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More like a wildfirebreakout.
“The onlyconnectionwe have is that he stuck his penis inside me once.That’s it. Nothing more. Now, it’s time to moveon.”
She pushes my shoulder when I go back to my fake lint-picking. “Okay, what the hell is going on withyou?”
“Nothing,” I blurt out, shifting my neck from side to side like I’m sore. “Jet lag is abitch.”
“Liar.”
I wave off her accusation. “It’s your engagement party. Tonight is all aboutyou.”
“If that’s the case, then I wantanswers.”
I chew on the edge of my lip while her dark eyes study me. I get the opportunity to look away when music starts to blare through the room. I glance at the DJ booth and then to the makeshift dance floor in front of it and almost gag at his first songchoice.
Boyz II Men? Really,dude?
Looks like we’re getting served cheese with thesecupcakes.
The sight of Hudson hurrying over to us relieves me. He wraps his arms around Stella from behind and squeezes her hips, his mouth going straight to herear.
“Dance with me,” he attempts to whisper, although I’m sure everyone in the state heardhim.
Stella melts at his touch, like it’s the first time they’ve ever had physical contact, and my heart hurts. This is what real love is. This is something I’ll never have. She groans, and I know my best friend well enough to know she’s going to turn him down to continue ourconversation.
“Go dance with yourfiancé,” I insist. “We’ll talklater.”
A smile accompanies her next groan. “Fine, but you’re not leaving this town until you spill thetea.”
“I wouldn’t imagine it any otherway.”
Hudson kisses her cheek, snags her hand in his, and sweeps her toward the dance floor. The crowd cheers, and people jump up from their seats to jointhem.
I release a deep breath, happy I dodged that conversation, and decide to reward myself with another cupcake. I grab a chocolate one with strawberry icing and huddle myself into a corner at the farthest end of the room. Shame sinks through me when I do another once-over of the party to search for the man who screwed me in more ways thanone.
One more glance. That’sit.
One more view of the man who gave me the best night of my life and the worstmorning.
My throat tightens when I spot him sitting at a crowded table in the middle of the room with the entire Barnes family. His daughter, Maven, has his full attention as she grins wildly and dramatically throws her hands up in the air while telling him a story. His head tilts back in laughter, causing my knees to weaken. That’s the smile I longed for thatmorning.
God, he lookssexy.
More delicious than thesecupcakes.
Too bad he isn’t assweet.
Dallas Barnes is tall, dark, and handsome but also scarred, rough, and broken down by burdens. He’s the man of your dreams who has been through hell and hasn’t risen above ityet.
Tingles sweep up my neck as flashes of our night together come crashing through me harder than this sugar rush. I drink him in like the glass of champagne I can’t have while he runs his strong hand over the stubble of his dominant jaw. The same hand that ignited nerves in my body I never knew existed. His hair, the same color as the whiskey we threw back, is freshly cut on the sides and grown out ontop.
I rub at the sudden ache in my neck while begging my mind to forget, to stop feelingsomethingevery time I see him. Hell, every time I think about him. It’s always hate laced withdesire.
We were two lonely and heartbroken souls who connected over a night of drinking our pains away. When the alcohol proved not to be potent enough to heal, we tried to fuck itaway.
Fucking and feelings do not go together like macaroni andcheese.
I used him. He used me. I thought I was okay with that until reality smacked me in the face when he kissed me for the first time. That was the moment I turned greedy and wanted more than just a quick fuck. The problem is, hedidn’t.
