The Hustle (Irreparable 4)

She laughs, tilting her head to the side. “Heart-saver? There’s a new one.”

“I made the mistake with heartbreaker number one. We had a, who the daddy moment and I wanted it to be mine, but it wasn’t. She married the baby daddy and then I met heartbreaker number two.”

“That sucks,” she snorts, slurring her words slightly.

“Yes it does.”

She pats my knee. “I made the same mistake with heartbreaker number one. Just look how much we have in common.”

My eyes go wide. “You have a kid?”

“No, God no . . . so maybe not the exact same mistake. He’d just broke up with his girlfriend when we met. We dated for a couple of months. When I was head over heels in love, the Ex showed up with a bump, wanting her baby daddy back. Can’t compete with that.”

“Nope,” I agree, swallowing the remainder of my drink and my resentment in one big gulp.

“Tell me about heartbreaker number two. I assume she’s the one you hope to get back?”

“Her name’s Maria. Her and her little boy used to live here with me. He isn’t dead. I’m sorry I lead you to think that. We were going to get married and he called me daddy and then one day I fucked up and they left me.”

“Where is she now?”

“With the baby daddy.”

Although it isn’t funny, we both burst into laughter and when we finally calm down, Peyton asks, “Who’s the daddy?”

I straighten with all the seriousness back in my expression as I stare at Peyton, warning her this is not a joke.

“What?” Her voice rises with apprehension. “Who is it?”

“Eduardo Montez.”

“Are you crazy, Aidan? Is that why you’re going into business with him? To get her back?”

My hands rake though my hair. I’ve said too much and there’s no room to back pedal. “I don’t know.”

“You can’t. Do you hear me? He sent you a human hand in a box for Christ sakes. Is this woman worth your life? Or mine, or your family’s?”

“Why’d you come to my office tonight?” I ask, blatantly changing the subject.

“Pretty sure I communicated my sexual frustration.”

I lean over, skimming the tips of my fingers along her jaw. “Why’d you really come?”

When her eyes move to the side, I know I have her. “I feel some connection to you I can’t explain, and thanks to Captain Morgan, I had the courage to prove you feel it too.”

With a sharp inhale, I move my thumb over her warm lips. “How would you have felt if I fucked you and then told you I didn’t feel anything for you?”

She pushes my hand away, her gaze focusing on the wall behind me. “I would have been disappointed, but it would have been worth it, because taking risks leads to things unexpected and brilliant. There’s no fault in exploring a connection and seeing if it leads to more.”

I’m left dumbfounded by her words as they continue to swim around in my thoughts. I avoid risks that could lead to the unexpected and brilliant, but Peyton leaps in, feet first with her eyes and heart wide open.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt again?” I ask, still struggling to understand. “You’ve had two assholes break your heart. Why would you risk putting yourself through that kind of pain again?”

“I just accept that a few assholes breaking my heart is worth finding the one person who won’t.”

I blink several times, wondering how her heart can be so resilient when mine is such a quitter. “And if it’s more than a few?”

She shrugs faintly. “The world has to run out of assholes eventually.”