Page 117 of Toxic Kiss

I smirk and hold up the slice to Vex. “Cheers.”

He stops chewing, stares at me, and then taps his slice against mine. I laugh, and his mouth slowly curves up, blessing me with the very rare occurrence of his eyes filling with humor.

“You’ve always been weird, Gaillard.” He crosses his arms. “But it’s kind of charming.”

Hopping up on the counter beside him, I methodically pick off the toppings and eat them first. I can feel him watching me.

“What in creation are you doing?”

I pop a piece of pepperoni into my mouth.

“Eating. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Massacring an innocent piece of pizza.”

I laugh hard, and it feels good. Since Cy dropped the bomb about Charles in my lap, I’ve spent my time crying or working so I don’t cry.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

Vex turns and steals another slice before looking at me. He really is sexy in a completely dark and brooding way. Black hair. Silver eyes that look closer to the color of clouds. Strong jaw and fit as hell body that’s covered in tattoos…another life, a different situation…I would’ve been all over him.

Rolling the rest of my pizza up like a burrito, I take a bite. Vex snorts and shakes his head.

“So…I’m sorry about your fiancé,” he says.

The smile falls from my face, and suddenly I’m not hungry.

“It is what it is.”

“Did you break off the engagement?”

A sad chuckle bubbles up.

“If you call leaving him a voicemail because he couldn’t be bothered to answer the phone. And then dodging all of his calls since breaking up because I don’t want to hear his excuses, then sure. Luckily, I’d already moved all my stuff back to my dad’s house, so at least I don’t have to deal with that awkward situation.” I rub my eyes. “How is it that I can be so smart and so stupid when it comes to men? They’re all assholes,” I say, looking at Vex. “No offense.”

He smiles and nudges my shoulder.

“None taken, and it’s his loss.”

“Maybe I need to become a nun, but one with a chest of sex toys cause I can’t go without sex.”

Vex snorts and then laughs, making me blush. I can’t believe I just said that.

“Now that is an image I’ll never get out of my head. But I don’t think that’s the solution.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You really loved this guy, huh?”

My shoulders slump.

“It’s not even that. Honestly…I’m not broken up about the relationship ending. That’s what’s so stupid. It’s that I’m a magnet for assholes. I should’ve seen this coming. I dated ten guys before Charles, and every single one was either a cheater, a loser with no ambition, or had an arrest record. I need to face it that I have terrible taste in men.”

Vex shocks the hell out of me when he turns and hugs me. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Vex hug anyone before. He doesn’t let go right away and lets me lean my head on his shoulder.

“Like I said. It’s his loss,” Vex says.

“What the fuck?”