I started working on my eggs, shoveling them into my mouth to stop myself from asking questions. In my head, I was already spending the twenty dollars that I would be getting from Josh. Maybe I could put it toward the new lipstick I wanted.
“So we went up to his place, and holy hell he has the best fingers and mouth of any man I’ve been with. I blew him, and I know for a fact I gave him the best two orgasms of his life.”
Joshua Crawford, you lying little shit!
I smirked as I dug into my eggs, and ate every last bit on my plate. Suddenly, the idea of hurrying up and going to Josh’s apartment to claim victory became my first thought.
“How about you, Ashlyn? How are you managing with the whole no-sex thing, seeing as how your gorgeous aussie is on the other side of the world?”
I choked on the last forkful of eggs at Tori’s question. Shit. After somehow avoiding all talk of Lachlan since I returned, it would, of course, be Tori to bring him up. Eden watched me expectantly, waiting for me to answer about my supposedly wonderful boyfriend in Australia. The boyfriend who wasn’t ever really my boyfriend. What an absolute fuck up.
“I own a vibrator. It serves me well,” I said with a smile, hoping she would take my response without further questioning.
“When is he coming back to the states?” she asked, and I groaned inwardly.
“Honestly, I have no clue. I guess when his schedule permits.”
She nodded, and then fell into conversation with Eden. Thankfully, she deemed my responses adequate, and that was the last of talk of Lachlan.
“Well, babes. I need to head to the airport. It was amazing seeing you both, and I’m sure I’ll be back for another taste of Josh Crawford soon.” She shot me a wink, and I offered her a tight smile. Maybe I’d increase my bet to fifty dollars next time.
Ten minutes after Tori left, the bell over the door rang and Ky and Josh walked in. Josh smirked when our gazes collided and, with smugness, I returned it. I’d be wiping that smug look off his face in a matter of minutes.
“Ladies,” Josh said with an arrogant smile when they reached us. “Ashy, I hope you’ve got my twenty dollars.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and scoffed. He looked completely refreshed, eyes clear, stubble sitting delightfully on his jaw, and utterly satisfied. I moved across the leather seat as he sat down next to me.
“You’re getting zero dollars.”
“The bet was twenty dollars,” he exclaimed, his brow rising in question.
“I want cake. Babe, let’s go get some,” Eden announced from across the table, completely oblivious to Josh and me.
Ky and Eden left the table, and I yelped as Josh placed his arm under my leg and around my waist, twisting me in my seat until I was facing him.
“Now what’s this talk about getting zero dollars. I didn’t have sex last night, so I deserve a lot more than twenty fucking dollars.”
“Sex meant all types of sex, and that includes getting a blow job and having two orgasms. It also meant not giving a girl a finger bangin’.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I heard all about last night. You’re busted,” I said with a laugh. The look on his face was priceless. It went from shock, to frustration, to amusement in the blink of an eye.
“Hang on a minute. Tori said I finger fucked her and she gave me two orgasms by blowing me?”
“Damn straight she did,” I stated matter-of-factly, and felt myself claiming victory.
His eyes flashed with amusement before he roared with laughter. I watched in complete confusion, as his deep laugh echoed around us. I couldn’t understand what was so funny; he was the one who’d just lost the bet, so why was he in hysterics? I sat, stunned by his reaction.
“Ashy,” he choked out as he got his laughter under control. “I have never blown my load in a woman’s mouth before, and I certainly didn’t finger fuck her last night. She passed out on my couch ten minutes after we got to my apartment.”
“Why the hell would she lie about something like that? And really? You’ve never come in a woman’s mouth? Wow, that’s kind of special in a sick and twisted way.”
“I guarantee you, hand on heart, on everything we have shared, that I did not touch Tori last night. And she certainly didn’t touch me.”
I observed him for a long while. The arrogance that followed him had fled the building, and now he was just too handsome, with his pleading, amused eyes. Damn it. I huffed loudly as I opened my purse and pulled out a twenty. I couldn’t believe I lost a bet about sex with Mr. Sex himself. “I cannot believe I lost.” I shook my head in complete disbelief as I handed him his winnings.
“How’s your memory of last night?” he asked, pulling out his wallet and putting the twenty inside.
There was only one part of the night he could be referring to, and it certainly wasn’t what we had for dinner. It was a conversation I wasn’t sure how I’d handle sober. Josh was the guy. The guy who remained in my memories no matter who I was with. He was also my friend, my first, my torment, and my secret temptation.
“Clear as day,” I replied quickly.
Ky and Eden returned to the table with her cake, and the four of us sat around shooting the wind. There was no talk of the night before, and Josh began talking with Ky about something to do with the magazine. I knew it was only a matter of time until the text message I received the night before decided reappear in my thoughts. It was the text message that had drawn unwanted attention from Eden and Josh. Lachlan’s words painted themselves behind my eyes, so I constantly revisited them.
When are you coming back to me? You won’t stay away for long.
Who did he think he was? I couldn’t understand this guy. How could someone change so drastically? I wasn’t into games, but it seemed like Lachlan was set on making me a part of whatever fucked-up mind games he wanted to play.
Josh coughed softly beside me, and hit my leg under the table. I pulled myself away from going down memory lane and offered him the briefest of smiles. It was clear he could see straight through me by the way his eyes roamed my face.
“I’m heading back to my apartment, so I’ll see you whenever you come over.” He leaned in closer, until his mouth was close to my ear. “And whatever is happening in that head of yours, we are going to talk about it.”
Without another word, he walked out of the diner and headed back to our apartment.
This afternoon I’d be moving in with Josh.
Let the games begin.
THE SOUND OF A key sliding into the lock pulled me away from my afternoon of watching television. After leaving the diner, I came home, cleaned my apartment, went to the gym, and was now waiting for my new roommate to arrive. Ashlyn appeared, still wearing the sexy-as-fuck sundress that she had on at the diner. Her legs looked phenomenal. The dress was sitting mid-thigh, and it swished around with every movement she made. She hesitated briefly in the door frame, her pink suitcase by her side and matching pink laptop bag over her shoulder, before stepping in.
“Hey, Ashy,” I said from the couch.
She jumped about a foot and shrieked, “God, you scared me.”
“Where’d you think I’d be? I had to welcome my new roomie.”
“Roomie sounds so official.” She laughed. After wheeling her suitcase to the wall beside the hall, she placed her laptop bag on the table, then came over and collapsed beside me on the couch. She tucked her feet under her body and turned her focus to the television.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as she settled in for an afternoon on my couch. She looked relaxed, completely carefree. I had no idea what this week would bring. All I knew was that I wanted her to have time that Lachlan didn’t encroach on, and I wanted time to make her realize that there was no way in hell she was going to London. Was it a selfish move? Of course it was. I didn’t want her to go because I didn’t want to deal with the thought of her not being here. Fuck, I’d take her to London if she really wanted to go¸ as long as she stayed with me.