Page 10 of Reckless Kiss

Chapter 4

Ilost feeling in my body. Nothing but floating and tingles. And memories of her naked body putty in my hands.

Need. Ferocious need erupted inside. It took over my thoughts and my body at once, demanding I claim the woman across the bar.

The woman talking to my best friend.

The best friend I’d just givendatingadvice to.

Notsexualadvice because Jeffry wantedmore.

I could not imagine anything worse. A world where I never bedded Esme again was far preferable to a world where I watched my best friend have what I wanted.

Of course there was always the possibility that she and Jeffry wouldn’t last and that, perhaps when they were over, she’d need another night of rebound passion.

So maybe all hope wasn’t lost just yet.

“You okay, man?” Grant asked, looking at me with a cocked eyebrow and a frown.

“I’m fine.”

John punched my arm, laughing. “You’re just as confused as we are. How in the hell is a woman like that talking to Jeff?”

The things men understood about women could be summed up in a couple of lines.Pretty girls get whatever they want. Sex is good. We need girls for sex.

Yep. That was it. When in reality it was much more interesting. Every woman was beautiful. Most men were just too stupid to see it.

Beauty had nothing to do with connection.

Connection had everything to do with good sex.

And my god was good sex a beautiful thing.

I counted myself lucky that I figured out this riddle of life when I was young, when it was easy to learn how to please a woman and in turn get all the pleasure I desired. These dumb fucks would be relegated to a life of misery, subpar sexual encounters, and loneliness.

More’s the pity.

But then again, that was why my bed was rarely cold. There were so many women who enjoyed a night with a man who understood what he had. Appreciated their beauty. And while my connections were short-lived by nature, they were also meaningful. I’d take short and meaningful over long and empty every time.

I told myself that over and over as I watched Jeffry chatting with Esme, making her smile and flirt, standing close to her when I couldn’t.

Her body was every bit as killer as I remembered. Esme was all curves accentuated by pencil skirts and heels. She preferred black highlighted by bright red or blue. Her lush lips matched her outfit, her dark eyes framed by just the right amount of dramatic makeup. Her fashion suited her perfectly.

Something I quite liked about her.

But naked? Oh yes, naked she was all soft skin. Her breasts spilled out of my hands and her waves of raven hair contrasted it all.

Shit.I was hard again.

And right when Jeffry decided to bring her to the table.

“Everyone, this is Esme.” He went about introducing each one of us.

Per our agreement I pretended I’d never met her, but I also let her take the lead...just in case she changed her mind. But based on the shock she was clearly trying to mask, I highly doubted that would happen.

Jeffry continued. “Everyone works with me in the sequencing lab except this asshole.” He waved at me. “Leo was my college roommate.”

She blanched, blinked several times, but otherwise gave no sign of knowing me. “Asshole college roommate. Is that code for something?”

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