“Well, we don’t want him ramming it into any hole you don’t want him to ram it into, do we?”
“I cannot believe you said that with a straight face.” I stand, pick up my handbag, and look at my friends, trying to think of some meaningful parting words in the event my strangled corpse is found naked in a hallway in the morning.
I don’t believe Cole’s dangerous, but in case I’m wrong, I want them to remember me fondly.
“If I die tonight—”
Chelsea sits bolt upright and interrupts me. “Ooh! If you die, I want your black leather jacket with the fringe.”
Jen gasps, sitting forward. “And I want that cute green Fendi handbag! The white Prada one too.”
I exhale heavily and turn to Angel. “Let me guess. The vintage Valentino dress I found at the thrift store?”
She grins. “Red is my best color. Makes my boobs look big.”
“Thank heavens birth control was invented. If your DNA ever gets into the gene pool, humanity is doomed.”
“Don’t be such a sourpuss. You’re about to get laid.”
“Yet not one of you seems concerned for my physical or emotional well-being.”
Chelsea scoffs. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, girl, you’re the baddest bitch out there. Chet just messed with your head and made you forget it.”
After a beat, I say, “Thank you for not calling him the twatwaffle.”
Her smile is blinding. “It’s more fun hearing you say it. Now run along, princess, you’ve got some cock to gobble. Call me later if you want me to pick you up. Or bring ice for your chapped and swollen vagina.” She laughs. “Kitty’s gonna get hammered by a hound dog tonight!”
There’s no appropriate response to that, so I simply turn and walk away, shaking my head.
Cole
Her eyes bright and her color high, Shay rounds the corner to the elevator bank. She stops abruptly when she sees me standing in front of the mirrored wall at the end. We stare at each other while I mentally command her to turn around and run in the other direction.
She refuses.
Squaring her shoulders, she steps forward, holding out her hand as if we’re about to shake on a real estate transaction.
I grab it instead, spin her around, and press her against the wall. Her surprised little gasp is so sexy, it makes my dick pulse in excitement.
Staring down into her wide eyes, I murmur, “Last chance to change your mind.”
“I don’t want to change my mind.”
“You sure? You look nervous.”
“I’m extremely fucking nervous, thank you very much. Press the button.”
“Why didn’t your girlfriends talk any sense into you?”
“Because they have the collective IQ of a twelve-year-old boy. Press the button.”
“Why are they your friends if they don’t look out for you?”
“They do look out for me. All three of them told me Chet was a jerk the first time they met him, and that I could do better.”
“And you didn’t listen.”
“I was too busy being blinded by his shiny teeth and glittering narcissism. Are you going to press the goddamn button, or were you planning to stand here all night interrogating me?”
No one—ever—speaks to me like this. With this impatience. This defiance. This outright disrespect. She’s even cursing. It’s like she’s purposely trying to provoke me. It’s maddening.
It’s also really hot.
When I lick my lips, her breath catches. A little shiver runs through her body. I know it’s not from fear, and that’s also really hot.
In fact, everything about this woman gets me so fucking hot, it’s dangerous.
It’s a good thing we’re only spending one night together. She’s exactly the kind of trouble a man could lose himself in.
Unless you’re her stupid clown of an ex. I should get her to tell me his last name so I can call the chief of police and have that putz arrested for criminal negligence.
Stepping away, I jab my finger onto the Up button on the console on the wall, then fold my arms over my chest and stare at the closed elevator doors, ignoring her.
After several seconds of confused silence, she says, “What are you doing?”
“Following your directions.”
I’m not looking at her, but from the corner of my eye, I see her scowl.
“Well, it’s very unromantic.”
My smirk is reflected in the mirrored doors. “Oh, it’s romance you want, is it? And here I was under the impression you were after something else.”