“I could have a boyfriend,” Lexi said popping her head up to look at him eyebrows raised.

He laughed lightly. “You don’t have a boyfriend,” he said as a matter-of-fact.

“How do you know?” Her eyes narrowed.

“Lex, I’ve known you for a long time…years, in fact. You don’t have a boyfriend right now.”

“Fine. I don’t have a boyfriend,” she conceded, “but I could.”

“You could, sure. But you don’t. Either way, we’ve been here before.”

“We’ve been everywhere before,” Lexi stated running her hands through her long waves and let them fall off the side of the loveseat.

Jack coughed into his hand covering up a laugh that began to break through. “I wouldn’t say everywhere.”

“Oh, Jack, stop it!” she exclaimed catching his double entendre. Hefting the pillow out from behind her, she threw it with full force across the room and into his still amused face. Shocked, he picked the pillow up off the white carpeted floor and tossed it back in her direction catching her in the chest.

She coughed upon impact, the weight of the pillow knocking the air from her lungs. She threw the pillow back in his direction with as much force as she could muster. He was prepared this time, and caught the pillow out of midair. Jumping up, he dove to the loveseat and smacked the pillow down into her shoulder. Lexi curled into a ball protectively covering her face.

“Do you surrender?” he asked holding the pillow high.

Just before he was about to bring it down on her one more time, another pillow materialized her in hand. “Never,” she declared swinging the pillow hard, hitting him full on in the chest. He teetered for a moment before regaining his balance and toppled his pillow down on her. When she didn’t even seem to register his attack, he bent down over her and began to tickle her between the ribs. She giggled uncontrollably, kicking out wildly with her feet, gasping for air.

“That’s cheating. You’re cheating,” she squealed attempting to pry his hands away from her. “Stop. Stop. Oh God, Jack, stop.”

He paused, his body starting to register the position he had found himself in. Lexi had unwound from her fetal position and was sprawled across the couch. Her bare legs were slightly spread with her hands above her head. The silky material of her shirt did very little to hide her hard nipples underneath. His knee touched hers while his arms remained circling her waist in the same position where he had been tickling her. His body rested only a couple inches from her.

As she recovered from his assault, her chest heaved up and down so hard she could almost touch him. Her chocolaty eyes were wide and wild, rimmed with tears of laughter. Flushed, her cheeks showed a splatter of red; her lips bare and showing slight signs of chapping. Even her hair was unruly and untamed, weaving curls and waves all across the sofa. All together, she was the epitome of uninhibited, unbridled beauty.

Lexi’s eyes gazed back at him seductively. She could feel how close he was, and despite herself, despite it all, she wanted him closer. She licked her lips watching as his whole body seemed to relax into her. He was only a couple inches from her mouth at that point. So close, in fact, she could just reach her head off the armrest to meet him.

In that moment, she knew. All that stuff about things being different had been bullshit. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted her.

Lexi heard a gentle trill come from the direction of the bedroom. “I think that’s your phone.”

His eyes roamed her face once more, and then glanced up at the clock. “Fuck, is it really 3:30?”

She arched her body up, feeling herself press up against him as she got a good enough angle to read the red digital numbers. He hadn’t pulled away from her, and she could feel him easily through his basketball shorts. “Yep, that’s the time,” she said sliding back down against the suede couch. His weight eased back against her as she moved. God, she wanted him. This was the reason she had promised Chyna she wouldn’t be alone with him. “Perhaps, you should go answer that.”

“I can call them back,” he said automatically. Lexi felt as if she had traveled back in time six years, and Danielle would be on the other line.

“You know, perhaps this feels a little too familiar,” Lexi said sitting up and pulling away from him.

He coughed uneasily and righted himself on the sofa. “You’re right. Sorry.”

She could tell he wasn’t. It didn’t matter though. He was doing the right thing. She was doing the right thing. For once.

CHAPTER 4

AUGUST FIVE YEARS EARLIER

Flashes of silver light careened around the open dance floor sending blurred, refracting images across the wide-eyed girls shaking their bodies in time with the rap beats blaring from the projection speakers. Saturday night at Chamber showcased incredible DJ spinning talent, and for the sea of wall-to-wall listeners nothing could get better. Several bartenders distributed lethal quantities of whatever one’s heart desired in alcohol. The medium-sized rectangular room was divided in two by sliding glass doors keeping the dance space and the more secluded lounge area separated. A raised platform designed in an L-shape was constructed against one wall and had a long bar against the open side.

Beefy security guards in bright yellow Chamber polo’s remained stationed in precarious locations as a rather deliberate reminder for the drunkards to keep their cool. One too many customers had found themselves sprawled on their ass on the pavement outside after a fight broke out or the Fire Marshall deemed the building to be over the maximum occupancy.

“I need six lemon drops, three Bud Lights, two Jager bombs, and an Amaretto sour,” Trina demanded of the tiny red headed bartender. The girl looked frantic pulling random bottles off the shelf and replacing them almost instantly. She grabbed several shot glasses placing them haphazardly on the bar before glancing up at her customer helplessly.

“How many shots did you want?” the girl asked her voice coming out mousy.

Trina rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Honey, why are you working the busiest night of the week if you can’t take an order? I said six.”

A blush crept up across her cheeks and down her neck. “I…uh…” the girl stammered not anticipating the harassment.

“I mean really, what was Joe thinking hiring someone so incompetent?” Trina questioned her further leaning forward against the bar. Her eyes were locked with the mouse who looked terrified. Several of the surrounding customers glanced anxiously over at Trina. Some just looked angry that she was taking up so much time with the only bartender in the vicinity. A small blond girl standing to her right nudged her lightly in the ribs giving her a shut the fuck up look. Trina didn’t even register the jab. She was smiling, instead, at the girl behind the bar. “What’s your name sweetheart?”

“Mary,” she said fumbling with the bottle opener. Mary, getting even more flustered, managed to drop the metal opener. She quickly ducked down to retrieve it.

Trina smirked at the girl maliciously. “Seems like you are better suited for church… Mary,” she said dragging her name out. The girl just glanced up meekly, not even able to form words. Her eyes were beginning to well with unshed tears.

“Trina, stop being such a bitch,” another girl said materializing next to the redhead. The voluptuous bartender scooted Mary to the side with her hip and began expertly filling the order.

Trina’s smile widened at the sight. “Chasity, I thought I would have to break your newbie before you got over here. What took you so long?”