Page 54 of The Southern Thirst Trap

“I’m serious. We made such a beautiful little boy. He’s amazing. I want as many babies as you want.” I’m high with the feeling of saying this out loud now, of accepting the truth, of knowing that deep down it’s what I want so fucking badly, but only if it can be with her.

“Zander, do I need to take you home? Was there something in that cocktail?” Javi says, leaning over and pulling the glass toward him to sniff it. “I think you’re scaring her. Dial it back. This isn’t like you,” he says quietly when he’s closer to me. His face is concerned, probably thinking I’ve lost my mind to be saying what I am. He’s never seen me like this. Hell, neither have I. I catch Paloma staring at me, with a hint of a disbelieving smile turning up her mouth that goaded me into this spot. I smile and let her see the truth. What I'm saying sounds crazy because I'm crazy about Harlowe.

I refocus on Harlowe’s face and see what Javi does, undisguised fear. But if I know this woman at all, I know she’s afraid to want what I’m saying, not that I’m saying it. I give her a reassuring smile. “I guess we have a lot to talk about before we start talking about babies, right, Lowe?”

She starts laughing and drops her face into her hands. “Oh, my God, Zander, you’re such a psycho,” she says behind her fingers, which instantly eases the tension around the table. Javi resettles in his seat. Paloma shakes her head and sends Harlowe a glance to check in, and seemingly satisfied, takes a big sip of a purple cocktail.

“Well, that certainly turned the mood of the night. Thanks for that lovely conversation starter, Paloma,” Harlowe says, giving her friend a withering look across the table.

“I think you crying over whatever he was saying to you before I asked him the question was the downer, but hey, feel free to blame me for asking what we all wanted to know anyway,” she replies with enough sass to give me a good look into their friendship. They’re close, probably share everything, and she’s protective of Harlowe. Good. Can’t have too many friends like that when you have assholes like me out there ready to break the hearts of good women.

“Paloma!” Harlowe says, gripping the table and giving her friend a stern look before shaking her head. “I think I’ve had enough celebrating for the night. I should get home.”

I give her a look, wondering if she plans to go home alone, or if she’ll let me take her home with me. She doesn’t look at me, but a moment later, her hand comes to rest on my thigh, and slowly begins to slide up. With me, it is.

“You can’t be the pooper on your own party,” Paloma says, pouting across the table at Harlowe. “Your mom said she would watch Hendricks all night if you wanted and you still want to call it now? Boo, you’re no fun.”

“There’s a great bar down the street with an exotic liquor selection I could show you if you want to keep it going. Unless you’re set on these pink and purple cocktails, then I guess I can tolerate another round or two if you promise to share more embarrassing stories about these two,” Javi offers with perfect timing. I send him a secret look of thanks whether he did it on my behalf or not.

“Icouldgo for a good scotch after all of these sugary drinks,” Paloma says, considering Javi’s offer. “Fine, let’s go be fun and Harlowe can gohome.” She gives Harlowe a look as if she knows exactly what that means and where her hand is right now. “Zander, can I trust you to make sure she makes ithomesafely? We took a car service here to avoid having to drive back after.”

“Yes, Paloma, I’ll take herhome,” I answer honestly, and smile wickedly so she knows exactly what I have planned.

Harlowe huffs out a laugh at the exchange. “Stop it, you two,” she says playfully. “You’re worse than my kid.”

“Our kid,” I correct her, and kiss her on the forehead before I rise from the table and hold a hand out to her.

“Ay, Dios,” Javi and Paloma say together, and burst out laughing at the timing.

Harlowe and I stare at each other. She raises an eyebrow at me and I just shake my head. Something tells me I made the right call in who my wingman was for the evening and those two will be quite happy about their situation now. I put my hand on the small of her back and look at our friends.

“You two be safe. Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn’t do.” I wink at Javi, who just shakes his head back, but the smile on his face tells me everything.

thirty-one

Harlowe

Alightrainstartsto fall just as we prepare to exit the restaurant hand-in-hand, my stomach knotting in anticipation.

“Stay here so you don’t get soaked. Only I should be doing that, not the fucking weather,” Zander says, voice low and sensual as he gives me a panty-melting grin before he ducks out the door quickly and runs to the valet stand.

Raindrops cling to his hair when he returns, and I brush a stray drop from his jaw. He catches my hand and holds it there, staring at me so intently, his eyes shimmering with the heat of a summer storm so I can’t look away. I think he’s going to kiss me right there, but just as he shifts his body and starts to lean down, his unusual car pulls up and his attention is drawn away. He shakes his head, still not taking his eyes off me, but ushers me out of the restaurant and into the car.

He lives downtown, so the drive is short and quiet as we vibrate in anticipation of what the night holds for us. The ride up the elevator of his high-rise building is full of longing glances and a tension that builds the closer we get to the top floor. I’m trembling with the nearness of him, with the promise of what’s to come, and the possibilities of what this all means. His fingers keep up a slow caress along the open back of my tank, but he stays silent until the elevator comes to a stop at a marble vestibule that opens to the door of his penthouse. He leads me with a hand at the small of my back across the space and unlocks the door, letting me walk in ahead of him.

Zander’s home is insane, as expected. It’s modern, full of sharp edges, lots of glass and metal. It's a child-proofing nightmare to my mama's eyes. He doesn't let me fully inspect the palatial space before he’s in front of me, pulling me into his body, his hand on my throat in that sexy, commanding way of his, angling my chin up to his face.

“Do you want this as badly as I do, Lowe?” he growls, mouth close to mine.

“Yes,” I breathe, feeling the heat pool between my legs with the low urgency in his tone.

“Do you want me, as shitty as I was to you?” He lets my chin drop and smooths the hair away from my face gently, like he can smooth away the past hurts.

I blink and look down at his chest. “As much as I hated you for what you did, there was always a part of me that wanted you. That always will.” I look up at him. “But it will be so hard to trust you.” I shake my head, feeling my hair slide over my bare shoulders, hissing against the silk of my top. “I believed in what you told me before and it broke me when you took that away so easily, like it was nothing. Like I was nothing. But, fuck, I want to believe you now, so badly.”

“How do I show you this is real, when I’ve never done this before? It’s all new to me. I’m going in blind here. I don’t know the right things to say or do to make you trust me.”

“But you do want to do this, right?” I clarify.

---