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"She was giving just as good as I was, Nate. Don't make me out to be the bad guy who is after corrupting the innocent. That was two very consenting adults, not a monster and his prey."
I hear him grumble under his breath, and I turn from the window to look at him. He's standing on the other side of the desk--my desk--gripping the back of the chair placed in front of it tightly. It's weird to see him on the other side of the desk, but ever since I became a partner here at Dirty--and we converted his office from one big as hell space into two private office suites--it's moments like this that finally let it start to sink in that Dirty is just as much mine as it is his.
"Don't start this shit unless you're going to treat her like more than just a piece of pussy you toss away when you're done," he finally says after a long stretch of silence.
"Not really your place to request that of me, Nate."
"I know it isn't, but she means something to Ember, and what's important to my wife is important to me. That girl's been through some shit with her ex, and she doesn't need to find herself with another man who's going to keep his options open, if you know what I mean."
I narrow my eyes. "You make me sound like a fuckin' chump."
"You've been fucking your way through Hope Town since you finally split with Lacey. I'm not making you sound like jack shit. I'm speaking the truth, and you know it."
"I enjoy my life, Nate. Nothing wrong with that. Something you used to do too before you settled down. Don't judge me because I enjoy casual sex."
"When casual sex occasionally turns into fucking a different woman every night, that's doing a lot more than just enjoying your life."
I take a sharp breath, trying not to get pissed at my closest friend. "It's been six fucking months since I stuck my dick inside any woman, Nate, so I'd appreciate you not assuming I'm turning into a whore." I narrow my eyes and add, "And don't fucking point fingers at me."
His head jerks, shocked by my words. "Jessa?"
Guess he's not going to believe my recent celibacy that easily. I roll my eyes as I remember carrying the drunk-out-of-her-mind woman from Dirty last night. "Gave her a ride home because I knew she would try to drive herself if I didn't. Cock stayed in my pants. Cock didn't even think about coming out of my pants."
"Could have called her an Uber, Shane."
"Could have, yeah, but she's friends with my sister, so I didn't."
"Claire?"
"Another of Libby's friends," I tell him through clenched teeth.
"Are all the women who you conveniently help friends of Liberty?"
"She's a popular girl." I shrug, moving to drop down in my chair and shift next month's work schedule around.
"Bethany?"
"You're going to keep this up, aren't you? Even when you run out of names, you'll just keep making shit up."
He doesn't move, waiting for me to answer and ignoring my aggravation.
Jesus Christ. "Yeah, that one I fucked," I admit.
"That was..." he trails off, thinking back.
"Almost nine months ago. Must have been harder than you thought to come up with some names."
"Well, shit, I could have sworn she was recent."
"You've built me up to be one hell of a slut in your head, Nate. It wasn't too long ago when I could have been standing in your shoes, 'cept my guessing game wouldn't have been such a struggle, seeing as you actually did fuck everyone before settling down with Ember."
"Jesus Christ, Shane. I don't mean to sound like a hypocritical bastard, but this is Nikki here. She's been around since we opened the doors here almost two years ago. Why now?"
"Did you ever think that maybe I haven't made a move on her because I wasn't ready to not be a fucking slut?"
Nate laughs, the sound not even close to humor. "You finally scraped Lacey off, Shane, but she's still barking after you. She's here every fucking night, still, after almost a year. If it weren't my worry that you're still fucking everything with a willing body, I would still be concerned about that bitch."
I get angry at just the mention of my ex. "I don't exactly invite or welcome her shit, and you know it."
"So you're telling me that you're going to start something serious with another woman while your ex is still coming around constantly?"
"Didn't say that either," I grumble, feeling more and more like a kid getting in trouble with Daddy for being out past curfew.
Nate tosses his hands in the air and makes a show of his exasperation.
"Look, I respect where you're coming from, but shut the fuck up, Nate. You're not my daddy, and you damn sure aren't hers. If she calls, I'll figure it out then, but right now, I'm not even sure what the fuck just happened. Honestly, all I know is that felt like some strong ass shit. A lot stronger than just getting my rocks off with easy pussy."
"Don't fucking hurt her," he says with a resigned sigh. "Just try not to make things awkward as hell when whatever all that is, ends. My wife likes you, for whatever reason, though if you fuck with her friend, I'm thinking that's going to change."
"Go home, Nate."
"Yeah, I'm going. I have a long night ahead of me."
"Quinnly still teething?" I ask about his daughter, hoping this means the subject of Nikki is closed. He's made a lot of noise about how much his tiny daughter has been keeping him on his toes for the past two weeks, so I'm thankful we're done talking about other things.
"Nah, gotta fuck my wife."
I laugh, feeling lighter than I have since Nikki rushed out of Dirty, not even fazed by his crass.
"Just think about what you're doing, okay?"
I nod. "I always do, Nate. Always."
He leaves even though he's still not convinced I'm not going to fuck up his perfect fucking life by sleeping with his wife's best friend. It's written all over his face, but thankfully, he's whipped by his desire for his wife more than he cares about who her friends are fucking because he doesn't argue anymore. When the door snicks shut, I rest my head against the seat and think back to the hot-as-fuck woman who just blew my mind with a simple kiss.
I would be opening a whole can of fucking worms if I gave in to what my body wants when it comes to Nikki. Especially with Lacey still trying to get her claws back in me. But maybe that's what she needs to finally get a hint that it's over between us and has been for a long damn time. I can look past a lot-
-her bitchy attitude and hankering for expensive handbags being some of them--but opening her legs for another woman damn sure isn't one of them.
"Fuck," I groan, running my hands through my hair.
I pick up my phone and send a text to Dent, our full-time manager, and let him know I'm taking off for the night. I send another to my sister to let her know if any of her friends end up drunk and stupid tonight, it's on her and not me. Then I grab my car keys and get the fuck out of here.
As I make the whole drive across town to my house, I still feel the heat of Nikki as if she's pressed against my body. My cock still throbs for release with each pull of air through my nose that continues to carry her scent. I'm not sure if I'm praying she calls or not, and for a man who prides himself on control, this isn't a position I care to be in.
Fucking hell.
My house is dark when I pull into the garage, which isn't a shock since there isn't anyone waiting for me anymore. I spend more time at Dirty than I do at home anyway, so I hardly notice the loneliness anymore, but tonight it is almost oppressing in its obviousness. The silence around me thickens when the deep purr of my engine cuts off. I trudge into the house, still shirtless from earlier, and walk through the darkness to my bedroom. My shoes are kicked into the corner, and my pants follow behind them. By the time I'm in the shower, with warm jets of water pounding my skin and my cock in hand, only one thing is on my mind ... release.
It isn't until later, the sun just hours from coming up, that I realize it was Nikki's name I barked loudly as my come shot from my cock.
Jesus Christ. Either I need to get her under me, or I need to find someone else to get over this shit with. My cock's been in hibernation for six fucking long-as-hell months--since the last time Lacey showed up at my house with another desperate attempt to worm her way back in my life on an unfortunate night when I had been drinking. I haven't had an issue with my cock being stuck in the on position in a long damn time, and now I can't get it to go fucking down.
