Pieces of Us (The Ladies of Back Bay #2)

Prologue

Linc

“The Night That Linc Left” Six Months Ago

Jax and I walk into Melrose, a club in downtown Boston and our usual Friday night spot, a little after nine. Marcus sent us a text that he’s already at the bar; hopefully, he has drinks waiting for us. The place is packed, lights flashing, bass rumbling through my chest, and it’s exactly what I need tonight. It’s been a long couple of weeks, and I feel like we haven’t been out in forever.

All three of us could stand blowing off a little steam tonight. Jax has been a ball of stress for weeks trying to land a spot on a special team at work, and he finally got word this week that he got it. And a plan for a community outreach campaign that I have worked on for over a month was finally approved.

Then there’s Marcus. He’s been working for his family’s company since we graduated from college, and it seems to be slowly killing his soul. I know it isn’t what he really wants to be doing, but he is one of the most loyal men I’ve ever met. He’s the guy that you know will always be there for you, and even though he has a rough exterior, he loves his people with everything he’s got. So, he just puts his head down and does what’s expected of him in preparing to take over the family business.

We push through the crowded club and finally find Marcus at the bar, and thank fuck, he has drinks for us. The club is busy for this early on a Friday. It reminds me of our nights out before life got serious, before we became burdened with bills and jobs.

“Hey, Marcus, thanks for getting the first round.” Jax greets him with a fist bump.

I prefer hugs to fist bumps, so I curl my arm around his shoulders, slapping his back a couple of times. “I got next round.”

Marcus shakes off my arm like he usually does. He knows I’m an affectionate guy, so he tolerates it in small amounts to humor me. Jax, on the other hand, will return my hugs. They’ve both been like family to me since we met in college, and I was raised to not shy away from physical affection, no matter who it is. If you’re family, you better get used to my hugs.

I turn to face Marcus. “Are you going to find someone fun tonight or are you going to attach yourself to that barstool?”

He shakes his head. “Dancing is your thing. I’m good right here with my whiskey.”

It’s been six years of me trying to break him out of his hardened shell. He’s not the type to hook up or randomly date. He has only spoken about a couple women over the time we’ve known him. Never lasts long and we don’t ask why. I hope that changes for him; he’s a good guy. I know he would be good for someone if he would let a woman get close. Either he’ll cave to my attempts, or some woman will come along and flip his world upside down. Doesn’t matter which way it happens; I’ll be happy to see it.

I take a long sip of my beer and glance around the dance floor. It’s been three months since I’ve hooked up, and I’m about to go insane. I might go a week or two without sex, but it’s not normal for me to go this long. Work has taken up a lot of my time lately, and no one has really caught my attention in a while. Even if I find a woman attractive, the conversation leads nowhere.

Jax and Marcus have always been the guys that are more interested in sticking with one woman. Me? I don’t let things progress past the third date. That’s “relationship territory,” where women usually begin asking “what this is,” or they want to start keeping things at my place. That’s not me. I’m not good at relationships or deep feelings with women. I’m not ready to take on another person’s wants, issues, or expectations. I just want to exchange a couple of orgasms and then sleep in my own bed.

I wave over a bartender and order our next round. As I’m slipping my card back into my wallet, I hear a laugh that has a smile forming on my lips. It’s loud, and unlike any other laugh I’ve heard before. It makes me want to know what was so funny.

I tuck my wallet back into my pocket and look toward the source of the sound. I see two women a couple of seats down from us and one of them tips her head back, gracing me with the sound again. I’ve never noticed someone’s laugh before. From where I’m standing, I can see she’s probably a little older than the women I usually date, but that won’t stop me. Not when she has dark hair a little past her shoulders, a fitted tank top that shows off her full tits, and her jeans mold to the curve of an ass that could only be made by God himself.

Jax notices that I’m looking past him and turns to see who I’m looking at. “She’s cute. You should go talk to her.”

“I should.” I take another drink of my beer.

“Go buy her a drink,” Marcus tries to encourage me.

