Chapter Five #2
“Speaking of brides,” Kade said, his voice low as if he was about to confess his own dirty secret, “did you hear Sin got married?”
Ah, Aubry Sinclair was a very dirty secret and probably the one girl from college whose name Avery remembered, only because he’d been the one to name her Sin after she’d blown him in full view of his fraternity brothers.
Smart, beautiful, with a talented tongue and a tight pussy, Sin was a graduate student who loved sex and didn’t care who, what, where, when, or how many.
And when she offered to be theirs for one semester for dissertation research, and that they’d remain anonymous, they hadn’t said no.
She’d taught Avery a lot about a woman’s body, how to give his entire attention, whether it was for five minutes or five hours, how to appreciate giving rather than just receiving, and how to make them moan with pleasure.
Dane surprised him by lifting his glass. “To Sin.”
But then Dane and Linc had played a while longer with her. She’d been into some dark shit and so had they.
Maverick raised his glass to be polite. A year younger, he hadn’t been there for the Semester of Sin, as the others liked to remember it.
A cacophony of toasts, rang out, “To Sin.”
Kade shook his head. “I’ll miss her.”
Blaze sighed. “I’ll miss her pussy.”
Avery frowned. It was a long time ago. And she was good, but not enough to still— Oh wait. Now, he remembered. She’d shown up in Houston almost a year ago with a PhD and the same craving to get nasty. Blaze and Kade had hooked up with her more than a few times at Pulse.
Linc’s nod of agreement said he had, too.
Bryce gave Avery a guilty side eye.
Fuck, did I miss the memo?
“When?” Avery asked.
Bryce ran his fingers through his hair. “It was before Kate came back. And she better not hear about it. We’re still working things out.”
Blaze bumped Bryce’s shoulder. “Yeah, dude, you didn’t handle that very well.”
“No shit.” Bryce slugged the rest of his beer.
Avery thrummed his fingers on the tables once, twice. “To be fair, you and Kate weren’t together anymore, and she was gone for years. She shouldn’t hold that against you.”
“True, but I don’t want to know about her lovers. She shouldn’t have to hear about mine.” Bryce shook his head. “Some things are better left buried in the past.”
“Sigmas,” Dane said because that single word was enough. They had each other’s backs and each other’s secrets. To the grave.
Another round of muttered “Sigmas” went around the table.
“Anyone know who she married?” Kade asked, turning the conversation back to Sin.
“I heard,” Linc said, signaling the bartender, “she landed Houston’s new running back and that he settled an apartment and five million on her as soon as she signed the prenup.”
Blaze leaned back in his chair, stretching and scratching his ribs. “I give it a month before she’s back, knocking at my door and on her knees begging for it. I’ve seen his dick. Five mil won’t make up for those five inches.”
“You were looking at his dick?” Gage asked.
“Yeah, I’ve seen yours, too.” He held up a limp pinky.
Avery laughed, happy to move to lighter topics. It was too early in the morning for heavy shit, especially relationships. It hit too close to home. Which reminded him…
He slipped his phone from his back pocket, and fingers thrumming faster, he pulled up his credit card app again to check Legs’ shopping progress. No purchases. Fuck’s sake, it was noon. Had she changed her mind?
He checked his texts to find out. Nothing from Legs. But there was one from his brother.
Marcus: Heard about your plus-one tonight. Hope it’s not one of your DTFs. Mom is already suspicious.
I don’t have Down to Fucks because I don’t do repeats. Well, not often. But who the fuck does he think he is?
Avery: She’s perfectly acceptable, not that it’s any of your fucking business.
Blaze elbowed him. “What’s going on with you?”
Avery’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
“You were checking your phone every ten minutes while we were playing.”
Was I?
Maverick shook his head. “You’re allowing phones on the course now? Man, you guys have changed.”
“The rules haven’t changed. No phones. Just us and the game.” Dane’s brow rose as he pinned Avery with a questioning stare. “What’s up?”
Leaning forward, Avery slid his phone in his back pocket, feeling like a thief hiding the evidence. To the grave meant he could trust them, but he’d planned to keep his agreement with Legs a secret.
“Is it that crazy stalker chick from last night?” Kade asked with a shit-eating grin on his face, saving Avery from having to answer Dane. “What did you call her? Tits? Is she texting you?”
Avery shook his head. “Blocked her.”
Maverick chuckled. “You’re still naming women after body parts?”
“And to think I missed having your ass around,” Avery muttered, feeling ganged up on. “You can go the fuck back to Austin now.”
“You have a stalker?” Bryce asked, his tone part concern, part accusatory, as if hurt that Avery hadn’t told him.
