Seduce Me (Austin Singles 1)

“Stop it,” I hissed,

glancing around the bar. “You’re drunk and you need to stop now.”

“Why? Truth hurt? Is that all we were, Charlie?”

Burning in the back of my eyes had me blinking fast. I took a step closer to Tucker. “I’m not the one who hooked up with an ex at my father’s funeral.”

His smile dropped, and he looked at Noelle and then back to me. He didn’t say a word at first, which only led me to believe my suspicions were right.

He’s with Noelle.

My heart felt like someone had stabbed me right in the middle of it.

“Think what you want. I don’t care anymore. Enjoy your fake marriage. I hope you get everything you’ve ever wanted, Charlie.”

And with that, he turned and walked off toward his office.

Lily appeared in front of me. “Charlie, you’ve got things all wrong.” Her eyes looked at me, pleading.

I scoffed. “No, for the first time in my life, I think I’m actually thinking clearly. It was good seeing you, Lily.”

Darrell took my cue and guided me away.

“Holy shit Charleston, what was that about?” he asked, his mouth against my ear.

My breaths came fast and shallow.

“I need to get out of here.”

With a nod, Darrell gave a quick chin up to his friends who flashed him a smile that suggested they were happy he was about to hook up.

“Your friends,” I started to say.

“Are fine without me. Come on, let’s go grab some coffee.”

For the first time in weeks, I actually felt myself relax and smile while in Darrell’s presence. We sat at a coffee shop for almost two hours talking. I told him everything. The whole stupid plan to get Tucker to marry me, how I felt about Tucker, and how he knew about the plan from the very beginning. How lost I felt with my father gone. My doubts about my future. And he was equally open with me. He’d just broken off an engagement his parents forced him into, and things weren’t so great on the home front right now.

Looking at my empty coffee cup, I sighed. “I should get home. It’s late.”

“Let me take you home.”

“I drove, but if you want to walk me to my car, I won’t argue.”

Darrell smiled and it made my chest flutter. Not like how it did with Tucker, but in a different way. A nice, comfortable way. A way that said I needed a friend.

We stopped at my car, and I took in a deep breath. “Thanks for tonight and letting me spill my guts to you.”

He laughed. “No worries. That’s some crazy shit with your grandfather.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, it is. So, I guess I’ll be seeing you on the golf course?”

Darrell grinned wider. “I have a better idea. There’s a dinner that my father’s company is hosting. It’s to help raise money to build a school in Africa. It’s really my mother’s passion, but Dad’s sponsoring the trip. I’m sure if your … well …”

He looked away.

“If my parents were here?”

When he glanced back at me, I could see the regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry, that’s what I was going to say. If your parents were here, I know he’d invite them.”