Page 6 of Starts With a Bang

“Despite how this looks, I don’t really live out of the van. And I’ve never invited a guy back here for a hookup.” I took a long drink, downing half the bottle in one go. The cool water soothed my dry, itchy throat, and I could breathe without the urge to cough. I recapped the bottle and dropped it down in the drink holder. “Thank you for the assist.”

“Even though I caused you to choke?” Sven asked.

“You just caught me off guard.”

“I hear that a lot.” Sven packed both innuendo and wry self-deprecation in those five words. “I don’t even remember what I’d said to rile you up.”

“You asked me to marry you,” I replied. “You wanted to go to Vegas.”

“Ahhh. That would do it.” Sven snickered. “Especially since you’re technically still married.”

The reminder was a kick in the balls. The contentment I’d felt before my coughing fit vanished in a poof, and the emotions I hadn’t wanted to feel rushed in. An awkward silence blanketed the van, and neither of us moved or spoke for several moments.

Sven heaved a dejected sigh. “Well, I went and ruined everything.”

“You didn’t.” Without considering the consequences, I reached over the console and covered his hand. Sven rotated his wrist and slid his fingers through mine. “You just moved the inevitable conclusion closer, perhaps.”

Sven squeezed my hand. “This part?”

I sighed and released him. “No, the part where we say goodbye.”

“Or we could talk about whatever is troubling you,” Sven suggested. “I’m a good listener.”

I turned my head in his direction, even though I couldn’t see him. “You want to hear me whine about my shitty marriage and the resulting divorce?”

“If it would make you feel better,” he replied.

“You’ve already accomplished that.” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d come so hard.Or so fast.“Unless you want to talk about your bad habit of picking up the walking wounded.”

Sven groaned. “Hard pass.” Then he sighed. “Can we be friends?”

I recalled the feel of his body against mine, the taste of his kiss, and the way he went wild when I brushed a finger over his hole. The embers of desire threatened to fan into flames again, giving me only one choice. “I don’t think so.”

He sighed again and reached for my phone on the console. He tapped the screen, illuminating the van. Sven had the audacity to look amazing in the blue light coming from the device. I should resent him, but I only wanted to pull him closer. He passed the phone to me. “Unlock it so I can enter my contact information.”

“Why?” I asked.

“In case you change your mind about us being friends.”

“I won’t.” Though I unlocked the phone and handed it to him.

Sven’s smile in the blue light was downright devious. “You will.” He tapped and typed for longer than the task allowed.

“Are you snooping?”

Sven snorted. “Nope. I just sent a text from your phone to mine so I’ll have your number too.”

“Not a good idea.”

“Fine.” Sven swiped his finger over my screen, then handed it back to me. “I deleted the text, so you’ll have to scroll through your contacts to find me.”

“Sfor Sven.”

He shook his head. “Too easy.”

“Hfor Hellcat?”

“No again.”

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