Chapter 5
FIVE
Mrs. Collier
My tequila-fueled brain latched on to the name—the one I’d used for the past decade of my life.
As soon as Todd and I separated, I went back to my maiden name.
Sideris suited me better than Collier ever did.
Step one of reclaiming my future. That, and the drastic haircut I’d instantly regretted.
At least it was growing out now, almost touching the tips of my shoulders.
Thank God Ollie talked me out of bleaching out the color.
Blonde would not have looked right on me.
Damien chuckled, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d said all that out loud.
Freaking tequila shots. Even now that the alcohol was wearing off, it still clung in the corners, making everything around me feel fuzzy and warm.
Or it might have had more to do with the slow, sly smile radiating from Damien Ramos.
Of all the men I could have run into, why did it have to be Damien?
I’d noticed as soon as he entered the bar—he didn’t blend in with the rest of the crowd.
Not only was he one of the tallest men here, but he had a larger-than-life presence.
The man oozed sex appeal, or, as Ollie would say, massive big-dick energy.
His eyes met mine, and my memories latched on to our first meeting—back when Cam convinced a bunch of his teammates to visit our school for Field Day.
Even a year later, it was one of the best days of my career.
I thanked every one of my lucky stars that Damien and I had been paired up at our station.
We spent the entire day laughing, bonding with all the students.
They still wrote him letters, and, to my surprise, he always wrote back.
My crush might have started long before that day, but it became all-consuming as I watched him up close.
Oh shit. Did that make me sound like a stalker?
I’d never done anything about it, but whenever I watched one of his games, my eyes sought him out, entranced by his power and precision.
We hadn’t spoken since Field Day, and every time we found ourselves in the same room, Damien made a convenient excuse to leave.
I’d thought we'd gotten along when he visited the school; however, he seemed to have little interest in getting to know me any better.
It was probably for the best. After the train-wreck of my divorce, I wasn’t looking for anyone to date—especially with someone who had the power to crush me like Damien.
He chuckled as he stepped closer. “You alright, Brianna?”
I shuddered as he said my name, loving how easily it rolled off his tongue. There was just a hint of an accent there that made each of his words sound more seductive to my alcohol-addled mind. A whoop from my friends pulled me out of my staring contest, and I took a giant step back.
Which was a mistake.
Just as I sputtered out that I was fine, my heel wobbled, and I almost landed on my ass. But before I could make a fool of myself again, Damien reached out and pulled me back to my feet. He smirked as I steadied myself. “Think it’s time to call it a night. Do you have a ride back to the hotel?”
I glanced over my shoulder to find my friends still dancing.
God, bed sounded like heaven right now. I’d never ask them to leave because I was about to fall asleep.
Turning back toward Damien, I shrugged my shoulders.
“I rode over with the girls. I’ll just call a car to get back to the hotel. It’s not too far from here.”
Damien’s jaw tightened, clearly unhappy with my words. An apology sat on the tip of my tongue, a habit from the past few years. But Damien didn’t let me, instead reaching down to take my hand in his much larger one.
“Where are we going?” I asked as Damien guided me through the crowd.
“You said you wanted to go back to the hotel,” he said, pausing so I could catch up to him.
Fuck, he was a giant. My legs were about half his size, and it took everything in me not to topple over.
He shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you in a rideshare this late, especially when you’ve been drinking. ”
“It’s fine.” I tried to let go of his hand, but he held tight. “It’s only a couple of miles away.”
“I know. I’m staying at the same one.” He placed his hand on the small of my back.
I shivered at the touch, savoring the rough callouses against my skin.
Hell, when was the last time someone put their hands on me?
Too freaking long. As much as I loved the new toys that filled my bedside drawer, the one thing they couldn’t do was replace a man’s rough touch.
Damien nudged me into the night air, a warm, sticky breeze blowing around us. It had been blaring hot all day, and apparently, it had no plans of breaking anytime soon. We moved together until we reached a sleek sports car, one that did not belong in this dingy bar’s parking lot.
My hand flew up to my lips, trying to hold back my giggles at the sight.
It was like a diamond in the middle of a pile of dirt, so out of place, it was comical.
Damien stopped, turning to stare at me with one of his brows cocked.
God, he was so handsome. There were a lot of attractive guys on the Hawks’ team, but no one made my stomach somersault like Damien.
His dark eyes spoke of delicious, dirty promises, especially with the devastating smirk on his full lips.
