Page 22 of Tiger Betrayal

A couple of the guys had piled out of front door, and a few more had come around the corner of the building.

Stellan was squared off with Mars, and they were both yelling, but she couldn’t hear what they were arguing about over the roaring in her ears.

This week, it’s her.

She was just the flavor of the week.

But for her? She’d liked him. She’d been comfortable with him. She’d given herself to him.

Laramie felt sick.

Time had slowed. Stellan was gesturing toward her, and Mars had his hands thrown up into the air. Stellan cast a glance back at her, but she was already bending down to set the drinks and food down. She didn’t want to touch them anymore.

He started heading for her, but stopped at something Mars said from behind him, and then he was locked back on his brother.

Laramie pushed past Craig and Murph and made her way inside.

Murph followed her. “You good?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she answered numbly. “That needed to happen. It’s a good thing. I’m glad it happened now and not six months from now.”

“You still have thirty-five minutes on your lunch break,” he said as she took her place behind the computer.

“Oh. Right. I’ll just go to the bathroom.” She forced a smile.

Murph’s gray brows were drawn down with his sympathetic look. “I tried to tell you.”

“It’s fine. Everything is fine. Did everyone hear?”

Murph pursed his lips. That was answer enough.

“Great. I’ll just be back after lunch then, okay?”

“Okay. You can take extra time if you want,” Murph offered.

“I’m totally fine. I promise.”

She was a liar.

Laramie made her way into the women’s restroom and locked the door behind her. She felt so sick to her stomach.

She padded over the squeaky tile floor to the counter and locked her arms against the cold granite and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked pale as a ghost, and like she’d never smiled in her life. She blinked and dropped her gaze to the sink and began to wash her hands just to feel the cool water against her burning skin.

It was fair. He’d told her not to get too deep. He’d taken a video of him fucking her—fucking her, not making love to her—as a reminder of what they were. And he was comfortable with saying it in front of mixed company. She’d made a mistake.

Laramie nodded slowly, scrubbing soap all over her hands vigorously. Why did she feel so dirty right now?

This was good. He was just a distraction, right? She’d come to Salt Lake with a purpose, and she hadn’t done any memory lane adventures all weekend. She’d been too wrapped up in Stellan. Whatever it was that made him irresistible, she had to move past it. She needed to get her mind back and focus on what was important.

She could never be whole again if she didn’t get through the memory lane adventures.

Stellan was a consuming man, and it felt fun, but maybe he was fire and she hadn’t realized she was getting burned.

It wasn’t just fun for her. She had to woman up and admit it. She looked forward to text messages, she liked the intimacy, she liked feeling like she was special to him.

She’d been such a stupid girl.

“Look at him,” she gritted out. “You didn’t match from the jump.” Stellan looked like a ten, and she was a six at best, if she was in full hair and make-up and wore shapewear. Of course she was a toy. Of course he would be ashamed of her. This week, it’s her.