Page 5 of Keeping Mr. Sweet

“What?” Why on earth does she think I’m in a relationship? Okay, so the last time I saw her was last summer when there’d been a few moments between me and her friend, but it didn’t last. Couldn’t. How does she not know that? “Me and Mandy? You’re kidding.”

“You were dating when I was here last to visit Summer, weren’t you? And you have a pink toothbrush in your bathroom drawer.” She looks at me, uncertain.

“When was the last time you talked to Summer?” I lean my elbows on the bar, reach for the cognac again and pour us both a top up.

“Um.” She stares at a spot somewhere behind me. “I guess it’s been awhile.”

“Months, if she hasn’t told you that Mandy ended up with Casper Morgan.”

“She did?” Her eyes widen in question.

“She did.” I nod.

“That must have sucked.” She pushes another bit of meatball around until the sauce coating it makes her plate looks like a murder scene. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” I knew all along that it wasn’t going to work between me and Mandy, but I got caught up in her magic. She changed things for me that I didn’t even know needed to change.

Ash does a double take that’s almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Muscles in her throat catch my attention as she swallows. Is she jealous? Snatching up her glass, she drains it. I can’t tell what she’s thinking. It’s been a long time since I knew how her mind worked. I clearly don’t know the girl who would end up in some amateur porn video with two men. “What happened, Ash?”

“Did you see it?” she asks, pressing her shaking fingers to the spot that dips below her throat. “The video. Have you watched it?”

No point in skirting around it. “I’ve seen it.”

“Of course you have.” She jumps off her stool and walks behind the bar. A moment later she’s pouring vodka into her glass and swigging it like it’s water. She cradles the half empty glass against her chest and winces. “Everyone has.”

“A fair few,” I agree.

“Freaking Luca.” She sags in on herself, leaning against the bar and clutching the glass like it’s a floatation device. “I can’t believe he did this to me.”

“Luca?” He was one of the men in the video with her. I’d assumed he was someone she knew, but the idea that it was more than that gives me an immediate issue with the bastard.

“We were seeing each other. I don’t know.” She shakes her head, pours the rest of the vodka down her throat. “Maybe he didn’t think so.”

“So you agreed to make a video with him?” I’m trying to make sense of what she’s telling me, but I thought she had her head on straighter than this. She seemed to after the last time. When she left.

She picks up the open bottle of vodka and doesn’t bother with a glass this time. “Is that what you think of me? You think I would willingly spread my legs for everyone to see?”

“No. Of course not.” I rise from my seat and go to her. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know I haven’t exactly behaved myself.” She slugs from the bottle. “I’ve made bad decisions.” Swallow. “I’ve dated a lot of men.” Glug. “Sometimes I haven’t even dated them.”

Air bubbles form in the liquid as she tips the bottle up again, and I snatch it from her hand. Vodka spills across the floor between us in a splattered line. I can do without the running commentary of her love life these past five years. But then I’m no saint either. We’re both just trying to make it the best we can. “The video was a surprise to you, wasn’t it? They took it without your consent?”

She holds her fist to her mouth, closes her eyes. She’s pale and swaying, and it’s hard to tell if it’s the fishbowl worth of alcohol she’s just consumed, or simply because she’s hurting. “But I’m the one the airline fired. I’m the one who is going to have to deal with men who think because they’ve seen my vagina it’s their property. And Dad’s not taking my calls.”

“Hey.” I put my arms around her and pull her against my chest. She’s silent, but there’s a hot patch growing on my shirt. “You know your dad. He probably hasn’t seen it. Is he even in the country? Maybe he’s stuck in business meetings.”

“Does it even matter?” She clings to me. “He’s going to find out, if he hasn’t already.”

Her hands are small and warm against my back. It steals my breath. So many times, we’ve landed here. This is who we are. This is us. Or it was, once, but it can’t be anymore. “He’s your dad, Ash. He’s not going to hate you for this.”

“You’re probably right.” She nods into my chest. “I guess he would have to care at all to hate me.”

“Don’t go down that road.” I squeeze her tighter. “He does care in his own way.”

“You care.” She lifts her watery gaze to mine and slurs her words. “You always give me care. That’s why I come. Here. To you. You’re the only one. You get it. You make me feel better.”

“Ash.” I put my fingers to her lips. Nothing changes. Well, the location does, but that’s about all. Still, I want her. The urge to make her feel better, to make us both feel good thumps inside me. And that video inside my head keeps playing snippets that do nothing to make it easier to not go with it. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

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