Page 37 of Fireworks & Forehead Kisses

“Declan, what happened?”

“I walked in on her sleeping with someone else.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s okay if you’re not okay.”

“No, I really am okay.”

“Well, if you are, then it’s probably a good thing you’re not getting married. I would say she did you a favor.”

Gran had a point. One that I didn’t really feel like conceding to just now. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

I disconnected the call and wondered if I should go and check in with Ashley Thompson before heading back to the bar. If I did, there was a chance Carrie wouldn’t be there when I got back. If I tried to explain why I needed to go and check in on a woman in the executive suite, I would have to reveal who I was and tell her why I’d used my middle name.

I’d spent my entire life trying to live up to the expectations of my family. Tonight, I was going to be selfish. Tonight, I was going to do what I wanted, and what I wanted was to go back to the bar and, for one night, forget who I was and what was expected of me. What I wanted was to spend as much time as I could with the sexy redhead who surprised me and had the face of an angel and a body built for sin.

13

ASHLEY

I watchedthe man I had nicknamed Mr. Big walk away to take his call and contemplated whether or not I was actually going to do this. Would I have a one-night stand with a stranger?

If I were ever going to do it, this would be my shot. I wanted to find my Big like Carrie inSex and The City,where fate, the universe, or whatever dropped the sexiest man I’d ever seen on the barstool beside me.

A one-night-only affair wasn’t typically my M.O. I’d had a twelve-year-long relationship with Garrett. After him, I’d had a few monogamous situationships, but never a straight-up, wham-bam-thank-you-mam, sleep together and then do a walk-of-shame, or as Nadia calls it a got-laid-parade the next morning or even the same night.

It might be the three vodka cranberries I’d had, but the scales were definitely tilting toward a yes. The sexiest man I’d ever seen had just been ready to defend my honor. The look in that man’s eyes when I grabbed his arm and told him no… I was blushing just thinking about it. And the muscles in his forearm… I’d never particularly been attracted to forearms before, but when I feltthe strength of his chiseled frame rippling beneath my touch, it sent shockwaves exploding in my core.

When he first sat down, I thought for sure it was another drunk idiot in a suit who was going to sloppily hit on me, but I could not have been more wrong. Besides being Da Bomb hot sauce level hot, this man had a presence about him. An aura. A sex appeal that was indescribable. His pheromones were working overtime.

That was sexy enough, but then he went all hero on me. He was ready to defend my honor. When I saw the look in his eyes, my ovaries ached. He went full caveman- protector. He would have annihilated that man.

I wasn’t the only one who reacted to Big. Over the past hour, I’d gotten to know Lucas, the bartender. Lucas had alpha in him. He was not a beta. But as soon as Lucas saw Mr. Big, his entire demeanor switched. Xavier, if that was his real name, radiated authority and dominance. He was one of those people who walked into a room and the atmosphere changed.

“Hey, chickadee.”

I turned around and saw Fatima standing behind me. Her face was lit with excitement.

“How did the audition go?”

“I drowned in flames.”

“Do you mean you went down in flames?” She smiled widely. Fatima had always found the fact that I said phrases the wrong way amusing.

“Is that what it is?”

She nodded. “Although, I think drowning in flames works, too.”

“Well, either way, it was bad.”

“No! I’m sure you’re just being hard?—”

“No. I’m really not. I started crying and walked out. I didn’t even go into the interview.”

“Why not? What happened?”

---