I drop Claire off at the apartment and stop in briefly to make sure everything is running smoothly before picking up a few bills that need to be paid. After seeing Gia again-and touching her-I have all this unwanted energy careening through my system. And it's messing with my head.It took every ounce of self-restraint not to haul that woman into my arms and kiss the hell out of her. To get her to admit that we're perfect for one another. And that all the obstacles standing in our way don't matter. Nothing matters if she's not in my life. After more than a month, I want her just as much, if not more, than I did before. The moment she stepped out of the car was like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind from my body. I've tried to stay away from her.To forget her.I really have. But I'm done with that.I can't do it anymore.The need to expel some of this useless energy from my body pounds through me and I head over to the athletic center on campus to lift weights. Maybe run
We sit in a diner across the street from the garage Liam's friend owns. As a personal favor to him, Tony is going to patch my tire today. It should be ready in about an hour.Even though he doesn't necessarily need to stay and babysit me, Liam has made it clear that he isn't leaving until the tire is taken care of. I should feel thankful, instead his presence makes me feel skittish and on edge.Especially after yesterday. He hasn't touched me today, but still...my body is tense. It's driving me crazy. My nerves are stretched tight. Any moment and I'll shatter.The waitress brings two mugs of steaming coffee before silently retreating. Neither of us bother to order anything to eat. In a last-ditch effort at self-preservation, I say one more time, "You don't have to stay. It doesn't sound like it'll take all that long, and then I'll be on my way."He takes a sip of his coffee before flashing me a smile. One dark brow rises. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"The edges of my
Three days have passed since the conversation with Liam in the coffee shop. Even though everything in me is screaming to reach out and say-yes, yes, yes! I haven't. I keep vacillating. If this were solely about me following my heart, it would be a no brainer.But it's not that simple. Life is never that simple. I have to do what's best for both of us. Not just for me, but Liam as well. The dark-haired football player is leading with his heart. I can't allow myself to do that. No one in Liam's life has cared enough to put him first. And he deserves that. More than anything, he deserves to have someone make decisions based solely on what's best for him and him alone. That's what I'm trying to do.I care too much about him to do anything less. Tango is curled up on my lap, purring away. I'm about to delve into a stack of papers to grade when the doorbell rings. With a glance at the door, I set down my blue marking pen and scoop up the cat before moving him to the other si
"Ms. Monroe?"I glance at Isabella, who has snuck up on me when I wasn't paying attention. It's not something that happens often, but this situation with Liam has thrown me off my game. And I hate it. I hate that I'm so easily distracted and not giving one hundred percent to my kids."Yes, Bella?""Are we having a guest today?"I frown, wondering why she would ask the question. One of the first things we do in the morning is go over our schedule for the day. If there is a change, that's the time it's mentioned. The class functions better when they know what to expect."Nope. Today is a normal day. No speakers or assemblies." I tilt my head. "Why do you ask?"She points a finger toward the door.Air rushes from my lungs as my gaze collides with a gunmetal gray one.Liam.What's he doing here?He holds up his hand in tentative greeting. "Hi."As he stands at the threshold of the room-looking so damn sexy in a navy Henley and jeans with his leather jacket hanging open in the fr
Eighteen months later..."Here you go, babe."I open the sliding door that leads out to the brick paver patio and hand Gia a glass of decaf unsweetened iced tea.She flashes a grateful smile. I'm not sure if the expression is because she's happy to see me or for the tea. Although, I'm going with the latter. I'm beginning to suspect that Gia might be addicted to the stuff.After swallowing down half the glass, she relaxes onto the plush lounger before a sigh of contentment escapes from her lips. "Thanks. That was exactly what I needed."I chuckle and cock a brow in her direction. "Oh, really? I seem to recall those being your exact words last night. And-for the record-it wasn't tea I gave you."Her smile broadens as a sexy glint ignites in her eyes as they stay focused on me. I'm not going to lie, that's exactly where I like them. "But this time I actually mean it. I had a serious craving for that tea."I drop onto the seat next to her and bark out a laugh. "Oh, yeah? I'll
It's a little after eleven o'clock, and already this place is completely packed. It's standing room only. It might be a crappy, hole-in-the-wall dive bar, but I can't deny its popularity. Although, I suspect that has a lot to do with the cheap beer. Since it's not even half a mile away from Barnett University, and most of these people look young, my guess is that a lot of college kids have taken up residence here. I'm just thankful that Noah was able to reserve a round, high-top table for the three of us to park ourselves at.The lights are low, drunken voices pushing in from all sides, and the music-well, it's even louder than these students cutting loose on a Saturday night. The pulsing beat practically reverberates off the walls. Even though this isn't my usual style of music or venue, my gaze is glued to the four guys performing on stage."I had no idea that your brother was so hot!" Harper's gaze never deviates from him. "It must be the whole musician vibe he's got going
Cue the mental groaning. I am so not into this. All I want is to head back to the relative safety of the table. Impatiently, I give him a polite smile, hoping this won't take too long. Even though it's been two months since Tyler and I broke up, hooking up is the last thing on my mind. When I'm finally ready to jump back into the dating pool again, it won't be with a drunk college kid who has zero idea that women have a little something called a clit. Let alone where one might find it.I dealt with that in college. I'm not interested in reliving that part of the experience again.At this stage of the game, I'm only interested in men who have, at the very least, a rudimentary understanding as to how the female orgasm is achieved. And are willing to take the time to prove it. Let's just say that Tyler had a working knowledge of female anatomy but wasn't always willing to put forth the necessary time and effort to achieve those goals.I met Tyler about three and a half years ago
I blink before it occurs to me that this man-this incredibly gorgeous man, I might add-is attempting to save me from the idiot who won't take no for an answer.It takes a second to slide into character. "Well, sweetie, I was just, ah, talking to this guy who rather thoughtfully asked if I was interested in having a threesome with him." I tilt my head to hold his gaze and bat my lashes. The hottie next to me drops a quick kiss on my forehead before cocking his head to the side. He takes his time, looking the other guy up and down. A prickle of concern blooms in the pit of my belly. Maybe playing along with this wasn't such a good idea after all. The last thing I need is for a fight to break out. "Sure, I'm down with that. Why don't the three of us head back to our place for a little bit of fun? We'll need to stop and pick up some extra lube. I'm fresh out." He gives the guy a wink along with a sexy smirk before adding, "I think we're going to need it."My mouth tumbles open