“I haven’t gotten laid in three months.”

Jax and Marcus freeze. Why I felt the need to tell them that, I have no clue.

Jax looks at me, confused. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Work has been a lot, and I just haven’t been feeling it lately.”

Marcus chuckles. “Finally, you’re growing out of your man whore phase.”

“Hey! I’m not a man whore.” I frown. Maybe I’m a little sick of the reputation I’ve earned over the years.

Marcus squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t get worked up. It’s okay if you’re slowing down. I’m actually proud of you. It’s time you settle down a bit.”

“I said nothing about settling down.’”

Jax barks out a laugh. “God forbid you actually find one person that might hold your attention for more than two weeks.”

“I have plenty of time for that. I don’t need to be tied down at my age.”

I hear her laughter again and become impatient with myself. Setting down the rest of my beer, I say, “I’m going to go talk to her.”

Jax raises his bottle toward me. “Good luck.”

I run my hands through my hair, let out a breath, and turn to walk toward her. Her friend sees me approaching first and narrows her eyes at me. It makes me uneasy. If I wasn’t so determined to talk to the beautiful woman beside her, I would turn back right now.

She watches me approach and slaps the brunette’s arm to draw her attention to me. She turns in her chair, and I see her eyes for the first time. They’re deep blue, like the sky before a storm. They stand out against her dark brown hair and fair skin. She’s like a hot Snow White. And when her pouty red lips form a smile, I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me. I gather up my courage and stop behind their chairs, pointing to her glass.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Move along, pretty boy.”

I turn to her friend. “Don’t chase me off just yet. I was going to offer you a drink as well.”

“Well, if you’re buying, you have five minutes.” Her nose turns up. “But don’t get any ideas. We don’t do group activities.”

The brunette’s face scrunches up. “Oh my god, G. He’s just trying to buy us a drink.” She looks up at me. “Right, pretty boy?”

“Right. Well, sort of. I was over there with my friends when I heard your laugh, and I wanted to come talk to you. I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”

Her cheeks turn pink, and she looks down at her empty glass. “You like my laugh?”

“I do. When I heard it, it made me smile.”

“That’s sweet of you to say. People usually make fun of my laugh.”

I shake my head. “That’s crazy, because it’s the best thing I’ve heard in a really long time.”

She smirks at me, and I think I see her friend roll her eyes. “Okay, pretty boy, you can buy me a drink.”

“Great. What are you drinking?”

“Prosecco.”

“Alright, bubbles. Prosecco it is.” I grin at her.

“Bubbles?”

“Yeah, you like drinks with bubbles.”

The bartender approaches us, and I order our drinks. Her friend orders a whiskey sour.

There isn’t a free barstool, so I slide in beside bubbles. She smells like vanilla, and it makes me wonder what her skin tastes like. We all take a sip of our drinks and I turn to her. “Do you dance?”

She nods. “Yeah, but I’m here with my friend. It’s our first night out in a while.”

G rolls her eyes. “Don’t let me stop you. Go dance.” She almost pushes bubbles out of her seat.

“You’re sure?”

“Totally. Go have fun.” She glances at me, then leans over to whisper something in bubble’s ear that makes her laugh. A full laugh. I know they’re talking about me, but I can’t help but smile at the sound.

“Okay, let’s go,” she says as she stands from her seat.

I take her hand and lead her to an empty spot on the dance floor. We start moving, and I know at that moment I want her. Her full hips sway in time to the music while matching my rhythm. If we move like this on a dance floor, imagine what we could do in other places. She loops her arms around my neck, and in the process, her breasts push together to form the most glorious cleavage I think I’ve ever seen.

“Eyes up here, pretty boy.”

“Sorry, but you’re gorgeous.”

She lowers her eyes and purses her lips. “How many other women have you said that to this evening?”

“You’re the only one. I promise.”

“Mmmhmmm. What’s your name?”

“Oliver.” I give her my middle name. It’s what I usually use with women I hook up with. I almost regret saying it because if we have a good time tonight, I already think I might want to see her again.

