Page 12 of A Taste of Whiskey
Of course it does, compared to a therapist whose biggest danger is tripping on his way into the office.“He’s got a lot of experience with women. He’ll have expectations.”
She lifted her chin. “Good. I like a man who knows what he’s doing.”
Was it his imagination, or was she getting more brazen by the day?
“Daddy, Sasha, watch!” Gus threw a stone into the stream.
“Nice one, buddy.”
“Good job, Gus.” Sasha looked at Ezra curiously. “Enough about my dating life. What about you?”
“What about me?” He crossed his arms, watching Gus.
“Where do you meet women?”
This was not a conversation he wanted to have. “Around.”
“Around? Like at Gus’s camp? What do you do, date the single moms?”
“No.You really think I’d troll his camp?”
“I don’tknow. Maybe you do.”
He glowered at her and lowered his voice. “You know me better than that.”
“Then where do you meet the women you date?”
“I wouldn’t classify what I do as dating.”
She tilted her head to the side with a playful expression. “How would you classify it?”
He narrowed his eyes, gritting out a warning.“Sasha.”
“What? If you’re not dating, what are you doing? Hooking up? Do you use a hookup app, like Tinder? Or do you meet women at coffee shops? The Roadhouse? And how does it work, exactly, if you’re not dating? Do you agree on what you’re doing ahead of time? Do you go back to their place or to a hotel? I really need to figure this out.”
No, you don’t.“I’m not having this conversation with you.” He stared at Gus, teeth grinding.
“That’s not fair. I was honest with you. I told you that I had needs, and I assume you do, too. Why can’t you tell me? We’re both adults.”
He shook his head, tension pulling his shoulders higher.
“Forget it,” she said. “I’ll ask Flame.”
The fuck you will.He took her by the arm, leaning in close, seething, “What do you want to hear? That I pick up women and fuck them senseless and never see them again because I’ve got too much shit on my shoulders to get tangled up with anyone?” What the hell was he doing? He never lost his shit around her.Fuck it.Better she knew the truth about him. “That makes me a dick in your eyes, doesn’t it?”
“No.”She swallowed hard, eyes serious. “It means we’re both filling needs, and we’re not so different after all.”
“We sure as fuck better be different.” Because now he was imagining her with nameless, faceless men, and he wanted to kill every one of them.
“Daddy! Sugar!” Gus was running around the meadow again. “Come play with me!”
“We’re coming!” Sasha said enthusiastically, a mischievous grin curving her lips. “Daddy was just telling me how much he likes toplay.” She ran after Gus.
Fucking right I like to play.
“He loves it!” Gus shouted. “Right, Dad?”
Sasha looked over her shoulder, eyes twinkling with amusement.
