Page 41 of Hungry Hearts

“Looks like you need some company tonight, sugar. Want me to call Kayla?”

She hooked me up with her roommate last winter. Kayla’s an animal in bed and wants strings and commitment even less than I do. I’ve called her up a handful of times. She’s one of the few I’ve allowed to come to my apartment, only because she’s the least clingy woman I’ve ever met.

Kayla is exactly who I need tonight. I’m about to tell Maxine to call her when I look into my glass and instead of seeing the amber liquid, I see Maia’s whiskey eyes. Eyes that darken when she climaxes. Eyes that are wide and watery when she laughs at one of my stupid jokes. Eyes that see me for who I am and not just the sex god I don’t usually mind being.

“Not yet.” I sigh. “Keep these coming though.”

I’m on my third double shot in less than fifteen minutes when a strong hand grabs my shoulder and squeezes.

“Drinking alone? So beneath you.” Nolan nods to Maxine. “I’ll have what he’s having.”

“Rough night for you too, Nolan?”

He tilts his head so he can get a better read of my face and I continue to stare forward, ignoring him.

“Might end up being that way. Come on.” He picks up our glasses and heads to the corner couches.

I wouldn’t have followed him if he didn’t have my drink. Before he can sit, I swipe my glass from him and chug it. I’m usually a beer guy. The hard stuff messes me up quickly. And downing close to half a bottle before I’ve even taken a seat at the bar tells me I’m in for a long night.

My head is already swimming and my legs are weak, otherwise I wouldn’t have fallen to the couch.

“Ry. What the fuck is going on?” Nolan leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, ignoring his drink.

I tip my head back and close my eyes. “She’s fucking married, man. Fucking. Married.”

He’s fully aware of what happened between my parents and how I may be a player, but I never mess with someone who’s seeing anyone else. A ring doesn’t need to be on a finger for someone to be off limits. Any emotional attachment to another human being and I run the other way.

Maia never wore a ring. There wasn’t even a tan line on her finger. Too fucking blindsided today, I didn’t even look down at her hand to see if she was wearing it then.

“Who’s married?” Nolan asks.

“Maia.”

“And Maia is...”

“The girl I’ve been fucking.” I don’t even wince, not caring about respecting her when she didn’t respect me.

“How long have you been fucking her?”

Now I wince. Our bro code is about respect. Once we realize the woman is special, we ease up on the dirty talk. I may hate what she did to me, the lies she told, but I’m not ready for the guys to treat her like just another side piece.

“It wasn’t like that.” I sit up and the room spins around me. “The other morning—”

“You spent a morning with her?”

“Night. Morning coffee. Brunch. Afternoon sex.”

“Christ. Why the secrecy?”

“Cause I like her.Likedher. She’s fucking married.”

“Shit, man. I’m sorry. How long has this been going on?”

“Me fucking her or her being married?”

“I guess both?”

“Ten days. Ten days in my life and this woman managed to get inside my heart, pump it full of hopes and promises, then shatter it into a million pieces. If she broke it, it could be repaired. Shattered doesn’t get fixed.”

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