I took her from the shower to my bed. We were both starving, but she fell asleep. That was no surprise. It had been a long fucking day. I had no idea what time she had been up when all hell broke loose.

I reached for her, touching her soft back. The smell of her skin was everything to me. That after-shower, after-sex smell colliding together. She would forever be in my sheets unless I washed them. And then I’d throw her right back into my bed…

I took my hand away from her and threw the covers off me. I grabbed my jeans and slid them on. I stood up and zipped them but didn’t button them.

Slowly, I opened the dresser drawer and got the invitation and the engagement ring.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

I couldn’t have been having thoughts about the next time when it came to Bella. Right? Shit. I didn’t want to trap her. I didn’t want her to bounce from one asshole guy to another. I’d never stomp on her heart the way the other guy did, but I would definitely end up hurting her, the way things were headed.

Plus, I hadn’t even told her about Miami yet. I hadn’t told anyone about that call, even after I took it and went to St. Skin. I walked around the tattoo shop as though I’d never be there again. I was there for a solid hour before Tate saw me and threatened to break my wrists. Then he saw the overflow in the front and told me to get to work. I did three tattoos and thought about Miami. It was exactly what I had wanted. To get down there, get established, and eventually open my own shop. I wanted to be near the beach, surrounded by beautiful women, and just get by.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Bella sleeping in my bed.

I looked at the invitation one more time.

The funny thing about it…Steph sent it without an RSVP card. No choice for dinner. Nothing. So she probably sent it just to be a bitch. Just to get that last little jab into my heart. Which meant if and when we showed up, there would be no place for us to sit. No plates for food. Nothing.

It made me smile.

I put the invitation down and held only the ring in my hand.

I turned and saw Bella sleeping again.

I thought about the day I went for a ride and found her on the side of the road. Just seeing her sitting on the hood of her car did something to me. It suddenly changed me. When she turned her head and I saw the tears in her eyes. She didn’t try and hide the tears either. She just sat there, knees to her chest, in the middle of nowhere, her body language saying fuck this.

It got me. It got me hard. It got me fast. My mind raced and came up with the craziest idea of my life.

I held up the engagement ring. “The second craziest idea of my life.”

I walked around the bed and put the engagement ring on the nightstand next to her. I reached for her face, gently touching her still-wet hair.

I left the bedroom and poured myself a drink of whiskey and sat at the kitchen table. I just sat there in the dark. The only light was the glow from above the kitchen sink.

A sinking feeling hit my chest. All the shit that Steph put me through. The way I followed her like a hungry dog, desperate for a treat. I thought it was love. I thought it was loyalty. I thought it was me being a good man, a good guy to her. I met her parents, and they were stuck up and hated tattoos. They didn’t get what I did for a living and put the bug in her ear that I was no good. All that did was fuel me to spoil her even more. Fall deeper into her trap. Exactly what she wanted.

She broke my heart, faked a pregnancy, and then disappeared. She knew exactly when to call and when to come around. Right when I was about to completely forget about her. It was like clockwork. My phone would go off and there was Steph, trying to ease her way into my life.

I shut her down over and over. And I hadn’t heard from her until that wedding invitation showed up in a large white envelope with no return address on it. I thought it was junk mail at first. Then I opened it and saw the postcard-sized invitation. No choice for dinner. No option for a plus one. It was a tease. One more chance to fuck with my heart. One more way to…

“Hey, are you okay?”

I looked up from the silent whiskey and saw Bella standing at the edge of the kitchen, wearing the comforter from my bed. It was wrapped all around her shoulders and her body. Only her head poking out. She looked tired, beautiful, her eyes showing a sadness that I could definitely relate to.

“I’m good,” I said. “Just having a night cap.”

I flicked my finger at the mug.

“No coffee, huh?” Bella asked.

I laughed. “No coffee, darlin’.”

Bella stuck her hand out from the comforter. She was wearing the engagement ring once again. “So, I guess we’re engaged again?”

“I guess so,” I said. “You’re wearing the ring, huh?”

“It was left for me to wear. I figure I should take it for a ride and get used to it. Funny how this is the first time I get to wear a diamond ring like this.”

I cringed on the inside. “Hey, Bella, you know you don’t have to do this. I don’t want to fuck anything else up for you.”

“You’re not fucking anything up, Zayne.” She walked toward me. She stopped at the edge of the table. She smelled like herself, me, the bed, sex. It was more intoxicating than the whiskey. “Can I tell you something?”

I leaned back in the chair. “Have at it.”

“I thought about you.”

“What?”

“When I was back there. I had no fucking idea what I was doing back there, Zayne. You were right about me running back there to him. I hated you for it. I hated myself more.”

“We’ve all been there, darlin’. Habits are hard to break, demons are harder to kill. But when love is the rope that holds them at bay, forget about it.”

“You should be a poet,” Bella said.

“I think there’s only one writer between us,” I said with a wink. “I’ll stick to tattoos.”

She bit her lip. “When you say that I’m a writer it makes my heart race a little.”

“Good. I like that.”

“I like you, Zayne. I get why you’re doing this. I’m behind you on it. I promise.”

I nodded. “It’s crazy.”

“Yeah it is. It’s going to get crazier too.”

“Why’s that?”

Bella then opened the comforter and let it fall to the kitchen floor. She stood there, inches away from me, naked. The only thing she was wearing was the engagement ring I had given Steph with the promise of forever.

“Shit, darlin’,” I started to say.

Bella leaned forward and put a finger to my lips to shut me up.

Her body was a delicate wonder of curves, skin, memories, and perfection that led from her full and tender breasts all the way down the curve between her legs. Everything about her made my body want to scream and explode. I’d never been near a woman that drove me this crazy with just her body and the stare of her eyes.

Bella then stepped forward and slowly lowered herself down to me. My hands grabbed at her lower back and kept her tight against me. I felt the swell of press against my bare chest, her nipples hardening. She slid her hands around my neck and gently began to warm breasts tease me by rocking against me.

“I’m not giving you this ring back,” Bella whispered as she kissed me.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m keeping it for a little longer.”

“Oh?”

“I want to do the same thing you’re doing,” Bella said.

My hands moved up her soft back, to her sides, feeling her body so tight against mine.

I gritted my teeth.

“Of course, darlin’,” I said. “I told you…whatever you need from me.”

“I want to drive him insane,” Bella whispered. “I want him to never forget me. I want him to hate himself for the rest of his fucking life.”

“Then let’s make that happen,” I said. “Believe me, Bella, you are unforgettable.”

“That’s just because I’m naked and sitting on you.”

“Yup,” I said with a grin.

She kissed me again.

And that’s when I reached my breaking point.

In a swift move, I spread my fingers and held her at the middle of her back with one hand. I stood up, throwing the chair back. She let out a cry. With my other hand, I grabbed the zipper of my jeans and pushed it down. I put Bella to the table and then took my hand from her back and swiped my hand at the mug of whiskey. It flew from the table and smashed against the counter, shattering into pieces. The smell of the whiskey quickly filled the air. But it wasn’t as sweet as the smell of Bella’s body.

I shoved my jeans down and grabbed myself. I finally fucking had her on the kitchen table.

Her nails sank into my shoulders as her eyes were wide with shock.

I thrust forward and entered her for another round.

Her head fell back as I impaled her, the kitchen table scratching at the floor, her groans drowning out the sound.

I couldn’t get enough of her…and I liked the way she looked wearing nothing but that engagement ring.