Chapter Four
It was ten in the morning when my phone rang on the nightstand.
I glanced at the screen and saw Rae’s name.
I silenced it.
I had five voicemails from her that had accumulated over the past few weeks. I hadn’t listened to a single one, knowing exactly what they would say. She would be worried about me, and she would be hurt that I didn’t have the decency to take her calls after everything we’d been through.
I couldn’t even text her back.
I didn’t know what my problem was.
I finally got out of bed and did my routine. I hit the gym, made a protein shake, took a shower, and then sat in my living room and watched daytime TV. Last night, I went home alone and used my hand to exorcise all the sexual frustration bottled deep inside my chest. Austen was the object of my fantasy, those soft lips on my mouth and around my cock.
Goddammit, she was hot.
But I couldn’t have her. I’d already crossed a line when I kissed her. I wasn’t even sure how I managed not to go home with her last night. Perhaps I was a better guy than I gave myself credit for.
John called me later in the afternoon, hitting me up to do something that night. I invited Liam along too since they were friends. Maybe we could pick up some women, and I could do my best to forget about Rae and Austen.
If Austen weren’t Liam’s sister, she would be the perfect distraction for me. I would think about Rae less and less as time went on. Getting lost in good sex with a beautiful woman was the perfect medicine. I did it when Rae and I broke up, and it helped for a long time—until everything collapsed around me.
We went to Strobe, a classy bar on Fifth. The buy-in just to walk inside was a hundred bucks a piece. Liam was strapped for cash because his music shop wasn’t lucrative, so I paid his way in.
All the women were in skintight dresses and heels with beautiful hair and detailed makeup. They all looked great. But then again, the lights were low, and I was doing anything not to think about Austen.
We stood at the bar and ordered our drinks.
John clinked his glass against mine. “Sorry about your dad, man.”
“Thanks.” I swallowed the scotch, eager for the warmth to light my gullet on fire. “It’s been almost a year now.”
“How’s your mom doing?” Liam asked.
“She was a wreck in the beginning.” There wasn’t a time when I looked at her and she wasn’t sobbing. “But after a few months, it got easier. She’s in a better place now, but she’ll never be the same.”
“She’ll pull through,” Liam asked. “Eventually.”
“Your brother is still there?” John asked.
“Yeah, he took over COLLECT,” I explained.
“So you hated it there, or what?” John asked. “You weren’t there very long. I mean, I knew you didn’t want to go to begin with, but I thought you would last longer than that.”
Yes, I’d hated my job. But I needed a fresh start more than anything else. “It wasn’t my cup of tea. My brother said he wanted to partner with me, so I just decided to bow out and give him the business.”
“That was nice of you.” John downed half his drink in a single gulp.
It was a perk for both of us. Money didn’t mean anything to me when I had plenty of it. “What’s new with you? Are you still seeing Leslie?”
“Nah.” He shook his head but didn’t seem sad about it. “Didn’t work out.”
“That’s too bad,” I said. “She was cute.”
“Too jealous,” he said. “Always looking through my phone and flipping out if I even hugged another woman. Got to be too much.”
I never considered myself to be a jealous person until things started up with Rae. Every time Zeke was near her, I wasn’t happy about it. I’d never been jealous before or after. “Sounds like too much work.”
“I’ve never been the jealous type,” Liam said. “When I’m with a woman, I know she’s not gonna go looking for someone else. I’m just too sexy.”
I shared a look with John and rolled my eyes.
John did the same.
“Dude, Madeline is damn hot.” Liam rested his elbows on the bar as he stood beside me. “Those lips, that hair, that body…she’s an angel. I’d give anything to watch her dance.”
“You can always buy tickets to the ballet,” I reminded him. “But that would make you a little bit of a stalker.”
“Yeah, it would be creepy,” Liam said in agreement.
“Why didn’t you ask her out?” I asked. “Wasn’t that the whole reason why we went bowling?”
“I’ve got to take my time, you know,” Liam explained. “Play it cool.”
I’d never played it cool in my life. And neither did Austen—apparently.
The subject changed to sports, which we talked about at great length. Sports was a great topic because it stole my focus and I didn’t think about anything else. I didn’t wonder what Rae was doing back in Seattle, and I didn’t wonder if I made a mistake by not sleeping with Austen when I had the chance.
***
“Check out that babe.” John brought his lips to his glass and nodded to a table on the other side of the room.
I turned around and glanced in the direction he indicated, seeing a brunette in a backless black dress. She stood at the table with her drink in front of her, which was halfway empty. I recognized that shiny hair and perfect body. Those legs had been in countless fantasies of mine.
It was Austen.
A guy walked over to the table in jeans and a black t-shirt. He was tall and handsome, with rugged features that reminded me of an old movie star. Just like her friend Jared, he was a good-looking guy.
She chuckled at something he said, and he got closer to her, close enough to suggest they were on a date.
The jealousy exploded out of nowhere. Like a volcano with an eruption that was long overdue, I burst into fiery flames and lava. My jaw tightened in disappointment, and I counted the inches that existed between them. I just saw Austen the other night, and she made good on her word.
She’d already landed another guy.
“Damn, she’s with someone,” John said with a sigh. “The good ones are always taken.”
Liam returned from the bathroom and grabbed his whiskey from the counter. “What are you girls whispering about?”
“That hot chick over there,” John said with a nod.
“Actually, she’s not his type.” I managed to unhinge my jaw long enough to say that.
