Luca’s eyes never left mine as he spoke. After a few more thankyous, he lifted his glass, and the group all toasted to the future of Moretti Properties.
Using the noisy room as cover, I slipped out the front door. It wasn’t long before Scott found me and drove me home.Without a word, Scott followed me into the apartment. I dropped my purse on the couch and set off for the kitchen.
“Sasha, I—”
“Stop. If you’re going to stay, you can’t talk about what just happened.”I kept looking through the drink options available.
“But—”
Over my shoulder, I fixed him with my withering stare.
“Got it. My lips are sealed. What do you got to drink?”
Pursing my lips, I took inventory of my scant liquor cabinet. The breakup with Luca decimated myusually well-stocked reserves. “Uh, I have a little vodka and a little bourbon.”
“You can have the vodka.”
I slammed the bottle on the counter. For a second,I thought about grabbing shot glasses, but what would be the point?
Taking a long pull from the bottle, I eyed Scott. We’d gotten close, but why was he here? His eyes watered a little as he swallowed down the brown liquor. A pink blush covered his cheeks.Scott set the whiskey down and lifted his eyebrow. “Now what?”
I shrugged and took another pull. The vodka burned lessasmy body grewaccustomed to the poison.
“Do you want to watch something?”
I shook my head.
Scott moved toward me, his body pressing me into the countertop without even touching me. The shine of leftover alcohol on his lips had me inching closer. His tongue darted out to lick away the moisture, and my hand gently settled on his arm.One more deep pull from the bottle as the clear liquid settled in my body, creating a false sense of warmth. For a minute,I pretended Scott was the reason for the heat in my belly.I’d never been one to lie to myself, but desperate times and all that jazz.
His worn hands were steady as he took the bottle from me and set it on the counter. “What do you want, Sasha?”His palms then rested on the edge of the granite on either side of me.
Smoothing my hands over his chest, I knew what I wanted, and he wasn’t it.How I wished he was. I chewed on my lip, trying to focus on Scott, and Scott alone, knowing there wasn’t a chance in hell that would happen.
His gaze dropped to my mouth. A moment more of hesitation and Scott would make the choice for me. All I had to do was close my eyes and let the vodka trick me into feeling more than was there.
Closing my eyes, I held my breath and waited.
How many times had I done that before Luca? Why couldn’t I go back to that Sasha? The Sasha that conquered and gothers?
Scott’s warm breath tickled my nose as he pressed a kiss to the tip. The tenderness jolted me, and my eyes flew open. Extending my arms, I pushed Scott back.
“What are you doing?” The sharpness of my voice startled both of us.
Scott’s warm hands slid down my arms, and he pressed my hands to his chest. His forehead wrinkled as he took in my struggle to get away from him. “I was just kissing you. What’s wrong?”
Tearing my hands from his, I rounded the island to put some much-needed space between us. “That wasn’t . . . That wasn’t a—”
“Was I supposed to just fuck your mouth with my tongue, Sasha? Is that what you wanted?” He snorted out a breath as he tugged at his hair. “I’m sorry I wasn’t—”
My hands gripped the countertop as a blush bloomed across my entire body. “No. I’m just fucked up, Scott.” The swirl in the granite gave me somewhere to stare as I tried to climb out of the clusterfuck I’d caused. “Look, you’re too good of a guy to use. You . . . you deserve more.”
I messed with a bottle cap as Scott moved around the kitchen. Pulling meback against his chest, he wrapped me in his lean arms. “Stop. You don’t have to explain yourself.”We both exhaled a breath. I laid my arms over his, hugging them to my waist. Standing in mylow litkitchen, we swayed back and forth until Scott started to laugh.
Leaning back, I peeked at him over my shoulder. “What’s so funny?”
Pressing a kiss to my cheek, he shook his head. “I’m not getting laid because I was too sweet. I need to rethink my approach.”
A peel of laughter tore from my mouth as I bumped him away with my ass. “Rule 101 of heartbroken women. Just fuck the girl, nocutesykissing shit.”