He just kept putting up with me.
It was like he was waiting for me. Like they were both waiting for me.
And still, I couldn’t seem to bring myself to make that first move.
Why?
Fear.
Maybe, in part, because Ash still hadn’t made that first move, either.
While Danica chatted with Taylor next to me, I watched him now, across the party. He was talking to a couple of the guys from Dirty’s security team, over by the bar. And then he was just talking to one guy. One hard bodied, dangerous-looking guy with a killer smile.
His name was Lex.
Fortunately for me, this party had margaritas, so I didn’t have to adulterate my tequila buzz. I slipped away from Danica and drifted around the room to get another one.
Ash and Lex were laughing about something. Had I ever seen them talk to each other before, one-on-one? At a party? Backstage? Ash was laughing way too hard, his teeth showing, and they clinked their drinks together like they’d just shared one hell of a grand joke.
Lex just grinned, his pearly white veneers and those wicked silver canines of his gleaming. Not only was Lex on Dirty’s security team, but he was a biker, one of the West Coast Kings on Jude’s payroll, and he looked it. The guy was hotter than sin, dirtier than shit, his hands were probably bloodier than a used tampon, and he looked like he belonged in Ashley Player’s bed. Danica’s, not so much, but then again, how would I know? I had no idea if Lex was into men or into couples or into gang banging cheerleaders, but all I could picture was him shoving Ash’s face into a pillow while he ruined him for any other man, and I just about threw up in my mouth.
I watched as Lex dug a phone out of his jeans, then raised his chin at Ash as he stepped away, like,Maybe I’ll fuck you later.
I may have misinterpreted that part, though.
“Lex, huh?” I sidled up next to Ash and bumped into him harder than I needed to, but hey, it was crowded.
Ash looked at me, his smile fading. “Huh?”
I looked around as I sipped my margarita through the twirly straw. “So, what now? I didn’t make the cut? You’re vetting other candidates?”
His eyes darkened. “Candidates,” he growled. “For what?”
“You know. Some guy to end up with you and your lovely wife. Be the meat in the middle. Or the bun on your meat?” I frowned, pretending to be searching for just the right crudely appropriate saying.
“Depends,” he jabbed right back. “You planning to ask us for some stupid open relationship bullshit, so you can keep screwing around?”
I laughed a bitter, snarky laugh. “Right. BecauseI’mthe player. How do you picture this going down, anyway? Is he the top? Or the bottom? Is Danica in the middle? Are you coming or going? Because I gotta tell ya, I don’t think big bad biker Lex is gonna let you fuck his ass. Suck him off, maybe. Though I have been surprised by a very bad boy or two in the past…”
I faded out as Ash grabbed my arm and yanked me into a dark room, shutting the door. I heard fumbling, swearing, and then he clicked on a light. We were in Summer and Ronan’s pantry. I looked around at the shelves lined with grocery products.
“Nice pantry.”
Ash grabbed my shoulder, spun me to face him and shoved me back against the shelves. Shelf and spine met, rattling my teeth.
“Ouch.Fuck.”
“If you ever call me a player again I’m gonna knock your teeth out,” he said, but there wasn’t all that much venom in it. His voice was a little slurry and sloppy, and it turned me on. Heat pooled in my gut and I tried to ignore it.
“Uh, it’s your name,” I said.
“I’m committed to my wife. Me and Danica are completely monogamous.”
“Uh-huh.” I slurped my margarita like a jackass. “What about the guy at that party you made out with?”
He drew back, studying me. “She told you about that?”
“Yup.”
