The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,407

song from Dirty Dancing? You know? By Patrick Swayze?” He presses when I just stare blankly at him.

“Yeah, I know…” I say noncommittally and lean in to sniff him for alcohol. I frown when I smell nothing.

“Satisfied?” he asks, with a knowing smirk. I’ve been checking him like this since he started driving at sixteen.

I ignore him and glance over at Zephyr. “Are you on birth control?”

“Stone!” Beau yells, and turns her away, as if he can shield her from my words. “You’re a buzzkill, brother,” he says, with a scowl.

My shrug is unapologetic, and my stare unwavering. “No, I’m a gynecologist. And your reaction to a very straightforward question makes me think that safe sex isn’t a priority for either of you. It should be. You’re strangers. Who met at a gas station.” Says the pot to the kettle.

Beau mouths, “Stop.” And then turns to comfort his…hook up.

“I’m sorry, Zeph. He takes his work really seriously. Let’s go wait in the living room, before we lose interest in sex the way he has.”

I roll my eyes.

She laughs. “As if that could happen, stud,” she squeals, when he gives her ass a squeeze and rises up on her toes to kiss him.

Decidedly turned off by their display of affection and desperate for them to get out, so I can finish what I’m doing, before my date gets here. “Get out!” I snap.

He rolls his eyes, but in acquiescence. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, you’ve got work to finish. We’ll wait in the foyer.”

I give him a curled lip in response, but when he rushes ahead to open the door for her, I smile. At least he knows right from wrong.

I’m not sure the same can be said about me. I’m sitting here thinking filthy thoughts about a woman whose name I shouldn’t even say.

Suddenly, Beau sticks his head back in. “Oh, hey. Sorry. I came in to tell you that your date is here.”

My stomach dips.

“Oh, shit. Okay, I’ll be right out.” I glance over my shoulder when he doesn’t leave.

“She’s hot.” He waggles his eyebrows and grins.

“Get the fuck out,” I say, when I really want to ask, “really?”

I don’t know why I let Tyson talk me into bringing a date tonight.

After our workout, he invited me to dinner at Regan’s. Their adult night was a couples evening, he informed me. He said Regan would probably have someone with her, too.

I almost declined. But I decided that if I’m going to live here and be part of this circle of friends, I need to get used to seeing Regan in social settings—no matter how miserable it makes me.

My sleep is fitful at best. I only eat to fuel my workouts. I’ve picked up extra shifts at work and I can’t jack off enough to take the edge off my hunger for her.

At the same time, I’m so angry at her, there are days I can convince myself that I’m better off without her.

Almost.

But I know better. Yes, life is simpler without her. But, I’m not better off.

“Stone?”

I grimace and turn around to face Celine.

She’s a friend of Tyson’s from the gym. We talked on the phone a couple of nights ago, and she ticks all of my boxes. Sexy, smart—she can hang with me on a hike and climb, and then talk to me about all of the things that interest me - movies, books, food, travel, family, politics.

I have zero interest in her. Because, no matter how great she is, she’s not Regan.

“Hey, sorry. I was just wrapping up some work. Did you find the place okay?”

She smiles - it’s sweet and sincere and does nothing to stir my interest. “Yeah, this is nice,” she says, and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

I follow her out to get this first/last date out of the way.

Chapter 51

Flat on my Face

Regan

“I’ve had too much to drink,” I whisper to Dina, as she slides into the seat next to me.

We’re sitting in the living room by ourselves now. Everyone else has gone through to the dining room to eat. But I don’t want to because Stone is there with that woman he brought, and I’ve never hated anyone, on sight, the way I hate her.

“Uh, I told you that three shots ago,” she whispers back, and hands me a glass of water.

“Did you? I don’t remember.” I take the glass and chug.

“Come on, Remi has dinner laid out, and they’re ready to eat.” She nudges me when I just