Page 26 of Veiled

Matt waves down the waitress and orders two tequilas on the rocks. “You okay?” He asks when he turns back to me, pulling me into his side.

“I’m fine,” I say, though the words come out shakier than I want. “I—need a second.”

Matt hands me one of the drinks when our waitress returns. “I’m sure you need more than this, but it’s a start.” Then he downs the other.

Sasha leans in. “Okay, you spill first, then we’ll tell you what you missed. I lost you for a bit when I got back to the table, and next time I saw you, bam, you're pressed up against a Tattooed God, looking like you’re two seconds from climbing him and letting him take you right then and there.”

Antonio cuts in, suggesting we save the details of the rest of my night for girl time.

“Fiiine,” she dramatically concedes. Then, perking up like she is about to tell the most exciting story of her life, she continues, “Ok, so as soon as you left, Lucas got into a crazy fight with this tall, bulky guy with veins popping out of his shaved head.”

“Pretty sure the guy lives on steroids and protein powder, but Lucas was so pissed—” Antonio adds before noticing Sasha’s death glare aimed directly toward him.

“As I was saying…Tables were getting knocked over, a chair was thrown against the wall.”

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I exclaim, but I already know that had to have been the crash we heard when we were walking out the door. He must have looked to check out who Aiden was leaving with after he said goodbye, and then lost his shit when he realized it was me.

“Just wait, there’s more…” Sasha continues, “So these two are yelling and shoving at each other, Lucas is slurring and yelling something along the lines of ‘I’ll show him’.

“And then Lucas starts pummeling him. Like twenty other people jumped in, and it became a full-on bar brawl.” Sasha’s voice is vibrating with excitement.

“Baldy got in one good hit that we could see before Lucas knocked him out.” Antonio continues.

“The bouncers turned on all the lights so they could see everyone in the fight and kicked everyone out that they could get a hold of,” Sasha says, “but we saw Lucas sneak out the side door before they got to him.”

“Oh my gods,” I stare blankly at them all as the reality of my actions starts setting in.

“Maybe Lucas was too drunk to remember? Or maybe it was a booze fueled reaction, and he’ll move on?” Sasha suggests.

I exhale slowly, trying to cling to the false hope Sasha is trying to give me, even though I know it’s a lost cause. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Based on one look at Matt, I know he isn’t buying it either, but instead of saying so, he pulls me to lean on his shoulder while we wait for our food.

There is no chance Lucas will drop this.

Alone in my room, I can still feel the echo of Aiden’s fingers digging into my hips, taste the liquor on his tongue, and smell his intoxicating woodsy cologne while he held me on the dance floor.

Tomorrow, I’ll forget Aiden exists and make a plan to avoid him and Lucas at all costs.

But right now?

Now I crawl into bed and replay every second of our night.

My hands running through his hair again when he had me pinned against the wall. Every circle I make on my clit is him working me into a frenzy in the backseat of the taxi. Every thrust of my fingers is his fingers stretching me, soaking me, and getting me ready to take him as I’m bent over the desk.

It’s not enough. I scramble to get my purple vibrator, needing more than I can give myself.

Pumping in and out and pressing it against my g-spot, I come with his name falling from my lips.

Even still, it might be the worst orgasm I’ve ever given myself, and I’m not sure if it’s because I just got off thinking about someone I should hate, or because, despite knowing last night can never happen again, I’m still wishing I could have the real thing right now.

Chapter eleven

Annalise

One second, I am blissed out in a haze of warm sheets and lingering thoughts of Aiden’s soft lips on mine, and the next, someone is knocking on my door like I stole their money, and they’re going to break it down if I don’t open fast enough.

Groaning as I cross the small room and open the door. The only man I could possibly handle seeing right now stands there, coffee in hand.