I wrap my arm around Sammi’s tense shoulders. “The bartender poured them right in front of us. No one’s getting roofied. Now smile at the nice men and drink your free alcohol.”
“They’re coming over here.” Kerry nudges me toward the front of our circle. “You’re single now. Go get ‘em, tiger.”
I shoot daggers at her over my shoulder. On second thought, maybe that sash will come in handy. I could use it to strangle her instead of myself.
“Do that thing,” Mary whispers, and the girls nod.
I scan the men as they approach. “The short one is the leader. He’s the most muscular because he’s overcompensating for his height. I say he’s in finance. The tall, scrawny one looks like he’s a doctor. He’s the quiet type. The blond knows he’s good-looking, but he’s not a douche about it. I say he’s a personal trainer.”
My eyes land on the fourth man, lingering much longer than they did on his three friends. Tall, dark, and handsome doesn’t quite do him justice. Thick, tousled hair. A clean-shaven, prominent jawline. Broad shoulders. He’s the only one in the group wearing a suit—a suit that looks like it’s tailored perfectly to his body. You know when you can just tell a guy is fit underneath his clothes? The way his shirt stretches across his chest, the tapering at the waist. Yeah, that’s him.
Also unlike his friends, who are surveying each of us to figure out which one they want to hit on, this one’s eyes are zeroed in on me. He walks with a confident stride, lips curved into a flirty smirk. It’s the look of a man who knows what he wants. And he expects to get it.
“What about him?” Andrea asks.
“He looks like an executive of some sort. Definitely in a position of power. And judging by the fit of those pants, I’d put money on him having a fantastic ass.”
The girls burst into giggles just as the men arrive.
“What are you ladies laughing about?” the short one asks. The leader always speaks first. Point for me.
“Oh, nothing,” I say. “Inside joke.”
Mr. Sexy in a Suit shoves his hands into his pockets. “How much money would you put down?”
My nose scrunches. “What?”
“You said you’d bet that I have a fantastic ass. How much would you wager on that?”
I clench my jaw to keep it from falling open. “What do you read lips?”
“I do,” he says with a cocky grin.
I tap my finger against my chin as I make a show of assessing his body once more. “I’d bet fifty bucks I’m right.”
“That’s a confident bet.”
“I’m a confident woman.” At least I was before seven years of marriage stifled me.
Mary rests her elbow on my shoulder. “Fifty bucks from each of you says my girl is right about everything else she said about you too.”
The men exchange glances before their pint-sized leader speaks for them. “You’re on. Let’s hear it.”
I point to each of them. “Doctor. Finance. Personal trainer.”
Their eyebrows lift as they dip into their wallets and place their cash in my hand.
Mr. Sexy in a Suit narrows his dark eyes. “And I’m just the guy with the nice ass?”
“That hasn’t been proven yet,” I remind him. “But I’d say you run things at your job. The boss, like a CEO or something.”
A smirk tugs at his lips. “How’d you do that?”
“It’s a gift. A weird gift that serves no purpose or utilizes any real talent.”
“I wouldn’t say that. That was pretty impressive. Do you work for the FBI?”
I lean closer to him and say, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
He laughs, revealing a set of perfect pearly whites. It’s a stark contrast from his tan skin. I’d also like to note that his laugh is sexy. You don’t realize how important a person’s laugh is until you’re on a date with someone whose laugh sounds like a dying mongoose.
I hold my hand out, palm facing up. “So are you going to ante up?”
“I don’t have cash on me, but I’d love to buy you and your friends another round.”
I pretend to mull it over. “Hmm. Not sure that’ll cover your debt.”
He dips down, closing the gap between us to position his lips at my ear. “I can come up with other ways to repay you.”
Heat crawls up my neck and into my cheeks. This guy is used to getting his way. I’d bet girls throw themselves at him on the regular. I try to appear unaffected and hike a shoulder. “I’ll take another shot of whiskey to start.”
