Page 37 of Dirty Intentions

“Sunday night. You’ll wear a bigger one tomorrow in preparation.”

I sighed. “I won't be here. I have a wedding to go to.”

“What wedding?”

“The one I told you about the other day. It’s my cousin, which means I can’t back out.”

He didn’t mince words. “Sounds dreadful.”

At least I had a sexy dress to wear. In fact, I looked pretty damn good in the black strapless Vera Wang dress. “It will be, especially if Eric shows up which, knowing him, he probably will.”

“Did he pay you half the money?”

I nodded. “Yep. Wired as directed. He has two more weeks for the other half. You know, I don’t even know if our friends have heard we broke up.”

That was weird. I mean, normally, didn’t a woman, upon realizing her fiancé was cheating, call her friends, have a girls’ night, and cry on their shoulders? I could say I hadn’t wanted to bother anyone during the holidays—which is why we’d done the whole shower and bachelorette party weeks ago. But the truth was that I’d been enveloped in the club and Shane so quickly that the whole tragedy had sort of slipped my mind.

He quirked a brow. “You didn’t tell anyone about the breakup?”

“Um, I guess I forgot.” Was it any wonder? Since Eric’s betrayal, I’d been absolutely consumed with either the man in front of me or his taxes. “My parents were out of town. Matter of fact, I think they returned today from their cruise.”

Crap. I guess I should call them since we’d only traded voicemails on Christmas. I dreaded having to do so. My mom would make my breakup with Eric a reflection of my inability to make a good wife. She’d then bring up the whole not-wanting-to-have-kids thing again. Evidently in her mind, my lack of desire to procreate made me somehow less worthy of love and marriage.

“Huh.”

I frowned. “What do you mean ‘huh’?”

“Sometimes people don’t tell others about a breakup because they hope to maybe work things out.”

I couldn’t help laughing. There was no part of me wanting to work it out with Eric. “That is not happening. Not only is he a thief, but also a cheater. Normally people are upset by a breakup instead of feeling freed, so maybe that’s why I haven’t told anyone. Because I realize it was a mistake to be engaged to him in the first place. Any chance you want to come with me?”

I realized my mistake the moment the words left my lips. Shit. Shane wasn’t the type of guy you brought to a wedding. He was intense and antisocial, for one thing. For another, we were merely having sex, not crossing all sorts of bridges into relationship land. “Sorry, forget I asked.”

“Why? Don’t want people knowing you’re with the owner of a sex club?”

Not for the first time, I sensed some vulnerability around the subject, so I decided to put the topic to rest. “Honestly, I don’t really care. Hell, I think half the people there would probably high-five me and the other half—Well, let’s just say it’s about time I stop caring about their opinion. After all, they thought Eric was a good guy, so what do they know?” I meant every word. My newfound resolution was to avoid trying to please others. From here on out, I was pleasing myself.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

“What?” I couldn’t be more shocked. “Seriously?”

He shrugged. “Sure. Why not.”

“You must really want butt sex.”

He grinned. The expression, though rare, looked good on him. “You have no idea.”

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