Page 71 of The Mastermind

AUDRI

I hadn’t goneshopping like this in a long time, and it felt good to buy new clothes just because. I was ready for summer, which was in a couple of weeks. The past several months had been exciting, which made the year fly by. I hadn’t known how much my life would change with Remi. Being with him anchored me, and I hadn’t been this happy in a long time.

I found an adorable café, ordered an iced coffee, and sat down on a bench under an umbrella on their patio. I thought back to the last few days with him and smiled. We’d held hands while we walked along the seashore, and when we returned to the hotel, we had wild sex.

Remi had an appetite and stamina for sex like no man I’d encountered. We branded that suite. He took me in the shower, in the kitchen, on the living room couch, on the vanity, and on the chair in his office. We even damaged the fricking chair!

I didn’t know how we did that, but when he finished pounding into me from behind, the two legs on the chair wobbled. We both burst out laughing, and he said he’d replace any furniture he broke at my apartment.

I loved hearing his laugh. It brightened and transformed his face from handsome to exceptionally stunning. It also changed the entire chemistry around me. When he laughed, my heart opened wider, my soul felt calmer, and the dark past seemed to drift further away. Each laugh healed me.

My phone rang with Grayson’s name. “Hey, big bro. What’s up?”

“You tell me. I got a voicemail from my little sister, saying she’s an item with my best friend! Are you serious?”

I didn’t refer myself as Remi’s girlfriend because that wasn’t official yet. We were together, and I let Grayson form his own opinion on what an “item” was.

“I am. I enjoy being with Remi.”

Grayson huffed out a breath. “Audri, are you sure? I know how you are with relationships, and I know how he is. He’s not a guy who commits. He shatters hearts. Remi goes on from woman to woman without care. I love him as my friend, and I trust him as my friend, but I’m wary about you being with him. I don’t want you getting hurt again.”

“I know, and that’s why I was nervous about telling you. My heart’s telling me to give this relationship a chance, and I have to listen to it. I can tell you that Remi makes me happier than any other man I’ve been with.”

“Okay, but if he doesn’t, you tell me.” We spoke a little more about his trip before he had to run off to a meeting.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzed with a text from my group chat with Kiera and Michelle. I had called them earlier and left a message when they didn’t pick up.

Kiera:You and Remi?

Michelle:About time!

Kiera:I just knew it!

Audri:How?

Kiera:Darling, I could see it from miles away.

Michelle:How was License to Kiss?

Audri:Fabulous.

Kiera:Did you do the sexy deed yet? LOL

Michelle:Is he well-endowed? (cucumber emoji) (wink emoji)

Kiera:(tongue emoji) (eggplant emoji) (kissing emoji) (eggplant emoji) (heart emoji) (10 more eggplant emoji)

Heat burned my face. I wasn’t going into details about that.

Audri:Tremendous assets. Well-hung. Best sex ever.

Michelle & Kiera:Goals!

We chatted a little more and made plans to meet up when they were back in town. I called the hotel car, gave the driver the address to pick me up, and waited on the street. The early June weather had brought more people out and about.

I checked my phone for any messages or voicemails from Remi but saw nothing. Where was Remi now? Was he on his way back? Was everything okay?

As I placed my phone back in my purse, someone shoved me from behind. Unprepared, I plunged into the street on top of my shopping bags. A car screeched to a stop just inches from hitting me. My heart dropped, and my stomach quaked. I could smell the smoke from the tires.

---