I peer up at him as the bartender takes his order. Everything about him is smooth. His skin, his voice. Those lips.
It’s been so long since I’ve been kissed. I mean really kissed. A hands-in-the-hair, bodies wrapped around each other, all-consuming kiss.
Somewhere along the line, the desire I’d had for Andrew turned into disgust. Resentment will do that to you. It trickles into your blood like a poison, slow at first, until it’s coursing through your veins. It overrides every other feeling you have, making it impossible to see through the blurriness of anger and disappointment.
I snap back to the present moment when a shot glass is handed to me. The stranger clinks his beer bottle against it and takes a long swig. His eyes flick up at the balloons. “Those for you?”
I grimace at the reminder. “Yup.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Everyone else seems to think congratulations are in order.”
He shakes his head. “Divorces are sad.”
“You wouldn’t think so with how many couples were in the courtroom today.”
“Just because it’s common doesn’t make it any less tragic.”
He’s right. His honesty puts me at ease with this conversation. Either that or the whiskey is melting my reserve.
“I feel like a failure,” I confess. “Just another idiot who married the wrong person.”
“You’re not an idiot. Everyone makes mistakes. At least you had good enough sense to correct it. Do you know how many people stay stuck in their mistakes?”
I tilt my head to the side, turning his words over in my mind. “That actually makes me feel a little better.”
“Just a little? Guess I’ll have to keep trying.”
My eyes bounce back and forth between his eyes, smiles tugging at both of our mouths. Flirting like this breathes some much-needed life into my lungs. I’ve missed this.
Andrea pokes her head between us. “Are you single?”
The sexy suit keeps his eyes fixed on me when he says, “I am. Wouldn’t’ve come over here if I wasn’t.”
She fans herself with her glittery clutch. “Sexy and a gentleman? He’s just the guy you need tonight, Rae.” She winks and bounces back to our friends.
I’m about to apologize for my friend’s forwardness when I realize something. Why should I apologize? Andrea is being herself. Nothing wrong with that. I’m sure this cocky man in a suit wouldn’t think twice about apologizing for anything he says.
I’ve apologized to Andrew enough to last me a lifetime—mostly for things I didn’t need to apologize for in the first place.
“So what’s Rae short for?” the Sexy Suit asks.
“Raegan.” I extend my hand toward him. “And you are?”
“Jaxon.”
When his large hand engulfs mine, goosebumps spread up my arm. He doesn’t let go right away, his coffee-colored eyes penetrating mine.
Black coffee. No cream or sugar. Just the rich, bold taste. Wouldn’t I love a sip.
It feels like forever since I’ve touched a holding hand that felt like this. It feels like forever since I’ve touched a holding hand period. I didn’t realize how starved I’ve been for affection until now.
I wonder how his hands would feel on my body …
I pull away before I start humping his leg like a dog. “So, are you really a CEO?”
“Something like that. I actually got a promotion today. Hence the suit.”
“Con
gratulations. What do you—”
“Are we gonna dance or what?” Kerry interrupts.
I smile up at Jaxon. “My friends are heathens, as you can see.”
He laughs. “Dance with your friends. I’m not going anywhere.”
I arch an eyebrow. Why? I want to ask. Why waste your time on me when you can have any girl in this place eating out of the palm of your hand?
Kerry yanks me away from him before I can say anything, and I’m pulled into the middle of the dance floor.
“That man is fine,” Andrea shouts over the music.
Sammi nods eagerly. “He looks really into you.”
Becca nudges me with her elbow. “Did you get his number?”
“The only thing I got was whiplash. Why did you pull me over here like that? We were in the middle of a conversation.”
Kerry rolls her eyes. “You need to play hard to get. Make him work for it.”
“Work for what?”
“You know what.”
I shake my head. “I can’t go home with him.”
“Why not?” Mary asks. “No harm in it if you’re careful.”
“You wasted your twenties with ass face,” Andrea says. “You’re getting a second chance now. Have fun. Let loose.”
