“No. I just don’t like being told what to do.”
“I’ve noticed,” he said with a slight chuckle. “Which is distracting…because it’s hot.”
“I’ve never met a man who likes a disobedient woman.”
“Well, you haven’t met a man like me, baby.”
I was already so hung up on this guy that I could barely tolerate it. I was a schoolgirl with a crush. I was melted butter on the hot stove. I was dick-whipped. “I don’t know how your ex let you go…”
The mention of her made his features tighten noticeably, but he didn’t respond.
Now I wished I hadn’t made that comment, so I brushed past it. “I actually ran into my ex yesterday…and today.”
“In Vegas?” he asked incredulously. “Where are the odds of that?”
“Pretty good…since he’s a poker player.”
He had a brief look of confusion, but that quickly faded because his mind was fast. “Was he the guy across from you last night?”
“Yep.”
He gave a slight nod. “If it bothered you, it wasn’t obvious.”
“Good.”
“You didn’t know he would be there?”
“Had no idea until he sat across from me.”
“You kept your cool pretty damn well. Must have felt really good to beat his ass.”
“Oh, you have no idea…”
“Good-looking guy.”
“You’re better-looking.”
His eyes showed their smile. “Good answer.”
Mason was the only guy I’d ever loved, but that relationship didn’t feel the way ours did now. There was something special here, something I felt even when I pretended I didn’t.
“Did you guys talk?”
“Today. I was by the pool, and he stopped by.”
The smile faded again, the annoyance shining through. He didn’t interrogate me about it, but it was obvious he didn’t like the idea of us spending time together.
I had nothing to hide, so I told him. “We haven’t talked in over a year, so I was surprised to see him. He asked if we could talk. Told him I wasn’t interested. Then it seemed like he was trying to get back with me, but I told him I already have a man.”
“A man… I like that.
“If I’m your baby, then you’re my man.”
“Yeah.” A smile moved into his eyes, but this time, it looked a little sad, like there was something else on his mind. “I am…”
“I didn’t even give his ass a chance to say anything.” I waved off the conversation as I sat across from Dex and Derek in the bar. “To quote NSYNC, I said…” I raised my arms. “Bye, bye, bye.” I did the wave with my hands in front of me.
Dex chuckled. “And you took his money on top of it. Talk about revenge.”
“Yep.” I flipped my hair over my shoulder. “I’m a boss bitch, what can I say?”
Derek gave a slight chuckle in amusement. “And that was it? He just walked off?”
“Finally.”
“He has a lot of balls talking to you,” Dex said. “Maybe Dad should beat his ass again.”
Derek gave another chuckle. “Or we could give him a break and do it ourselves.”
“So I can be a felon?” Dex asked warily. “No thanks.”
“Dad isn’t a felon,” Derek said.
“Well, he should be,” Dex said. “He messed up Mason pretty good. How did he look? Did he have any scars?”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “As handsome as always.”
My phone vibrated on the table. Can I come by?
I’m at the bar with my brothers.
Cool. I’ll swing by.
My eyebrows furrowed when I read the message, but I didn’t type back.
“What?” Dex asked. “Is that him?”
“No.” I put the phone down. “Atlas.”
“Mom says you guys are seeing each other,” Derek said. “How’s that going?”
“Well…” I tried to put it into words. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Dex asked, shocked. “When do you not know something?”
“He’s actually joining us in a few minutes.”
“He is?” Derek asked. “You invited him.”
“No…he invited himself.” He’d already met my brothers, but I didn’t think he’d go out of his way to spend time with them. They were kinda intimidating.
Derek exchanged a look with Dex.
“What?” I asked.
Derek turned back to me. “Nothing.”
“You never answered the question,” Dex said.
I rolled my eyes. “I have my girlfriends to do this with…”
“Uh, hold up.” Dex leaned forward. “I remember you being all up in my business with Sicily—”
“And you’re welcome for that.”
“So now it’s my turn to be up in your business,” Dex said. “So, how’s it going with him?”
I glanced at the door like he might walk inside and overhear us. “This stays between us three, alright? Because I said a couple things to Dad, and he blabbed to Atlas…”
“Dad is a moron,” Dex said.
“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Derek said. “He’ll slam a bar table on your head.”
Dex chuckled, still finding the assault amusing.
I looked down at my beer before I took a drink. “I’m really into him.”
“That’s it?” Derek asked. “You’re into him?”
“He’s kinda…everything I’d ever want in a man.” I tried to shrug it off and pretend it wasn’t a big deal, but that was a pretty big deal for me to say. I’d loved Mason and wanted to make it work, but I’d never thought he was perfect for me.