on her hair and makeup and stuff.”
“Good thing she’s not around to hear you say that.” I cocked a brow in warning.
“I know.” Darren half-ass cringed. “Hey, you can use my shower if you want. There’s a fresh bar of soap on the sink.”
I sniffed the air just to fuck with him. “You don’t use soap?”
“I use shower gel, asshole.” He shook his head and flipped me off.
Standing, I clapped him on the back. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer. I’ll be down in fifteen.”
“Enjoy,” Darren called as I headed inside and took the stairs to my room.
As I gathered up my shower items, I could hear Mia singing in the bathroom. But I couldn’t make out the song. Easing in close to the door, I held my breath and listened.
She was lightning.
He was thunder.
And they stormed from dark till dawn.
Then she woke alone to the stench of guilt and another lover gone.
Her raspy, soulful voice wrapped around me, stoking the smoldering embers inside. It was definitely a new song. But the lyrics both intrigued as well as bothered me. Quiet as a mouse, I continued listening.
There’s nothing special about being used.
It happens all the time.
Take a number. Get in line.
You’re just an ordinary fool.
My gut swirled and my heart clutched. Her new song was along the same vein as, “Hate How Much I Love You,” a.k.a. “Fuck You Ozzy,” only worse.
Did Mia think she was a fool or that I was using her? Easing back from the door, I scrubbed a hand through my hair.
Aren’t you? a mocking voice in my head asked.
No. And I couldn’t stomach the notion of Mia thinking I was. Until she’d dissolved into tears, I believed we were…using each other. But if those lyrics indicated what was going on inside her pretty but horribly confused head, it was time to implement a game plan. Time to take off the kid gloves, sit her sexy ass down, and have a nice, long talk. No seduction. No sex. Just an open, honest discussion for once in our lives.
As I stood in the shower, the epiphany that Mia and I never took time to connect on a deeper emotional level when we were together hit me hard. We’d enjoyed adventures, quiet times, and incredible sex, but we’d never talked about the future or where our dreams might take us. We’d simply been content to live life one day at a time…live it with carefree abandon. Neither of us spent any time dissecting our relationship. Well, not until it was too late. But even after walking away, I didn’t inspect my broken heart under a microscope. I didn’t want to know what I’d find.
Maybe it was time.
Maybe after seven unhappy years, I needed to finally take a long, hard look.
Maybe we both did.
As I stepped out of the shower and dried off, a plan started taking shape in my head.
Dressed in black boots, faded jeans, and a charcoal-gray-button down, I stepped from my room and nearly plowed into Ross, wearing solid black from neck to toe.
“Nice outfit,” I drawled with a chuckle. “For a Mafia hit man.”
“Good.”
“Why’s that good?”
“It means everyone will leave me the fuck alone tonight,” Ross quipped.
“No one’s forcing you to—”
“Sofia!” Burk bellowed up the stairs. “Come on, woman. We’re all waiting on you and Mia.”
The door to Mia’s room swung open before Sofia stuck her head out. “Keep your jockstrap on, sugar. We’re almost done.”
While Burk mumbled something about tying Sofia’s sassy ass up with said jockstrap, I peered over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Mia. My tongue nearly hit the floor as I watched her pivoting, smiling, and fluffing a riot of blonde and purple ringlets at the mirrored closet doors. On Mia’s feet were thick black biker boots. Her legs were encased in black distressed skinny jeans. Her tit-hugging white tee played peek-a-boo beneath a silver-studded black leather jacket.
I wanted nothing more than to drag Sofia into the hall, storm Mia’s room, and lock the door behind me before I peeled her out of that ball-churning outfit with my fucking teeth.
Talk first. Fuck later…if you get lucky and all goes as planned, the voice in my head barked angrily.
“Five more minutes,” Sofia called to an impatient Burk.
“Three,” he countered. “The limo’s waiting.”
“Shit,” Mia groaned. “Where’s my purse?”
Sofia slammed the door shut, blocking my luscious view of Mia.
“Let’s go so you’ll stop leaving tongue marks on the hardwood,” Ross prodded.
“Ha, ha. Smart-ass.” I shot him a snarl and