“Have sex.” Kerry wiggles her eyebrows.
Sex with a stranger? Can I do that? I’ve only had sex while in monogamous relationships. Would I be able to bare my body to someone I don’t know for one night?
I look to Sammi for backup, but she shrugs. “If you’re going to have sex with a random, do it with that guy.”
I scoff. “So much for being the goody-two-shoes of our group.”
“What? He’s gorgeous.”
I laugh. That he is. “Let’s just dance and enjoy your kid-free night out.”
“Say it louder for the mamas in the back!” Andrea raises her arms overhead and gyrates her hips.
We giggle and dance the night away in our impenetrable circle. I lose track of how many shots we down. It feels so good to enjoy myself without having to check the time. Andrew would get angry whenever I went out with the girls. Once nine o’clock hit, he’d send text after text, demanding I come home.
So I did.
Disgust racks through my body. God, when did I become this passive, meek woman? No wonder I gained weight. I stopped taking care of myself, too busy catering to Andrew’s wants and needs.
What about my needs?
Why did I allow them to take a back seat?
Why did I let someone else dictate how my life should go?
An explosion goes off within me.
It’s an awakening.
Or maybe it’s just the alcohol.
Whatever it is, I know one thing for certain: Never again will I be the person I was in that marriage.
From this moment on, I’m going to do the things I want to do. Say the things I want to say. And I’m going to take the things I want to have.
No apologies.
No backing down.
I’m going to live the life I want.
I glance at Jaxon, who’s watching me from his stool at the bar.
It’s going to start tonight.
Everything’s about to change.
Jaxon
“She’s seriously hot. Did you call dibs yet? Because if not, dibs.”
I shoot Dan a glare that reads hands off, motherfucker.
His hands raise on either side of his blond head. “Roger that.”
Shaun jerks his thumb toward the balloons. “Divorced chicks are awesome in bed. They’ve got all that pent-up frustration from being unhappy with their husbands for so long.”
Smith shakes his head. “It’s disturbing that you know this.”
“What can I say? I have a type.”
Dan chuckles. “Is that how you found Carrie on Match? Short male with small dick looking for sexually frustrated divorcee.”
“Fuck you.” Shaun tips his beer back and then sets the empty bottle onto the bar. “I’m going to take a piss.”
I turn to Dan. “You know he’s touchy about his height.”
Dan waves me off. “Pfft. He’s fine. His ego is big enough to withstand it.”
My eyes drift over to Raegan. Again. They’ve been drawn to her since the second she walked into the bar. Gorgeous face. Long blond hair. Tight jeans. Full tits spilling out of her top. She has everything it takes to catch a man’s attention. But that’s not hard to do. Wave any scrap of food in front of a dog, he’ll start to salivate.
The real feat is keeping a man’s attention. And Raegan’s keeping mine for three reasons.
Reason One: She read me and my friends like a book. She’s perceptive, which tells me she’s smart. Intelligence is sexy to a man.
Notice how I said to a man. If a guy’s intimidated by a woman’s brain, it means he’s insecure about his own intelligence. Also, he probably has a small pecker.
Reason Two: Raegan was embarrassed by the balloons her friends brought her. She doesn’t want her personal business to be put on display, which shows she isn’t an attention-seeker. I’m not into narcissists. Been there, done that.
Reason Three: She’s confident. This is where people tend to get confused. Some women claim to be confident when in reality, they’re just plain rude. There’s a difference between confident and conceited.
Raegan looked me in the eye and smiled, but didn’t act like she was better than anyone. She wasn’t trying to be sexy or funny. Plus, there was something honest in her eyes. Vulnerable. Maybe the hurt in me sensed the hurt within her.
Needless to say, I’m intrigued.
“Are you going to dance with her, or are you going to stare at her like some creeper?” Dan asks.
“I’m giving her space. She’s with her friends.”
