Page 40 of You're so Bad

We walk into the events space at Buchanan Brewery, past a sign that says,

Add Bianca and Colter,

and get Happily Ever After! #theABCsofLove

I’m not sure whether I want to laugh so I hard I piss myself or change my name and move to a different state. Maybe one and then the other.

I immediately peg Colter as the guy who’s standing by the open doors and eyeing up Shauna in that sexy-ass dress. He’s wearing white pants and a shirt that looks like a cut of salmon, collar popped. His hair is blond, and his eyes are the sad blue of a baby seal who’s about to see the business end of a club.

I immediately nickname him Champ in my head, because he looks like the kind of all-American guy you’d see in a commercial where they’re playing softball and eating shitty hotdogs.

If we weren’t so close to him, I’d lean down and ask Shauna why she fucked this guy but won’t fuck me. I can guarantee I’d show her a better time. He looks like he could only have an accidental acquaintance with the female orgasm.

“Bean,” Colter says with a grin, taking a step toward Shauna. I put my left arm around her hip, holding the cat carrier with the other hand. My fingers brush the firm swell of her ass as I loop it around her, and I feel something jump to attention inside of me. It’s not just my cock, which took plenty of notice of her when she was in my bedroom earlier.

“She tell you we repurposed that name for our foster kitten?” I ask.

His frown is like a shot of whiskey after the worst day of your life. I suck it up and savor it.

“You brought a cat?” His gaze shoots to the animal carrier.

“Tiger here thought you’d understand,” I say, giving her hip a squeeze. She steps on my foot. I grin. “This here is Bean. We were told she’s not supposed to be left alone for more than half an hour at a time.”

“Uh, I think there’s a no-animal policy,” he says tightly.

“Not to worry, Champ,” I say, unwinding my arm from Shauna so I can slap him on the back. “One of the owners is married to the woman who runs the animal shelter where we got our precious baby.”

True, actually. I read it on the website. The panicked look on Shauna’s face says she thinks I’m lying, but I did my research.

It’s always best to know the lay of the land when you’re going into enemy territory.

“Huh,” Colter says, trying to recover. “Wait a sec. Bee,” he calls.

A woman with dark hair and the eyes of a parole officer turns around, and from the surprised expressions of the people in her group, she’s clearly abandoned them mid-sentence. Huh. Not a blond then. She has on a sleek black dress, and there’s a look of cunning in her eyes as she studies us.

Shauna got it in one. This woman may not even know it, but she’s playing a game. She’s probably always playing a game—the kind that she can win, to her mind.

I catch Shauna staring at me, and there’s a pout around her lips, like she’s not happy with me for scoping out the competition. I slide my arm around her again, letting her know that I’m not drawn in by this uppity woman or her airs. My assessment was purely about being prepared.

I think I already have a read on the situation. Colter’s nothing. A patsy. As easily played as a guitar with one string. This woman’s the real brains in the joint.

“Darling?” she says, joining Champ and leaning into him.

I shoot Shauna a significant glance. Champ mimics me. Finally, she clears her throat and says, “Sorry.” Her gaze turns to me, burning, and she layers her hand over the one I have on her hip. Her hand is small and smooth, and I like the feeling of it. Even if she’s only touching me out of spite for another man. Actually, it’s better this way. No expectations. “This is Leonard. Leonard, meet the happy couple, Bianca and Colter.”

“You can call me Doc,” I tell them with a grin. Maybe I’m imagining it, but I think Shauna’s holding back a laugh. I edge a little closer to her. She pinches the hand I have on her hip.

“So great to finally meet you,” Champ says, holding out his hand. I release Shauna’s hip and transfer Bean’s crate to my left hand so I can give him a shake. I figure he’ll try to crush my hand into submission like the big guy at The Waiting Place. Rafe was protective of Shauna, which I respect. But Colter’s shake is limp and lacks any conviction. I transfer Bean back over after his hand drops.

Bianca surprises me by leaning in to kiss my cheek, her lips dry and cool.

When she pulls back, I catch Shauna giving her death eyes, which was obviously the intention behind the cheek-kiss.

“We’vereallybeen looking forward to meeting you,” Bianca says. “The man who finally cracked Shauna’s shell.”

The look on her face saying she’s very much enjoying this game.

“Same,” I say. “I’ve heardso muchabout you both.”

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