Текст книги "Next-Door Incubus"

Автор книги: Emilia Rose

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

CHAPTER 16

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Dani

After downing the rest of my shot—because I needed all the liquid courage I could get—I staggered down the hallway, fingers gliding against the wall to guide me toward Trevon’s office. I still didn’t know what I was going to say to him. Hell, maybe he wouldn’t even want to talk to me since I reeked of alcohol and was a tiny bit tipsy.

By the time I made it to his office, I was rubbing Mom’s pendant between my sweaty palms and breathing heavily. Scenario after scenario was playing out in my head of how this could all go. Some were bad: Trevon yells at me for being immature by drinking before we talk. Most were really, really bad: I tell him I was going to give him another chance and spend the rest of my life feeling like shit.

So much for drinking to calm my nerves. That plan went right out the window.

I took a deep breath and knocked against the cold door. No answer. I knocked again. Nothing.

I jingled the doorknob and walked into an empty office. I had done it a million times before but barging into Trevon’s office never felt so wrong.

His black peacoat was draped over the arm of the couch and his baseball cap was sitting on his desk. I shut the door behind me and wandered over to sit in his big comfy chair. He was probably in the bathroom.

My head still felt light, and I swayed in the chair, knees bouncing.

A manila folder was sitting on top of a bunch of legal documents on the desk. Termination of Employee: Samantha Bernard. My eyes widened, and I picked up the folder.

Trevon fired Samantha? Why would he do that? I mean, sure, she was a bit rude to me. Okay… she was very rude to me. But he wouldn’t fire her because of that, would he?

I played with the edge of the folder, debating on finding out why. I didn’t want him to yell at me again—this time for being too nosy—but I couldn’t help it. He was acting suspicious.

Just as I was about to open the file, the doorknob rattled. I quickly placed it back down and stood. If he caught me snooping, he would think I didn’t trust him. And he definitely wouldn’t trust me.

Someone banged on the door, and then it was pushed open. Trevon stumbled in backwards, a pair of hands squeezing his ass.

What the fuck?

Javier pushed him into the room, lips pressed against Trevon’s. Trevon was fumbling with his belt, groping Javier through his pants, grinding himself against him like Javier was the only damn thing that he ever wanted. And he was so desperately craving him right now.

My eyes widened.

Holy hell.

What was he doing? Was this really happening?

I blinked a few times. Maybe I was just seeing things. Maybe I was drunker than I thought. I should’ve just had one, not three.

Javier pushed Trevon’s hand into his jeans, and Trevon groaned softly against his lips. “Fuck,” he said under his breath. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

Oh, God. This was actually happening.

“What the hell are you doing?” I shouted.

Trevon jumped back and pushed Javier away. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “Dani…” he said breathlessly. His eyes were a hazy and intoxicated brown like I had never seen before. I parted my lips, gazing wildly between the two. I didn’t even know what else to say. “Dani, I-I can explain! It’s not what it looks like!” He pulled up his pants and buckled his belt.

“Really, Trevon? How is seeing you kiss Javier supposed to look?” I dug my nails into my palms. I couldn’t believe this. How could he do this to me? And with Javier?

A wall of heat crashed into me, followed by the strong scent of licorice. Javier stepped toward me, eyes low and viciously dark. Trying to intimidate me. I glared at him—not backing down. All I felt was pure rage for the man who was ruining my life.

My life and Maria’s life. I thought he had a thing with her, but I guess I was wrong. He seemed to fuck anything and anyone he could get his goddamn hands on.

Trevon rushed over to me, gently placing his hands on my shoulders. “Dani, I… I-we… we weren’t—” So much regret in his eyes. It was all a damn put-on.

“How long has this been going on?” I asked. Trevon just stood there, brows furrowed together, not even attempting to speak a single word. “I can’t believe you.” I pulled myself out of his grip. “Damn it, Trevon. Did you ever even care?”