“Don’t wait too long. You don’t want someone else taking her home at the end of the night.”
I arch an eyebrow. “She might not want to be taken home by anyone at the end of the night.”
“She will if you play your cards right.”
“I don’t need to play games to get a girl.”
“Well, you need to do something,” he says. “I know your hand is tired of jerking off in the shower every night.”
“First of all,” Shaun says, back from the bathroom, “how do you know he jerks off in the shower every night?”
“Jealous?”
Shaun laughs. “Hardly. But he has a point, Jax. It’s been long enough. Don’t you think it’s time you broke your dry spell?”
I drain the rest of my beer. “I think you guys worry too much about my dick.”
“Or you’re not worried enough.” Shaun claps me on the back. “I hate that bitch for doing such a number on you, man.”
My stomach clenches at the reminder. “Change the subject.”
“All right, all right. I’m just saying—”
“You’ve said plenty. Your turn to get the next round.” Smith nudges Shaun toward the bar.
I give Smith an appreciative nod.
“You know he’s just worried about you,” Smith says. “We all are.”
“Look, I wanted to come out tonight to celebrate, not to talk about my past. My life is finally back on track. I don’t need to be reminded of my failures.”
“You didn’t fail at anything,” Dan says. “None of what happened was your fault.”
“I’m not having this conversation. It’s over. I’ve moved on.”
“Have you?”
“I have.” My jaw ticks. “Now drop it.”
“Consider it dropped.”
I know the guys are looking out for me. I’d do the same for them. My ex-girlfriend shattered my heart and ran away with the pieces. I’d tried to fuck the memories away, did the whole different-girl-every-night thing. Nothing worked. If anything, random slutty women only reminded me of the she-devil more.
So I swore off women altogether. I threw myself into work, got my administrator’s degree, and today I landed my dr
eam job.
I’m finally on the upswing.
My eyes lock with Raegan across the room and the smile spreads across my face. It’s been a while since I’ve felt drawn to a woman like this. A connection. She’s a sign of all the good that’s about to come my way. Maybe it’s time to break my dry spell.
Dan takes the beer bottle out of my grip. “Stop creeping and go dance with her.”
I shrug off my jacket and roll up my sleeves until they’re halfway up my forearms. Raegan watches me as I make my way through the crowd. Anticipation dances in her eyes and I can tell she wants me as much as I want her.
Tonight, I’m letting go of the past. I’m dropping the pain and heartache like an anchor, and I’m abandoning ship.
Everything’s about to change.
I slide behind Raegan and wrap my arms around her waist. She pushes her ass against me and moves her hips to the beat.
“Your friends are watching us,” I whisper in her ear.
“So are yours.”
“Guess we’d better give them a good show then.”
Her cheeks flush, but her arms lift, weaving her fingers through my hair. She lays her head back onto my chest exposing her neck. I graze my lips against her silky skin and her grip on my hair tightens. She smells like a Caribbean vacation, coconut and pineapple.
We’re swaying much slower than the music, oblivious in our own private bubble. Raegan tilts her head up and spears me with those green eyes—not a bright, emerald green, but a deeper, muted green. Like a forest. A forest where I could lie in the grass and lose myself for hours.
Her lips part and she pulls me down to them. When we kiss, it’s as if the power in the room goes out. Everything’s dark and all I can focus on is the way Raegan’s luscious lips feel on mine, the warmth of her tongue dipping into my mouth.
Ever wonder what a man thinks about while kissing a woman? The way his dick will feel inside her mouth. Judging by the way Raegan’s kissing me, I might be in for a treat. But I won’t make the first move. If Raegan wants to come home with me, she’ll have to let me know.
She pulls away, panting. “Let’s get out of here.”
And there it is.
I wait while she tells her friends. Then, taking her hand in mine, I barrel through the crowd like a freight train that’s gone off the rails. Or at least, I’m moving as fast as I can with the throbbing hard-on in my pants.
Hating the Boss Page 2
