Blind Love (Cowboys & Angels 5)

“Thanks, Tripp and Mallory!” Lucy called out.

Lifting my hand, I called out, “Later, Lucy.” I didn’t dare look that way. If I saw Harley, I wouldn’t be able to do what I was about to do to Mallory. Still, I felt the weight of her stare heavy on my back. Guilt ripped through my body before I remembered that day in her driveway.

She’d met someone.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” I said while we walked down the street toward Cord’s Place, closed today so that Cord could paint the bar. He wanted to give everything an extra day to dry. Since I had keys to the place, I was going to give Mallory the bathroom fuck she wanted.

Walking up to the front of the bar, she asked, “Why are we here?”

I pulled out the key and unlocked the door.

“It’s closed today.”

A smile spread over her face.

“Are you sure no one will come in?”

Laughing, I shut the door and locked it. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the ladies’ restroom.

“Oh, someone’s going to come. And when you do, I want to hear you screaming my name from that pretty little mouth of yours.”

The second we were in the bathroom, I unzipped my pants and pulled out my cock. Mallory dropped to her knees and took me in her mouth but I pulled her up. I wasn’t in the mood for that. I never liked women going down on me. The only one I’d ever let was the woman sitting back at the café. The one whose emerald eyes I couldn’t get out of my fucking head.

Shit! I needed a second to clear my thoughts. I wasn’t about to screw Mallory while I was thinking of another woman.

“Tripp, why are you making me wait?”

Looking into her eyes, I lifted her skirt and slipped my hand into her panties. She was soaking.

One quick rip and the panties were gone. I reached into my wallet and took out a condom, rolling it on as I stared at her for a few moments. Once my head was clear, I lifted her and lowered her onto my cock and pressed her against the door.

“You ready?” I asked.

“Yes,” she hissed. “Fuck me hard.”

I gave her exactly what she asked for.

The knock on my office door had me looking at my watch. Shit. It was seven.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Cord walked in. “What in the hell are you still doing here this late?”

I shrugged. “I guess if I was being honest with myself, hiding.”

He sat down in one of the chairs facing my desk. “From?”

“Hell, I don’t know. Everyone.”

He nodded. “You want to talk about it?”

I dropped my pen onto the desk and scrubbed my hands down my face while leaning back in my chair.

“Fuck, Cord. I’m twisted up inside. I’m really trying to give this thing with Mallory a go.”

“What’s keeping you from doing that? Her kid?”

“No, hell no. I love little Laney. She’s precious, and I honestly hardly ever see her. Mallory is pretty strict about that. I’ll go over to pick them up for dinner or a movie, but I rarely hang out at their house. Mallory says she doesn’t want to confuse Laney.”

Cord lifted his brows. “Really? I would think Mallory would want you to get to know each other better.”

“Yeah, who knows. Maybe it’s for the best anyway.”

“So, what has you holding back?”

I stared at him. He already knew the answer. The five-foot-two, gorgeous brunette with the sun-kissed skin, and crystal-clear eyes that sparkled like emeralds was the reason I was so fucked up.

“I think you already know.”

He smiled. “Harley?”

I pointed to him. “Right, as usual.”

Pulling in a deep breath, Cord said, “She is looking damn hot. I heard Todd Schneider has been asking her out.”

My brows pulled together. “Steed’s old high school buddy?”

He nodded.

“How do you know this?”

“Corina told me.”

My jaw dropped. “She told you, but not me?”

Tossing his head back, he let out a roar of laughter. “Dude, why in the hell would she tell you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because she’s my best friend, and she knows I dated Harley.”

“She also knows, like everyone else in town, that you’re now dating Mallory.”

“Still, she should have told me.”

“Why? Would it have made a difference to what is happening between you and Mallory?”

“To know that Harley is dating? No.”

I was getting better at telling myself that lie. Each night I laid in bed and thought about that fucking letter she wrote me. I had torn it up without even reading it. I had regretted it the moment I put it in the shredder.

“She said she had Milo in for a check-up, and Todd was in there with his new puppy. She overheard him asking Harley to dinner.”

I swallowed hard. “And Harley said no?”

He gave me a look that said I was pathetic. “Harley said no.”