He parted his lips, but I cut him off. I didn’t want to listen to another one of his lies. I didn’t want to be played again.

“You know what—I can’t take this anymore. We’re done! Done!” I stormed out of the office, not sparing Javier another look, and slammed the door behind me.

Don’t cry, Dani. Don’t do it.

I hurried down the hallway and through the bar. My heart raced. An angry tear rolled down my cheek. Fuck Trevon. Another tear. I hated him. I hated him so much.

All those memories—lying in bed late at night, fingers brushing softly against my chin, holding me against his chest and letting me listen to his steady heartbeat. Every early morning, I spent with him as he desperately tried to get his bar up and running. Every late night I waited at home for him with his favorite kettle corn and cheesy Hallmark movie.

So fucking stupid.

How many people has he cheated on me with? How many times? How long has this been going on? And… I drew my brows together, teary gaze fixed on the ground… why?

I had done everything for him, tried to be the perfect girlfriend, tried to give him everything he wanted, sacrificed my happiness for him. And all I got was a front-row seat to Trevon’s raunchy escapades.

God, I wanted to march right back into his office and make sure he knew how badly he hurt me. I wanted an explanation. I wanted an apology for wasting five years of my life on him. But something in my gut told me to keep walking and to never turn back. Not even when he knocked on my door with teary eyes and a sappy apology.

And I wasn’t going to.

He didn’t make me happy anymore. I knew that now.

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CHAPTER 17

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Dani

“What a dick. Honestly, who the Heaven does he think he is? Does he really think he could just do that to you?!” Kasey paced back and forth in her apartment with her arms crossed and a sinister look in her eye.

I curled into the side of her plush white sofa and clutched a pillow to my chest as closely as I used to with Trevon. When I walked out of the bar three hours ago, I didn’t feel this bad. But when I made it to Kasey’s, it hit me. Hard.

Trevon would never visit me after work with a bottle of white wine and a pepperoni pizza again. He would never hold me when I woke up at night from a nightmare of Mom’s death again. He would never love me—really, truly love me—again. At least, I wouldn’t let him. I couldn’t.

There was no way in Hell that I’d go back to him now, no way that I’d forgive him for this. I dug my fingers into the pillow. I wanted to rip it apart. I wanted to scream and cry—both at the same time.

Five years. I wasted five years of my life on him. Five years of laughing at his stupid jokes and smiling at his stupid faces and loving his stupid ass. And I never wanted it to end.

If he wanted to see other people, he should’ve just broken up with me. It would’ve saved us both a bit of hardship.

“You know what? Screw him. I didn’t like him, anyway.” Kasey pursed her red lips. “He’s a no-good cheater. He’s going to Hell. I’ll make sure he has the worst time down there.”

I loosened my grip on the pillows and laughed lifelessly. I guess I’d see him there. With all the lying and denying my lustful thoughts and dreams of Eros, I wouldn’t make it to Heaven, that’s for sure.

Someone knocked on the door, and my heart leapt. A part of me wanted Trevon to be standing there, clothes soaked from the rain, a sorrowful expression on his face. Not that I would accept his apology. I just wanted to see that he cared, even if it was just a little.

Kasey stormed to the door and yanked it open. A female dressed in a soft pink dress stood in the doorway—the waitress from Ollie’s diner that Kasey had flirted with when we were out. Her natural curls were parted down the middle and a cute maroon bow was clipped in her hair. “Hey Baby,” she said, holding out a bottle of wine.

“Mycah,” Kasey whispered, immediately relaxing. She took a deep breath and leaned closer to her. “Now’s not really a good time.”

Mycah gazed over her shoulder at me and frowned.

I stood and dropped the pillow. “I was just leaving. It’s okay.” It was late anyway.

“No,” Kasey said. “You’re staying the night.”

After shrugging off her coat, Mycah placed the bottle of wine on the counter. “Man trouble?”

“Boy trouble,” Kasey said. “That bastard cheated on her.”

