Page 11 of Use Me
“You haven’t forgotten,” I pointed out.
She stared into my eyes. “Then help me forget.”
Iwas trying to play it cool.
I was a thirty-three-year-old adult who’d just had her heart broken, and now I was talking to one of the most breathtaking men I’d ever laid eyes on. Granted if I’d known this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have drunk half a bottle of wine at my house. The wine and cinnamon whiskey were helping me forget, but I was on the breaking point. If I stood, I might not be able to walk straight. I could picture the headline now:
Breaking News: Ashtyn Valor got naked wasted with Rhys Cole last night.
Even though I’d just posted the picture of us on Facebook, I wasn’t ready for the entire world to know that we were fake boyfriend and girlfriend. I just wanted one person to know. I wanted Corey to see the picture and regret ever breaking my heart.
Rhys didn’t seem heartbroken about his breakup, and hewastrying to get naked wasted with me. Friends with benefits? I’d heard once that there was no such thing as friends with benefits because there would always be one person who wanted more. I didn’t want more. I’d just broken up with Corey, and I never thought in a million years that I would have met a new guy tonight, but I wanted to get naked wasted with him. I mean, what woman with a pulse wouldn’t?
Rhys had a jock vibe about him. His finger-length dark brown hair was enticing me to run my fingers through it, and the way his electric blue eyes were staring into my green ones, made me want to open up and tell him all my secrets. And when he would smile his crooked smile that made his dimples show, I wanted to crawl into his lap and touch his smooth face as I kissed him senseless.
“You haven’t forgotten,” he said.
I, in fact, hadn’t forgotten Corey. I knew I wouldn’t in just a few hours, but as I stared into Rhys blue eyes, the words slipped from my mouth. “Then help me forget.”
He smirked, leaned forward, and before I realized it, his lips were attached to mine. I could taste the whiskey as his tongue parted my lips. I didn’t hesitate. I couldn’t. Kissing Corey had turned into sweet little hello or goodbye kisses. No tongue unless we were having sex and then it didn’t last because we’d get straight to the point. But the way Rhys was kissing me was completely different. It wasn’t innocent. It was hot, passionate and fiery. Just like the Fireball whiskey we’d consumed not too long ago. The whiskey had warmed my insides, and so was the way Rhys was using his tongue to help me forget. His hand cupped the back of my nape, and I wanted to thread my hands through his dark brown hair, but I resisted. We were in public, and both locally in the limelight.
“Well?” he asked after I pulled back.
“I’m getting there.”
Then as though we hadn’t kissed, Rhys changed the subject, and we talked about work. He told me how his game was canceled tonight for a fluke ice issue, and I told him about the nightly news, my goals, and everything that my buzzed mouth wanted to spill. Being in my line of work, I had to stay up on everything, so when Rhys talked about the current season for the Blackhawks and how he thought they’d fair, I was able to follow along, especially since my dad and brothers were hardcore fans and Corey never missed a game.
“Bridgette hated sports.”
I blinked at his confession. “Don’t get me wrong, but how can a guy who has a career in the sports industry date a woman that hates sports?”
He shrugged. “The sex was great.”
I chuckled. “Apparently you weren’t giving it to her enough.”
He tsked. “Bustin’ my balls already, Ashtyn? That’s a low blow.”
“Not sure I have room to talk. My ex is probably already screwing one of his other women.”
“You’re probably right.”
Rhys’s words stung. I’d have to be blacked out drunk for them not to hurt or for me to forget. “Who’s your favorite player?” I asked, changing the subject.
“In general or that play for the Hawks?”
“Both?”
He grinned as though he was a kid about to talk about his hero. “Well, my all-time favorite has to be Gretzky. There’s no kid who grew up in the eighties and nineties, who loved hockey, and didn’t think they were going to be just like Wayne.”
“My dad and brothers talked about him all the time when I was a kid.”
“Yeah, he was one of the greats.”
“And who’s your favorite all-time Blackhawk?”
“Well, when I was about ten-years-old, I thought I was going to turn pro. That was my dream because I’d been playing since I was five, and at ten I thought I was hot shit. Gretzky was in his prime, but I didn’t get to watch him play every game because he was never a Hawk and back then we only got to watch local sports. But the one guy who stuck out to me that year was Jeremy Roenick. He helped the Blackhawks reach the Stanley Cup Finals that season and scored over a hundred points in three of his eight seasons. I also liked him because he was rough and strong and fought his way past his opponents to drive the net. I wanted to be just like him.”
“Did you play in the NHL?”