He was the polar opposite of my ex-husband, with his preppy attire and gelled blond hair.
Todd might be attractive, but Damien’s smoldering good looks were soul-shattering.
Shaking my head, I forced those thoughts away.
This wasn’t me. I was the girl who always chose the safe option.
Must be leftover lust from my conversation in the bar.
Ollie opened my mind to so many new options in the bedroom.
Most didn’t appeal to me, but I had to admit, a few of them had my thighs clenching together.
Please tell me I packed my favorite toy.
Between our conversation and my closeness to Damien Ramos, I really needed to take the edge off.
“Do you need anything before we head back?”
Damien’s rich voice shocked me out of my thoughts. “I, uh—”
Just as I opened my mouth, the world around me shifted, and my knees buckled. My stomach twisted, and I slammed my mouth shut. No, dear God, please do not let me lose my dinner next to this man. I will do anything.
Suddenly, Damien shifted us, pressing me against the passenger-side door. My hand reached behind me, slamming against the glossy paint. My chest heaved as I looked up at him, and the unease in my stomach twisted into something else entirely.
I inhaled, soaking up the warm leather scent that wafted off his jacket. Being in this man’s presence was more intoxicating than any of the drinks I’d had, making my heart pound and my head spin. Oh, wait, no. That might have been the tequila.
Damien frowned. “How much did you have to drink?”
“Me?” I said. “Too much. I normally stay away from shots, but Ollie convinced me otherwise.”
“Celebrating or commiserating?”
The question brought Todd’s wedding invite back to the forefront of my mind, and I frowned.
Fresh shame rushed through my cheeks. My ex had won.
Again. While he tasted cake samples and erased our marriage from his mind, I was drinking like I was back in college, perseverating on the end of our relationship.
I shifted away from Damien, not wanting him to witness anymore of my pathetic state. “Have you seen my purse? I should call a rideshare.”
“Already told you, Brianna. I’m driving you back.”
“But why?” I shook my head. “It’s not your responsibility to make sure I get home okay.”
“No, but I still want to do it.” He shrugged.
“You’re a good friend of Hadley’s, and she’s part of the team.
No way am I letting you hop into a stranger’s car in an unfamiliar city, especially when you’ve been drinking.
” He reached behind, and for a moment, I thought he was leaning in to kiss me.
I froze, unsure of what to do. Did I lean into his touch, letting him erase the memories plaguing me?
Was this the opportunity to have some fun, like Ollie suggested?
Before I could figure out my answer, Damien’s hand found the handle, pulling it open for me. Oh God. Shame washed over me. At least I didn’t lean in to him or make a move to kiss him. That would have been the actual end of me.
“Do me a favor,” Damien said as I climbed into the seat. “If you get nauseous, let me know so I can pull over. This car’s a rental.”
Fresh mortification filled my cheeks as I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. Damien’s spine straightened. “Shit. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, Brianna.”
“It's fine,” I said, brushing off his concern despite the tight knot in my stomach. I was too old for this nonsense. When was the last time I even got drunk? It was so far in the past, I couldn’t even remember when I’d had more than one glass of wine at a function.
“For what it’s worth, I have a pretty iron stomach, so your car is safe. ”
Damien smiled down at me. “Full of surprises, aren’t you?”
No, not even a little. I’d never been the girl with the layers, the one who got more interesting the more you got to know her.
Damien must have seen the defeat in my eyes, because he knelt and took my hand.
His thumb swiped over my bare ring finger—like he wanted to know what happened.
But I couldn’t talk about it, especially not with this man.
He was used to spending time around the most beautiful women in the world, not pathetic divorcees hiccuping cheap tequila.
He didn’t need to be exposed to my mess.
Besides, when I cried, I turned into a red, splotchy raccoon.
That was a sight no man wanted to see, especially not Damien.
“We should get going,” I whispered, tugging my hand out of his.
With a frown, Damien shut the door and walked around the front of the car, God, my head throbbed.
I should’ve skipped the last couple of shots.
Tomorrow was going to be a nightmare, especially with my mid-afternoon flight.
I’d much rather spend the day binging a bunch of the newest crime documentaries.
But all thoughts of tomorrow died as Damien closed the driver’s side door, sealing us inside. As he turned the key in the ignition, he leaned over, tugging my seatbelt to check if it was secure.
“You ready?”
No, I was not.