“I’m Melonie.”

“Nah, I’ve already decided your name is bubbles.”

Her lips form a smile, and she shakes her head like I’m crazy. I think she secretly likes the nickname, though. We continue to dance, one song leading to I don’t know how many. At one point, she turned so her ass was grinding against my dick, and I thought I was going to die. With her ass against me and my hands at the curve of her full hips, it only causes images of taking her from behind to run through my mind. I know she felt me hard against her. Then she had bent over, and the damn woman looked over her shoulder at me, smiling.

We make a sorry attempt to share light conversation over the loud music. Dance clubs aren’t the most conducive environment to hold solid conversation, but I learn she’s originally from Philly and she’s a CPA. If she’s an accountant, she must be as smart as she is hot. I just tell her I’m in Marketing; I don’t tell her I work for the Bruins. When I first started with them, I thought it would be a flex to tell women I work for the team, but quickly found out that some would try to use me to get to players.

I ask her if she wants to take a break for a drink and she nods, so I place my hands on her hips, and we maneuver our way through the crowded dance floor. Her friend hasn’t left her seat by the bar, but now she’s not alone. She’s talking to a guy, and it has me hoping that means I can spend more time with bubbles without her scrutiny. She makes me nervous.

I order a round of drinks for the four of us, but before the bartender leaves to make our drinks, bubbles stops him. “And we’ll have four shots of tequila, too. Chilled, fully dressed.”

I lean into her ear. “Shots, huh?”

When she turns her face toward me, the smell of her shampoo hits me as her hair passes by my face, causing my cock to jump against the zipper of my jeans. “I’m having fun! Are you scared, pretty boy?”

Her eyes are sparkling. “Not scared at all, bubbles. Fully up for the challenge.”

This time, she leans to my ear, her breasts pressed against my arm. “Oh, I know you’re ‘fully up’.”

I wrap my arm around her waist to hold her in place against me. “You’re trouble, but you know that, don’t you?”

She bites my earlobe, and I have to hold back a moan. “You’d like to find out, wouldn’t you?”

I lower my hand to her ass, squeeze, and she sucks in a breath. “I have a good feeling you’re going to let me.”

She shrugs with a playful smirk on her face, dismissing my answer, and leaves my side as our drinks are delivered. She hands me one of the shots and takes one for herself. G and her guy pick up theirs, and we raise our glasses.

Bubbles clears her throat. “To the ones we love, to the ones we hate, and to the ones we think of when we masturbate.”

I choke on my spit as the two women tap their glasses on the bar top and down their shots. G’s guy just stands with a shocked expression on his face. I laugh and follow the girls’ lead, feeling the burn of the tequila down my throat.

I send a text to the guys to not wait for me if they want to leave. Jax sends a thumbs-up emoji, Marcus just answers “okay.” Bubbles and I return to the dance floor, and I feel a little guilty not hanging with the guys, but I really like this woman. I’m sure they’ll understand. She’s hot as fuck, funny and flirty. As we start dancing again, she’s closer, touching me more. Her hands roam across my chest, down my arms, and she links her fingers with mine. I just hope it’s because she feels this connection as much as I do, and it’s not the result of the shots we just took.

“You’re fun, pretty boy.”

“Right back at you, bubbles.” I look into her eyes. “You’re not allowed to have any more drinks.”

She almost looks offended. “Why?”

“Because when I ask to leave with you, I want you to say yes because you want to, not because of liquid inspiration.”

Her movements slow, and she stares into my eyes. “I’m not drunk.”

“I know. But if you have another drink, I won’t feel comfortable going home with you. And if we leave together, I want you to remember me fucking you senseless when we wake up tomorrow morning.”

Her eyes grow big, and she rests her arms on my shoulders. My hands fall to her hips. There’s the slightest moment of hesitation before she moves her face closer to mine.

“I want to kiss you so bad right now, bubbles.”