“All women are my type,” Liam argued. “Tall or short, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“Well, this one is your sister, so I think you’ll feel otherwise.” I pointed at the table where they were talking.
Liam narrowed his eyes until he recognized her face and brown hair. Then he stuck out his tongue in disgust. “Seven million people in this city but I run into her. Luck isn’t on my side tonight. Let’s head somewhere else.”
I didn’t want to walk away. If their date was going well, things might heat up and she could end up spending the night at his place. It shouldn’t matter to me if that happened, but it didn’t settle right with me. I wanted to take her home, not let some other guy enjoy her beautiful qualities. “I’m gonna stay here. There’s this woman I’ve been eyeing, so I’m gonna go for it.”
“You sure you don’t want us to wait?” John asked.
“No, I’ll catch up with you guys.” I raised my glass to them. “Or better yet, I hope I don’t.”
After a chuckle, Liam and John walked out and continued their adventure.
I turned back to the bar and discreetly watched them together, seeing the way she smiled effortlessly. I was straight, but I knew a good-looking guy when I saw one. All he had to do was be a little charming, and he could seal the deal.
The idea just pissed me off more.
When their glasses were empty, he returned to the bar to order another round.
Without thinking twice about it, I walked right up to her table. I approached her from the side, so she didn’t notice me right away. I was probably the last thing on her mind right now, the last guy she expected to see that evening.
When she noticed me in her peripheral, she glanced in my direction. She did a causal double take when she recognized me, assuming she must be mistaken. One eyebrow popped up before it returned to place. “Did you get lost on your way to the strip club?”
I admired how quick she was on her feet. Even when she was caught by surprise, she had a witty comment to break the ice. Her confidence was constant. Not even an earthquake could shake it. “Only if we’re gonna make out again.”
A soft smile spread across her lips, highlighting the rest of her beautiful features. “Small world, huh? Are you here with anyone?”
“Liam and my friend John. They just left.”
She glanced at her date, who was still standing at the bar trying to get their drinks. “I should tell you, I’m kinda on a date right now.”
I figured that out all by myself. “You don’t waste any time, huh?”
She wore the same smile, the sparkle in her eyes. “I told you I’m not the kind of woman to wait around. Jason and I work together. He asked me out at the end of the day, and since I think he’s cute, I figured it would be fine.”
“You think it’s smart to date someone you work with?”
She narrowed her eyes like I’d insulted her. “You think it’s smart not to date someone just because you’re friends with her brother?”
I smiled when she cornered me. “Touché.”
She glanced at him again before she turned back to me. “Well, have a good night. Hopefully, I’ll see you around.”
I didn’t want to walk away and let anything happen between them. But to purposely sabotage her date was a dick move. I had my chance, and I blew it—like always. “You want to come over and watch the game tomorrow night?”
Her brown hair was in soft curls that fell around her shoulders. Diamonds were in her ears, and a diamond pendant hung around her neck. She looked like a classy woman, but her own glow outshone every piece of jewelry she wore. Her complexion was perfect, just as fair as a collectible doll. Her eyes were bright and full of intelligent and ferocity. Everything about her was captivating—especially the words that came out of her mouth. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but that sounded like you just asked me on a date.”
“I asked you to come over for a beer—and sex.” I was going down a dangerous path, but I couldn’t stop myself. I had this feisty woman on my hands, a woman harder than steel. I should have kept kissing her the other night and taken her home instead of waiting until now to make my move. Or better yet, I should have walked out with the guys instead of coming over here. I was at war with myself, unsure what to do. I didn’t want to piss off Liam, but damn, I wanted to fuck this woman.
She shook her head with disappointment. “I’m gonna give it to you straight, Ryker. I think you’re one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen in my life.”
I grinned. “I like what I’m hearing.”
“I wanted to jump your bones the second I laid eyes on you. You look like a man who knows how to work a headboard.”
“Getting better.”
“But I put my cards on the table. I told you what I wanted. I made my move.” She moved closer to me and lowered her voice. “And you said you weren’t interested.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Whatever. You turned me down. Now the only reason why you’re over here is because you see that another man wants me. There’s one thing I don’t do—play games. I’m not the kind of woman to ditch a very nice guy just to run off with someone else. You had your chance, and you didn’t take it.”
I wanted to argue with her, but she put me in my place good. She told me what I deserved to hear. But damn, that made me want her more. I was attracted to her fire, her no-bullshit attitude. I wanted a woman so strong, so confident, that she could turn me down without thinking twice about it. “The only reason why I said no was because of your brother—and we both know that. Believe me, I’m just as interested in you now as I was when I first looked at you.”
“That’s a lame excuse, Ryker. Who gives a shit who my brother is? I’m a grown woman, and he’s a grown man. Who I fuck is none of his concern. But if you aren’t mature enough to understand that, it was never going to work anyway.”
There wasn’t enough time in the day to explain to her what happened with Rae. I didn’t give a shit when she and I started seeing each other. I never cared that Rex was her brother. I didn’t see why it mattered. But it made all the difference in the world. I had to remember not all siblings were the same, that Austen and Liam weren’t nearly as close.
She saw that her date was returning, so she turned to me, a cold expression on her face. “I’ll see you later, Ryker. Have a good night.”
My instinct was to fight for her, but that would make me a bigger jerk. While I hated the guy she was out with it, he did nothing wrong. The only reason why I was in this situation was because I put myself there. “Yeah…you too.”