“Thank goodness that asshole isn’t here.” Hannah slides into the booth at Torrio’s Table the following Tuesday, taking in the other patrons.

“Yeah, thankfully,” Chelsea agrees as her eyes sweep over the bar.

I have a feeling she may have had an appreciation for the silver fox that Hannah loves to hate.

“Why do you hate him so much?” she asks. “I mean I get the fact that he was your ex’s divorce attorney, but—”

“He’s a pompous ass who tried to take everything from me. Believe me, he has a reputation and my ex hired him because of that reputation. A surgeon’s salary and the house in North Shore wasn’t enough for my ex. He wanted my money and my trust fund, too. Thought he was entitled to it. After all the shit he pulled.” Hannah’s body tenses and I glance to Chelsea to with a look of warning.

Lucky for us the same waiter from last week comes by and places three vespers down on the table.

“Thank you,” Chelsea coos, her eyes taking him in.

He eye fucks her for a minute and then turns back around like he’s playing hard to get.

“Do not screw the wait staff here, Chels.” Hannah’s perfectly arched eyebrows raise.

“Never,” Chelsea says but fights the laugh that’s trying to escape.

“Let’s chat about Victoria,” Hannah says picking up her drink. Both sets of eyes shift to me.

“What?” I sip my vesper. The citrus taste is refreshing on my tongue and welcome with the inquisition I know is coming my way.

“You must be exhausted from dodging our questions for two days,” Chelsea deadpans.

“Fine. We agreed to try to be together.”

“Sounds romantic,” Chelsea says with an eye roll.

“Try?” Hannah asks.

“It was romantic, actually. And yes, we’re going to try the dating thing.” I take another sip to fortify myself.

“I’m proud of you,” Hannah says, her perfectly manicured hand running up and down my shoulder. “That takes guts. What did your ex say about it?”

“My ex?” I place the drink on the table.

“About the steak?” Chelsea adds.

“I haven’t mentioned it yet. It’s none of his business. Reed doesn’t even talk to Pete anymore.”

The two of them share a look across the table and return their attention back to me.

“You need to tell him,” Hannah says what I know they’re both thinking.

“What are you going to do say, ‘surprise, I’m screwing your best man?” Chelsea’s overdramatic display causes some heads to turn in our direction.

“He’s coming for Jade’s birthday, right?” Hannah lowers her voice.

“Yeah.”

“Do you think he’ll see Reed?” she continues her questioning.

“I hadn’t really thought about it.” My fingers knot in my lap.

Chelsea knocks on my head. “Hello? McFly!” She does a spitting image of the asshole in the Back to the Future movies. “Plan ahead because this is going to crash and burn if you leave it to fate.”

“We’re all adults. Pete doesn’t care who I date. It’s not like I get any say in who he sees. We’ve been divorced for two years.”

They both shake their heads.

“Do I have to knock on your head again?” Chelsea asks, sipping her own drink.

“No.” My hand covers my head. “Leave me alone.”

“Sweetie, your ex, Pete…” Hannah says softly and slowly like she’s speaking to a child. “Pete is not going to be okay with this. Especially because you have a daughter, which means his best man is going to be seeing more of his daughter than he is. I think you should tell him and nip this in the ass right away.”

“Otherwise, he shows up and gets a surprise and you’ll be breaking apart a brawl. But,” Chelsea says, leaning in. “If that happens, call me first. I love a good fight over a woman.”

I roll my eyes then sit and think for a minute. Maybe they’re right. “Okay. I guess I should tell Reed I’m telling Pete first, right?”

“If you want to keep ‘trying,’” Chelsea puts the word in quotation marks. “Definitely.”

I glance to Hannah’s whose head is bobbing up and down in agreement.

“In the meantime, let’s celebrate you getting laid on a regular basis.” Hannah raises her hand and then puts up three fingers.

The waiter spots her, and I down the rest of my drink. Telling Pete about Reed? How come this never crossed my mind before? Chelsea should be tapping my head to figure out if there’s anything else in there besides air and googly eyes for Reed.

---

Somehow hours later I end up at Reed’s condo. Connor stands from behind the desk when I manage to get my half-drunk body through the revolving doors after whizzing around two times and realizing I was back on the street.

