As soon as the text alert flashes up on my cell phone, I walk through Jax’s huge open plan living area and toward the door. I’ve been hiding out on his deck while he got a shower and dressed. I wish it was as easy for me to wash away what we did last night. Why did I even for one second consider that I meant any more to him than any of the dozens of women he brings home on a regular basis? Why was I naïve enough to think that I could be just like him and pretend that sex isn’t a big deal for me?
I’ve never been able to separate emotions from sex. I wish that I could. It’s why I’ve never done the whole casual hook up thing before. Why I had to prove that theory with Jax of all people I don’t know, but it was complete lunacy on my part. As if I didn’t already spend enough time thinking about the guy and now I know that he is some kind of sex wizard too. He did things to my body and made me feel things that I didn’t even know were possible. What if I never have sex like that again for the rest of my life?
“Where are you going, Luce?” Jax’s voice cuts across the room. Does he want me to stay? “I can take you home.” No, of course he doesn’t. Don’t be ridiculous, Lucia!
“Archer is waiting outside for me,” I say, trying to sound cool and calm while my stomach is churning and my heart is breaking.
“Oh? Right,” he runs a hand through his hair and I look away from him so he doesn’t see the hurt on my face and realize who I really am—just some naïve little girl with a huge crush on him.
“Bye, Jax.”
“Bye, Luce.”
A few moments later, I climb into Archer’s car and he wraps an arm around me and gives me a quick kiss on my forehead. “I’m sorry, baby girl,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say as I fasten up my seatbelt. “Can we get out of here?”
“Course,” he replies and pulls the car away from the curbside. “I saw you leave with him last night and I was so freaking psyched for you, Lu. Was it awful?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I almost wish it was, then I could forget about it.”
“Oh no. Was it good?” He looks at me with huge puppy dog eyes.
“It was incredible, Archer.”
He puts an arm around me. “Let’s go for waffles and you can tell me everything.”
I lean back in the booth, pushing my waffle around my plate with my silverware as Archer sits beside me. I’ve given him most, but not all of the glorious details of last night and he sat and listened completely enraptured throughout.
He spears a piece of my uneaten waffle onto his fork and stuffs it into his mouth. “I have never seen you not eat your waffles before,” he mumbles.
“I’m not that hungry.”
“Shit! This is bad.” He flashes his eyebrows at me.
“Asshole.” I smile at him.
“Come on, Lu. Let’s look on the bright side here?”
“And what’s that?”
“You finally fucked Jackson Decker.” He grins wickedly at me and I throw a bunched up napkin at him.
He stares at me, swallowing down the remainder of his food before he speaks again. “I have to ask though, Lu…”
“What?”
“I mean, he just exudes big dick energy.” He pops an eyebrow at me and I can’t help but laugh.
“Well, yeah.”
“I knew it. How big?” he whispers.
“Huge! I mean like oh my God how is that even gonna fit, huge.”
“Fuck,” he giggles. “I could tell. And he was still that good? I mean some guys with huge dicks think that’s all they need and have no freaking clue what to do with it. It can be such a let down.” He sighs dramatically.
“Oh he knew exactly what to do with it.” I grin wickedly. Maybe Archer is right and I need to start thinking of the positives of this situation. I did just have the most incredible, mind-blowing night of my life. “And every other part of his anatomy too,” I add.
“Fuck! Me!” Archer hisses. “The holy trifecta?”
“Yup!” That is Archer’s definition of a guy who is good with his hands, mouth and his cock.
“Oh, baby girl.” He makes a sad face and wraps his arms around me.
“I know.” I fake a wail as I lean against his hard chest.
“You sure he never left the door open for more fun? Like you work together, right? Maybe some more action in his truck?”
“We work together for my father.” I remind him.
“Oh, shit, yeah.” He rubs a hand over his jaw. “But he said it was incredible too, right?”
“Yeah,” I nod.
“Then I think all hope is not lost, Lu.”
“Don’t, Archer,” I groan. “Don’t encourage me to think this might be more than it was. One night he said.”
“Hmm? But you know what you have to do Monday when you go to work with him for the day?” He waggles his eyebrows at me.
“What?” I frown.
“Wear the sexiest outfit you own. If last night was really as amazing as you’re telling me, Lu, then he’ll be thinking about it just as much as you are.”
“You think?”
“I know,” he says full of confidence and certainty.
“Hmm,” I take a sip of my milkshake. “Anyway. Tell me about the blond guy. Did you go home with him?”
He rolls his eyes and pulls a face and I laugh as I listen to Archer’s disastrous hookup and it is the absolute best thing to distract me from my own.