She wastes no time in closing the distance and placing her lips to mine. The contact sends electricity through my veins. I try my best to hold back, but she’s driving the pace and before I know it, she’s pushing her tongue against the seam of my mouth, inviting me in. Our tongues meet, and fuck, she tastes like the sweetness of her prosecco and lime from the shots. I feel a moan vibrate from her throat, and I lose what little control I was holding on to. I place a finger in the waist of her jeans and pull her closer against me. Her hands come to my jaw. I feel her breaths heavy against my cheek and her breasts pressed against my chest. This might be one of the hottest kisses I’ve ever experienced. It’s like she’s hungry for it, like she wants to consume me.

She suddenly pulls back, and my eyes open. She’s breathing hard and her eyes don’t move from my mouth. “Let’s get out of here.”

Hell, yes. “Your place?”

She nods and takes my hand, pulling me through the room back to the bar. “Let me tell G we’re leaving.”

We stop to talk to G, and I pull out my phone to order a car. When she whispers in her friend’s ear, G looks at me and smirks. She picks up her purse from the bar, opens it, and hands me a condom. I open my mouth to speak, but I’m not quite sure what to say. This is certainly a first.

“Uh, thanks?”

“Safety first, pretty boy. Take good care of her. I know how to find people.”

I believe her. Fuck, she’s scary. “Noted.”

Melonie assures her she’ll text her later. I check my phone for the car. “If we need a car, it will be here in five.”

“Perfect. Let me put my address in.”

I hand her my phone, and we start walking to the front of the club. I tuck my hand into one of the back pockets of her jeans. Her ass is full under my touch, and all I can think about right now is peeling these jeans off her body.

We make it to the sidewalk, and she turns to me, running a finger down my chest. “I hope you’re ready to make good on your promise. I haven’t been properly fucked in a long time.”

Shit, the things that come from this woman’s mouth. I give her a convincing grin. “Don’t worry, bubbles. I always keep my promises.”

She nods and turns as our car pulls up. I open the door for her, and I get a full view of her perfect ass as she ducks into the back of the car. I confirm her address with the driver, and we merge into the night traffic. She doesn’t live far from the club. The address she put in my phone is near Boston Commons.

We’re halfway to her place when she turns her head to look out the window. Nonchalantly, she runs her hand up my thigh to grip my dick through my jeans. My hips jump in surprise, and I try to keep a straight face in the darkness of the car. She glances over at me with an innocent smile and then back out the window of the car. My blood runs hot as she keeps her hand there for the rest of the ride. When we pull up to her building, I have to force a “thank you” to the driver.

We walk into her building and step into an elevator to go to her floor. She pins me against the wall of the elevator and gives me that same innocent smile I got in the car.

“Did you think that was fun, bubbles? Touching me when I couldn’t do anything about it?”

She rolls her lips inward and smiles. “Maybe. Are you going to punish me for it? Do you want to spank me, pretty boy?”

I take her cheeks in my hands, and I look into her blue eyes. “I will if you want me to, but I don’t really think that’s what you need tonight.” I scan her face. “You need someone to take their time with you. You need someone to put in more effort than that. If I remember correctly, you need someone to fuck you properly. And that’s what I plan on doing.” I drag my thumb across her bottom lip. It’s soft and my dick hardens at the sight of what’s left of her lipstick smearing. “When we get to your apartment, you’re going to walk straight to your room and let me watch you undress. Slowly. Then I want you on all fours on the bed, ready for me. Do you understand?”

I lift an eyebrow as I wait for her answer. Her pupils are blown as she looks at me and slowly nods. She needs to learn that if she challenges me, I’m going to give it right back. Her dirty mouth only turns me on even more.

The elevator opens, and we walk to her apartment. She pulls her keys from her purse and opens the door for me to walk in. With only the entryway light on, I can see her place is small, but nice. There isn’t a thing out of place and it smells like her.