Mycah poured three glasses of wine. “That guy you used to always come into Ollie’s with?”

“Yes,” I said.

She handed me a glass of wine. “Well, here’s a little something to rid him from your mind.” Then, she sat on the couch next to me and gently rubbed my knee. “Who needs cheaters anyway?” Kasey lightly grabbed her chin and placed a kiss on her cheek.

For the next few hours, we talked about anything and everything other than Trevon. From Ollie’s to Dr. U to my sexy neighbor that wouldn’t leave me alone. And when Kasey brought him up, Mycah stood and raised her eyebrows at me. “Do I hear a rebound?” she asked.

My cheeks tingled, and I gazed out at the city through her floor-length windows. “No.”

Kasey pursed her red lips. “We’ll see about that.”

Mycah placed her hand on Kasey’s knee and kissed her. “Well, I’m going to bed. I look forward to hearing more about this mystery man.”

Kasey watched her disappear down the hallway and grabbed our empty wine glasses.

“So, are you two a thing?” I asked, following her to the kitchen.

“Yeah.” She smiled.

“How long?”

Her eyes widened with excitement, and she leaned against the counter. “A few weeks. I’ll have to tell you more about her in the morning. If I tell you now, you won’t be able to shut me up and I don’t want to keep her waiting.” She brought me to a spare bedroom and pulled out a few blankets. “Are you alright?”

I smiled weakly. “I will be.” Hopefully.

When I laid down and shut my eyes and was finally alone with my thoughts for the first time tonight, I clenched the blankets in my fists. I wasn’t alright. My heart hurt. I felt like I was suffocating. The tears wouldn’t stop rolling down my cheeks.

Did I drive him to cheat on me? Did I not go out with him as much as he wanted me to? Was I not fun and spontaneous anymore? Was it because I said that I needed time to think?

I wiped the tears. No. This wasn’t my fault. I refused to blame myself for this. Cheating on me was his choice, and it was a bad one.

I was lying in a bed and staring up at a plain white ceiling. Gusts of wind blew in through a cracked window. All I wanted was to pull the blankets over my body, but everything felt too heavy to move. My head. My heart. My muscles.

“Dani, it’s not your fault,” someone whispered.

Eros laid next to me, fingers grazing against my cheek. I turned onto my side, tucking my hand under my pillow, and gazed into his black eyes. He was wearing those horns again.

I waited for him to say something to take my mind off of this, but he just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. I inhaled his cinnamon aroma and relaxed in his arms. They were so warm.

We laid like that for hours. My fingers digging into his bare back, me holding him closer than I ever held Trevon, clutching him like he was the only thing I had ever wanted. I didn’t know how much I needed this.

“I’m going to make this right for you,” he said.

When I woke up the next morning, I swore I could smell Eros on the bed sheets. It felt as if he had been there with me the whole night, but that was an even stupider thought than the idea of me giving Trevon a second chance.

After Kasey dropped me off at home, I stood in the elevator with my phone pressed to my ear. “I’m so sorry again, Dr. U., but I… I won’t be able to come in today.”

“Is everything okay, Dani? You never call off,” she said, worry clear in her voice.

“Yes.” It was. At least, I was feeling a bit better than yesterday.

She paused for a long moment. “Dani, it’s not good to deny your feelings. Don’t let them build up. Remember how that unfolded in the past for you.”

“I know,” I said softly, stepping out of the elevator. Denying Mom’s murder made me so hateful of everything until Trevon. Now I had to deal with Trevon and his cheating.

“Take as much time as you need,” she said. “And promise me you’ll talk to someone about this, even if it’s not me.”

“I promise.”

I hung up the phone and walked down the hall. Trevon was the only good in my life after I lost Mom and now he was gone too—willingly. What did I have left? Who did I have left to talk to about this? Kasey. Maria, maybe.

Everything was eerily quiet as I pushed my key into my apartment door, lost in my thoughts. Then, suddenly, I heard yelling from next door. I was going to ignore it until I heard Javier’s voice.

