Hooked (Viking Bastards MC #1)(25)

“So, where’s your sister live?” She told me that’s who she’s staying with, but that was the extent of that conversation.

“She has an apartment in Malibu, not that far from our parents, actually.”

Malibu. I guessed Grace came from somewhere like that, but it still hits me in the face hearing her say it out loud. Could our lives be any more different from each other?

It doesn’t matter. None of it affects what we have together, which is great sex without any messy strings. I kiss her, which isn’t the best idea I’ve had, since I don’t want to let her go, but finally we pull back, and I’m looking forward to the weekend already.

“See you Saturday,” she says, and I open up the front of the garage, and she drives off.

…

Grace

It’s late afternoon when I arrive at Charity’s apartment, which is a couple of blocks back from the beach, but she’s not home from her week’s vacation to Hawaii until tomorrow. The concierge knows me, so there’s no problem there, and I still have my own key from when I lived here, before I moved in with Russell a year ago.

The apartment isn’t huge, just a two-bed, three-bath unit on the fourth floor, but I loved the three years we lived here together. Looks like I’ll be moving back in again, now. Charity won’t mind. She always said she’d keep my room for me any time I changed my mind about Russell.

I can’t wait to tell her about Zach. Although we texted a few times while she was away so she knows I’ve ended the engagement, I haven’t told her all the details, or about my hookup. Every time I think about “my hookup,” I go all warm inside, and the weekend can’t come fast enough.

First I need to face my parents, though, and sort out my future.

…

On Friday night Charity and I go to a local beachside bar with a group of girlfriends. I really need the night out after the four-hour visit with Mom and Dad earlier.

It’s not that my parents don’t care about my reasons for ending things with Russell, but they just don’t appear to understand them. Just because I’ve decided I don’t want to relocate doesn’t mean I have plans to get back with him, but that was obviously the first conclusion they jumped to, even though they didn’t actually say it out loud.

I push the thought from my head. Tonight I’m not going to think about my future, I’m just going to enjoy myself. Our table is right by the window overlooking the ocean, and there’s a nightclub next door that we’re going to afterward. We’ve all known each other for years, which mean they all know Russell, and although they’re on my side, a couple of them think I’m crazy for ending our engagement.

Several times, Charity gives me sideways glances, and I know she’s waiting for me to tell everyone about Zach. It’s not often I’ve ever had such juicy gossip to share when it comes to my sex life, but something’s holding me back.

I don’t want them all leaping to the same conclusion my sister did—that he’s just a bad boy I hooked up with to celebrate leaving Russell. Sure, it looks that way, and if I’d left first thing the following morning, I guess that’s exactly how I’d view it, too.

But even though I joked with Charity that we were just f*ck buddies, it doesn’t feel right talking about him like that with our friends. I guess one hot hookup and a tattoo hasn’t changed me that much, after all. Deep down I’m not a one-night stand girl, and I want more than a superficial fling with Zach.

My best friend Leah leans across the table. I’m going to have to tell her the truth later tonight, otherwise she’ll never forgive me. “See those guys at the bar? The blond can’t take his eyes off you.”

Before I can stop myself, I glance toward the bar. The blond is a total surfer dude and raises his glass in my direction.

Leah gives a conspiratorial smile. “Tonight you’re getting laid, and I’m not listening to any of your excuses. Some wild, meaningless sex’ll show you what you’ve been missing all these years.”

I shoot the guy another glance. He’s a prime candidate for a one-night stand, at least in the eyes of my friends. Tanned, toned, and good looking. If I hadn’t met Zach on Saturday, would I be tempted?

When the others agree and start devising ways of getting us together, I can’t put it off any longer. “I’ve met someone else.”

Charity gives an audible sigh of relief and sinks back in her chair. Obviously the ordeal of keeping my secret was killing her.

“What she means,” my sister says, as the others squeal and bombard me with questions, “is she hooked up with some guy over the weekend. It’s not serious.”

I know it’s not serious, but for some reason I’m irritated she feels the need to say that upfront. As the conversation turns to how to handle a friends-with-benefits relationship, I can’t stop thinking about Zach.

We’re not dating. We don’t owe each other anything.

Has he picked up any more women over the last few nights?

Probably.

I give surfer dude another once over, but the idea of getting naked with him doesn’t make my nipples ache or * wet the way one arrogant glance from Zach does. No way am I going through with this when I can’t get him out of my mind.

I pull my cell from my purse and text him.

…