Page 23 of Lost in You (Flirting with Forever 1)

He spreads his arm out, encompassing his harem. He slurs, “Looks like it’s pretty good. Want in on this action?”

I shake my head as a few of the ladies turn to me expectantly. “Nah, man, that’s okay. They’re all yours.”

“What, don’t you have fun anymore since Dana?”

“Let’s not talk about Dana, okay?”

My heart is still good and sore over the way she hadn’t believed me when I told her I hadn’t cheated. She refused to listen to a word I’d had to say, wouldn’t even explain where she’d gotten the idea from.

“You can totally get her back, you know. It’s not like you actually cheated on her.”

“Excuse me? What makes you say that?” Now he has my full attention.

He stumbles a bit before he laughs right into my face. “That was me. I cheated on Madison, and she found that chick’s bracelet wedged in the seat of my fucking truck.”

“What the hell did you just say?” The blood in my veins starts a slow simmer and a ringing fills my ears.

He tips his beer up, taking a long swallow before wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “She found the bracelet and at first, you know, I just tried to just play it off like you’d borrowed my truck and screwed Dana in there and she left her bracelet behind somehow.” He cackles. “But that Madison, I tell ya, she pays attention to details. The bracelet had a big L on one of the little charms.” He holds his forefinger and thumb out in the shape of an L, looks at it, laughs, and puts the L to his forehead, like the loser he is. “That’s why I had to tell her you cheated on Dana with some other chick.”

“You fucking did what?” I close my eyes for a second. Flashing lights and explosions burst behind my eyelids. I shake my head and open my eyes back up to stare daggers at him.

He chortles. “I never figured out why you didn’t just tell Dana it wasn’t you. You could have thrown it right back at me. It was me. I fucked that girl Laurie in my truck. That’s why Madison found her bracelet there.”

Without a second thought, my hand fists and my arm explodes into action, meeting my best friend’s face with a loud crack and ending our friendship for good.

I blow out a breath heavy with memories. Dana hadn’t told me anything. I’d had no clue where she’d gotten the idea that I’d cheated, and she wouldn’t elaborate. She’d broken things off with me immediately. I’d been miserable. Heartbroken. Just sick. And the hell of it was, I’d been close to proposing to her. I’d thought we would build a life together. I’d loved that girl. So. Fucking. Much.

It still stings that Dana hadn’t trusted me enough to know I’d never have cheated on her—but she wouldn’t listen to me, wouldn’t let me try to sort through the whole mess with her.

Losing her hurts to this day. I rub one hand over my heart and squeeze my eyes shut. Fuck. I remember the shock on her face when I’d gone to tell her about Chase’s confession—when she realized she’d been wrong. She’d apologized, but at that point, the damage to our relationship was done. She didn’t trust me then. I don’t trust her now. Funny how that works.

Madison shifts again in her sleep, and my mind jumps back to earlier at dinner. She’d seemed surprised to find out Chase and I aren’t on speaking terms. But fuck, there’d been no way I was comfortable continuing on with our friendship after finding out that he’d lied to Madison and pinned the scarlet C—C for Cheater—right on my chest. And the problem is now that I know she has no idea about all of that, what do I do with the information? I feel like she deserves to know, but will it only be more painful for her?

How do I tell her that Chase cheated on her more than once? That she’d been dating the ultimate in complete douchebags?

And fuck me, does she think I cheated on Dana? I guess I should have thought about that more when Chase told me what he’d done, but the honest truth is I didn’t think I’d be speaking to Madison again, much less going away to a wedding weekend with her. I hadn’t expected to be in the same space as her ever again, much less the same bed. The idea that Madison might think I’m a cheating fuck just like Chase gives me a moment of panic.

But wait. She wouldn’t be here with me if she thought that’s what happened. Right?

In her sleep, Madison moans, a deep throaty sound that has my eyes flickering open and glancing down at her. Damn. I wonder what she’s dreaming about. Is it him she still dreams of?

Oh, well. At least one of us is getting some rest. I’m not sure sleep is in the cards for me tonight. The more I think about it, the more I know I’ll have to tell her about Chase. But how? Maybe once we get through this weekend, I can broach the topic with her. She doesn’t need to deal with this on top of everything else.

Her arm flops over my chest, and she huddles closer to me. I can’t help myself. I pull my arm out from between us and put it around her, gathering her closer to me. Sweet girl. Her head shifts to my chest, her raspberry and cream scent surrounding me.

A wave of protectiveness rushes over me. No one will hurt this woman like Chase did ever again. I shake my head. Never.

In her sleep, she clings to me, her body so soft and warm. I shudder, a wave of lust smacking into me. Her sweet breasts are soft against my side, only the thin layer of her T-shirt between us. Then she does me in further, throwing a leg over mine and snuggling in even closer. A soft sigh leaves her body as she relaxes even more deeply into me in her sleep.

Restraint and pure control fight an internal battle with fiery, desperate, hopeless desire. I want her in a way she’s definitely not prepared for. I want this weekend to be more than fake.

And yet, she’s lying here next to me, oblivious to the surge of heat pounding its way through me. She’s completely relaxed for the first time since I saw her at the bar last night with her friends.

It seems like that was a lifetime ago. I’ve gone from wanting to help her to wanting her for my own all in a single day, and I don’t know how to come to terms with that.

I should not be lying here in the bed with her—I should be on the floor, being a good fake boyfriend—but I can’t bear to move away from her, to leave her. She feels too fucking good here in my arms.

I’m in so deep with this girl already, the waves of longing continuously crash over my head, threatening to send me under. I hunger for her like I’m a starving man and she’s a beautiful buffet. And there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m already a goner.

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