“I can’t fucking believe you!” Eros said.

“Come on. You know how I live, Eros,” Javier said. I gripped the doorknob, fingers turning white.

“I told you to stay away from her!”

“You told me not to fuck her, and I didn’t.” Javier’s voice was laced with annoyance.

“So, you fuck her boyfriend instead?” Eros paused. “I can’t believe that I actually fell for this shit. I should’ve known. You’re just like your father.”

Javier chuckled. I could only imagine he had the same sinister look on his face that he gave me when I caught him with Trevon. “You should be used to it by now.”

“This is why I left.”

“Who are you kidding, Eros? You were banished! You didn’t leave. Mother didn’t want a son like you. She never did.”

Silence.

“Why didn’t you tell me that she’s—” Javier started, but I heard sudden footsteps and saw the door swing open, so I slipped into my apartment and shut the door behind me. That didn’t sound good.

I inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of eggs and bacon, and closed my eyes. Eros and Javier were half-brothers? Where did their mother banish him from—and, on second thought, who even used that word anymore? Why did Eros warn Javier to stay away from me?

The last question interested me more than the others. Maybe I was hoping that it was because he possibly liked me too. After last night’s dream, I was starting to think anything was possible.

He probably told Javier that so he could be the one to fuck me. He had made that clear from the moment that he met me that that was what he wanted.

The bacon on the skillet was sizzling in a heap of grease. Maria hurried out of the hallway, running a hand through her hair, phone pressed to her ear. “I don’t know where she is. She didn’t come home last night, and I’m so worried about her, Zane. And this breakfast is burning and—” She looked at me with wide teary eyes and clicked off the phone without saying goodbye. She rushed over to me and pulled me into a hug. “Dani! Where have you been?”

“At a friend’s place,” I said, awkwardly patting her on the back.

She wiped a tear from her cheek, trying not to mess up her mascara. “I was so worried about you. I heard what happened. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You are?”

“Yes,” I said. “I think so.”

Honestly, I was still hurting, but I felt so much better. Last night, my world felt like it was shattering. I didn’t think I’d ever spend another day without disgusting wet tears rolling down my cheeks and puffy red eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “You and Javier—”

She frowned. “Javier is an asshole who likes to lead people on, apparently. What we had was nothing compared to you and Trevon.”

I gazed over at the burning bacon. “Has Trevon come over?”

“No.” She turned off the stove and placed the bacon on a glass plate. “But Eros did.”

Eros came looking for me?

“You should go see him. He seemed worried.”

“I will,” I said. “Later.”

All I wanted to do now was sink into my sheets, fall asleep, and dream of Eros. I knew that the Eros in my dreams wasn’t the same as the Eros in real life, but dream-Eros had comforted me last night. And I hoped that it would happen again.

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CHAPTER 18

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Dani

After work, I drove myself to Kasey’s house and knocked on her door. I hadn’t seen her or Trevon or even Eros in a few days, and I wanted someone to talk to. There was no answer. I was about to turn away when a shirtless guy opened the door.

His thick brown hair stuck up in all different directions, and he furrowed his dark brows at me. “Hello?”

“Hi, is—uh—Kasey here?”

Who was this guy? He couldn’t be her boyfriend; she just introduced me to Mycah a couple days ago. Maybe it was her brother?

He smiled, leaned against the doorframe, and crossed his arms. There was a small scar in the center of his chest. “You must be Dani. Kasey talks a lot about you.”

“Oh, um… good. What’s your name?” I asked awkwardly.

“I’m Aarav, Kasey’s boyfriend.”

My eyes widened. Oh, he was her lover. Had she broken up with Mycah already?

Kasey walked behind Aarav, tying a black silk robe around her small waist. “Dani! Come in.” She slapped Aarav lightly on the chest. “Hun, go put on a shirt. You’re making her uncomfortable.”

