Page 10 of Flawless Lyric

“Give me your damn phone.” I hide my victorious smile and take it out of my pocket. I punch in my code and hand it over to her.

She brings up my contacts and punches in her info and her number. She holds it for ransom when she warns me. “Do not send me any naked selfies or anything inappropriate in case Novalee’s home. If you take advantage of my kindness and text me at an ungodly hour of the night, I’ll block you. Do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear. I have a private number, so those rules apply to you as well. Me being a sexy rockstar and all. I wouldn’t want you selling my number to the highest bidder.”

“You have my word. Now I need to run because I do have plans. I’m going to be late as it is.”

“Have a good night, and sexy dreams, Beauty.” Shaking her head, she climbs in her car and pulls out of the lot. Leaving me standing there wondering why I let her go.

Fuck, I had no choice.

I force myself not to follow her because even if she doesn’t have plans, I can’t be that person. I want Lyric to come to me. Willingly. Body and soul. She’s newly divorced. The last thing she needs is another man telling her what to do. I’m only grasping at straws since I don’t know the whole story. Just bits and pieces that I’ve overheard Mom and Dad talking about.

Not long after, I’m pulling into my drive after a long day of sailing and rejection. It’s all good. I was hoping my night would end with a beautiful woman sharing my bed, but I can be a patient man.

Before setting my phone on the island, I scroll through my contacts and bust out laughing. She didn’t punch in her name for fear of getting caught. So she decided to use ‘Beauty’ instead, which is fucking perfect. Just like Lyric Montgomery.

My fingers are itching to send her a text, but I gave her my word. Now I need to practice what I preach so I can earn her trust. Which I suspect will be very difficult to do. For now, I have one night of passion to play over and over again every time I close my eyes. Until next time.

I’m hoping that someday I can take Lyric out on the boat. I bet she’d love it. Hell, maybe she’s been sailing a million times before. That’s the thing. I want to learn everything about her. Likes and dislikes and all of her pet peeves. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I find it crazy that a one-night stand could turn out to be so much more.

Now do I wait to see if she contacts me? Or do I take matters into my own hands? Not sure, but maybe I should give her a few days in between. Let her stare at the flowers every day at the office and see if she lets down her guard.

I’m about to walk into the bathroom to take a shower when I hear a knock on the front door. Or is it my imagination? I’m not expecting anyone, but it’s best if I go check. Usually, my family will text before coming over.

Grabbing my cell, I scroll through but there are no new messages. Weird. Tucking my phone back inside my shorts, I stride to the door. Why am I not surprised when I see Asher standing there?

“I was going to take the boat out, but it wasn’t in the slip.” He doesn’t wait for an invitation; he just walks inside.

“It’s back now. Not too late to take it out for a few hours.” Hint, hint.

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks.” He strolls right in, sits down on my sofa, and scrutinizes me.

A little annoyed, I try to keep my voice level. “I was just about to take a shower. Did you stop by for something?”

“Is it that obvious? I just found out that my ex is engaged, and now I’m wondering if she was fucking him while we were married.” Ouch. Since they haven’t been divorced that long, I’d be thinking along those lines too.

Walking into the kitchen, I grab a few beers and hand him one. Sitting across from him, we both pop the top and take a drink. There’s nothing I can say that will convince him that she wasn’t screwing around on him.

“Truthfully,” I say, “at this point in time would it make a difference?” He glares at me like I’m the enemy.

“Seriously? Irreconcilable differences was just a lame excuse, because now I believe more than ever that she was cheating on me.”

It’s obvious he’s hurting and the reason why he paid me a visit today. Had I known, I would have asked him to go out on the boat with me.

“Clearly, you need a change of scenery. Give me a few minutes to shower and then we’re going out. No excuses.” I’m surprised when he doesn’t argue with me, but I know sitting at home won’t do him a damn bit of good.

* * *

LYRIC

Just an FYI.I had no plans after work, but it was the first thing that came out of my mouth. Now I’m sitting here picking at the salad I bought and wondering if he still went out to dinner and with whom. It’s a moot point since I turned down his invitation. He’s free to ask whoever he wants. Lucky bitch.

Why is a gorgeous man like Micah still available? He must have a ton of women knocking down his door on any given night. I realize it must be difficult since not many women would want to share their significant other with a million other women. Especially being gone as long as he is during a tour. It could be the reason why he’s still single. That way he can have as many one-night stands as his heart desires. I’m probably just another notch on his bedpost.

I was attracted to him right out of the gate, with his smooth talk and killer smile. His bedroom skills are off the charts, and he knows how to pleasure a woman. Hell, I jumped in bed with him not long after he bought me my first drink. It’s something that I’ve been obsessing about since the night we met. It’s ridiculous how a woman my age could lust after someone whose friends have sons around his age. Scary thought.

Grabbing my glass of wine, I open the slider and head outside. The patio is one of my favorite places to sit after dinner. It’s so quiet and peaceful. With any luck, I’ll be able to keep my eyes open long enough to enjoy the sunset.

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