Page 27 of High Stakes

“It’s not a permanent thing, she’s in the spare room.” I groan, my cock stiffening again.

“And she’s a virgin?” she asks. I nod, rubbing my hands across her breasts.

“Why haven’t you fucked her?”

“Long story,” I mutter.

“I wanna know,” she pushes.

I have no intention of telling Laurie the truth, so I shrug, “Cos’ I want a woman that can handle me, not some virgin that has this ridiculous notion of love and saving herself. She’s just after a free ride.”

CHAPTER TEN

Bella

I replay the message, gripping my phone so tightly, it hurts my hand. “Cos’ I want a woman that can handle me, not some virgin that has this ridiculous notion of love and saving herself. She’s just after a free ride.” I can’t help thinking Aiden sounds smug.

When I woke this morning to a missed call from him, I assumed he was apologising. When I’d pressed play on his voicemail, my blood had run cold. The entire conversation played out, and before it had cut out, the moans from the pair wereaudible.

Aria arrives and I tuck my phone into my pocket. She takes in the filled cabinets then checks her watch, “Another early start? What’s going on with you.”

I shrug, “I’m in my organised era.”

She off her her jacket and disappears into the back room to hang it up. “Or Aiden’s annoyed you?” she guesses.

I groan, “Why am I letting this man affect me so much when we’re not even together?”

She returns, rubbing a sympathetic hand down my back. “What happened?”

“He kissed me.”

Her eyes widen, “You lucky cow.”

“And then I messed it up.”

She winces, “What did you do?”

“Luke called, like right after the kiss.”

“Oh lord, tell me you didn’t answer it?”

“Of course I did,” I wail, “I wasn’t thinking straight. I was in shock he kissed me and then the phone rang, and I just picked it up. I agreed to another date.”

“And it didn’t go down well?”

“Of course it didn’t.” I bury my face in my hands. “His eyes were so full of hope, Ari, and the second he heard Luke’s name, they just changed. Then he left in a huff.”

“Well just explain you weren’t thinking straight.”

I shake my head, “It’s too late for that. He went to Laurie’s.” I pull out my phone and replay the message.

Aria listens with her mouth slightly open in shock. She waits for it to end before exhaling, “Shit, that was savage.”

“Yeah, he went right for the jugular. The worst thing is, before we kissed, we’d talked about her, and he’d said how he’d loved her, and she broke his heart. Now, she keeps him dangling even though she’s married. I really felt like he’d opened up to me. I even cancelled my date with Luke.”

“Oh, Bells,” she mutters, rubbing my arm. “I’m so sorry.”

I shrug. “I fucked up, but he handled the whole thing so badly. I can’t help but feel like I’ve had a lucky escape.”

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