“Ms. Clarke.” He rounds the desk and studies me. “I don’t have you on the list for tonight.”

“Do I need to be on the list?” I ask, using his desk to prop myself up.

“Well, Mr. Warner has a permanent list. Let me see if you’re on there.”

“A permanent list?” My gaze blurs to follow him walk back around the desk. He types into the computer and I inch over the edge of the tall desk. “Tell me Connor, just between us, are there any other women on that list?”

He glances up, his non-verbal scolding telling me my answer. He’s not at liberty to say. “Ms. Clarke,” he sighs. I’m not sure if he’s upset with my intoxication or my curiosity. “You are on the list but let me ring him just to make sure he’s home. I haven’t seen him this evening.”

Spotting the chairs in the lobby, I make my way over on unsteady feet and sit down. “Whatever you say, Connor.”

I hear Connor talking for a moment, then his voice turns hushed and I know he’s probably telling Reed what bad shape I’m in. I should’ve listened to Chelsea and Hannah, but they over-served me and I’m horny and on edge about telling Pete.

My eyes close and what feels like a second later my body is lifted like an angel has me in his arms.

“Thanks, Connor. I got it from here.”

Reed.

I release a contented sigh. My eyes flutter open and I see that he’s carrying me into the elevator. My hand runs along his stubble and I can’t fight the smile on my face. “It’s you.”

He chuckles. “Is this what girl’s night entails? Getting shitfaced?”

I rest my head on his strong shoulder and then somewhere between staring at his beautiful blue eyes and luscious lips, we’re in his condo, where he lays me down on the couch.

“Is this where I’m sleeping?”

“I need your phone, Victoria.” He places my purse on the table.

“Do you have another woman in your bedroom?” My eyes finally focus in on his shirtless self, pajama pants hanging way too low on his hips to be appropriate.

“What?” he asks with a crease in his forehead.

“Who’s on your permanent list?”

“My permanent list?”

I sit up and the room spins for a second.

Oooooooooogggghhhhhhhhofofofofofofofffff

A huge burp escapes and my hand flies up to my mouth. “Excuse me.” Even with how drunk I am, I feel the heat rushing up my neck to my cheeks.

He chuckles. “I need to call your mom, babe.”

I pick up my purse and then put it in his lap. “It’s in there.”

My head falls back to the cushion and the weight of my eyelids wins. I feel him pick up my arm and use my thumb to open my phone and I’m suddenly too tired to protest or think of how ridiculous that is.

“Hi, Mrs. Clarke. This is Reed Warner, Victoria’s boyfriend.” There’s a pause. “She’s here, but she’s had a few too many drinks with the girls. Are you okay if she stays here tonight?” Another pause. A laugh because my mom is oh so funny. “You can handle Jade, too? Great. I’ll bring her home in the morning.” Another chuckle on his part. “Have a good night.”

He rounds the couch and I attempt to pick up my head, but it falls back down to the couch. “Good news, babe, your mom said you can spend the night.” He laughs, his two arms sliding under me again and picking me up.

“I thought I was sleeping here.”

“You sleep in my bed.” He carries me down the hall, sets me on the bed. He gently takes off my shoes, strips off my clothes, and places a t-shirt over my head before tucking me into bed.

“You’re sweet,” I say, my hand running along his cheek, my thumb pressing into the cute dimple on is left cheek.

“You’re drunk.” His smile says he’s not mad. “I just have to finish up some work. I’ll check on you in a few.” He walks to the door, turning off the light.

“Reed?”

“Yeah?”

“You won’t listen to Pete, right? You won’t let him bully you into not dating me?”

The light flicks back on and his footsteps on the hardwood floor grow closer. The mattress indents and he takes my hand in his, kissing my knuckles.

“Is that what you’re worried about?”

“That and your permanent list.”

He laughs. “You don’t need to worry about either. Pete can’t bully me into giving up the best thing I’ve ever had. Just because he’s an idiot and fucked it up, doesn’t mean I’m going to do the same.” He kisses my knuckles. “And, so we’re clear—you’re the only woman on my permanent list. Not even my mother is on there. I added you and Jade after last Friday.” He bends down and kisses my forehead. “Now, go to sleep.”

