Semua Bab Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend: Bab 1 - Bab 10

NICOLEIn the end, we exchange numbers—I had his number, and I simply gave him mine—and I call it a night after trying and failing to recruit sponsors.I unlock my small, rundown Chevrolet Spark and sit with my hands on the steering wheel for a handful of minutes. God, I never thought that accepting this invitation would end up with me seeing Roman after all these years.One of our sponsors, Mrs. Katie Glennville—a woman who's since lost all her wealth yet managed to retain her connections—got me on the guest list for this gala. Otherwise, I'd never dream of making it to such an event. I almost didn't go because I didn't have the right kind of clothes. This little black dress I'm wearing belongs to Haley. It's not even mine.Honestly, I don't know how I feel about this.I press my key into the ignition, start the car, and head straight home. Despite the night being cool, I roll the windows down and enjoy the feel of the wind blowing through my hair. This calms me after my interaction

NICOLEHis penthouse is everything I thought it would be.It sits at the very top of a high-end glass building, and the view is just...wow. Breathtaking. I can see the whole city from his living room. Well, the best parts of it.The floor is black and shiny, and his furniture looks like it belongs in a magazine. They're mainly gray, and their colors don't pop, but I mean this in the best way possible. It's a luxurious gray, not standard, too-poor-to-afford-anything-else gray. Everything's spotless and in its right place. Upstairs, there's a rooftop with a pool, surrounded by potted exotic plants."Wow," I say out loud. "This is something, huh?""Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Want a drink?"I should probably not have many drinks tonight, but I need something to take the edge off. I don't want to raw-dog this entire conversation while sober.I'm too nervous around Roman. I have butterflies in my stomach and we haven't even exchanged a proper word yet. I'm still wondering what he meant b

NICOLEI wake up with the sun in my eyes, and my heart automatically skips a beat when I realize where I am.Fuck.I can't believe I let this happen.Roman shifts beside me, and my heart sinks right before I turn my head to look at him. Relief swarms me when I realize he's still fast asleep. Flashes of last night occur to me. Our bodies so close I couldn't tell where mine ended and his began. His mouth over my throat. His warm breath over my skin. The things he said to me...all the dirty things that set me on fire.I blink and it's all gone.It occurs to me suddenly what I have to do—what the right thing would be.Carefully, I slip out of his bed, and I gather my dress and my heels before heading to the door.I get dressed in the living room, feeling so exposed and dirty now that the sun is up. The soreness in my muscles and particularly between my legs is a dirty reminder of what I've done. What I allowed to happen. God, I didn't even tell Mason that I'd spend the night elsewhere. I

NICOLEI've just started on dinner for me and Haley when my best friend, Esmeralda, comes bursting through the door, carrying a ton of shopping bags."Nicooole!" she exclaims, dragging out my name. "You'll never believe what I have here with me!"I guess just by glancing at the bags she's carrying. I wipe my hands on a kitchen cloth and approach her. Haley is upstairs, taking a shower. Esmeralda rummages through one of the bags and pulls out a shimmery silver dress. "See?""Oh, it's beautiful!" I remark as I reach for the dress and feel the material between the tips of my fingers. "This looks like it cost an arm and a leg!""And it did, but you know how Armand is," she gushes. Armand is, for all intents and purposes, her sugar daddy. He's married and she's well aware, and they've been together for about six months now.I don't necessarily agree with what she's doing, even though they're both adults, and honestly, even though she's my best friend, I have no say in her personal affairs.

NICOLEI look away from the scene so quickly I get dizzy, and follow Esmeralda back to the VIP area.My heart's beating almost painfully fast, and all I can think about is that damned kiss. That bastard. I spent all of yesterday and today thinking about him, and he didn't even care.I thought he was mad at me! Yes, that was pretty stupid and narcissistic of me to assume that he didn't answer my text because he was mad I stood him up. I genuinely thought that was the case because that's what he showed me.And all the while, he probably didn't give me a second thought.Why'd he send the money, then? A million dollars isn't a joke.Or is it? What's his net worth, anyway?"Nicole," Armand begins, drawing my attention. "Esmeralda mentioned that you're single."I find his question extremely strange and it seems he notices it too because he laughs. "Relax, relax. I'm not asking you because I'm interested in a throuple."Esmeralda bursts out laughing. I try to smile and hide my discomfort by