Aarav jogged to the bedroom, and I walked into the apartment. Heart racing. Maybe Kasey was cheating on Mycah. She hadn’t told me they broke up. I thought she would have. Would I be able to look at her the same if she was, especially after what Trevon did?

“What’s on your mind?” She puckered her red lips and curled her arm around mine, dragging me to the kitchen.

“Aarav is your boyfriend?”

“Yep.”

“When did you break up with Mycah?”

“I didn’t. We’re still dating.”

My eyes widened. “Oh.” Wow. Okay. Out of everyone, I didn’t think Kasey would ever cheat. She was so angry when she found out that Trevon was cheating on me.

I gnawed on the inside of my cheek. Maybe I should tell Mycah. I would’ve wanted someone to tell me that Trevon was cheating. It would have saved me from blindly believing that he was still in love with me.

Kasey giggled at my expression, her nose scrunching. “Dani, I’m in a relationship with both of them.”

Yeah, that was clear.

“No, no, no. I mean they both know about each other. We’re in a polyamorous relationship.”

Oh.

“Really?” I asked, curiously.

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, brows furrowed. “You don’t think that’s weird, do you?”

“No, of course not.”

I had never met anyone in that kind of relationship before. And while it was different, it wasn’t weird. It was intriguing more than anything. Two partners to care about. Two partners who cared about her.

She hopped onto a stool at the counter and tugged me along with her. Aarav walked into the kitchen, a loose white shirt hanging off his body. “Would you ladies like some dinner?”

“Just something light, hun.”

Aarav threw some burgers on the skillet and leaned against the counter. “I heard what happened with Trevon,” he said. Kasey narrowed her eyes at him. He raised his arms in defense. “What? I just wanted to tell her how well she took it. Not everyone can get over a breakup in a few days, and she’s already going on another date.”

My brows furrowed together. “I don’t have a date.”

Kasey grabbed my hand, a guilty look on her face. “Actually, I kind of told someone that you’d go on a date with them tonight.”

“What? Why would you do that?”

“Because you need to get back out there, and I know the perfect guy for you!”

“Kase, I’m not ready to go out on a date. I just got off work, have had no time to freshen up, and I’m not meeting a guy for the first time looking like this.” And I didn’t want to go so soon after the breakup. It was still so fresh, and I was so scared that I would fall for another guy that would break my heart just like Trevon did.

Another pretty face. Another book of lies. Another problem.

A wicked grin stretched across her face. “Well, I’m going to help you get ready. You’re going to look hot as Wrat—Hell. Hot as hell.”

“No,” I said. “I’m not going. I probably won’t even like the guy.” There was only one guy that I’d consider seeing, and he had disappeared from my life a few days ago.

“Oh, you’ll like him. Don’t you think so, Aarav?” she asked.

He flipped the burgers and nodded.

“See! Nothing to worry about!”

“There’s everything to worry about! What if he turns out to be a pervert? What if I get awkward and do something stupid—like have a heart attack?”

Kasey burst out laughing. She rested her forehead on my shoulder, shaking from laughter. “Dani, calm down.”

But I couldn’t. I was still getting over Trevon and didn’t know if I was ready to date again. I hadn’t flirted with another guy in years, except Eros but he didn’t count. And, anyway, I couldn’t go. I needed time for myself, time to make sure that this was going to make me happy.

“He’s not a pervert.” She wiped tears from her cheeks, still giggling. “And, I assure you that he doesn’t care if you do something stupid. I can’t promise you about the heart attack thing because if you two…” She wiggled her brows at me. “… you know, have sex, then you might.”

I wrinkled my nose. “There will be no sex on the first date, and…” I raised my brow at her. “How do you know the sex will be that good? Is he one of your ex-boyfriends?”

She made a face. “Oh, Heavens, no.”

The burgers sizzled on the skillet, and Aarav chuckled as he shook spices over them.

“Well, who is he?”

“I can’t tell you that. It’s a blind date.”

