A girl with a tacky pleather skirt and a blonde bob was on her knees with Josh’s dick in her mouth. “What the fuck, Josh?”
His eyes enlarged to the size of saucepans. “Oh, shit.” He tried to zip up and push her aside, but I was already running away. I turned the corner and ran back toward the club. Nearly tripping over, I slammed into a chest and a scent so intoxicating, it momentarily pulled me away from my existence.
“Lourde?”
I stared up into his green eyes. It was Barrett, and I couldn’t help it. My eyes spilled with tears.
“What happened? Do you want me to get your brother?” he asked.
I glared at him, fuming at the idea.
“Okay, not Connor. Just tell me what happened.”
“I just saw my boyfriend getting a blow job in the alleyway.”
“What the fuck?” His eyes darkened with rage. “I’ll kill him,” he said, his tone like ice.
“No, just take me home.” I stared up at him, pleading.
He balled his fists by his sides.
“Please, Barrett.” My voice came out on the verge of begging.
He put his arm around me, and we quickly walked in the opposite direction toward his car. In under ten minutes, we were back in front of 147 Park Avenue. Moments later, after sitting in silence, he turned to me.
“Hey, you okay?”
I kept my gaze down. I didn’t want him to see my tear-stained cheeks and smeared mascara eyes. His fingers wrapped around my chin, tilting my face so I’d have no option but to face him.
“Don’t think twice about him. You deserve so much better than that asshole.”
His hands lingered on my chin, his thumb stroking my cheek.
“Of course, you're going to say that.”
“What, why?” He removed his hand, but the warmth of his touch remained.
“You're just being kind. It’s what everyone says to comfort someone. But what I really want to know is, why? What did I do to deserve that?”
“Nothing, you did absolutely nothing.”
Sobs clogged my throat.
“Come here, Lourde.”
He unclipped my seat belt, and with one deft move, lifted me over the center console and onto his lap, pulling me into his chest. Firm, broad muscles were everywhere, and his scent was a cocktail of manly things like tobacco, whiskey, and something forbidden.
When I wrapped my arms around his neck, his hands dipped lower around my waist. The air in the car grew thick. He was all I needed to forget. I glanced up, and his hooded eyes stared back. My heart thundered in my chest. “Will you make me forget?” I whisper.
I moved slightly closer, but he made no move to kiss me. Instead, he looked away and slid his hands from around my waist. “Lourde,” he said, his voice like gravel.
“Just forget it, Barrett.” I pulled the door latch open, stepped out as quickly as possible without splitting a side seam, and ran toward the glowing double doorways.
Fuck my life.