Page 58 of Mr. Scandalous

He was so drunk on the moment, so captivated by Eden’s experimentation and creativity, he almost said,I love you,but he bit down on his tongue in the nick of time.

What the hell was that?

A panicky sensation dropped through him. Of course, he didn’t love her. He liked her. An incredible amount. She stimulated him in a way no woman ever had, and he loved what she was doing to him. But he simply wasn’t the kind of guy who fell in love. He preferred to keep things light and commitment free.

Love complicated everything. All he had to do was ask Randy.

* * *

Randy Sterling saton a bar stool at Bombshells, staring morosely into the overpriced beer he’d been nursing for the past hour. He hadn’t been inside the strip club since he’d met Jill over a year ago.

Sighing, he shook his head. He still didn’t know what had gone wrong. Everything had been perfect between them until that damned wedding shower.

Not too perfect, if you didn’t even know she was unhappy.

He took a swig of his beer. Hell, Alec was right. Women. Who could figure ’em? The more you tried to please them the less you succeeded.

For Jill, he’d even given up sex and it had been his idea. He’d wanted to prove to her that he had changed. That he was no longer that immature playboy who saw love and commitment as a noose around a man’s neck. Once he met her, he hadwantedlove and marriage and happily-ever-after and just when it seemed he had it all—ka-blewy.

A red-haired woman in a tight-fitting leather skirt sauntered over to sit beside him. He sighed. She was the fifth one he’d had to chase away since he’d arrived.

What in the hell was he doing here? He’d thought a drink and watching nearly naked ladies twirl on the catwalk would send his blues packing.

It hadn’t.

In fact, it made things worse as guilt cut into him. Why was he trying to recapture his youth? He felt stupid.

“Hi there, big fella.” The redhead purred. She had to lean in close in order to be heard above the throbbing dance music.

Randy didn’t even look up from where he was peeling the label off his longneck beer bottle.

“You look like you could use some cheering up.”

He turned his head toward her, but still did not glance at her face. “Look, I’m sure you’re a very nice person, but I’m just not interested.”

She reached over, took his hand and laid it on her bare knee. He looked down and almost yanked his hand away but something about that knee looked very familiar.

“Sometimes,” she said in a voice he finally recognized. “What we need to solve our problems is nothing more than hot sex with a total stranger.”

He jerked his head up and met those soft brown eyes he knew so well.

But the sexy tilt of her head, the wide scarlet slash of lipstick adorning her lips, the saucy attitude of a thoroughly bad girl was startlingly new and different. Instantly he hardened and his heart careened in his chest.

“Jill?” he whispered, scarcely about to believe this sexy vamp was his quiet, reserved fiancée.

“No,” she said. “My name is Candy. And if you want to try something sweet, then come with me.”

Stunned, he simply stared at her openmouthed. What on earth had possessed her? Not that he was complaining…

She stood up, took his hand and urged him off his bar stool.

“Jill...Candy...what are you up to? Are you sure you...”

“Shh.” She pressed a manicured finger to her lips. “Come with me.”

Dumbfounded, Randy allowed her to lead him through the dimly Ut club. He watched her fanny sway, and his blood pressure shot through the top of his head as the million X-rated thoughts he’d managed to keep under control while they were dating kaleidoscoped into a vivid montage in his mind’s eye.

Tugging on his hand, she pushed open the door to the ladies’ rest room.

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