Page 53 of Cold As Ice

“I’m a friend too.” He came closer, snarling. “You’d do well to remember that.”

He brushed past me. The asshole might as well have pulled out his dick to see whose was bigger.

Madison approached me, wearing a frown. “What was all that about?”

“McSteamy?”

“Mc— What?”

“Yeah, you know Dr. Sloan—”

“I know who Dr. Sloane is, Austin.” Frustration coated her words. “I just don’t understand what’s going on right now.”

“I’m about to watch the show and enjoy a beer.” I snatched up my bottle and waved it in her face.

Irritation glittered in her eyes, but to my disappointment, Madison didn’t take the bait.

Offering me a tight smile, she said, “Good for you,” and stormed off, which gave me a perfect view of her ass in her skintight black pants.

The bar went quiet, darkness falling over the entire place. A ripple of anticipation went through the air, making the hairs along the back of my neck stand on edge. The spotlight reappeared, illuminating a single figure. The opening beats of a slowed-down version ofCrazy in Loveplayed out, and a cheer went up around me.

Madison wasn’t wrong. The stripper was clearly a favorite with the regulars.

But I wasn’t watching her.

I was watching Madison out of the corner of my eye. The way she watched the stage, eyes fixated on the dancer, brimming with envy and a hollow sadness that sucker punched me right in the chest.

She felt me staring, and our gazes clashed.

The room around us fell away until everything ceased to exist except her and me.

Me and her.

I’d never experienced anything like it.

It was like a clap of thunder in my chest. Waking me up. Bringing me to life.

Madison had a kid.

A kid.

Yet, I was finding it really hard to remember all the reasons why pursuing her was a bad fucking idea.

* * *

Madison avoided me like the plague. My next two beers came via another server, who I learned was named Hannah, and I barely got a glimpse of Madison as she worked the tables on the floor.

The bar was crammed now. Full of men all looking to see a few naked pairs of tits and maybe the money shot if they were lucky.

I’d switched off an hour ago. I could appreciate the female form, even going as far as to say I enjoyed a good strip show. But I only had eyes for Madison.

I realized how creepy it was to sit uninvited and watch her work, but I needed to talk to her, to clear the air, and set the record straight.

I don’t know why it was so important. She was no one to me, not really. But there had only ever been one person in my life I cared about—really cared about—and I’d let my sister down in more ways than I ever thought possible.

Sometimes, I was surprised Aurora still talked to me after everything I’d unknowingly put her through back in high school.

My hand curled into a tight fist against my thigh as I drained my beer. I hadn’t been there for Rory because I’d been a hotheaded, angry teenager with abandonment issues.

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