiction. I crave the special brand of debauchery he inflicts on my body. Mia said I’m a masochist. In my ignorance, I didn’t know what the term meant. Once she explained, it made perfect sense. Unquestionably, the desire for pain stems from my abusive childhood. Dom’s a sadist, and I’m a masochist; we’re two peas in a pod.
My determination from a week ago to sock it to Dom and demote him to my rearview fizzles. Maybe I should cancel the date. I’m not ready, but Mia will surely kick me in the shins if I renege. She would only tell me the guy’s name. What if we have nothing in common? The prospect of sitting through an awkward date makes me cringe. Mia even refused to show me a picture, stating, “It’ll ruin the concept of a blind date.” He could be a grotesque goblin. Okay, I admit Mia wouldn’t set me up with a guy she considered unattractive or a douchebag, but any excuse will do to bail. Might as well tell her now. I blow out a breath and go into the living room.
“Finally.” Mia grabs her clutch and hops up from the sofa.
“I’m having second thoughts—”
“I can’t hear you.” She slaps her hands over her ears. “La, la, la, la.”
“Seriously, Mia.”
“I’m not letting you weasel out of the date.” She points a finger at me. “End of story.”
“I’m kidding myself.” I sigh sadly. “I’ll never get over Dom.”
“Doubts are expected, but it doesn’t mean you get to change your mind. I love you, Pepper. You’re more than a friend… you’re my sister. I wouldn’t push you to go if you didn’t spend the last thirty days moping. Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Then stop overthinking and let’s go. I’m ready to back this ass up on the dance floor all night.”
The line to get into the upscale nightclub was several blocks long. Luckily, our VIP status allowed us to skip to the front and be taken inside to a roped-off section to watch Drew’s performance. Boy, did he put on a show. He has an exceptional voice. The mob of people chanted his name, and when he appeared, a deafening roar filled the building. He hyped the crowd, prancing back and forth across the raised platform. Stardom suits him. I hung on to his every note and rocked my hips to the beat of the music. After singing five songs, Drew left the stage and was swallowed by the mass of bodies. Minutes later, a bouncer escorts Mia and me to the second floor. It’s not jam-packed up here.
“Pepper.” Drew grabs me in a bear hug and spins me around. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Yeah, you too, and you were amazing.”
“Thanks.” He puts me down and peers at Mia. “You must be the roommate.”
“I am. My name is Mia.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mia.” His gaze roams over her appreciatively. “Pretty pink shade of nipples you have.”
She blushes a tomato red. “I’m glad you like them.”
And cue the sexual tension thickening the air.
“Shall we sit?” Drew asks.
“Lead the way,” Mia purrs.
I roll my eyes. Guess I’ll be going home alone.
We follow him to a group of red plush leather chairs situated around a table. Drew introduces us to the people already seated. A server comes by and takes our orders. The three of us chat, but I’m mostly excluded from the conversation because Drew and Mia are too busy flirting. She’s comfortably sitting in his lap now, feeding Drew olives as he openly gropes her. This is the quickest courtship I’ve seen.
“Pepper is over your dickhead brother. I’d be grateful if you could relay the message to him.”
I shoot Mia a death glare.
“Is that so?”
“Absolutely. She has a date tomorrow night with a hunky stud.”