The mattress rises without his weight on it anymore and I slip into sleep at peace with his answer because I believe him.

---

When my eyes open next there’s still darkness filling the sky and I’m in bed by myself. Pulling the sheets back, I sit up and stay in that position for a second assessing how I feel. When I notice the bottle of water placed on the nightstand, I crack it open and down half the contents, feeling my hangover setting in already.

The echo of papers rustling, and buttons being punched on a computer comes from outside the bedroom and so I follow the noises to Reed’s dining room table. He sits there bare-chested in his pajama pants, a beer in his left hand, a pen in his right, looking over some papers sitting beside his computer.

“Hey,” I announce my arrival into the room.

He slowly glances over, and his smile warms my insides. Raising his hand, he holds it out for me and I walk over.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“Don’t be. I quite enjoyed working out here knowing you were in the other room.”

My fingers entwine with his and he slides the chair back, pulling me onto his lap.

“Still, you saw me at my worst.”

He buries his face in my neck, kissing the delicate skin. “I liked taking care of you. I guess I’m kind of a caveman.” His free hand slides up my thigh, his fingers bypassing the edge of my panties. “Not to mention, I’m due for a break.”

“Oh yeah?”

He stands, holding me to him and I swear his muscles don’t even flex. We only venture to the other side of the table, where it’s not filled with paperwork. He lowers my body until my feet find the floor. Once I find my footing, he swivels me around, so I face the expansive window and the dark waters of Lake Michigan.

His hand slides down the edge of my panties and his chest presses to my back, his hot and wet mouth at my ear. He doesn’t say anything, but his rapid breathing is enough to tell me he’s as ready as I am.

Fisting my panties, he slides them down my legs, his mouth following on the back of my thighs. I can’t see what he’s doing, but from the shuffling of clothes, I’m assuming he’s taken off his pajama pants.

When he stands back up, his chest presses against my back, his cock poised between my ass cheeks.

“Tell me I don’t have to leave you to get a condom?” he whispers.

“You’re clean?” I ask, sounding needier than I thought I would.

“Yes.”

“Then no, we don’t need anything.”

He exerts some pressure between my shoulder blades, forcing me to bend forward more. His dick slides farther down my ass cheeks, teasing my slit. He doesn’t ask me any more questions, trusting that I wouldn’t trick him into a pregnancy, and me trusting the fact that he’s clean.

Slowly, he enters me from behind and my back arches, but he flattens his palm on my lower spine to keep me in place.

The pace is painfully slow and gentle until he’s coated in my wetness. He gains speed quickly and it’s different than the other night. Tonight is all about primal need and releasing tension, not soothing words and building trust. Pulling my arms back, he grips them in place on my back and takes control of the rhythm.

In and out, my ass slapping against his pelvis, his balls swinging and hitting my clit with each thrust. I’m not sure if it’s waking up in his bed, or the alcohol in my system that makes me hornier, but it takes no time at all for me to hit that edge.

Knowing it, he releases my hands and they land on the window with a slap of my palms. His large hands cup my breasts, pinching my nipples, his mouth wet on the back of my neck.

“Harder,” I pant, and he increases his speed. “I’m going to come.” My mouth clamps down, and I bite down on my lip.

“Come,” he says, his thumb sliding between my lips. “Come, baby.”

I bit down on his thumb and release the exquisite tension only Reed can make me feel.

Right after I come, he pumps into me a few more times, one hand pulling up the back of my t-shirt and gripping my shoulder to keep me in place.

He pulls out and I feel his cum spray all over my back with his contented groan. I moan, too, loving the feeling that he’s somehow claiming me.

When we’ve both caught our breath, he eases off the shirt I borrowed and uses it to clean off my skin.

Leaving everything in a pile on the floor, he picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist.

“Time for us to get some sleep.” He kisses me, his tongue exploring my mouth the entire way to his bed.

Then as he already did hours before, he tucks me in, but this time he slides in next to me. My eyes lose the fight, but he whispers in my ear. “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll take care of Pete.”

I head to dreamland knowing Reed would slay any dragon that came my way, but Pete is my problem and I’m the one who needs to warn him before he conquers the castle I’m currently living in.