Brynne
I had a death grip on my drink. The condensation was slick against my palm, and the scent of alcohol wafted from the short glass. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the door, anticipation rolling in my belly.
Theo would be here any second, and I had to pretend like we hadn’t been secretly flirting on a dating app all week—and that he hadn’t tried sexting me last night.
I dragged the diamond along my gold chain. I couldn’t stop thinking about the messages, or about what I did after I forced myself to get off the app.
I’d never used my vibrator to make myself come so many times in a row before. I only stopped because I physically couldn’t hold onto it anymore, but god, I wanted to keep going. It wasn’t enough—my body was wound tight, thoughts of a night with Theo playing out in my mind like the best movie.
Last night, I almost got back on Pulse and said fuck it. I almost told him what I was doing, what I was thinking. Hell, I even contemplated sending him photos if he asked.
But now all I could think about was how much of a mistake it would’ve been, and how grateful I was that I hadn’t done anything to embarrass myself.
That we hadn’t crossed any lines we couldn’t come back from.
Because now I had to face him. I had to look him in the eye and pretend like last night didn’t happen. Like everything was still normal.
And I had to do it all in front of my best friend—my very observant, all-knowing best friend.
“You ready to wipe the floor with those losers?” Trinity asked, slamming her palm on the table, startling me. I blinked a few times, forcing my gaze away from the door. All at once, the music, the chatter, the smells, everything hit me like a semi.
“What?” I rasped, and she groaned.
“Get your head in the game, Hughes. We have to take those Blackrock bastards down !”
She spun around on her stool, resting her elbows on the table behind her as she glared across the bar at Dean, her trivia rival.
He sat at his usual table, surrounded by his usual buddies, but there was a woman there now, too.
She was new to their little group, but just as rowdy and reckless as the rest of them.
“Who’s the girl?” I asked, leaning forward.
“Probably some loser like the rest of them,” she grumbled.
“Is she Dean’s girlfriend?”
Trinity slowly turned her head toward me, her eyes narrowed. “Why would I know that?”
I lifted my hand in surrender. “I don’t know. I just thought?—”
“It’s none of my business who he wants to sleep with,” she snapped, turning her attention back to his group.
“What’d we miss?” Ronan asked as he slid two drinks on the table. He helped Willow sit on the stool, and she smiled happily at me.
“Apparently, Teenie Weenie might have a girlfriend,” I said dryly. “And your sister definitely doesn’t care that he does.”
“I don’t!” She huffed out a breath. I gave her a look that said she I didn’t believe her, and she rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I don’t.”
Willow and Ronan shared a look, then she leaned forward. “Does she like Dean?”
“I do not like Teenie Weenie Deanie. It’s in the name–he has a small dick, and life is too short to put up with an asshole of a man who can’t even reach your G-spot.”
“Those are words I never wanted to hear come out of my baby sister’s mouth,” Ronan said as he took a swig of his beer. Willow patted his forearm a few times, and that dreamy look on her face made my stomach twist.
They were genuinely happy. Genuinely in love .
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like that.
“About time,” Trinity said, and I dragged my gaze over. My stomach twisted into a tight knot as Theo’s gaze met mine. “Who’s this?”
“My buddy Troy from high school,” Theo said, clapping the other man on the shoulder. “We used to play football together.”
Trinity scrunched her up-turned nose. “Of course you did.” She narrowed her eyes as she raked them down Troy’s body.
He shifted slightly, looking uncomfortable, but there was an undercurrent of excitement buzzing through him. I knew who he was because his daughter Mia was in my class. He was a good guy but going through a messy divorce.
“Are you just a dumb jock, or are you smart, too?”
“Trin,” I hissed, slapping her arm with the back of my hand. “You can’t say shit like that.”
“This is life or death, B. I have to make sure he’s worthy enough to be on our team.”
“Ms. Hughes,” Troy said, sounding surprised. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Please, call me Brynne.” I smiled softly at him. “I’m not a teacher right now, just a semi-drunk twenty-something-year-old.” I held my glass up in silent cheers before downing it.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Theo, but I felt his gaze burning into me. He was eating me alive with just his eyes, scorching every inch of my body.
Trinity and Troy began talking, but their voices were muffled. I kept my gaze everywhere but where I knew Theo was. He was slowly making his way around the table toward me—I could feel him stalking me like prey.
I shifted on my stool, pressing my thighs together.
And then his scent—warm, musky, expensive —wrapped around me like a weighted blanket.
Finally, I turned toward him, meeting his burning gaze. He dragged his eyes down my body, his bottom lip sliding between his teeth.
