His brows furrow. “You have a kid?”
I nod and push my hair behind one ear. My gaze flicks to where Declan is standing, and my eyes start to sting. “I'd better go. It was nice to meet you.” I give Ky a warm smile.
“Let me walk you out of here at least.”
~ ~~
Declan
Aerie’s lips land on mine, and I’m momentarily shocked. What in the actual fuck? It takes me a second before my head catches up with my brain, and I push her away.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I raise my voice at her. There’s no way she didn’t see Penny’s hand in mine.
Her eyes go wide, but she covers the shock with a smirk. “We used to have so much fun, Declan. And this is Sin City…” She reaches out to touch me again, but I grab her wrist before she can make contact.
“Don’t ever fucking touch me again. Do you understand?” I flick her arm away and then wipe my lips with the back of my hand. The idea that another woman’s mouth just touched mine makes me want to vomit. I fucked this chick once and only once, and she’s acting like we had a fling. She was a drunken mistake, unfortunately. She hangs around tattoo shops looking for anything with a dick to fuck, and I just so happened to have fallen into her trap one night.
I look to where Penny is supposed to be next to me and she’s gone.
Fucking hell.
Not a few hours ago, I was berating her for another man barely touching her arm, and now someone else’s lips were just on mine.
“Don’t be a spoilsport, Declan. We had some much fun.” Aerie says a moment later, saccharine sweet.
I look at her and seethe, “A spoilsport? Is that what you think I’m being?” Her eyes widen, and I think it finally registers with her that I’m not playing around. “You just kissed me in front of my girl. You saw me holding her hand. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Her mouth opens, then closes, and I don’t stick around for a response. People are eyeing me like I’m trash as I turn around. I’m pretty sure everyone in our vicinity just saw what happened, and I can’t exactly blame them for thinking the worst.
I run my hands through my hair and try to look over the heads of everyone but don’t see Penny.
“She went towards the exit. Your buddy followed her out,” a heavily tattooed chick about the same age as Penny says. “You just let a two kiss you in front of a ten. I hope she dumps your ass and never speaks to you again. Because if I were your girlfriend, I would have punched you in the junk.” She looks me up and down with disgust and then walks away.
I would have too, I think, as I head towards the exit. I run into Ky before I get to the doors. “Did she leave?” I ask.
He nods, and I start to walk away, but he catches my arm. “Declan, before you go after her, tell me why the mostbeautiful woman you or I have ever seen thinks that you only see her as a friend. I know for a fact that there’s never any scenario where you involve yourself with a woman who has or wants kids, so she must be pretty special.” I go to tell him she’s not just special, but that she’s my person, when he continues, “Since you made her think that, I did what any sane man would do; I gave her my number.” He gives me a devilish smirk, and I see red.
“You did what?” I growl. I move into his space and search his eyes. I have the urge to choke the fucker out, but hold myself back because we’re in public.
“I told her that if you don’t marry her, I will. Any day, any time. I don’t know what your holdup is, but I would be happy to claim her as mine if you don’t get your shit together and tell her how you feel. It’s clear as day you love her, dude. Fucking man up. Or someone else is going to step in and you’ll miss your opportunity.”
My nostrils flare. He’s right. I know he’s right. But I still don’t like the fact that he gave her his number. “Tell me where she was headed, and I’ll pretend you didn’t try to move in on my girl.”
It takes him a beat to answer. “She started walking through the casino floor. Said she had to call her daughter. I think that was a lie, though.”
I start to walk away, and he calls out. “Declan.” I turn to look at him. “She didn’t think I saw, but when I let her walk off, a tear had dropped down her cheek.”
Chapter 25
Penny
Iwalk out into the mid-day sun and decide that I need to get drunk. ThisisLas Vegas after all. I stop by one of the outdoor slushie vendors and get myself a large strawberry daiquiri with an extra shot of rum. The sugary concoction hides the alcohol so well that I should probably pace myself, but I suck it down at an alarming pace. I have no destination in mind, just the need to numb myself with alcohol and bad decisions.
My phone rings in my purse, and I don’t look before answering. “Hello?”
“Where are you, Penny?” Declan’s voice comes through the other end of the phone.
“Getting drunk and having fun. Go back to your girlfriend, Declan. Maybe have some fun yourself.”
