by L. P. Dover
Rhett winked and dazzled us with his smile as he led us to a back room. “Tonight is all about you,” he said to Olivia. “You can have anything you want. I’ve got my best guys on standby.”
Sophia and Allie squealed and clapped their hands, before disappearing into the room. Music pumped from all areas of the club, and a part of me was curious to see what the rest was like. I didn’t want to be stuck in a room with male strippers grinding all over me.
Harper waggled her eyebrows and walked into the darkness. I followed right behind her, until Rhett held out his arm, blocking my way.
“I never got to formally say how sorry I am about you and Daniel.” His blue eyes twinkled and he smirked when I met his gaze.
“I bet you are.”
Rhett struck me exactly as the kind of man to own an exclusive club—one that catered to the elite. He was eloquent, handsome, and a little arrogant at times. A man in his late-thirties, he had salt and pepper hair, a clean-shaven face, and always dressed impeccably. He’d also become one of my patients, and the ladies at the clinic adored him. Sweet-talking women was his forte. Every time he came in he would ask me out to dinner, but I’d still been with Daniel at the time.
He shrugged. “Well . . . I was thinking if you didn’t have a date to the wedding, we could go together.”
A small laugh escaped my lips. The only reason he wanted me was because I consistently turned him down. “I’m pretty sure you can find someone other than me.”
His lips pulled back slyly. “I know I can, but I asked you. Unless you have someone else in mind?” Classic Rhett.
“I might,” I said, matching his grin. I wasn’t about to give in.
“Hard to get, I see. I like it. I’m glad you’re finally living on the edge.” He brushed a hand down my arm as he walked past. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
Not going to happen. Before I could walk through the door to our private room, Harper snuck out and grabbed my hand. “What are you doing?” I asked.
She pulled me down the long hallway to a set of black double doors. “We’re going to check out the rest of the club.”
“What about Olivia?”
Stopping just outside the doors, the music pumped so loud I could feel the vibrations from the bass in my bones. “Olivia’s fine. She thinks you snuck off with Rhett.”
“Seriously?” I groaned. “I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Harper shrugged. “Who cares? The other sea donkeys were talking about how prudish you are. It took all I had not to slap the shit out of them.”
My stomach clenched. I hated that I even cared what others thought of me. I knew how to have fun. I just never had the time.
Placing her hands on my shoulders, she looked serious. “It’s time for you to think about yourself for a change. If you want a night filled with sex and lust, then go for it. I’m sure as hell going to be doing the same thing. It was pretty clear you were lusting after Bryson, and vice versa.”
I couldn’t argue with her there. “That might be true, but we probably won’t see him again tonight. There’s no way he’s going to get into the club.” A part of me filled with disappointment knowing I might not see him again, while a smaller part sighed in relief. I didn’t know if I was ready for a one-night stand.
Grabbing the handle, I flung the door open. The room smelled like expensive perfume and cologne, and the music had seductive beats. Private sections housed clusters of people, while others roamed around and mingled. And then, in his own secluded corner, I saw him. Bryson. Our eyes met almost instantly.
“I take that back.” I nodded toward their table and Harper snickered.
“Looks like you’ll get your wish after all.”
Chapter Six
Lucas
“Dude,” Noah elbowed me, “they just came in through the double doors.”
It hadn’t escaped my notice that they came in through the back doors. Getting access to the back meant she had ties to the owner. I tossed back my gin and tonic. “I see that.”
“They’re also coming this way,” Aiden said, grabbing his drink. He stood and lifted his glass in the air. “Have fun. I’m out. I don’t want to be the fifth wheel. Catch you back at the hotel.” He nodded his head and smiled at Harper and Sarah in passing, before disappearing into the crowd.
The women stopped at our table and my eyes couldn’t get enough of Sarah’s skin-tight black dress. Harper was beautiful, but couldn’t hold a candle to Sarah. Her striking green eyes bored right into mine. Most women who knew who I was never looked at me the way she did. I think that was why I wanted her so fucking bad. She didn’t want to want me, but she couldn’t deny it.
“He didn’t have to leave,” she said, nodding in Aiden’s direction.
Noah stood and gestured for her to take the seat next to me on the couch. “He didn’t want to be the fifth wheel.”
Sarah sat next to me on the black leather couch while Noah and Harper sat close together on the one opposite us. Damn bastard was doing better than me. However, that wasn’t what mattered. My bet was to get Sarah to fall in love with me, not just fuck her.
“What if he was the one I wanted to talk to?” Sarah asked, grinning mischievously.
“Then you’re shit out of luck.” I spread my arms over the back of the couch. “You got me instead. I’m not that bad, am I?”
Her gaze narrowed, but she kept on smiling, her voice playful. “No, but he seems like a good guy.”
I leaned in close. “Is that what you want?”
Harper waved a hand at me. “Oh, she’s already had her brush with the bad side today. The owner of this place has the hots for her.”
So that was how they had access to the back. I turned toward Sarah. “The owner, huh? I guess you know him well?” A part of me couldn’t help but feel jealous. I had no reason to be, since she wasn’t mine yet. But in my mind, I’d already claimed her.