She places her purse on a small table by the door and kicks off her heels. Without the added height, she’s a few inches shorter than I am. I lean back against the wall by the door and cross my arms against my chest. She pauses, looking at me, and I say a silent prayer that I’m not seeing doubt in her eyes. I hope she isn’t rethinking her decision to have me here.

“Did you forget your instructions, bubbles?”

She smirks and I feel some relief. “Nope.” She pops the “p” at the end.

Brat. I’ll gladly play this game.

“The longer you make me wait now, the longer you’ll have my cock down your throat later. I’ll fuck the attitude right out of that mouth.”

I see her breath catch. Think I finally found what makes her click. If she wants a sparring partner, I’ll gladly be it.

“So bossy.”

“You have no idea. Bedroom.”

Her smile grows as she turns to walk toward her bedroom. When we enter her room, I see a chair in the corner and sit. She stands by her bed and reaches for the hem of her tank top.

“Stop.”

Her eyes dart to me. “Why?”

“Turn a light on, bubbles. I want to see you.”

“It’s better if we keep the lights off.”

“Why?”

She exhales. “I usually keep the lights off.”

Is she self-conscious? I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, but at the same time, I’m selfish and I want nothing more than to see her body—watch her come, watch her eyes change, have visual clues that I’m giving her what she needs.

“Melonie.” In the dim light that we do have, I see her head move to look at me at the use of her real name. “I want that light on because I want to see you.” I stand from the chair and approach her, running my hand down her side, then around to her ass. “Do you know how turned on I’ve been all night, feeling your body against me? How I want to devour every curve, every bit of your skin? Fuck, bubbles, I need to see you. Now be a good girl and let me turn on the lamp.”

I see her brow relax, and she nods toward the lamp on her nightstand, so I turn it on. After a moment, I kiss her hair and return to my spot in the chair. She still looks a little timid as she sheds her top and then reaches for the button of her jeans. She looks down as she rolls the denim down her legs and kicks them to the side of the room. All that’s left is a red satin bra and matching lace panties.

“Fuck, bubbles. Look at you.” I unbutton my jeans and take out my dick, giving it a slow stroke. “Take your bra off.” She grants my request and I move my hand again. Her breasts are full, and I see her hardened nipples. I let the silence in the room linger for a moment, testing her patience. She tries to keep her eyes locked with mine, but with every stroke of my cock, she looks down at the motion. She shifts on her feet, waiting for me to speak again.

“Underwear.” She arches an eyebrow, and I see a spark in her eyes. That’s it, come out and play, bubbles. Then she slowly turns around, places her fingers in the waistband of the red lace, and bends over, slowly sliding them down her legs, giving me a full view of her ass and pussy.

Fuck. Me.

I can’t stay in this chair any longer. I stand, dropping my jeans and briefs. She turns back around at the sound of my belt hitting the floor. I pull my t-shirt over my head so I’m naked right along with her. I close the distance between us and put my hands in her hair as I kiss her. She sighs, and I feel her hands slide to my back and down to my ass. She grabs it and brings my hips to her. I can’t help but push my cock against her stomach. I need friction.

“Do you remember your last instruction?”

She nods and climbs onto the bed, moving to all fours. The sight of her before me is better than anything I was imagining earlier.

I climb on the bed behind her, running my hand up her spine. Her back arches at the contact. “You are absolutely beautiful, Melonie. And such a good girl for me.”

“God, can you please touch me, Oliver? I’m dying here.” She rocks her hips toward me. She’s just as needy as I am right now.

“How badly do you want to come? I bet that pussy is dripping right now.”

Her hips don’t stop. “Please don’t make me beg. Make me come, pretty boy.”

I slide my hand from her back to glide over her ass. I kneed the flesh and move my hips to watch my cock slide over one cheek. I want to paint her skin with my cum. I want to make her scream. Moving my hand from her ass to her pussy, I cup it with my hand as she gasps and lowers her chest to the bed.

“God damn, bubbles. Your ass up in the air like this is going to be the death of me.” She preens at the compliment. I take two fingers and dip into her entrance, and I was right. She’s drenched.

