Page 77 of Second First Kiss

Then again, she wouldn’t be there to meddle in his love life. Actually, he could use some old-fashioned mom-meddling. Note to self: call mom when you get off work tomorrow.

An hour later Nolan found himself at the bar with only the craft beer for company. That perma-smile he’d sported all day was officially gone. He’d blown it at that meeting.

He’d promised her a friend, no special treatment, no pressure. The first chance he was given to prove that he could handle that and he’d acted like a Neanderthal—again. He was surprised he didn’t throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his lair.

He couldn’t help himself. When it came to Kat, something possessive kicked in and this protective nature took over.

He might as well kiss this relationship, whatever you’d call it, goodbye. But he’d known how hard it had been for her to ask for that favor, especially with him and Milly in the room to witness it. The hit her pride must have taken to even bring it up in such a public setting. So of course, they’d write the letter. It was a no-brainer.

He raised his hand to signal Tim for a second beer. He needed a third and maybe a fourth, which was why he’d booked himself a room at the lodge. He could get shitfaced and not have to worry about how to get home. Although he was only three-quarters of his way through his first beer, he planned on getting hammered. It had been a long time since he’d let loose and drank out his frustrations. The last time had been when Nina cut off all access.

Nolan had gotten so inebriated that night, his collective brothers had to carry him out, pour him into the back of Jax’s truck and drive him home, where he’d awoken on his front lawn at the crack of dawn with a raging headache, still drunk, and soaked because the automatic sprinklers had kicked on at five a.m.

What supportive and thoughtful assholes.

“You want to talk about what happened back there?” Jax asked, sliding onto the barstool next to him, a big-ass knowing grin on his face.

“You want to get punched in the nuts?” Nolan asked, taking a pull of beer.

“Whoa, man.” Jax put his hands up. “I was coming to offer some free advice or someone to drink in silence with since you look a little pathetic over here drinking all by your lonesome.”

Nolan lifted a brow.

“Okay, Milly made me come over,” his brother admitted.

Nolan looked over his shoulder and Milly waved. Nolan waved back, which, of course, Milly took as an invitation to join the group.

“Is she going to lecture me about Kat and get all up in my business?”

“Most definitely,” Jax said. “And since I want to get laid, you will listen to every word she says. Understood?”

“I’d rather drink my beer all by my lonesome.”

“Too late,” Jax whispered seconds before Milly slid between Jax’s opened thighs.

“Hey, baby.” She gave him a kiss that had Nolan looking away. “Did you ask him about the whole girlfriend thing?”

“Didn’t get a chance to. You walked your fine ass over here, even though you promised to leave it up to me.”

“Nolan invited me over. Didn’t you, Nolan?” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and Jax shot him a death glare over her head.

“Of course,” Nolan said with no enthusiasm behind him. “But talking about Kat is off-limits.”

“You mean your girlfriend?” Milly said, and with a sigh, Nolan rested his forehead on his hand. “Funny thing about that is that she’s been driving your car, has been rumored to bring you dinner, and I know for a fact that you guys have at least kissed. Yet she says you’re just friends.”

He snapped his head up. “She told you all that?”

“Nope. Heard it around town, which is even more surprising because she tells me and Gemma everything,” Milly said. “And I mean everything. The woman has no filter when it comes to her sex life. But with you she’s tight-lipped. Why do you think that is?”

“Maybe there’s nothing to tell.”

Milly thought about that, but she wasn’t buying it. “So she’s not your girlfriend?”

“No.”

Milly narrowed her eyes into two slits that scared the shit out of Nolan. For a tiny little thing she could be intimidating a hell. “Then stop acting like it. My friend acts like she’s all big and tough, but she’s at a really vulnerable and confusing place in her life, and the last thing she needs is a man coming in and confusing the situation further.”

“I’d never hurt her.”

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