She shrugged, like there was more to the story, only she wasn’t going to tell me. “Somewhat,” she explained. “We’ve known each other a few years now.”
“Isn’t he a little old for you?”
“Aren’t you?” she fired back, causing Harper to giggle.
“Damn! That was harsh.” Noah chuckled. “I think on that note, I’m going to grab a drink.” He stood and held his hand out to Harper. “Care to join me?”
She took his hand and winked at Sarah. “Don’t mind if I do. Although, I’m going to miss the sexual tension floating around here. It’s fun to watch.”
Sarah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Ha-ha. Very funny.”
Once they were gone, I moved closer to Sarah to make conversation easier. “I’m not that much older than you. You’re what . . . twenty-six?”
She snickered. “Twenty-eight. And I was just teasing about you being too old. I know you’re around my age.”
“Okay, so a couple of years off,” I confessed. “I’m thirty.”
One of the waiters came up and set down a glass of red wine in front of Sarah. “For you, Miss Locke, from Mr. Taylor. It’s one of our finest vintage reds. He said it was your favorite.”
She stiffened and a nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Please tell him thank you.”
The waiter nodded and walked away. I couldn’t help but feel like the whole thing was a jab at me. Rhett Taylor wasn’t much different than me. When he wanted something and couldn’t have it, he definitely didn’t want others having it.
Sarah picked up the glass and sipped it delicately. A slight moan escaped her lips as she swallowed the expensive liquid. That one glass of wine was probably over two hundred dollars.
“For someone you somewhat know, he’s willing to give you an awfully pricey glass of wine.”
She cleared her throat, swirling the wine around. “We all have our secrets. If you promise not to ask me about mine, I won’t ask about yours.”
I couldn’t argue with her there. “Deal. Well, then, maybe you could answer me this
.” She looked over at me, brows lifted. “Why are you here tonight?”
Releasing a heavy sigh, she peered into my eyes. “That’s a really good question.” She stood and held out her hand. “Might as well help me figure it out.”
Chapter Seven
Ashley
My phone beeped and I groaned. Who the hell was texting me so early in the morning?
When I rolled over and opened my eyes, the clock said it wasn’t exactly early, but at least I still had time to get ready. Olivia had an eight o’clock tee time planned, which gave me an hour and a half. Sighing, I pushed myself up into a seated position and swung my legs over the side of the bed. It wasn’t until I rubbed my eyes that I realized I still had my makeup on from the wild night before. Now it was all over my face.
“Great,” I mumbled. It was going to take a year to scrub all that crap off my face.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
With a loud shriek, I jumped out of bed and grabbed the first thing I could use to cover myself with. It turned out to be Bryson’s undershirt. Slipping it on, I tried not letting the smell of his cologne suck me back under his spell.
“What the hell?” I snapped, glaring at him lounging in my bed.
His eyes roamed over my breasts that could easily be seen through the white shirt. I crossed my arms over them and huffed. Arms resting behind his head, he winked at me and smiled as his gaze traveled down my body.
I moved quickly to pull the shirt down to cover my bits. “You’re supposed to be gone. Why are you still here?”
His smile broadened. “It would’ve been rude to skip out on you after the night we had.”
Memories of our night replayed through my mind. It was some of the best sex I’d ever had. Not to mention, he was a phenomenal kisser. But one night was all I’d agreed to. “You need to leave. I thought you left last night.” After our many hours of fun, I’d gotten up to use the bathroom, and when I got out, he’d been gone. Or so I’d thought.
Bryson slipped out of bed, the sheets falling away from his body. I refused to look any lower than his face, even though I really wanted to. If I could kick myself in the ass, I’d do it. How could I have been so stupid? Yet I was thrilled that I’d done something scandalous.
He closed the distance, his warm skin coming into contact with mine as he backed me against the wall. His tousled brown hair was wild from me running my hands through it, and his gray eyes were just as sexy sober. “Sorry to disappoint, sunshine. I’m not a hump and dump kind of guy.”
Snorting, I sidestepped him, trying my best to put as much distance between us as I could. “Somehow, I don’t believe that.” I hurried into the small kitchenette and grabbed a water out of the refrigerator. Olivia had it stocked with my favorite juices. But it wasn’t enough to distract me from the naked man in the bedroom doorway.
“Believe what you will,” he said, grinning playfully.
Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention to the large window overlooking the ocean, hoping like hell he couldn’t see my flaming cheeks. It was bad enough my mascara was all over my face. Talk about a hot mess.
“Will you please get dressed and get out of here?” I faced him again and it was obvious he found the situation hilarious. “I don’t want to have to answer any questions if my friends see you.”
“Embarrassed of me?” he countered slyly.
“Oh my God, you’re driving me insane.” I stormed back into the bedroom and grabbed his clothes off the floor, shoving them into his hands.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. “You can’t tell me you didn’t have fun last night. Admit it. You enjoyed it just as much as I did.”
There was no denying it, and he could see the truth in my eyes. I just didn’t want to admit it out loud. Before any semblance of a word could leave my lips, a knock sounded on my door. I froze, the breath leaving my lungs as I panicked.
