The Hookup and the Hedonist - Rebecca James

PROLOGUE--ADAM

“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

I blinked rapidly, slowly picking up details around me little by little. The pounding bass in the room. The smell of must and marijuana. The scratchy, cheap fabric underneath me.

For several excruciating seconds, my heart jackhammered in my chest. Where was I?

Wait. Calm down and think. My eyes focused on the guy in front of me who was looking at me like I was crazy. Goatee, lips red and slick with spit, long nose that had been broken at least once, a tattoo of the star of David on his bare shoulder.

“What the fuck, man? You on something?” he asked.

I looked down at where my jeans and underwear were pulled to my thighs and yanked them up.

Stuffing myself back inside my underwear, I zipped up and stood.

“Where are you going?” The guy sounded angry.

“Sorry. This was a mistake.”

“I thought we were gonna fuck! You right-swiped me, asshole!”

I mumbled something and banged out of his apartment and took off down the stairs of the shoddy apartment building, a voice repeating in my brain, I told you this would happen.

CHAPTER ONE Adam

“Going somewhere?” Blaze’s voice so close to me made me jump.

Resting his hand on my shoulder, Blaze said. “Sorry, man. Didn’t realize you were out of it.

“I wasn’t out of it,” I said testily. “You just startled me.”

“Sorry,” he said again. “What’s going on? Why are you packing?”

I rolled up another shirt and stuffed it into my duffel bag.

“I’m moving out. Remember?”

Blaze rubbed his eyes. “God. Is that today? I’ve been so busy with the new guys at the studio and planning the wedding…” He sighed. “Fuck.”

“I get it,” I said. “No worries. It’s not like I have a lot to pack, and Tease is driving me over there.” Blaze looked so upset, I added, “I’ll just be twenty minutes away, man.”

He looked at his watch. “Okay, but dinner at Dante’s this Sunday, all right? Mick too.”

I gave him a thumbs up.

I’d just zipped up my bag when Tease appeared.

“Ready?”

I looked around. “Yeah.”

He leaned against the door frame, eyes the color of young spring leaves scrutinizing me. “You sure this is what you want? We’re gonna miss you here.”

“We’ve been through this.” I hefted the duffel over my shoulder.

“Not really. You announced you were gonna get a place with Mick. That’s it. I don’t know why you wanna leave the clubhouse.”

“You really don’t get why I don’t want to share a room with your messy ass anymore?” I joked because, truth be told, I was kind of sad to be going now that it was happening. But it had to be done.

Tease chuckled as I passed him. “You’re the one who can’t seem to hang anything up.” He followed me down the hall, gripping my arm as we reached the small living room. “The way you’ve been acting lately, I’m worried you’re not just leaving the clubhouse, but leaving the club.”

Staring at the worn rug under my feet, I took a deep breath.

“I can’t even ride my Harley anymore,” I mumbled.

“So?”

I swung around. “So, this is a fucking motorcycle club, Jared. By definition, I should ride a motorcycle.” God, how I missed the hard lines of my bike. The rumble between my thighs as it ate up the road. “And not only that, but this thing…” I waved my hand between us… “I should never have asked you to do it. It’s made things weird.”

Tease frowned. “The only thing weird is you calling me Jared.” He smiled, and it didn’t take long for me to smile back. He was such a goof. He patted my back. “I told you I was down with it when we started, and you’re the one who put a stop to it.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Because I could tell you wanted to get with Leeza. Which was fine. But I feel…” I searched for a word that would explain the guilt and overpowering helplessness I’d been experiencing lately before finally giving up. “I don’t know. I just need to be on my own, that’s all.”

Tease nodded. He’d been my rock for a long while now. Too long.

I tried for a smile. “Think how nice it’ll be to have the room all to yourself. You and Leeza can have sexy times.”

He snorted. “We can have sexy times at her place. I’m gonna miss you, man.”

Tease swung his arm around me, giving me a quick, hard side-hug. “But I get it. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

I relaxed in relief, and we headed outside