No more games, no more bets – because he's already won.
Chapter 23
DOM
I'm well aware of the fact that I'm staring, but I can't fucking stop. It's a total blast from the past, but not the one I was excited about when I arrived here. Goddamn Adrian, with his arm wrapped around her.
Cassidy Lynn has always belonged to me, and I would have claimed her had he not strolled in at the most inappropriate of moments.
"What's this?" I ask in confusion, gesturing at the two of them, my fingers desperate to form fists and wipe that smug look off my ex-friend's face.
Adrian looks at me with confusion, but I can tell he's secretly pleased. I can see his own fists tightening as he gives me a pleasant smile. "Cassidy and I are engaged to be married ourselves, didn't you know?" he says, like my whole world did not just implode.
"We're to be married in the wintertime. Ring and all, can you believe it?" he chuckles good-naturedly. Cassidy shoves her hand out robotically in my direction, her eyes still unable to meet mine.
My heart pounds in my chest as I take her dainty fingers in mine, looking at the largest rock I've ever seen. This isn't happening. This can't be happening.
Because as soon as I stepped back into the beach house, the memories came flooding back in. Those long days at the pool, staring at Cassidy's near naked body on the beach, sharing our first kiss... Those are things I tried to forget, but never did.
And when my eyes landed on Cassidy, a real, in-fucking-sanely sexy woman now, I nearly lost it right there. I realized all those years of holding things back did more damage than good. My cock got hard the moment I saw her, my head swimming with thoughts of what I wanted to do to her.
The only girl I ever wanted more than once.
The only woman that could break my heart.
The only one for me.
"How absolutely lovely," I say in a mocking English accent, letting go of Cassidy's hand abruptly. I'll be too tempted to pull her in my arms if I touch her for a moment longer. Her hand flops to her side like a broken doll's and I hide all of my feelings to clap Adrian on the back.
Hiding my feelings is what I'm best at, anyway.
"Very happy for you two," I say with a grin, my eyes desperate to connect with Cassidy's. Because I still know she's an open book, and given enough time, I'll be able to see just how strong their bond is.
She refuses to look at me though. But Adrian isn't suffering of the same predicament, unfortunately. He's acting like we're best of friends getting to hang out after years apart. As he shows me around the beach house, I want to slam his head against the wall.
This was my house first.
And I'm about to make sure it becomes that again.
"So, what do you do now, Dom?" Adrian asks and even Cassidy looks up. She's been following us around the house, not even saying a thing. But I fucking hate Adrian's reassuring hand on her back, the way he strokes her hand to make sure she's okay.
That was supposed to be my job if this prick hadn’t ruined everything.
And that's another thing – why the hell did she go out with Adrian in the first place? Was he not involved in the same bet as I was, desperate to bed her? Why did she forgive him, and not me?
The unfairness of the situation burns me deep. I have to clench my teeth when I smile in response after a long, uncomfortable pause has passed. "I am a lawyer."
Cassidy snorts and I give her an evil look, but she can barely hold back her laughter. "Get it all out," I roll my eyes. "I can see you think it's hilarious."
"I'm sorry," she giggles in embarrassment. "It's just I never would have imagined that job for you." She laughs one last time, but then her eyes fix on mine, and she becomes more serious.
"Are you happy?" she wonders out loud. "Does that job make you happy?"
I choose to strategically ignore the first part of her question, because what on earth would I be able to tell her, anyway?
Yes, I'm happy I got to see you again.
No, I'm not happy because you're with this surfer prick instead of me.
And yes, I am furious and first chance I get, I'll make sure you're back where you damn well belong.
I focus on my job, and instead of giving her some automatic answer, I think of what I'm about to say. "Yeah," I say, a small smile playing on my lips. "It pays the bills, and I do like it."
"Are you a criminal attorney, or something like that?" Adrian pipes up and I look straight at him. He thinks I defend goddamned criminals? I'm about to burst his bubble.