“My car…”

I just left it there, completely captivated by Dex. I didn’t even think.

“I’ll handle it,” he says, in a low husky voice. “Just give me the keys.”

“Okay,” I reply, my voice cracking a little. He checks us into a room and holds my hand until we get to the door. He unlocks it with a swipe of a card, then gestures for me to enter. I walk in and take in the room. It’s spacious, with a king bed, couch, and a TV. It’s a nice room, not a cheap one. I’d know, since my mother only stays in the best of the best whenever we go on family holidays.

“Come here,” he says, sitting on the bed and pulling off his shirt. I do as instructed, going to sit next to him.

“You sure you want this?” he asks, running his finger along my jawline. Goosebumps appear on my skin just from that touch.

“I’m sure,” I tell him, shifting on the bed. He nods once, a thoughtful look on his handsome face, then he taps his hands on his lap. Before I know what I’m doing, I sit on his lap, straddling him. When he kisses me, I don’t stop him. He feels too good, smells too good, and I want to forget.

More than that, I want a taste of this man.

We both stand, and he strips off my clothes slowly, taking his time.

“Your body is fuckin’ amazing, you know that?” he whispers as he stares at me completely naked.

“I’m glad you approve,” I reply with a smirk. The way he’s staring at me right now… I don’t think I’ve ever felt so beautiful in my life.

My eyes follow his hands as he undresses himself. His body is impressive, all hard angles and ripples. My mouth waters.

Naked, he turns and leans down to pull a condom out of his wallet. The dragon’s face tattooed on his back is staring right at me, its body coiled tightly behind it. It’s beautiful, intricate, and deadly.

Just like the man standing before me.

He faces me once more, tearing the condom packet open with a flash of his white teeth, and sliding it on. He’s huge. I’ve only ever been with Eric, but I notice that Dex is a lot bigger in width and length. He flashes me a grin when he sees me staring. Too turned on to care that I was caught ogling him, I lick my lips instead. His eyes darken. Leaning over me, he gently pushes me back on the bed. He kisses my lips with no preamble, his tongue exploring my mouth. He knows what he’s doing, just how to turn me on. I moan into his mouth as his finger slides into me. He makes a sound deep in his throat, a growling sound. I’m more than ready for him as he slides himself into me with one smooth thrust. His patience clearly over, he thrusts deeply, a curse leaving his lips. His body shows me just how much I’ve been missing out on, his skilled moves giving me more pleasure than I’ve ever experienced before. I come once, twice, before he finishes himself. He kisses me on my forehead once before he pulls out. I sit up and frown, when I notice the look on his face. He looks angry.

“What is it?” I ask, my voice hoarse and unsure.

He clears his throat. “Nothing.” He stands up and heads out of the room. I get dressed quickly, wondering what the hell I just did. I’ve never done anything like this in my life. I needed to get home—right now. Dex comes back into the room, condom taken care of, and lies back on the bed with his arms stretched behind his head. Not a care in the world.

I reach down to grab my clothes.

“What are you doing?” he asks, looking over at me in amusement.

“Getting dressed.”

He sits up and pulls me back onto the bed. “Not done with you yet babe.”

His mouth finds mine, and I lose all rational thought.

*****

“I’ll take you home. My friend Tracker will bring your car to you,” he says the next morning, not looking at me.

“Okay,” I say, awkwardly waiting while he dresses. I fiddle with the hem of my top, looking around the room distractedly. I got up before him and took a shower, waiting to leave. He wasn’t making this awkward at all, but I am. He is obviously familiar with this situation, while I am officially doing my first walk of shame. Last night had me feeling off-kilter. Did I imagine the connection between us? Last night wasn’t fucking. It was meant to be, but it didn’t feel like it. I don’t know what to think. Dex is acting like it was nothing, so I am imagining things. I only have Eric to compare him to. Maybe Eric and I just didn’t have any passion. Is that what it was? Passion? I don’t regret anything though, not even a little bit. Last night is something I will never forget.

“Faye,” he says, drawing my eyes to him.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” he asks, standing before me now fully dressed.

I force myself to hold eye contact. “Yeah, I’ve just never done anything like this before,” I admit, looking away shyly.

He lifts my face up with his hand on my chin.

“What do you mean you’ve never done anything like this before?” he asks, tilting his head and looking confused.

“I mean, a one-night stand,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.

“I hope you’re not expecting a ring, or some shit?” he says, looking amused.

“You asshole,” I snap, standing up and walking myself to the door. A ring? He’d probably give me a burger ring.

Dex follows behind me. “I’m just playing around, no need to get angry.”

I turn to look at him. “I see age hasn’t made you any funnier.”

He laughs. “Oh please, I used to have you in hysterics.”

I laugh at the reminder. Okay, so he always did have a good sense of humor.

“How old are you now?” he asks, lighting a cigarette as we step outside.

“Twenty.”

“Fuck, you’re a baby still,” he says, puffing out smoke and shaking his head.

“Old enough for you to fuck,” I say dryly, examining my manicure.

Dex laughs, a deep musical sound. He always did have a great laugh, the bastard.

“You have a dirty mouth on you babe.”

“You’d know,” I mutter to myself.

More laughter.

“Hey we both got what we wanted,” he says, putting out the cigarette with his shoe.

“How so?” I ask him, stepping closer to his bike.

“You got revenge on my brother, isn’t that what you wanted? A taste of wild?”

I hate that I blush. How does he know about Eric and me?

I did get what I wanted, but it wasn’t revenge.

It was just him.

“And what did you get Dex?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

He grins wolfishly. “I got to fuck a fairy.”

I grit my teeth. When I was younger, Dex used to call me fairy, because that’s the meaning of Faye.

It used to drive me crazy.

Apparently is still does.

“Hop on,” he says. “Let’s get you home.”

*****

Dex kisses me on the forehead before he rides off. I walk into my house, coming to a standstill when I see Eric sitting with my mother having a coffee. There goes my good mood.

“What are you doing here?” I demand, walking to my room and turning my back on the two of them.

“Faye! Where have you been? Don’t talk to your boyfriend like that. I raised you better,” my mother admonishes. I ignore her like I usually do. Nothing I do is ever good enough for her. I’m not who she wants me to be, and I accepted that a long time ago. Eric walks into my room and closes the door behind him. I sit on my bed and stare up at him, wanting to get this over with. My face is impassive, not giving away anything. I don’t want him to have any part of me anymore, even my anger.

He doesn’t deserve it.

“Where were you last night?” he asks, fists clenching and releasing. I almost laugh at his audacity. How dare he question where I was? “I came by to talk to you, and you weren’t home.”

“What’s it to you? I’m not your business anymore Eric,” I reply, pretending to be bored. I even stare down at my cuticles for effect.

“What the fuck Faye?” he growls, starting to pace the confines of my room.

“I was single the second you cheated on me. I owe you nothing. Now get out of my room,” I say, my voice like steel. His face turns red. His brown hair, much lighter than Dex’s, flops over his forehead, and he pushes it away with a flick of his wrist. I used to find that movement charming, now I just want to punch him in the face.