Avery waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s not that serious, and you’ve been busy with your own shit.”
“That’s what happens when you shackle yourself to one woman,” Gage pointed his mug toward Bryce. “You miss out on the fun, and believe me, you missed a lot last night. Watching Avery run from Tits was too fucking funny.”
Kade barked out a laugh. “Every time he turned around, she was right there. On the dance floor, at the bar. He couldn’t take a piss without her cornering him outside the john.
I don’t know how she got past the VIP gate, but she walked right in and sat on his lap like she owned him. Ran off the girl he was talking to.”
“How did you get rid of her?” Bryce asked.
“I didn’t. I had to fake an emergency call.” Even that hadn’t worked, and Avery eventually cut the night short and went home alone just to have some peace and quiet when all he’d wanted was a piece of ass. Just not hers.
“Amusing as it is, why don’t you just tell her to fuck off?” This from Linc, the guy who hated women but enjoyed fucking them.
Blaze squeezed Avery’s shoulder and shook him. “Our boy’s got a soft heart. Can’t hurt her feelings, can you?”
Avery winced and rubbed his shoulder. “I might have to make an exception.”
“Nah, I like watching you squirm.” Kade doubled over, laughing harder. “Fuck, man. Every time…she cornered you…your face…” He wheezed through another series of laughter.
The others joined in, his laughter infectious. Even Dane was smiling.
Drumming his fingers, Avery sighed, not relishing the retelling of his night’s demise.
“When you answered your fake phone call,” Kade continued, “and stood up like your ass was on fire…” He tried to catch his breath. “Oh my god, the way she rolled off your lap…and down the platform…” He wiped his eyes. “Jesus, that was funny.”
“Glad I could amuse you.” Avery slumped lower in his seat.
“Me, too.” Kade sobered a bit, but the fucker couldn’t resist one more jab. “Will we get another show tonight? ’Cause she’s like…your girlfriend now.”
Avery shuddered. “Fuck, I hope not.”
The server arrived with another round of beer. Avery hadn’t finished his first yet. The conversation had soured his stomach.
“Avery flies solo to these things.” Blaze sounded almost proud. “You know that.”
Gage grinned. “And still plays eenie meenie miny moe at the end of the night.”
They all nodded, and Avery ground his teeth. Not that they weren’t right. It was their mutual agreement of his predictability that grated on his nerves. Before he could stop himself, pride had him opening his mouth.
“Actually, you’re right, but you’re also wrong.” Thump, thump, thump, thump. “I won’t be solo tonight, but I don’t have a date. I have an arrangement.”
Maverick angled his head to look at him, jaw retracted, brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Whatever it means,” Linc said, shaking his head, “it’s not going to work.”
Christ, could they mind their own business for five minutes?
“It means”—Avery scowled at Linc—“I’m compensating her for her time.”
Beer spewed from Bryce’s lips. He coughed and wiped his mouth across the sleeve of his golf shirt. “You taking a whore to meet your mom?”
“No.” Fuck, why did he have to open his big mouth? “It’s a business transaction. She’ll attend social events with me. That’s it. No strings. No expectations. No more Althea Rutherfords to disappoint. No more Mom breathing down my neck.”
Blaze frowned. “No more pussy.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Confidence in his plan sent a boost of adrenaline firing through him. “We’ll show up together and leave together, but in between, I’m free to scope out the smorgasbord—
“You mean charcuterie board,” Gage interjected.
“—of delights for an after-party party, with no one the wiser,” Avery continued, ignoring Gage. “Hell, I can even sneak off to sample those delights during the event if I don’t want to wait.”
“Like you did with Hilary Brant at Marcus’ engagement party.” It wasn’t a question. Bryce had that I’m-making-a-point face, though Avery had no idea what point he was making. And how did he know about that?
As if sniffing out fresh meat, Blaze shifted in his chair toward Bryce. “Who’s Hilary Brant?”
“Tits,” Linc answered for Bryce, who continued to stare at Avery, brow spiking higher.
Kade laughed. “And now she’s your stalker.”
Bryce gave him a smug nod, as if to say, “Point made.”
“Like I said,” Linc scoffed, “not gonna work.”
Blaze swiveled around again, eyes glinting. “I think it’s an excellent idea.”
“Is it just for one night?” Maverick asked, making Avery wary. Where was he heading with this?
Avery cleared his throat. “We agreed to five weeks.”
“Uh-oh.” Kade shook his head.
“Dude, you’re toast.” Gage shoved his mug, untouched, to the middle of the table. “Even if she doesn’t fall for you tonight, which she probably will, in five weeks, she’ll get to know that charming, loveable you, and just like all the rest, she’ll be a goner.”