Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(24)

“You looked pretty upset when you were on the phone.”

“And, now, I just want you to f*ck me,” she told him.

His eyes widened in surprise. “What? How could you go from upset to sex that quickly?”

“Have you never had angry sex? Hate sex?”

He frowned. “I have, but I don’t think that’s what you need right now.”

Trihn placed her hands on his chest and leaned into him. “I really think that I should be the person to determine what I need. Right now, I need you to find a private place for us to f*ck.”

Damon put his hands around her wrists. “I’m not really sure what’s going on with you, but maybe we should just talk about it rather than hiding it with sex.”

“Why am I the only girl in the world who begs a guy to f*ck her and he refuses?” she asked. She pulled her arms back from him and waited for his response.

“Trihn, I thought I made myself clear last weekend. I don’t want to be just a one-night stand, and I don’t want to be your f*ck buddy either. I wouldn’t mind you taking your emotions out on my cock,” he said coarsely, moving closer to her again. He dragged her body against him and leaned forward, as if he were going to kiss her. His voice was deep and husky with that smooth British accent that made her knees weak. “In fact, I would love nothing more than to be inside you again, but I want to know that you’re not running from every step we take forward.”

“And what if I do?”

“Then, I’ll leave you alone. I don’t want that, but I don’t want to be used either. A couple of months ago, I would have been all for this, but I’ve changed since then. I can’t go back to the person I was.” Damon looked away from her and sighed. “I have to get back in the booth or else I’m going to get in trouble at work. But will you stay until I get off work?”

“For a repeat of last weekend?” she asked hopefully. It would be great to forget about Preston and Lydia for a night.

He gave her a sad smile. “I just thought you could use someone to talk to.”

“I don’t really want to talk. I’d like to do other things to get my mind off of everything.”

“Just wait for me, okay?” He almost sounded resigned to her request, even after just telling her that he didn’t want to make this a friends-with-benefits situation.

“Okay,” she told him.

He leaned forward and kissed her hard on the mouth. It had been a short but powerful kiss. As soon as she got into it, he was already backing away. Then, he headed toward the DJ booth.

When the door closed behind him, Trihn’s bravado disintegrated. She tried to be so strong for everyone else, but she was dying on the inside.

How could Preston and Lydia be getting married? A sob escaped her, and she smacked her hand over her mouth to stifle it. She could not break down about this—not in public and definitely not at Posse with all her friends here.

Trihn snatched up her purse and hurried back into the club. She beelined for the door. She knew that she had promised Damon that she would wait for him to get off work, but she couldn’t stay trapped in the club all night, feeling horrible.

Trihn didn’t see Bryna or Stacia, so she flagged down Maya. “Hey, if you see the girls, will you tell them that I took a cab home?”

“Sure. Why are you leaving already?” Maya asked.

“I just don’t feel like partying.”

“I saw you with Damon. Are things not going well with that?”

Trihn shook her head. “No, they’re not. I’m still beat up about my breakup, and I just want to sleep.” Her voice broke on the last word, and she worried that, by talking about this, she was going to start crying. She took a deep breath and dug her fingers into the bar to try to stop herself from reacting to everything that was piling on top of her head.

“Okay. I’ll tell them, but I wish you would stay.”

Trihn swallowed hard. “Can’t. Love you.”

“Text me when you get home!”

Trihn waved at Maya and then rushed out the front doors of Posse. She inhaled the wintry desert air and flagged down a cab. It took her across town, and after she paid, she hurried up the elevator.

Dropping her purse and jacket in the living room, she stripped out of her corset top and skirt and buried herself in her comforter in the sexy lingerie that she had gotten earlier that afternoon. She could have gotten laid in the lingerie, but instead, she was curled up in the fetal position, trying not to cry. She had shed so many tears two summers ago because of Preston, and now after all of that, Lydia was going to marry him.

Without even meaning to, tears leaked from her eyes. She felt like a ton of bricks were resting on her chest. She didn’t want to feel like this.

“Fuck,” she whispered into the silence.

Her efforts were for naught. Deep sobs escaped her body, and she swiped uselessly at the tears on her cheeks. She felt like screaming and yelling and throwing a tantrum. She wanted to go back to that moment when she had first met Preston and erase his existence from the universe. How could one man cause so much heartbreak?

Her first love.

Her first boyfriend.

Her first everything.

And then he had thrown it all back in her face, as if everything she had given him meant nothing.

And that was what she meant to him.