“Mmmmm, just as I thought. You’re soaking my fingers.” I wet my fingers, then move to her clit. She sucks in a breath, grabbing the sheets. I start making small circles, and I swear her legs are already shaking.

“Fuck yes, just like that.”

I lower down to lie on my stomach on the mattress and spread her, placing my tongue where my fingers were.

“Shit, Oliver! I’m already so close.”

“You taste so good, bubbles.” I drag my tongue from her clit to her ass. “I could spend hours right here.”

“Less talking, pretty boy. Put your mouth on me.”

I do as I’m told because right now, the need to feel her come on my tongue is all I can think of. I continue to lick and suck as she grinds against my mouth. I could die a happy man right now, with the feel of her arousal dripping down my chin.

“Fuck yes.” Her body starts to shake. “Yes!”

Her breaths quicken, and her hips dart forward as she starts coming. I grab her hips and bring her clit back to my tongue.

“Holy fuck, it’s too much!” She tries to wiggle out of my grip, but I follow her pussy across the mattress. I want to wring every drop from her. She finally stops her attempts to escape me as she’s trying to catch her breath, her body writhing on the bed. I come back up on my knees, wiping my chin. The taste of her has me harder than I think I’ve ever been in my life.

“It’s never too much, Melonie.”

I wrap my hands around her hips and gently flip her to her back. I lean down and kiss her, grinding against her thigh. The deep slow movements of her tongue and her hands in my hair calm me, changing the energy between us. She nips my bottom lip as she lowers her head back down to the mattress. I leave the bed to grab the condom from my pocket that G gave me.

“This is coming in handy.”

She gives me a hazy-eyed giggle. “I can’t believe she did that.”

“Not gonna lie. She scares me.”

“She’s just protective. If you get to know her, she’s actually a big softie.”

I think about Marcus. It’s like she’s describing him and not her friend. Maybe I should have introduced the two of them at the bar. I promise myself that next time we hang out, I’m making it happen.

I pause as I realize I just thought of a “next time” with a woman.

I shake it off and return to the bed, throwing the condom on the mattress beside us. I glide my hands up her legs, over her hips, all the way up to her breasts. God, her tits are fucking perfect. As I take one in my hand, I watch as it overflows from my palm. I’m not usually a breast man, but hers could convert me. Her eyes squeeze shut as I take her nipple between my finger and thumb, gently pinching. I take her other nipple in my mouth and her nails start to scrape across my scalp. When I suck harder, she grips my hair and arches her back, pressing the fullness against my face. I love hearing her short breaths, hearing her gasp, and fucking hell, when she moans, I think I might explode.

I give her nipple a last swirl of my tongue, then bring myself up so I can look down at her. Her eyes meet mine as she runs her hands down my chest to take my cock in her hand. I take a sharp breath as she grips me and starts stroking. I place my lips on hers, and she places her other hand behind my neck to draw me closer, intensifying the kiss. The way she kisses me makes me feel like there’s an inferno inside me. She’s not shy, not gentle. My hips rock as I rut into her hand. Shit, I could come just from my mouth on hers and her hand on me.

I pull my hips back and put on the condom. I grab her ankles, bring her feet up into the air, spreading her in front of me. I start running my cock against her pussy, watching it as it glides over the pink, soft skin. It’s a sight that will definitely go in my mental bank for when I get myself off.

She reaches down and presses me into her, and I slide home. “God, you feel perfect,” she says as she swivels her hips.

“It’s like you fit me like a goddamn glove, Melonie.” I’m not a big guy, but I’m thick, and she’s so tight right now that I stop for a moment just to feel her pussy gripping me.

I start moving, holding on to her ankles for dear life. I watch her tits bounce with each thrust. I drive harder, and she brings her hands to her breasts, and the sight of her cupping her tits and pinching her nipples is ungodly.

I feel her legs push against my hands, trying to free herself from my grip. “I need to put my legs down.”

“Roll onto your side, bubbles.”

