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From the corner of her eye, she saw Sylvester tense, his face hardening as he stared at them with unconcealed confusion.
His arms squeezing her tight, AJ turned her toward Sylvester and spoke over her head. “Sylvester, this is my sister, Sallina,”
If Sally could capture the look on his face, she’d print it into a poster and hang it on the ceiling over her bed. The man looked absolutely, hilariously shocked. “Sister?” he choked out, clearing his throat to repeat, “Your sister?”
Dropping his arms from around her, AJ chuckled. “Yes.” He turned to Sally, grinning. “You know, Sallina, I’ve talked about her before. And now, you’ve met.”
Sally tensed, wondering what her brother said about her, and quickly remembering when and how the jerkface Sylvester and she had really met. How she was caught in Sylvester’s hot, hungry gaze from across the bar. How she sat beside him, accepting his invitation to join him for a drink. How she discovered his intelligence and humor during a three-hour conversation, recognizing a connection to him, a deeper one than she’d ever known. How she tingled all over when he leaned in, pressed his succulent mouth against hers, and changed her life forever. And how she couldn’t help herself, inviting him into her home, her bed, where he fucked her hard, making her feel more pleasure in his arms than she’d ever experienced in her whole life. And then…how he whispered words of adoration…enchantment…devotion into her ears in the dark and quiet.
And how he was gone the following day.
But she would never tell AJ that.
Mustering up a modicum of pleasantness when she’d rather spit and hiss in frustration, she remarked coolly, “Yes, now we’ve met.”
“Sallina,” Sylvester drawled, her name in his mouth like satin on silk. “I’ve heard so much about you.” His smirk returned, this time without the disgust behind it.
The fucker.
“All fabulous, I’m sure,” she drawled, arching her brow.
AJ grinned, his happiness spilling from him. “All good, sis.”
She grinned back, enjoying seeing this side of him, the joyful side. The side that had been beaten down and starved all those years. “How could it not be? I’m amazing.”
“Yes, you are,” Sylvester murmured deeply.
Her gaze flew to his, surprised, her mask of indifference slipping just a bit. What the hell was he playing at? The man jumped from belligerent asshole to wicked charmer in a blink. At her slip, his sea-green eyes darkened to piercing, hot midnight emerald in a way Sally hadn’t seen in months. Since that night….
AJ’s gaze flicked between Sally and Sylvester, a curiosity creasing his brow. Thankfully, he didn’t ask what she knew he wanted to ask. “I’m glad you came, even though I practically had to drag you here.”
She shrugged, the fabric across her bodice pulling tighter, making her tits rise and fall with the movement, Sylvester’s eyes catching the motion. Lord, she needed to splurge on a new wardrobe because getting the motivation or energy to lose the weight was at the bottom of her list of priorities. At the top? Getting the hell out of there. “I wanted to show my support, big bro. But, I hate to say that I won’t be staying.”
Beside her, Sylvester shifted, his body moving closer to her. She tensed, her body—the traitorous bitch—moving closer to his. She inwardly cursed, pulling away and taking a step closer to the door.
Less than three yards between her and freedom from the overwhelming yearning to reach out and touch him, to see if he was as hard and hot as he had been that night. The scent of sandalwood and warm lemon teased her nose, making her inhale in a soft gasp. That same scent had lingered in her pillows for weeks after their night together. It had been the scent she’d fallen into erotic dreams smelling. It had been the scent she’d cried over when the last lingering notes of aroma finally disappeared.
God, she’d been an unholy mess for him after that night….and every night after for weeks. But she wasn’t like that anymore. She was stronger. She had to be because that night….
Do you mean the night he lied to you, fucked you, then ghosted you like Asshole Casper?
AJ chucked her on the chin, his expression one of disappointment. “Why not? You just got here.”
Shit, she hated disappointing AJ, especially since she knew tonight meant so much to him. You’re a fucking coward. But she knew if she stayed, she couldn’t stop the firebomb of words that would explode if given another moment with him. The man who’d turned her upside down, inside out, and threw a stick of dynamite on her remains. The man who’d torn her in two with his cock and then with his deception. AJ didn’t deserve her making a scene, and she honestly felt sick to her stomach. The idea of chatting with strangers while wearing a mask of pleasant enjoyment only evoked the staggering anxiety she thought she’d left behind years ago.
Forcing a sad smile to her face, she said, “Sorry, brotato, but I’m not feeling well. I think I came in contact with something that makes me sick.”
Sylvester grunted at her reply but said nothing.
“Damn. I told you to slow down—working sixteen-hour days will wreck you. You want me to come with you? Soup and Lucifer? You want me to go get Anna?”
Uh oh. She should have known Anna would be there—she was with Blaze, the owner of Harris Construction. Where he went, she was with him, especially now that they’d finally put their messed-up friends-to-lovers storyline behind them. And now…Sally felt like a shit friend because she hadn’t bothered to respond to Anna’s texts over the last two days, as busy as she was freaking out over seeing Sylvester again.
“No. I’m just going to shower off this ick and hope I feel better tomorrow.”
“You sure?” AJ’s concerned early autumn eyes looked her over, making her feel all the worse for her lies.
She swallowed down the bile at her own selfish actions. She would make it up to him, though. “Yeah. Stay. Celebrate. Tell Blaze congratulations, and I’ll text Anna later to set up a girls’ night.”