“Oh no,” I groaned.
Bryson’s eyes twinkled. “Who is it?”
Another knock. “Hey, girl, it’s me. You okay? You didn’t answer your phone.”
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” I hissed low, which only made Bryson chuckle. I slapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t you dare say a word. If you do, so help me God.”
All he did was smile, which didn’t help matters. Olivia knocked again, and I cleared my throat. “Coming,” I shouted. Opening the door partway, I kept the lower half of my body out of sight, since there was nothing covering me.
Olivia’s eyes widened when she saw my face and the state of my dress. She was ready for our day of golf in her pink polo shirt and white shorts. “Wild night?”
I tried to run a hand through my hair, but it got stuck in a tangle. “You could say that.”
She tried to hide her smile and failed. “You left early last night. Rhett did too.”
Bryson snuck over to the door but stayed out of sight. His fingers trailed up my bare thigh and I smacked them away. I was going to kill him. “It’s not what you think. I promise.”
Snickering, she waved me off. “Hey, I’m not saying a word. I just hope you two had fun.” She held up her wrist and tapped her watch. “Our tee time’s coming up. You going to be ready in time?”
I nodded. “Sure thing. It won’t take me long.”
She giggled and waved before heading down the hall. “See you downstairs. Tell Rhett good morning for me.”
Shaking my head, I shut the door and leaned against it. “Do you have to be so annoying?”
Bryson chuckled and slipped on his pants. “You need to loosen up, sunshine. I’m only in town for a month. Better take advantage of the time while we have it.”
I opened the door and pushed him out, his laugh echoing down the hall. “I’d rather not. Goodbye. Enjoy your time in Myrtle Beach.” Slamming the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. All I had to do now was avoid him for the rest of the weekend.
Olivia and the others were waiting in the lobby as I exited the elevator. They started for the exit as soon as they saw me. Harper stayed behind with a smug smile on her face. We both had on green polo shirts, mine much lighter than hers, along with khaki shorts.
“Well?” she asked, following along beside me.
I knew what she was asking, but I chose to play stupid. “Well, what?”
She bumped me in the side. “Why does Olivia think you were with Rhett last night?”
“I don’t know. She kind of caught me in a pants down situation, and I couldn’t think straight when she stood there outside my door.” We walked outside and the sea air was perfect, cool and breezy, but it wouldn’t be that way for long. The afternoon would bring in the humidity.
Harper burst out laughing. “That’s because Hottie McHotpants had you tongue tied. I was in a similar predicament last night. Actually, I plan on being that way again tonight.”
“Seriously?” I said, returning a laugh. “With Noah?”
She nodded. “Yep. We had a good time. Once we’re done with all this bachelorette party stuff tonight, I plan on meeting him again. You should join us.”
I held a hand up. “That’s okay. I had enough of Bryson last night.” It was a total lie, and judging by the skeptical look on her face, Harper was aware.
A golf cart waited just outside for us. I drove it down to our cars, so we could load up our golf clubs. It was time to focus on the game and get Bryson off my mind.
Chapter Eight
Lucas
“Someone got lucky last night,” Aiden teased as I walked through the door to my hotel room.
I tossed my jacket onto the couch and smiled. “What can I say?”
Already dressed in his khakis and gray golf shirt, he stood and looked down at his watch. “Our tee time is in less than an hour. Noah’s in his room taking a shower. Apparently, he had fun last night too. I’m the only one who didn’t get laid.”
Chuckling, I patted his shoulder in passing. “Since when do you have problems finding women?”
“Never.” He snorted. “Guess I�
��m not as badass without my wingmen. You two left me out in the cold last night.”
“Done whining?”
“Whatever, cocksucker.” He laughed and pointed over to the covered dish on the counter. “Since I’m such an amazing brother, I ordered you some breakfast. Figured you’d have been back hours ago.”
I ate a piece of cold bacon and smiled again. “Under normal circumstances, I’d have left the second I got what I wanted. With Sarah, I couldn’t.”
“Why? Because you want her to think you’re a great guy, so she’ll fall in love with you?”
Bursting out with laughter, I shook my head. “She hates my ass. You should’ve seen the way she kicked me out this morning.”
His face brightened. “Are you trying to say I’m going to win the bet?”
I popped a grape into my mouth. “Nope. I’ll get her to fall for me. Just you wait and see.” Did I have a plan? Not at all. I was on unfamiliar ground. I’d never been kicked out of a woman’s bed before. Most women begged me to stay in them.
Laughing, Aiden shook his head and started for the door. “Good luck with that. I’m going down to the lobby.”
I had a strong feeling I was going to see Sarah out on the course, so I wanted to be ready. She wasn’t about to get rid of me so easily. About to jump in the shower, my phone rang.
“Good morning, Dad,” I greeted.
“Good morning to you too. So, I stop by your house, only to hear from your landscaper that you’re gone for the month. Care to tell me what that’s all about?” He didn’t sound angry, which was a plus. I could only hope he would understand my reasoning when I finally told it to him.
“I needed a vacation,” I simply said.
He chuckled. “From what, living your dream?”
