Page 133 of Never Quiet

In a cheerful and sarcastic voice, Amanda told him, “Look who the cat dragged all the way from the East Coast.” Patting his chest as he tried not to ogle her and failed, she added, “I’m glad to see you are indeed alive and well. I thought you might have drowned or gotten amnesia, Mr. Harding.”

She planned to school Erick on how an international supermodel handled the type of man who never called.

A second chance wasn’t about to happen but she could already tell by the way he looked at her that he thought she was still weak for him.

He was incorrect.

She knew he would assume, probably ask, and eventually, might even beg…but his door to her was closed.

She’d spent a year with a man who showed her what she wanted, who valued her worth, and she’d never settle now.

Not even if it meant spending the rest of her life alone.

Brightly, she invited, “Everyone come inside. The women in my family cooked unbelievable amounts of food and we have a million things to catch up on.”

Turning in high heels Amanda could have run in, she added a little extra sway to her ass in the mini-dress that covered her bikini.

Callie walked beside her with barely a limp. She murmured, “Make him sweat, Amanda.”

“I kind of want to make him bleed. Let’s see how it shakes out. Hayden taught me some excellent tricks.” Winking at the girl she’d always considered a sister, she added in a whisper, “As fucking if.”

“Damn right.”

One couldn’t choose their soulmate at thirteen and that was alright. She’d fallen for Erick’s intelligence while making excuses for his selfishness, his greediness, when it came to the way he was with the opposite sex. Erick’s brain was spectacular but his heart was seriously fucked up.

Amanda’s heart was broken and she still physically ached for Hayden. Such a man would be hard to beat and no one less would ever do.

Not anymore.

Particularly not a man-boy who couldn’t be bothered to maintain a friendship with a woman he’d touched sexually.

* * *

It was ridiculously easy to torture Erick with what was no longer available to him. Amanda admitted to some smug satisfaction at his perpetual erection from the moment he arrived at her parents’ house.

Late that night, when the house was quiet and the sky lit with nothing but stars, Amanda’s phone made a soft sound. She glanced at Callie to make sure it hadn’t woken her.

Picking it up, she had two texts from Hayden. Slipping from the bed, she walked to her chair in the corner.

I have a favor to ask but don’t feel like you have to say yes. You know about the think tank. I’d like you to be part of it, Amanda. There are increasingly more chemicals involved in our missions and we only have one chemical specialist.

I won’t be on site. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I know your schedule – only what you can, or would be willing, to do.

Dragging her hair into a messy bun, she replied.

Count me in. I’d never feel uncomfortable around you, Hayden.

Several minutes later, he wrote her again.

Happy birthday, Amanda. I hope it was wonderful. I was going to text you earlier but didn’t want to interrupt. Noel mentioned you were doing a huge party at the ranch. Chaz called off training for a couple of weeks so all of them could be there…

Staring at the message with a frown, she read between the lines.

First, I’ll travel to the think tank whenever you like. My schedule is clear until September.

Second, it seems as if you’re asking if Erick is here with his family. The answer is yes. I’m torturing him because he deserves it but he’ll never touch me again. Is that what you’re asking?

It took him so long to reply that she began to wonder if he would. Nothing could have prepared her for his answer.

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