Page 92 of The Score

“Oh my God. Did anyone see him do it?”

“No. It was late, and he was coming out of a staff meeting. Nobody else was around. But yeah,he clocked me good. That’s when I found out that Miranda told him we had sex. She also told him I was drunk out of my mind when it happened.”

“Well, that’s not cool,” Allie says angrily.

“None of it was cool. I shouldn’t have let her seduce me that night, absolutely.” Bitterness clogs my throat. “But she let her father believe I was some drunk asshole who took advantage of her, and that wasn’t fair either.” I force myself to relax my grip on the steering wheel. “Anyway, that’s why O’Shea can’t stand the sight of me. He thinks I played the long game with his daughter—spent a year trying to get into her pants and then dumped her once I got what I wanted.”

“And you really have no idea how she’s doing now? You haven’t tried to contact her?”

“I sent her a Facebook friend request a while ago,” I admit. “She hasn’t accepted it. I think she’s doing well, though. Her profile said she goes to Duke.”

“I guess it makes sense that O’Shea was so overprotective of her,” Allie muses. “It must have been really hard for him, watching his daughter struggle with depression. Watching her get better, and then fall into that dark place again.”

Maybe, but I refuse to empathize with that bastard, not when he’s trying to make my last year at Briar so damn miserable.

“You make more sense to me too now,” she adds.

“How so?” I don’t like her thoughtful, probing gaze.

“This is why you’re always so upfront about sex, right? You’re making sure your hookups are on the same page as you?”

“I’m not misleading anyone ever again, that’s for sure. Or taking their agreement at face value. I don’t care if it makes me an ass, but I never, ever lie about my intentions. And I never date virgins,” I say as an afterthought. “Or freshmen, because they tend to be clingier.”

“The Life of Dean sure has a lot of rules.”

“Without those rules, there is no Life of Dean.”

“I suppose.” She pauses. “The virgin thing is tough, though. It’s easy for a girl to lie about that. I mean, horseback riding alone has probably broken quite a few hymens.”

I bark out a laugh. “Trust me, my virgin radar is infallible these days.”

“Oh yeah? How did you knowIwasn’t a virgin?”

“Because Garrett stays at your dorm every other weekend and he heard you and Sean in the bone zone tons of times. He told me you were a screamer.”

She gasps. “He didnotsay that.”

“He totally did. Face it, babe, you’re a loud lay.” I chuckle at her stricken expression. “That’s not a bad thing. Vocal is good.” I think of her throaty moans and breathyOh my Gods, and I’m semi-hard in a nanosecond. “Vocal isverygood.”

“No, it’s embarrassing,” she mutters. Her cheeks are bright red.

“Hey, I’d way rather be in bed with a loud woman than a quiet one. Silent comers are theworst. I slept with this one chick who didn’t make a sound the entire time. Seriously, I had no idea if she was even enjoying herself, and then when it was over she turned to me and thanked me for the multiple orgasms.”

Allie lets out a hoot. “You’re lying.”

“I don’t lie.”

“You…really don’t, huh? I’m starting to think you might be the most honest person I’ve ever met.”

“Another requirement in the Life of Dean. Say what you mean, mean what you say.”

“And do what you want.”

“And do what you want,” I echo.

“I think I really like the Life of Dean.”

I think I really likeyou,I almost blurt out.

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