For fuck’s sake, I thought, even when I’m south of the country he still haunts me.
I had to pass through the dance floor to get to the ladies’, and just as I was about to step onto the carpet a hand wrapped around my wrist. I was jolted, almost flung back, until I collided with the person nabbing me. The scent was stronger than ever now. It was a cologne I used to love, but now I found it simply unpleasant and overpowering.
I looked up to meet the narrowed glare of Roman Hopheart.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I mouthed a little too loud. “Why are you here?”
He recoiled like I’d slapped him. When I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, he only tightened his grip. “My sentiment exactly. Why are you here?”
“I’m here on business,” I bit back, again trying and failing to yank my arm away.
“Oh really? And is it your business to follow me around?”
My blood boiled. “Don’t flatter yourself! Seeing you here has, in fact, ruined my perfect night. So thanks very fucking much.”
Roman’s eyes traveled the length of my body, and I felt repulsed by his unwanted attention. “You get a foul mouth when you’ve had too much to drink.”
This time, I pulled my arm away so hard I elbowed the person behind me. “I haven’t had too much to drink. Now, if you’ll—”
A woman approached, looking all blonde, red lips and thick eyelashes. She wrapped her hands under Roman’s arms and around his torso, not at all concerned I was there. All I could do was raise my eyebrows in question, the rest of my face showing the level of disgust toward him.
“Don’t fucking judge me,” he attacked. “Like you’re so fucking innocent. I’ve seen the way you and the bartender were flirting and carrying on. I don’t suppose Hawk would approve.” His eyes moved to my hand which was now void of any fake engagement ring. “Oh...” he continued, suddenly amused, “... trouble in paradise.”
Baited by his mocking tone and already pissed off, I unleashed. I took a step forward until I was right in his face, the blonde bimbo having stepped aside, probably frightened I would tear out her hair extensions.
“You know what, you filthy fucker, I do have a right to judge. You fucked my best friend only months before we were due to marry. Neither of you assholes in your self-righteousness apologized for the betrayal, and then you had the nerve to invite me to your shitty wedding so you could do what? Rub my face in your fake happiness? And then only hours after saying your vows, you find it almost impossible to control your tiny dick and end up fucking the bridesmaid only a hundred yards from your wife and your guests. And then...” I was on a roll, “... and then you claim I’m obsessed with your pathetic ass and was watching you fuck the bored redhead, who I might add, was yawning the whole time and was probably wondering if you had even stuck it in. Pa-lease. When I saw it was you, I practically vomited in my mouth. And now here you are, claiming this as a business trip but really screwing Miss Piggy here and for what? So, you can pass on some syphilis to make yourself feel better? You make me sick, Roman. In fact, you did me a favor by cheating and leaving. Otherwise, I’d have ended up with your catalog of diseases.”
I turned my attention to the woman who did remarkably look like a human version of Miss Piggy. She was blinking so hard I thought her eyelashes were about to fly off. “And a piece of advice for you... unless you want your vagina to fall off, I suggest you pay a visit to your doctor.”
And with that, I turned and left, feeling a long-awaited sense of victory.Chapter 21Britta“Fuck, my head...” I groaned while shielding my eyes from the light filtering through the bedroom window. There was an incessant pounding in my brain courtesy of too many martinis. After unleashing on douche-bag Roman, I hit the bar once more joined by Xavier, the sexy bartender.
Xavier!
My breath caught in my throat and tentatively I turned to the space next to me to see if I’d made any questionable and regrettable decisions last night. When I saw the sheets still tucked in, I gave a relieved sigh. I’d made it out alive and intact, my decision-making ability still strong even after a few.
A sudden trilling sound cut through the silence, scaring me half to death.
“Bloody...shit...!” I breathed, looking frantically around the room until my senses kicked in. The hotel phone on the nightstand was ringing. The call ended before I had a chance to pick it up, plunging me back into silence. My heartrate was galloping when I fell back onto the pillows, squeezing my eyes closed against the throbbing in my brain. Moments later, the phone reared back to life.