Page 59 of Tangled Ambition

“You asshole,” Laney said, punching me in the arm. She turned to Taylor. “Don’t listen to him. You don’t need to drive his car like some chauffeur.”

“You’re right. I could drive it myself.” I leaned my hand on the table, bringing me closer to Taylor while focused on my sister. “But you’re the one who wanted us all to ride in that stupid trolley.”

“You’re getting a trolley?” Taylor asked.

“Yes, and oh my god, it’s so cute. I can’t wait. I’m sure it’ll still be a little cold out, but—”

“A little cold out,” I interjected sarcastically. “You’re getting married in the beginning of March. You’ll be lucky if it doesn’t snow.”

This time, Taylor was the one who punched me. “Don’t piss on your sister’s wedding joy.”

I scowled at her. “Since when are you into wedding joy?”

“Since always. You don’t know everything about me,” she snipped, and I flapped my hand at them.

“Whatever. I gotta finish packing up my gear.” I spun away, but Laney’s voice carried behind me.

“Listen, I’d love for you to come. Like I said, there’s an open seat for you. Think about it, okay?”

I couldn’t hear Taylor’s response as I stepped back onto the stage, fixated on winding up all the cords and not on how Laney and Taylor had their heads bent together.

Taylor was right. I didn’t know everything about her. I assumed she’d hate weddings and anything romantic. She wore black all day, every day and was basically the walking equivalent of frostbite, but then again, she knew all the words to that dumbParent Trapmovie and she colored.Colored!Beneath her hard exterior, she was actually rather soft and sweet, and my curiosity about that side of her grew every day.

By the time I returned from taking my guitar and amp out to my car, Hank had already left, and Tony and Jerry were on their way out. I gave them each a fist bump then slid into the open seat at the table. Ethan had his arm around the back of Laney’s chair while he chugged down water. When he finished, he set down the glass and smiled at my sister. “Ready?”

She nodded and gathered her coat and purse.

I tossed my hand in the air. “You guys are leaving too?”

“Gotta go de-stress my lady,” Ethan said with a lascivious smirk, and I covered my ears.

“Nope, nope, nope.”

Next to me, Taylor raised her glass, still nearly full of the pour of whisky I’d given her. “Have fun.”

Laney waved her fingers in our direction, laughing. “We’re going home to color, Dean. Relax.”

Ethan shook his head, his hand slipping down Laney’s back toward her butt, and I would seriously never get used tothat. “Leave now. Goodbye. Never speak to me again about this.”

Taylor dug her bony elbow into me. “You’re so uptight. Maybe you should color too.”

I angled my chair toward her. “Only if we’re still using that word as code for fucking.”

The tops of her cheeks reddened, and I slid my foot alongside hers, our calves touching, but she didn’t back away. “Don’t get all shy on me now like some blushing virgin, when a few hours ago, you were telling me I couldn’t handle whatever it is you like in bed.”

She pursed her lips, and I curled my hands into fists to keep from tracing her mouth with my fingers.

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” she murmured. “I don’t know why you’re so interested.”

I inhaled deeply, trying to rearrange my jumbled thoughts about the woman in front of me. “I’m a guy. I’m always thinking about sex.”

Her long lashes lifted, revealing those dark, enigmatic eyes that could cut a man to ribbons with one look. “Sex with me?”

I nodded. When a person came to an impasse, sometimes it was best to go right through it. “Ever since you went home with that octopus-tattoo douchebag.”

“You go home with a lot of women, but I’m not hammering you about it, cornering you in the break room, which, might I add, should be an HR complaint.”

“Go ahead,” I dared her, shifting so I was in her space, her leg between both of mine, my forearm draped across the table in front of her, my other hand gripping the back of her chair. “Go tell Dominic how you silently fume whenever I bring up other women, how your breathing speeds up when we’re this close, how you wonder what my beard would feel like against your thighs.”

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