“You look good, Red,” he murmured, bringing his lips closer to my ear. “You need another drink?” He brushed his hand along my lower back, and I stiffened.
“Please.” I didn’t recognize my voice—my words were breathy, almost inaudible, but with the way he smiled, I knew he’d heard me. “Jack and Coke.”
Before I was ready, he pulled away, and I swayed on the stool, watching as Theo and Troy waded through the throng of people toward the bar.
“Oh, god. Look alive. The enemy’s here.” Trinity lifted her chin as Dean approached. “Get out of here, Teenie Weenie.”
“I was going to the bathroom,” he shot back. He sputtered, shaking his head. “Don’t talk to me. I don’t fraternize with the enemy.”
“Who’s the girl?” I asked, jerking my chin behind him.
“Harlow.” He shook his head again. “That’s none of your business.”
“Your girlfriend?” Willow asked in her soft, sweet voice. Dean hesitated, but it was impossible to tell Willow to fuck off.
“No.”
“You’re causal, then?” she pushed.
He ground his teeth together. “ No . She’s new at the station and—whatever. No. No . I’m not talking to you. You’re trying to get in my head?—”
“Easy to do when it’s empty,” Trinity said. His eyes narrowed.
“Watch it,” he warned.
“Or what?” She leapt to her feet, standing toe-to-toe with him, her chin upturned and eyes hard.
Dean was massive compared to her. He towered a foot and half over her, his shoulders broad and arms like thick tree trunks. He was even bigger than Ronan, and Ro was one of the biggest men I knew.
And Trinity, while tall, was thin. Lanky. Could barely lift a sack of fertilizer for her mother, she was so weak.
But she was ready to knock that giant firefighter on his ass.
And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t at least want to watch her try .
“Ah, fuck,” Ronan grumbled as he got to his feet. “Trinity!”
“Let me at ’em!” She bounced from one foot to the other. “Hold me back! Hold me back!”
Dean just stood there, staring at her while she hopped around like she was fucking Muhammad Ali.
I laughed as Ronan wrapped his arm around his sister’s waist and dragged her back, kicking and punching like she was actually going to fight him. Dean just watched at her—but his expression was…soft. Unreadable.
Not totally annoyed, but something else.
Before I could analyze it too much, he shook himself and disappeared into the crowd, heading for the bathrooms in the back.
I glanced over my shoulder, trying to find where Theo was with my drink. My smile immediately fell as soon as I saw him leaning against the bar, talking to a pretty blonde. She touched his arm and smiled, and he flashed her that playboy charm he was so famous for.
Troy headed back to the table, carefully carrying all three drinks in his hands. He set mine in front of me with an awkward grin before sinking onto the stool beside me.
“I swear this isn’t a line, but you come here often?” he asked, and I laughed as I sipped my drink.
“I’m here every week for trivia and karaoke night.”
He nodded a few times. “That’s why I’ve never seen you, then. I avoid these nights like the plague.”
“You don’t like trivia?”
He scrunched his nose as he took a swig of his beer. Trinity and Ronan finally returned to the table, the latter grumbling under his breath about how she was going to get herself hurt one day.
“You two know each other?” Willow asked, flicking her gaze between us.
“I’m his daughter’s teacher.”
She made an O with her mouth as she nodded in understanding.
“Best teacher she’s ever had,” he said, glancing at me. I felt my cheeks flush, and he cleared his throat. “I mean, she always gushes about you. Says you’re her favorite.”
“That’s really sweet. She’s a good kid. I love her.”
He twirled the bottle in his hands. I didn’t know everything that was going on in his life, but I knew his divorce was messy and he didn’t get to see Mia as much as either of them wanted.
Theo returned to the table, snatching his glass from the center as he sat across from me. His eyes met mine before they slid to Troy.
“Where’s your flavor of the night?” I asked. His brows crashed together.
“What?”
“The girl you were just eye-fucking at the bar.” I threw my thumb over my shoulder, and he looked past me. Probably at her.
“Jealous, Red?”
I scoffed. “Absolutely not.”
He settled into his stool with a satisfied grin. It only served to piss me off. He thought he was more important than he was—he genuinely thought I cared . That I was jealous .
I wasn’t.
“So,” Willow said, pulling everyone’s attention to her. “We have some news.”
Trinity’s mouth fell open. “You’re pregnant?”
“What?” Willow’s eyes widened in horror. “No way. No way .”
“Well, not yet,” Ronan grumbled. “Don’t sound so horrified at the thought.”