“How bad?”
West leaned over the counter and tossed his empty into the garbage. “Think fucked up times ten then multiply that by a hundred.”
Shit. If people only knew how close assholes came to fucking up the world, they wouldn’t wait for second chances. Reid flipped the folder open. Lauren should take his advice and visit the cabin. Soon.
* * * *
The sun warmed Lauren’s face as she stretched in bed. She’d dreamed about Mazree and Reid. Waking up had ruined the best part—sex with him in front of the stone fireplace. She buried her face in the pillow. Subtle hints of his woodsy cologne inspired visions of snowcapped mountains and blue sky. Tangible, solid things that remained constant.
The doorbell chimed.
Only Ari would show up this early.
Lauren threw back the covers and put on her robe. She opened the door.
Fresh and summery in a pair of pink shorts and a white shirt, Ari breezed in and handed her a tall cardboard cup. “Good morning,” she sang out.
No one should walk around that cheerful. At least she’d brought coffee. “Let me guess—you’re here for smut chat.”
Ari plopped down on the tan couch. “Don’t leave out any details. I’m hoping reality exceeded my imagination.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon for you to imagine the guy I just slept with naked?”
“Territorial. I like it.” Ari crossed her legs and grinned. “I haven’t seen you this way over anyone in a long time. That means the sex must have been really good.”
“It was good.” Lauren sat on the green ottoman and drank her mocha latte. “Too bad I won’t see him again.”
“Why not?”
“One, I’m on hiatus, remember?” And lucky for her, she was back on the wagon. She’d almost fallen for him. “Two, his phone went off at least three times. You know what that means—manwhore alert.”
Ari waved it off. “Oh please. It was probably one of his buddies calling for a bailout.”
“Which proves my point. Manwhores need bailouts, and they tend to travel in packs.” Dread sank into her belly. “Oh no. I hope it wasn’t Thane. Did Celine call you?”
“No, but I’m sure it wasn’t. I drove by her house on the way over. Your Mercedes wasn’t in the driveway. She’s not home yet. Yes!” Ari pumped a fist. “Our girl is back in the game.” She sobered. “Now, let’s get back to you.”
Aw, crap, here it comes.
“In my humble opinion, you should have thrown out signals instead of lying in bed playing ‘you screwed me senseless.’ How was he supposed to know you were interested?”
“I didn’t let him leave after the first time. How’s that for a clue? Not that it mattered. He’s not looking for anything long term.”
“Whoa, back up. The first time? This sounds interesting.” Ari sipped her coffee and settled back into the overstuffed cushions. Her feet dangled in high-heeled sandals, inches from the ground. “Okay, you two went wild the first time, and then he—” She motioned for the story to continue.
Leave it to Ari to focus on the smutty parts versus simple facts. Now that Celine was straightened out, she needed to find Ari a boyfriend. Lauren looped her hair into a twist. “If you’re asking if he had multiple erections and if I enjoyed them, the answer is yes.”
“I knew it! Built like a stallion.” Ari happy-danced in her seat. “You can’t ignore that. Not hooking up with him again is out of the question.”
Exasperation pushed out a breath. “Like I said, he’s not interested. Besides that, he’s got hell-no written all over him. And what about that lecture you gave me about focusing on meals and stimulating conversation?”
“Well, did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Have stimulating conversation. Aha!” Ari pointed. “Forget about denying it. Your face gave you away. What did you talk about?”
“Mazree.”
“The woods?” Ari grimaced. “Oh well. If talking about Nowheresville led the two of you to getting freaky, who am I to judge? Forget what he said. I have the feeling you shouldn’t give up on him. Get dressed. I need pancakes if we’re going to plot guy strategy.”
Oh no. What the hell did she have in mind? Not that it mattered. No one argued with Ari’s sixth sense or logic. Lauren went to get ready. Funny. Reid did fit all of Ari’s criteria. She would share a meal with him in public, and he’d more than pleased her in bed. If he hadn’t left, she would have stayed cuddled up with him and maybe had more orgasms. He’d said he wasn’t interested in anything long term. She appreciated consistency, but she wasn’t aiming for an engagement ring. As long they were honest about not being exclusive, they could have fun together. What if she had attempted… What was she just thinking about? Huh. Gone. That was weird. Not enough caffeine yet to compensate for the mangotinis she’d enjoyed at the club. Oh, that’s right. Breakfast.
She adjusted the belt on her blue tank dress on the way to the living room. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”
“I called Celine to see if she wants to join us. She’s not answering.” Ari put her cell in her purse. “I bet she’s avoiding us for dragging her out last night. It’s a shame she didn’t have a good time. I’d hoped she’d meet someone and get her mind off Dominic.”
Wait a minute. Didn’t Celine—her thoughts grew fuzzy, but then the answer emerged. No, Ari was right. After dancing at The Song, they’d attended an after-party. Celine wasn’t having a good time. Lauren had given Celine the keys to the Mercedes and she’d left. She and Ari had ridden home with friends they’d run into at the party.
“That reminds me, I should text her. I don’t need my car until later this afternoon.”
Ari bent down. “Why are there buttons on the floor?”
“Buttons?” Lauren picked up two. Ari added another to the pile. She hadn’t come across any missing on her clothes. “Not sure.”
Lauren noticed the watercolor of the cabin hung askew. She straightened it.
“That’s a shame. Looks like a relaxing place.”
Who’d said that? Why?
A vision of a dark haired guy who rated extreme on the eye-candy meter flickered. Desire spread warmth through her middle. Should she know him? Before she could latch onto it, the image dissipated.
“Hey,” Ari waved her hand in front of Lauren’s face. “You ready?”
“Yes, let’s go.” Lauren centered the vase on the entryway table and snagged her purse. Strange. She hadn’t thought about Mazree in a long time.
Chapter 4
Reid paced the short living room in the sparsely furnished, rented apartment. Afternoon sun peeked through the closed blinds, illuminating worn patches on the brown couch. The floor, covered in beige carpeting, creaked under his black high-tops. Cheap rent, unfriendly neighbors, and a location near the mall made the two-bedroom space an ideal command central. Strange how his apartment was located twenty minutes away, but now, two years in the future, someone else occupied it. The tapping of computer keys broke up the silence. Mace sat in the kitchenette area working on a laptop. He bopped to the blues guitar riffs playing faintly from the speakers. His muscular body dwarfed the ladder-back chair and four-seat table.
Two flat screens on the wall