Page 69 of The Second Deal

Thisfucking asshole. “Ididn’t come back for you.”

Helooks me up and down, unimpressed. “Couldafooled me.”

“Dree,”Isnap, turning to fully face him, “what the hell do you want from me?I’mback home.I’mhere on a date with you and giving this stupid shit a try like you wanted.Whatelse do you want from me?”

Hegrabs my hip, fingertips digging in so deeply that nails cut into my skin as he pulls me closer.Hecranes down, his nose grazing mine.Emberssmolder in his dark eyes. “Iam all but on my knees for you.”

Peopledance and talk and holler all around, but it’s a whole other world apart from us.Histouch and gaze sends an electrical charge flushed with heat down to my core, and my breath catches.

Hecould be mine.

“Whynow?”Idemand.Strobelights pass over his face, highlighting the desperation written all over his face for a split second. “Whynot any time before?”

“Youwere with my brother.Youwere happy and taken care of—that’s all that mattered.”

Ignaw on my lip for a moment. “Thenwhy’d you take advantage of the bonfire?”

“Whydid you?”

Myeyes roll. “Iwas too drunk and too high to be making any decisions.”

“Andyou thinkIwasn’t?” he retorts. “Steph, what happened that night wasn’t right, but, goddamn it, it wasn’t a mistake.Notbetween us, it wasn’t.”

Drugsand alcohol loosen inhibitions,Iremind myself as we stare each other down.Itdid back then.Itdid the other night.

Hell, it could again tonight.

Islide my empty drink across the table towards him. “Mindgetting us another round?”

Hehesitates, but he grabs the condensation-covered glasses and disappears.

I’mleft wondering how much of that spielIbuy asIwatch him head to the bar.I’mnot sure if either of us are deluding ourselves, or if there is a lick of sense in whatAdrianis trying to convince me.

MaybeI’llnever make heads or tails out of it.Itwasn’t likeIintentionally got so obliterated that night to have an excuse to get away with fucking him—it tore me up so bad afterward thatIquit the band and ducked out of town.ButIdidn’t want to break up withZak, either, not even when we were screaming at each other whenIleft.

Youcan’t have them both,Itell myself asAdrianfinds his way back.

Heholds our drinks up high to avoid spilling them, but a woman stops him.Hisface lights up as she talks, and he nods.Then, she whips out her phone and has a friend take her picture withAdrianbefore forcing a hug on him.

It’skind of funny when he smiles at them uncomfortably, giving them a nod before rushing back to me.

“Whathappened to getting lost in groupie pussy?”Ismart.

“Ain’tthe same when the one you really want comes back.”

Ichoose not to say anything else, sipping on a deliciously cold and strong margarita, instead.

“Somethingnever added up for me,”Adriansays.Hefocuses on the dance floor, bodies moving and gyrating to the music. “Yeah,Zakproposing and you telling him no on stage atNYBwas embarrassing, and having to work together afterwards woulda been pretty damn hard, but not impossible.Nothingto fuckin’ leave town over.”Histhroat bobs, and his eyes avert to the table. “Wasthere something else?”

Mymouth runs dry, so dry that not even chugging a whole margarita helps.Peeringup, he finally meets my gaze.

“Wasthere something else?” he repeats firmly.

Ihesitate.Justeven mentioning how much worse it could have been makes the reality force its way back into the present whenIhad long buried it under devotion to work.

“I…Ithought so.Butthe dayImoved into my apartment inAtlanta,Ifinally got my period.”

Adrianexhales so sharply thatIreach out to grab and hold him close, just in case he goes tumbling backwards.Iswear,Icould see stars swirling in his eyes.

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