Down for the Count(48)

He nodded and tugged his arm from his sister’s claw before she did some damage. “I hear you loud and clear.”

He wondered if she’d given Lacey the same speech. Probably. But at the end of the day, it was Lacey and him who needed to figure out what, if anything, came next. His instinct was to push. He knew he wanted more time with her. He wasn’t ready to let go yet. And if Cat’s intuition was right, neither was Lacey. But she’d literally been a bride only a week ago. After what she’d been through, fragile was putting it mildly. Confused, scared, shocked, betrayed. She was a writhing mass of emotion when they’d first gotten to Puerto Rico. Just because she seemed okay now didn’t mean there weren’t deeper issues at play. Even if she did feel like this could be more than a fling, could her feelings even be trusted?

Rebound.

He’d tried to keep it at bay, but the term reared its ugly head and burrowed its way further into his mind, digging its hooks deep. If he were on the outside looking in, he’d call it from a mile away. He’d say, “Don’t get attached, man. You’re the rebound guy.” It didn’t feel that way with Lacey, though. It felt real and right. Then again, what rebound guy ever knew he was the rebound guy until it was over and he was left standing there with his dick in his hand and a sleepy, confused smile on his face?

Fuck, he so didn’t want that to be him.

The last note rang out and the audience went crazy, chanting her name and howling their approval. She picked her way through the crowd, stopping every few steps to give high fives to her new fans and politely shake her head—probably offers of drinks, though one appeared to be a proposal. She caught him staring and blushed, sending a beaming smile his way that warmed him clear through.

And just like that, it was decided. He might be the rebound guy right now, but there was no way he was going out like that. It was time to do what he did best.

Fight for what he wanted.





Chapter Ten

Lacey stared at the bedroom door, silently willing it to open. They’d gotten home from the karaoke bar a couple hours before, and Galen had been conspicuously absent since. He’d claimed he was “going out for a while,” but she and Cat had watched almost all of Good Will Hunting and he still hadn’t come back. Cat’s head had started bobbing and she struggled to keep her eyes open, so Lacey had sent her to bed. She’d waited a few more minutes but finally followed suit, promising herself that she wouldn’t wait up for him. The villa’s front door had squealed open a little while later, but that was twenty minutes ago, and he still hadn’t come into the bedroom.

She flicked off the light, forcing herself to stay in bed and not get up to grill him about where he’d gone. He was a big boy, and if he wanted to stay out all night, who was she to say anything?

No one. She had no claim on him at all.

She covered her face with the pillow and tried not to cry. He’d probably decided to sleep on the couch now that Cat was here. Whatever they’d had was over. She’d never get to kiss him again, or run her hands down the thick muscles in his back, or smell—#p#分页标题#e#

The sound of the doorknob turning sent her heart into overdrive. “Cat?” she called breathlessly. Please don’t be Cat, please don’t be Cat.

She tossed the pillow aside and squinted, straining to see the doorway in the darkness. It opened on a whisper, and a hulking silhouette filled the space. Not Cat.

“Did I wake you?” His voice was soft and gentle.

“No.” She struggled to keep her tone even, not wanting to sound like a demanding harpy, despite the questions crowding her brain. Where did you go? What did you do? And most pathetic, Do you still want me? She bit her cheek to keep from crying.

“Sorry I took so long. I had to pick up a few things, and they were a little harder to locate than I had originally planned. The, ah, language barrier proved to be a problem. I was going to call Cat, but I left my phone in my other pants.”

She didn’t trust herself to speak without a telling crack, so she slid over to make room for him on the bed and hoped it would be answer enough.

“Nope. I need you to get up and come with me.” He crossed the room and held out his hand.

“It’s almost midnight,” she said in halfhearted protest but gave him her hand. There was no question she would go. She just needed a second to recover from dizzy relief over his return.

“So it is. Are you going to turn into a pumpkin?”

She shook her head.

“Well then what are you waiting for? I promise to make it worth your while.” The slow drawl was brimming with sensual promise. She shivered.