“Then, I’m not going.”

“Please, just this once, and if you hate him, then I’ll never make you go on another date again.”

I sighed and pushed a hand through my hair. It was a win-win situation for me. If I had a good time, then I might go out with this guy again. I’d be able to get my mind off of Trevon and Eros for a few hours. If I had a bad time, then I didn’t have to go out on another date again. I could pick up Project Hermit right where I left off, and I was completely fine with that.

“Just this once, and then never again,” I said, giving her the hardest eyes I could.

Kasey pulled me off of the stool. “Deal, let’s get you ready.”

“Oh, come on,” Aarav said. He turned around with two burgers on a plate, each with a smiley face drawn in ketchup on it. “You’re not going to eat?”

Kasey placed a kiss on his cheek, leaving a red stain. “I’ll eat it later, hun.” She winked back at him and dragged me to her room.

Crimson’s Nouveau was buzzing with people when I arrived for the date. The last time I was here was with Trevon, Eros, and Maria. Trevon was chatting up Javier so much that night, I should’ve realized that something was going on.

Men, dressed in suits, were sitting around the bar with beers in their hands. Some watched me walk by in the plunging navy-blue sweater dress that Kasey had forced me to wear. I found an open seat and scooted onto the stool. “A white sangria please,” I said to the petite woman behind the counter.

One man gazed at me from the opposite side of the bar, eyebrow cocked ever so slightly. His eyes were a dark brown—black, even, but maybe it was just this dim light. I gazed down at the table, cheeks flaming. God, I hope this wasn’t the guy Kasey set me up with. I was hoping for someone less attractive, someone I’d be able to say goodbye to at the end of the night and not feel bad when I didn’t call him back.

When I looked back up, he was suddenly next to me—standing a bit too close. He brushed his fingers against my slim wrist. “What’s a pretty, little angel like you doing in a bar like this?” His voice was deep and melodic, and his eyes… I swear they really were black.

That same easy feeling I got with Eros filled me, and I found myself leaning closer to him. He smelt so good, like the beach, a salty aroma of shore and sea. Even his hair was a sandy brown.

“I’m… uh…” I moved my lips, failing to form words. “Waiting for someone.”

He was so mesmerizing that I almost missed a woman storming straight toward us with a bitter look on her face. She grabbed the man’s wrists and pulled it away from me. “I leave you alone for one minute and you’re already flirting with—” She looked me up and down in pure disgust, green eyes glistening. “—someone like her.”

She pointed a slender finger at me. “Don’t you ever look at him like that again, or I’ll take you right to Satan’s kingdom and watch you burn.” And, without another word, she dragged the handsome man right to one of the dark back doorways.

I sat there, staring at the almost glistening door that they disappeared behind and raised my brows. The bartender placed a drink on the bar in front of me, and I looked away. “White sangria.”

Well, that guy was definitely not the man Kasey set me up with. I drew my finger across the wooden bar, thinking about how my first date I had after Trevon was already going to shit. A handsome, taken guy flirting with me. His girlfriend threatening to take me to Hell herself. The night was bound to get worse.

I was going to stumble over my words, spill my drink on myself. Maybe even spill it on whoever my lucky date was. He’d say it was alright, but it wouldn’t really be alright. Then he’d tell me that he was going to wipe it off in the bathroom and would just never come back out.

I fiddled with my necklace as the heat crawled up my neck. Calm down, Dani. It’s just a date.

Why did I agree to this again? Why was I even here?

“Kasey, this is the last time I’m doing this for you. I told you last time I didn’t want to go on any more dates,” someone said.

My eyes widened, and I stared down at my sangria. He was here.

Someone leaned over the bar next to me, shirt sleeves rolled up with forearms. “Apple cider with Fireball,” he said to the bartender. He sounded familiar, but I didn’t dare look over. “I told you that I’m done dating dem—”

Oh, God. He didn’t even want to be here.

“Kase, I have to go.” He shut off his phone and paused for too long. “Dani.”

