Page 36 of Fireworks & Forehead Kisses

I’d never had a one-night stand. Never even considered it. The thought of being intimate with a stranger was never appealing. Exchanging bodily fluids with someone I didn’t know was pretty much my worst nightmare. But sitting next to Carrie, I was more than tempted. In fact, there was nothing I wanted more in the world than to spend the night with her.

“Do you have plans tonight?” I asked.

“Um, I was maybe going to meet a friend for drinks, but I think she would understand if my plans changed.”

“Would she?”

“For the right reason, yes, she would.”

“And what’s the right reason?”

“Meeting a sexy stranger in the bar.” Her cheeks flushed with color, betraying her bold words.

It wasn’t that I’d never encountered forward women before. I had. Plenty of times. Women had made it very clear to me what they wanted from me and what they would do to get it. But Carrie didn’t strike me as that type. I liked the fact that she surprised me in the best way.

She lifted her drink and took another sip, as if she needed liquid courage to be as forward as she was being. Everything about her was endearing and adorable.

I was going to tell her that when my phone rang. I pulled it out, expecting it to be Serena. It was my grandmother. Since she’d already texted me, I didn’t feel like I could ignore the call. “I’m sorry, I need to take this. Can you excuse me for a minute?”

“Yeah, yep. Of course.”

I stood and walked out of the bar. Since I wasn’t sure where this conversation was going to go and I didn’t want any employees overhearing it, I decided to go to the employee conference room for privacy. The call had gone to voicemail by the time I got there, but I called her right back.

“Hello,” she answered on the first ring.

“Hi, Gran.”

“Declan, I called your office. You weren’t there.”

“No. I’m not.”

“I’d like you to go to the hotel.”

I was already there, but I wasn’t going to tell her until I found out what she wanted. “Why?”

“Ashley is in Atlanta for the night. She has an interview for the reality show. She’s staying at the hotel in the executive suite.”

Ah, that was why the room wasn’t available.

“I want you to go and introduce yourself and check in on her. Make sure she has everything she needs.”

I was actually curious to meet Ashley Thompson, and, under normal circumstances, I would do what my grandmother asked me to. But right now, the only thing that mattered to me was getting back to the woman at the bar. I wasn’t going to make any promises that I wasn’t prepared to keep.

“I will try and stop by.”

“See that you do.”

There was a pause, and I was just about to end the call when she said, “Serena called earlier.”

“Did she?”

“She said you two got in a fight.”

“We broke up.”

“What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

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