Page 12 of The Last Good Man

He seems the type of person who has a personal chef on payroll, not the kind of person who wears an apron and chops veggies for a stew.

Thomas: So?

I weigh my options.

Dinner at his place means sex.

Sex for the first time.

We haven’t even kissed or felt each other up, which means it will be stressful, but nothing like a glass of wine can’t take care of.

If we do that, I’ll need to leave work early, get home, wash my hair, shave my legs, put on a peeling mask, scrub my face, and get dressed.

Then, I’ll need to meet him and watch him cook dinner before hitting the sheets with him in his spacious bedroom––his place was on the market a few months back, so I have a pretty good idea of how his bedroom looks.

Hmm.

Everything sounds great.

He’s probably a solid eight in bed, has a hard chest, hairy legs, and packsabove averageinches of fire.

I am such a cold-hearted bitch.

I breathe a quiet chuckle again. Since when have I become so cynical about everything?

Well… I’ve learned from the best.

That’s why I need to end these silly games and find a serious man.

I stare at the screen, a frown on my brow.

Maybe he’ll surprise me.

When it comes to how good I am in bed, I don’t need to show unusual skill as long as I’ve checked off all the other things onhislist.

And I have.

He won’t rock my world, and I won’t rock his.

It’s just ‘a thing’ we both need to check off our lists to see if it’s worth wasting our time with each other.

I type.

Me: Works for me.

My phone pings again.

Thomas: Good. I leave work around five. Pick you up at seven.

My thumb flies across the keyboard while I twist the handle, open the door, and, without looking, step straight intohim––a world of chiseled muscles, fragrant smoke, a scent of aftershave, and, simply put,testosterone.

3

MELODY

The worst thing is…Several things happen at once.

I lose my balance, my phone becomes airborne, and my mouth falls open as the stranger catches me in his arms without jeopardizing in the slightest the cigarette dangling from his lips.

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