Wild Addiction Volume 2

“It’s not bad,” I answered finally, slowly, tentatively drawing each word out. “I guess, in a fucked-up way, it’s kind of similar to Aaron keeping Sharon from you. You really shouldn’t have forgiven him, but you did. I really shouldn’t accept Ivan’s past this easily, but I have.”Dayton’s lips tugged up at the sides. “You know who forgives easily, don’t you?”“A person in love,” I said in a cocky voice. “And again, there is a fundamental flaw in your plan, best friend.”“Yeah, you’re not in love. I gotcha, Ms. In Denial.”I rolled my eyes. I was not even going to argue with her. She’d continue to tell me that I was in denial and I’d deny being in denial. It’d be like the string cheese conversation all over again. Pointless bullshit.“Whatever.” I placed my empty glas

He nodded. “Yes. Take away a foot of floor and the stairs would come out in the seating area in front of the bar, and then you could go either way.”“And it wouldn’t impact the access to the storeroom, coatroom, or restrooms?”“No, ma’am. If you put the bar along this wall, it’ll actually be easier access for staff.”“Perfect. Put the bar here”—I pointed to along the wall—“the main seating area here”—I circled the area in front of it—“and the dance floor here. But make sure there’s a space to access the restrooms without having to go through the dance floor. And while we’re here, could you put a minibar in upstairs? I believe Mr. Sands wants it to be VIP and special occasion only, so they’ll want their drinks served separately.”“We can fit a corner bar in here.” He tapped the pa

“Gross.” I made a swipe for the bag, but he held it to the side. “Ivan! You’re such a fucking child!” I jabbed him in the bicep.He winced, dropping his arm, and I took the chance to grab the bag.With a laugh, I said, “Ha! Who has the food now?” I got up and ran around the table, digging in for my burger. I unwrapped it and tear a bite off in a very unladylike way.Hey, if the guy can fuck me on a regular basis, he can deal with my eating habits.“Brenda,” he said slowly, standing, his eyes dead on mine. “Give me my burger.”I shook my head.“Brenda.” An undercurrent of a threat was in his voice, and despite the small thrill it sent through my body, I took another bite of my burger.“Yes?”“The burger.”I shook my head for a second time. “Nope. You take my food, I take yours.”“You took it back.

“Brenda, snap the hell out of it!” Her words were short and sharp.I blinked harshly.“Honestly, I can’t decide if you’re addicted to love or a commitment-phobe.”“Both. Definitely both.”“Don’t tell me you’re seriously thinking that being with Ivan is a bad idea.”I leaned back in the chair. “I’ve never not thought that. He’s a very, very bad idea.”“You really piss me off sometimes.”“Good. At least the feeling is mutual.” I grinned and she returned it.“Seriously, meeting his sister isn’t a big deal. You don’t even have to meet her with him. We’ll go for drinks or something.” She shrugged. “Aaron’s working late, so I’m basically sitting around like a dick every night, doing nothing.&r

The glass clanked on the counter as I placed it down. The vodka settled into a warm ball in my lower stomach. Shit, shit, shit. Fucking shit!I kicked the cupboard shut and looked at the clock for the first time since leaving the studio. At least I lasted most of the shoot. That was better than running at the first glance.Ha. Running. I’m good at running. So much so that I should live in my fucking sneakers.I poured another drink and drunk it as quickly as the last. Shit. What if I am falling in love? What kind of fucked-up bullshit would that make our relationship? It certainly wouldn’t be a fairytale.It would be nothing close to a fairytale. Not even good ol’ Walt could spin it into a Disney-esque happy ending.Another clank of the glass against the side and I stormed into the bathroom. I turned the shower on—full heat and full power—and stripped off. I stepped beneath the burning flow of water and let it wash ove