My heart nearly stopped. Just by the way he said my name—so slow and sensual—I knew who he was. And when I lifted my gaze to meet Eros’s dark one, I was more nervous than I was a few minutes ago.

He stared down at me, brows creased. “What’re you doing here?”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just stared at him, wide-eyed. “Um…” I took another sip of my drink. Kasey set me up with Eros. My hot next-door neighbor Eros.

But Eros didn’t even want to be here. That’s why he was probably avoiding me these past few days and didn't want any kind of relationship right now. I shook my head. This was a huge mistake. I shouldn’t have come. “Just… drinking some sangria.”

The bartender gave him his drink. He rested a forearm on the bar and gave me a light smile. “You only drink when you’re nervous about something.” He sat on the stool next to me, and all I could remember was sitting at Trevon’s bar with him, our knees grazing against each other, him taking in every inch of me, his breath on my face. “Did Kasey send you here on a date?” he asked.

I pressed my lips together and stood. “Uhm, yes.” I grabbed my coat from the back of the stool. “But I was just doing it to make her happy, not because I actually wanted to go out on a date.” My palms were sweating; I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

This was the only guy that I wanted to go on a date with but having him sit next to me with that sultry look in his eye terrified me. So, I continued to fumble with the zipper of my coat, hands shaking.

I didn’t know why I was letting this rush right by me. This was what I wanted. He was what I wanted. He just didn’t want to be here. It wasn’t the right time. This—

He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. “You’re not going to have a drink with me?”

When I gazed up at him in this dim light, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “Eros…” I said. There was no point in lying. “I heard your conversation with Kasey. We don’t have to do this. I don’t mind.”

“I want to have a drink with you. I just didn’t want to date another one of Kasey’s friends.”

“I am one of her friends.”

“Yeah, but…” He gazed down at his drink, lips softening into a smile. “You’re you.” His fingers grazed against my palm and curled around it. “Now, unzip your coat, sit back down, and have a drink with me.”

When I sat, he tapped his finger with his ring against his glass. “I’m sorry about Trevon.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

“I know.”

He gave me a boyish smile. His lips were set in a soft curve, and there was a lightness in his eyes. “Good.” He grabbed my hand on top of the bar. “Zane and I kicked Javier out.”

“You didn’t need to do that. It was Trevon’s decision to cheat on me, not Javier’s.”

Eros’s jaw clenched for a split second, like he knew something that I didn’t. “It doesn’t matter. He’s not coming back.”

I didn’t want to talk about Trevon or Javier. This wasn’t the time or place to wallow in misery over him. I was on a date with Eros. A rush of heat warmed my body at the thought, and my cheeks tingled.

“Thinking about me in those horns again?” He placed his elbow on the bar top and leaned closer to me, finger curling around my hair.

My face flushed. “Oh, God.” I couldn’t believe that I told him about that. Liquor really did give me the courage to tell my deepest, darkest secrets. “I-no. I wasn’t.” But I was now.

Eros smirked and brushed his thumb against my cheek. “You know, I never got that kiss.” His breath smelt like a mix of cinnamon and apple.

“What kiss?” I smiled, my gaze flickering to his lips. Of course, I remembered that night in the kitchen when he was so close, when our lips were hovering next to each other, when he told me that all he wanted was to kiss me. “I never said that I wanted you to kiss me.”

He raised his brows and pulled his hand away, leaning back in his seat. “Dani, I really don’t think you want to tease me.”

I tilted my head, feeling confident in myself for the first time tonight. “I’m not trying to tease you.”

His eyes darkened. “If you want to play this little game, then I’ll play it with you. But just know that you’re not going to win.” He grasped my chin in his hand, thumb brushing against my lips. “You won’t be able to resist me.”

When he leaned back in his seat, he crossed his arms over his chest, making his biceps bulge. I already knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist him, but it’d be fun to try. Maybe I’d even get him to break before I did.