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Another night of soul-sucking memories rampaging through his dreams, another morning of killing himself in the gym, another heap of guilt piled onto his shoulders—care of what they’d all overheard at Happy Jack’s.
Such is life, asshole.
Sylvester rubbed the back of his neck then popped two more ibuprofen. His head was a goddamn mess, and his body felt like it had been put through the wringer. Not that he hadn’t earned a night of restless sleep. Not that it was the first time…nor that last time, either.
No. He couldn’t blame his current woes on AJ—at least not the physical ones.
After the debacle of overhearing what Anna had said in the bar, and AJ’s reaction, Sly had expected a beat down in the parking lot. What he got, though, was a glare and a growled, “Your office. In the morning. We’re having words.”
He’d taken his leave then, not wanting to wait around for Blaze, Anna, and Sally to emerge from the bar. He’d have to face her then. He’d have to see the look of hatred and anger on her beautiful face. And now he knew why that look was there at all.
“…fucked you good, got you hooked, then ditched you….”Yeah. He’d done those things, but she wasn’t the only one who’d gotten hooked! He was still hung on up on her—her body, her eyes, her kisses, her laughter, her mind! She was the complete, irresistible, gorgeous, perfect package. When he’d spotted her in the bar that night, he’d wanted to devour her. Her curves, her wicked grin, the way she moved…it entranced him. Bewitched him. She’d captured him, and he hadn’t fought it. He’d wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life, and when she sat down and started talking…. Never once in his life had he ever considered that love at first sight was a real thing. He knew right then that he would never get enough of that woman. He’d been both terrified and exhilarated. Awed and anxious. Determined and uncertain. That night, he had no idea the depth of emotion he would experience but, once he’d held Sally in his arms, he hadn’t given a fuck.
But then he’d made love to her, looked down into her eyes as they’d climaxed together, their hearts beating in the same cadence, their souls touching across time and space. Then everything went to shit.
Something else Anna said filtered through his thoughts, “…all while making you his side piece.”
That!That right there didn’t make any sense. Sally hadn’t been a side piece, she’d been a fucking revelation, one he’d completely fumbled, but he hadn’t used her like Anna had implied. He’d been newly single and not even looking for anything but a beer and getting lost in the crowd after a ten-hour workday. What he’d found, though, had turned him on his fucking head.
A thought struck him then. Wait! Wait! Wait! He sucked in a breath, forcing his mind to slow the hell down and focus. That night had been his first night away from Miami, where rumors of his divorce were finally hitting the upper circles. He hadn’t thought about it because it didn’t matter to him; he wasn’t in Miami anymore and didn’t much care about what all the golden spoons thought about him. That afternoon he’d left his office early, dodging calls from women he’d only met once, grabbed his pre-packed bags, hopped into his car, and headed west, away from the media sharks, society vipers, and the noise, noise, noise. He’d stumbled into Happy Jack’s, desperate for whiskey and anonymity, and he’d gotten both. And much more.
Because Sally—his mystery goddess that night—hadn’t wanted to use names or share personal information aside from general chit chat, he hadn’t considered what she’d ever hear of the rumors that hadn’t even made their way to tiny Jackson Key yet. He’d never considered that she’d learn the truth of his identity and think that absolute worst about him.
And his confrontation at the Harris-White party only made things worse. Much worse.
“Fuuuck,” he groaned, dropping his head into his hands and bracing his elbows on top of his desk. “She thinks I used her to cheat on Loni.”
“Did you?” A deep, grating voice asked from the open doorway.
Sly looked up into the hard, glaring face of AJ.
Sighing, he leaned back and motioned for AJ to come in and take a seat.
The man, who was the same height at six-foot-three but with a wiry build that came from working hard for a living, strode toward him, his body tight with tension, his expression hard. Now that Sly had time to look, he realized that Sallina and AJ had similarities in their features. Same eye shape, same long, thick, black eyelashes. Same stubborn chin. On AJ, the components were masculine and probably turned plenty of panties into water, but on Sallina, they were sensual, exotic. They were features he’d traced with his finger, memorizing, adoring, as she lay beside him, sleeping off the orgasms he’d given her.
Then you ran like a scared little shit and ruined the best thing to ever happen to you.
Sucking in a breath, he watched AJ glide into the seat across from him and lean back, offering the façade of nonchalance when Sly really knew the man was taut, coiled to strike if he didn’t like what he heard.
“No, I didn’t use your sister to cheat on my wife.”
AJ didn’t move, didn’t seem like he breathed, he only stared at Sly, his green-hazel eyes, so similar to Sallina’s, pinned him in place. Slicing through flesh and blood to peer into the deep and dark of him, seeking the truth.
After long moments where Sly’s skin burned hot, and sweat began beading on the back of his neck, AJ nodded once.
“Okay. I believe you. I know there is more to this, though. Why does my sister think what she thinks?”
Sighing, Sly tugged on his tie, wishing he’d gone without one that morning.
“The night I met your sister—which was two days before I walked into Harris Construction so Blaze could introduce us—I wasn’t even looking for anything. I just wanted a quiet night in a seaside bar to unwind after a shit show of the previous month.
“By the time I met your sister, Loni and I had already been divorced for a month.”
“So why does my sister think you’re a cheating asshole?” AJ asked, tilting his head as though deep listening.
The man’s words cut him, the sudden pain making his breath catch. “Is that what she said?”
AJ’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “No. I haven’t talked to her yet, but I know her, and if what Anna said actually happened….”
