8
Lourde
“Tell me you’re not going back to him?” Grace asked.
“Of course not,” I said.
“You’d be crazy to after his dick was inside another woman. Right?” Pepper questioned, slightly wobbly on her six-inch heels.
We were on our third champagne, standing around the kitchen counter with music blaring, bodies dancing, and laughter sounding against the backdrop of the ocean.
Okay, so the little party I planned at Barrett’s went slightly viral, and by viral, I mean, friends and friends of friends had driven from Manhattan to Barrett’s oceanfront mansion.
Connor and Barrett were on the balcony, gorgeous women hovering around them. In particular, my gaze kept finding Barrett and the brunette that hung off him like a leech.
Taking my champagne to my lips, I stared at him from across the room—his height, easy to pick out amongst a room full of people. Black shirt with sleeves rolled up, his thick black-brown hair neatly brushed the tops of his ears, and I imagined running my hands through it. He glanced over his shoulder as though sensing my heated thought. Quickly, I glanced away, embarrassed he found me pining over him.
“Hello, Lourde?” The champagne slid down my throat, and I diverted my attention toward Pepper, who was looking at me expectantly.
“What?” She followed my previous line of sight. “If I never see Hunter again, I’ll be the happiest woman alive,” I added, and it was the truth.
Pepper looked at Grace. “So, you're staying here, then?”
“Well, there’s nowhere else.”
“And Barrett is okay with that?” Grace questioned.
“Don’t you mean, is Connor okay with you shacking up with his best friend?” Pepper elbowed me in the ribs, her gaze drifting to Barrett, where she’d caught me staring a moment ago.
“Connor’s fine with it. Barrett’s eight years older than me. What would he want with me anyway? You’ve seen the women he’s with. Just look over there.” I tilted my head toward the balcony, where he rested against the wall.
“You sound jealous.” Pepper tossed her jet-black hair over her shoulder.
I huffed out a groan. “Anyway, he’s here for work, not a vacation. I’ll hardly see him.”
“Hmm,” Grace added.
“Ugh, just say it, you two.”
“You crushed on him hard. I just don’t think that’s changed,” Pepper said.
“Well, he is gorgeous. It’s just a silly little crush played out in my head because I knew it could never come true.”
“Maybe it can,” Grace lowered her voice.
The possibility sent a tingle up my spine. “Well, he came to my room last night.”
“What the hell?” Pepper blurted out.
“Nothing happened. I think he was just checking on me. I made this sound in my pillow, and he stuck his head in to see if I was alive, I think.”
“Checking on you… what guy does that, ever?” Pepper questioned.
“Anyway, what happened?” Grace asked, ignoring Pepper.
“Nothing happened.” I smacked my lips together, remembering his gaze as it drifted up my thighs.
“But…” Grace pushed.
“But, if I’m honest, he scared me and thrilled me at the same time.”
“There’s this darkness to him,” Pepper added.
“He isn’t like the other guys in the group.” We turned and gazed at the four of them, who were now hovering in the living room.
“Look at the four of them. Arrogant, gorgeous assholes. I think they're hunkholes,” Pepper said.
“Hunkholes?” I popped an eyebrow at the term.
“Hunky assholes,” Pepper said.
We all fell into raucous laughter. “I love that,” Grace added.
“Ew, don’t call my brother a hunk!” I screwed my face up.
“Hate to break it to you, but he’s cute, always has been, and by the lineup of women around the four of them, I’m not the only one noticing.” Pepper shrugged.
“They’re like a swarm of bees.” My eyes narrowed on the four women who surrounded them.
“There you are.” Jake patted Pepper on the ass, and Dane wrapped his arms around Grace.
“Hey, Lourde, sorry about you and Hunter. You know Hunter can be a jerk,” Dane said.
“Thanks, Dane.” The image of him on the dunes with another woman riding him came rushing back in.
“You know, for what it’s worth, he's completely distraught about what happened.”
Distraught?“I’m sure he is,” I said, keeping my voice level.