I slam the empty glass down on the table and give up a cheer. It’s echoed by my friends, all just as drunk as I am. We’re not totally gone, but I can feel it. The perfect buzz to have a good time.
“How are you feeling, Sandy?” The voice is loud in my ear. Anna is my no-bullshit best friend and this whole trip was her idea.
“I’m okay.” I yell back. It’s loud in this club and yelling is the only way that she’s going to hear me.
Elizabeth leans over the table. Of all of us, she looks the best tonight, blonde hair bouncing in giant curls and a sequin dress that makes her body look fantastic. She grabs my hand. “We need you to be better than okay! We need you to feel fucking awesome! Fuck Wyatt. You don’t need that piece of shit.”
My stomach drops. For a few minutes I’d actually forgotten the shit that is my life. The last two weeks feel like they’ve been some kind of nightmare. But if you can’t wake up from the nightmare, what can you call it? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself because I can’t fucking wake up. Two weeks ago today, I was sitting in a cake shop, waiting for Wyatt to come help me choose our wedding cake. He was late and not answering my texts. And then the call from my mom to come home immediately. The wave of rage that hits me in the gut is so strong that I think it might knock me over.
I didn’t see it coming even though I feel like I should have. Wyatt was gone, and so was Laura. My younger sister. Together, on a trip to Mexico. Shit. I feel like I’m going to throw up again. The same feeling I get every time I think about it. That, along with a crippling rage that makes me want to choke the life out of Wyatt. My sister. My sister?
Naomi hits Elizabeth in the arm. “We’re not mentioning the W-word, remember?”
“Shit.” Elizabeth sees the look on my face—probably nauseous. “Sorry, Sandy.”
I wave a hand. “It’s okay.”
“Seriously though,” she says. “I know that we’ve said it a lot, but it’s messed up. If it were my sister…”
“What am I supposed to do?” I ask, rolling my eyes. “She’s my sister, and I don’t own Wyatt. Maybe they’ll be happier together.” Though I really fucking doubt it. Can’t say that I’ll be surprised when he pulls the same shit on her that he pulled on me. It’s a good thing we don’t have another sister. I guess he’ll need to find a new family to traumatize.
“Well,” Naomi says, “I know for a fact that you will be happier without that asshole. If only for tonight.”
I manage a laugh. “And how do you know that?”
She moves her head pointedly across the club. “Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious over there looking at you. I’ve been keeping track and he’s barely taken his eyes off you.”
“There are four of us here, Naomi. He could be looking at anyone.”
“No, he’s looking at you.”
I know she’s trying to distract me, and it’s working. “You can’t possibly know that.”
“I can. Because when I went to get the last round of drinks, I asked him.”
Elizabeth gasps, “You did what?”
Naomi gives her a look. “The whole point of this trip is to take care of Sandy. Let her have a good time, get drunk and get laid. Well, tonight’s our last night and as her roommate, I can tell you that getting laid hasn’t happened. So I’m taking things into my own hands.”
Anna has her hands over her mouth, stifling laughter. I’m not sure whether I want to join her or if I should be shocked like Liz. I’m somewhere in between. The alcohol in my bloodstream is enough to relax me. And to be honest, even though we were engaged, Wyatt and I hadn’t had sex for a while. Probably because he was having sex with my sister. Another wave of anxiety hits me. I refocus on the man that Naomi has pointed out across the room. It’s dark and people are passing between us, but I feel a jolt of electricity between us. I probably imagined it; everything feels more dramatic since Naomi’s declaration. But he’s definitely looking at me. A strange blend of anxiety and anticipation shivers down my spine.
“What did you say to him?” I ask Naomi.
“I asked him if he was looking at you. He said he was. So I told him that staring from across the room isn’t going to do anyone any good. So if he means it, he needs to buy us a round of drinks and come over.”
“Oh my god,” Elizabeth says.
I look again, and really look. I can see why Naomi called him Tall, Dark, and Delicious. Wavy dark hair that’s just a little too long, and sharp features that carry even from across the room. My imagination takes over, and I can see us together, tangled in the dark and panting. A sharp need lances through me, and the actual possibility of this hits me. If he is deciding whether to come over, I want to make sure I look okay. “I’m going to the bathroom for a touch-up,” I say, standing and making my way from the table before anyone volunteers to come with me.
