Knox (Merrick Brothers #1) - Prescott Lane Page 0,1
this guy.”
“There always is,” I say, grinning to myself.
“We’ve only been seeing each other a few weeks. I really like him. I think he’s the one.”
Oh dear Lord, she thinks she’s found the “chosen” one. Where’s the holy water? This one might take an exorcism.
“I don’t usually feel this way about guys. I’ve never slept with a guy this quickly before.”
Yes, my callers give me all the details. Anonymity also makes for loose lips. It used to surprise me what people would call in and tell me, but not anymore. I’ve pretty much heard it all, but even after almost four years, it never gets boring.
“Things were going great, and then last night, he tells me that he wants to take a break. He says he’s got some work to do on himself. Can’t devote himself to me one hundred percent.”
That’s the modern man’s version of the it’s me, not you speech.
“I told him I’ll give him all the time he needs, but I’m wondering if that’s right. Should I wait around?”
Normally, I might ask some follow-up questions, needing more details. Things like the exact length of their relationship or how they met, but sometimes the answer is obvious, even if the person on the other end of the line can’t see it. It’s often hard to see what’s right in front of us. We’re too close to it. That’s why people call me. It’s an honor, really.
I’m just a twenty-something single woman. I’m not a psychologist. I’m not a relationship expert. I’m just someone who’s been there, too.
“You should praise God to be rid of his ass. Hallelujah, the devil has left your bed,” I say.
“But I think I love him.”
My show is fun, but I also try to speak from my heart. “Sally, I’m going to let you in on a little secret I’ve learned. Following your heart is never wrong. It’s just the heart doesn’t always have a good sense of direction. At least mine doesn’t. My heart needs a GPS!”
She giggles a little. All she really needs is to know she’s not alone, because nothing feels lonelier than having your heart broken.
“I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but when I sleep with a man, I start to catch feelings.”
I hear her start to cry, and she asks, “Why aren’t men the same way?”
“That’s one for a higher power than me.”
CHAPTER TWO
Knox
Lola, Lula . . . I look over at her naked body in bed next to me. Christ, what’s her name? I know it starts with an L.
Luna?
She arches her back, her full tits presenting themselves. Who gives a fuck what her name is? Her head turns, giving me a smile that makes her look a little too full of herself. I’ve seen it before. It’s why I don’t feel bad that I don’t know her name. She knows mine.
Knox Merrick.
She’s seen my name on movie posters, theater marquees, sexiest man alive covers. She wanted to bag a movie star. I wanted to fuck. She gets to spend the rest of her life telling everyone about the night she slept with a Hollywood movie star, but I’ll forget all about her by tomorrow. Seems to me she gets the better end of the bargain, so her name is a minor detail.
If she’s looking for round two, she’ll have to look somewhere else. She wasn’t that good. She’s got all the right equipment—a killer body, but no idea what to do with it. Give me a woman with a real body who knows how to use it over one of these model types who just lay there any day of the week. I should’ve known better, I’ve been burned before.
“What time is it?” I wonder aloud, looking for a clock. Hotel room clocks never seem to have the right time. They’re either twenty minutes off or still on daylight savings time.
She rolls over on top of me, her black hair falling around my face and grabs the clock. “Oh my God, it’s after ten?”
“So?” I ask.
“So!” she screams, messing with the clock, turning the radio on. “It’s Sunday.”
“Late night Bible study?” I joke.
“Sort of,” she says, still searching the radio channels. “Mother Superior is on.”
“You aren’t serious?”
Playfully, she tries to kiss me, but I turn my head. “She’s not a real nun. Well . . . No one really knows who she is. Her show is called The Breakup Bible. Have you not heard of it? She talks about all her bad dates. People call