She lowers her legs and goes to her side. I bend her top leg and straddle the other, slipping back inside her. I feel her tighten around me as I take her breast in my hand.

“Shit, I’ve never been in this position. Feels amazing.”

I feel a bit of pride that I’m bringing her new material. “Looks fucking amazing, too. You look so good taking my cock, Melonie.”

I angle my hips a bit in an attempt to hit her front wall. Her eyes pop open and she gasps. “Oh, shit, Oliver! You’re hitting it. Harder, fuck me harder.”

I grab the thigh of her bent leg and drive into her. She places her hands on the headboard so she can push down on my thrusts, and I don’t know how much longer I have until I come.

“Play with your clit, Melonie. I want to watch you come on my cock.”

She reaches down and her fingers start moving back and forth over her clit, and I feel her tighten around me again. I continue fucking into her, and her moans grow louder. I almost feel bad for her poor neighbors. She says my name, and I feel her pulsing around me. I slam into her a few more times, relishing the tightness just a little longer before I come. It’s like the waves of intensity are never ending as I keep pumping into the condom. Holy ever-loving fuck, what an orgasm.

I start to come back to reality as she runs her hand up and down my arm.

“I wasn’t sure if I would ever stop coming.”

She laughs, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. “You did good, pretty boy; you definitely kept your promise.”

I lean down and kiss her as I slide out. We both take a turn in the bathroom, and as I walk back to the bed, I see her curled up under the duvet and just want to hold her. Usually after sex, I’m ready to leave, to go home to my own bed, but I don’t want to leave right now.

I slide under the covers and pull her to me.

“Are you staying?”

“Is it okay if I do? I sort of want to hold you right now.”

“That sounds perfect.” She snuggles her face to my neck.

“Do you like pancakes?”

She laughs. “I do. Why do you ask?”

“Pancakes are my favorite breakfast food. We should go get pancakes in the morning.”

“Okay, we can do that.”

“I know the best place in Boston.”

“Can’t wait.” She lets out a small yawn. “Thanks for the orgasms, pretty boy.”

“You’re welcome, bubbles.”

I wake up and it’s still dark out, and my mouth is so dry I have to peel my tongue from the roof of my mouth. Melonie is sleeping beside me, and I watch her for a minute. She took me by surprise tonight—easy to talk to, sexy as hell, able to keep up with me. I could lie here watching her sleep like a weirdo, but instead, I go in search of water. Quietly rolling out of her bed and walking down the hall, I find the fridge in the kitchen. Thank goodness there are bottles of water inside. Grabbing one, I open it and start drinking, holding the door open with my hip. People’s refrigerators fascinate me. Hers is almost on an OCD level, everything organized and in neat rows. The door of the freezer above catches my eye, covered in pictures. I’m mid sip when I almost choke and spit my water all over myself.

My eyes focus in the darkness to see half of the pictures are of Melonie and G with a woman who looks a hell of a lot like Audrey. Jax’s Audrey from Jamaica. The woman he met while we were there on vacation three years ago. He fell head over heels for her before she left him there, and they never spoke again.

What the fuck? This can’t be possible. But as I scan the pictures, I know it’s her.

The pictures are of various moments—out at restaurants, the three of them hugging in front of a Christmas tree, smiling on a beach, wearing numbers on their chests for a 5K. Audrey isn’t just someone in her circle, they’re close. I run my hand down my face. Shit, I fucked up.

If I stay or if I see Melonie again, I know I’ll run into Audrey sooner rather than later. I can’t do that to Jax. I can’t bring Audrey or one of her friends into our circle. It was so hard for him to move on after that week in Jamaica. I’m still not sure if he ever fully got over her.

I finish my water and head back to the bedroom to get dressed. I quietly pull on my jeans and shirt. Before I leave the room, I stand and look at Melonie tangled in the sheets. I hate myself for what I’m about to do, but I need to protect Jax. My chest feels tight because I don’t like hurting people, and I’m a little sad that I won’t get the chance to see where this could have gone.

It was over before it could even begin.