My gut tells me I need a few seconds alone to evaluate this. Sure, he’s hot. I can see that from across the room. But am I ready for a one-night stand? I touch up my lipstick in the mirror, savoring the few moments of quiet; the club’s music is muffled in here. Confidence comes, swift and sudden. Why shouldn’t I be ready? Wyatt didn’t even give me the courtesy of breaking up with me before he moved on. Why should I observe some kind of ridiculous mourning period over a relationship that was clearly broken? Fuck Wyatt. Maybe Naomi’s right and I do need to get laid. And maybe Mr. Delicious is just the man to do it.
Wyatt never would have let me do this—Vegas. The thought of me in Vegas without him would have driven him crazy. He barely liked me to go out with Anna, always asking who I was really with and sometimes showing up unexpectedly. He had nothing to be jealous of, though. I never cheated, and I’m not exactly the party girl type. Maybe I’ve been missing out. Defiance rises in me like a tide. I think I should go out and have some fun, if only to prove to that asshole that he’s an idiot. I suppose I should hope that he makes Laura happy, but I’m not a big enough person to feel that right now. Maybe I’ll get to the place where I can. Right now, I just want to kick him in the balls. Repeatedly.
Sweeping on a little more mascara, I give myself one final look over. I adjust my dress a little, but there’s nothing else I can see that’s wrong. My girls and I did a good job in our hotel rooms tonight. I look good.
I come out of the bathroom and freeze. Mr. Delicious is sitting at our table. In my spot. If I’m going to sit back down, we’re going to be squeezed together. Which Naomi probably suggested. I approach the table slowly, and Anna sees me first. There’s a big smile on her face as she yells, “Welcome back!” The mystery man turns, and…
Holy hell.
Naomi was all kinds of right. This man is candy. I could tell he was gorgeous from across the room, but up close, he’s fierce and powerful. The suit he’s wearing is sculpted to him, emphasizing broad shoulders and a powerful chest. And his eyes…dark and deep and focused right on me. Heat flows through me and I swear time stops for a second. Or at least it feels that way. Naomi leans over to him and says, “This is Sandy.”
There’s a flash of heat in his eyes, and he extends a hand to me. “Hello Sandy. I’m Wilcox.” That voice is caramel smooth and I wish I could be wrapped up in it forever. It’s probably just the alcohol, but damn.
I meet his hand with mine and he pulls it toward him, pressing his lips to it. Tingles fly up my skin and– oh god– I never thought a kiss on the hand could feel that intimate. Wow.
There’s a tiny smile playing around his lips. “I seem to have taken your seat.”
“Yes, you have.”
“We could share if you like.”
He’s still holding my hand, and it’s very distracting. “You want me to sit in your lap?”
* * *
It was the best quickie of her life. What happens when she wakes up with a ring on her finger? Keep reading Quickie here!
Books By Penny Wylder
Filthy Boss
Her Dad’s Friend
The Virgin Intern
Her
Dirty Professor
The Pool Boy
Get Me Off
Caught Together
Selling Out to the Billionaire
Falling for the Babysitter
Lip Service
Full Service
Expert Service
The Billionaire’s Virgin
The Billionaire’s Secret Babies
Her Best Friend’s Dad
Own Me
The Billionaire’s Gamble
Seven Days With Her Boss
Virgin in the Middle
The Virgin Promise
First and Last
Tease
Spread
Bang
Second Chance Stepbrother
Dirty Promise
Sext
Quickie
Bed Shaker
Deep in You
The Billionaire’s Toy
Buying the Bride
Dating My Friend’s Daughter
Big Man
Trapped with My Teacher
My 5 Bosses
Good Girls Say Yes
His Big Offer
Dangerous Love
The Roommate’s Baby
Perfect Boss
Cowboy Husband
Knocked Up By Her Brother’s Enemy
Flirt
Lust
Claim
The Wife Arrangement
Big Mountain
The Baby Maker’s Club
Prom King
The Single Dad Arrangement
Getting Her Back
Hate to Lose You
Drink Me Up
For Her
For Us
Valentine’s Day Virgin
She Is Mine: Prequel to the Billionaire’s CamGirl
The Billionaire’s CamGirl
His Shy Virgin
Good Time Doctor
Basket Stuffer
Wife for Now
Rich Groom
Rich Soldier
Rich Player
Summer With My Dad’s Best Friend
Married to the Secret Billionaire Page 16