It had evolved so quickly from sex to something else that last night. He had never kissed me that way, and I’d never felt my heart threatening to explode like that. The sex had been less like fucking and more like making love. And the way he’d looked into my eyes…
But apparently Greyson could fake all that. Because someone who shared that moment shouldn’t have been able to say what I heard him say to his brother and grandfather. I could feel myself getting pissed all over again, so I took a few deep breaths and tried to think of something else.
Lin and Farrah were already at the bar when I came in. A tall, handsome man and his friend were beside them. I grinned. “You two brought dates to our girl’s night?”
Farrah laughed. “Not exactly. That’s my cousin, Perry. This is Jonah,” she said, nodding to the tall, handsome one. He had high cheekbones, tattoos, and he looked like he definitely rode motorcycles. “He’s Perry’s friend. They’re both here for a few days from Seattle.”
“Oh, cool,” I said. I may have known all the cute guys in town already, but Farrah solved that by importing one from Seattle. “I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle but never made it out there.”
“No?” Perry asked. He picked up his drink and moved to sit beside me. I noticed Lin and Farrah both watching with amused interest. They didn’t need to tell me they noticed the extra effort I put in. I also guessed they both knew me well enough to know my effort signaled some sort of apocalyptic event with Greyson.
“She just got back from France. She studied the culinary arts there,” Lin said, eyes darting between the two of us.
I glared at her, but I could feel Perry’s eyes demanding my attention. “Damn. I’m guessing you’re one hell of a cook, then? Maybe you could make me something before I have to leave.”
I smiled. “Um, yeah. Maybe.”
Farrah’s cousin ordered us all a round of drinks, and Perry talked my ear off. He wasn’t my type, but it felt good to have a man giving me the kind of attention he was. Maybe it was exactly the kind of balm my battered ego needed after Greyson. It was a reminder that some guys didn’t immediately put up a twenty-foot wall around their hearts from the word “go.” Perry seemed like he’d be happy to take me home, and for all I knew, he’d also be happy to date me like a normal person.
But I was a little surprised and annoyed to find I didn’t want either. Greyson and I hadn’t sworn to any sort of exclusive arrangement, but it didn’t matter. Maybe I was pissed and maybe I wished I could completely hate him, but I knew how I felt. If I let something happen with Perry, it’d feel like a betrayal on two counts. It’d be a betrayal to this guy I just met because someone else would be lurking in my heart. And more importantly, it’d be a betrayal to myself. I’d be using my body as a distraction even when I knew damn well what my heart was telling me. I wasn’t that girl. And I wasn’t going to let Greyson pissing me off turn me into her, either.
Perry had been saying something, and I’d zoned out. I smiled, hoping he wouldn’t notice as I agreed with whatever he’d just said.
“Good,” he said, biting his lip. Oh, shit. What did I just agree to?
“Me too?”
I flashed another uncertain smile just as I saw Greyson walk into the bar with his brother. I stared, along with every other woman as the two male specimens came inside. And then I noticed too late that Perry was moving in for a kiss. I was too stunned to react and just froze as his lips met mine. I didn’t even kiss him back. I just pulled away and got up, smiling uncertainly. “Sorry,” I said. “I’m not–there’s someone else,” I said.
Perry shrugged and turned to say something to his cousin, apparently unbothered by my rejection.
When I looked back toward the Ashford men, I saw the door closing and Zack standing there, grimacing. Greyson was gone.
And just like that, I felt like the bad guy even though I hadn’t done a freaking thing wrong. This whole situation was a mess. I’d avoided looking at my texts since this morning, but I realized I must have opened one by mistake from inside my purse. It was marked as seen. Greyson had sent it about an hour ago.
Greyson: I owe you an apology. In person. Meet me at Bender’s? I’ll be there in about an hour.
I put my palm to my forehead. Of freaking course. He thought I saw his text and came here expecting to smooth things over. And what did he find? Me with some tattooed hottie’s lips on mine.