“Typical, boring.” Thatch sighed and flashed a sultry smile my way. His wavy blond hair touched his shoulders, making him look like a really hot surfer. “And you are?”
“My best friend,” Austin purred. “I begged her to come out tonight and—” Something must have clicked in Austin’s brain, because she stopped talking, and her eyes zeroed in on Lucas. “YOU!”
“Oh hell,” Lucas muttered. “Hi, Austin, nice to see you’ve grown into your ears.”
“And yet here you are.” Austin shook her head. “Years later, and your nose, still big. I bet your good friend Thatch can help you out with that.”
Lucas’s nostrils flared on cue, while Thatch hid a laugh behind his hand and coughed out, “Well, this is fun! You guys all know each other?”
“I’ll give you the short version,” I piped in. “Lucas almost married one of my sisters before sleeping with my other sister the night before said wedding that didn’t happen. Austin and I were bridesmaids, so she was spending the night. In a drunken attempt to leave the house without getting shanked by my grandfather—who fought in Nam, by the way—Lucas ran into Austin’s brand-new Mercedes with his SUV.” I grinned. “I skipped the really fun parts, but you get the idea.”
Thatch whistled, while Lucas mouthed “Thanks” in my direction.
Austin added a dreamy sigh. “I loved that car.”
“I’m sure your parents were more than happy to buy you another,” Lucas added with no regret in his smooth voice.
And although he was spot-on, I felt the need to defend my friend. I was just about to when Thatch interrupted.
“Hey, I live just down the road. Why don’t we all take the party to my place and order pizza? I’m starving, and as much as I’d love to take Austin out alone, I’m pretty sure that one or both of you will end up dead if left to your own devices—so let’s go.”
“I like him, so take-charge,” I whispered to Austin.
“Good with his hands,” Austin added.
“Sexy too. He wears jeans well.”
“He can hear you,” Lucas said.
“Oh, he was meant to.” I winked at Thatch and gave him a little wave while Austin grabbed her purse and jacket.
I followed everyone out of the crowded bar, because at this point going home to my empty apartment meant I’d lose whatever war that was beginning between Lucas and me.
One of my heels caught in a crack in the sidewalk, and I tripped.
Lucas caught my arm and hissed out a curse. “Learn to walk in them or don’t wear them at all, Avery.”
There would be blood, folks.
There would be blood.
Chapter Nine
LUCAS
“What the hell was that?” I was torn between strangling Thatch or hitting him over the head with the pizza box. “They can’t be here!”
Thatch yawned behind his hand. “Sorry, man, I’m supertired. Can you repeat?”
I punched him in the shoulder. “The hell, man! That’s Avery, little girl Avery, the one that’s working for me now. I texted you about her yesterday! And that’s her best friend. You can’t just screw her best friend and then expect it not to affect my workday! I have to see Avery on a daily basis—you screw her friend over, and she’s going to blame me!”
Thatch’s eyes narrowed. “And you care why?”
“Because she’ll make my life more of a living hell.”
Thatch peered around the corner as Avery’s laughter trickled into the custom kitchen. “Yeah.” His eyebrows rose. “You realize she’s like a fourth your size, right? You could sit on her, and she’d probably puke up her pizza.”
“I’m sure that’s what I’ll do, then. Thanks for the wisdom. When I’m at work, irritated as hell, I’ll just sit on my new intern?”
He shrugged.
“Helpful,” I snapped.
“Look, Austin’s hot.” His grin was shameless. “And I haven’t gotten laid in a few days. Besides, she doesn’t seem to care that I’ve done nothing but stare at her tits for the past two hours. Get this, she asked to see my bedroom.”
“Oh gee, Thatch, maybe while you guys are back there you can show her your comic book collection.” I punched him again and swore while he cackled.
Bastard really did have comics, not that it mattered.
“Or . . .” He held up a finger. “I could just screw her sideways into Sunday.”
“Solid plan.” I exhaled. “I’m just going to go.”
“No!” He held out his hands. “You have to take the other one.”
“Avery,” I said through clenched teeth. “Not a chance in hell. You invited her here—ergo, you uninvite her so you can get in her best friend’s pants. I refuse to help.”
“I’ll fix your nose.” He winked.
“Low blow, you cock-sucking bastard.”
He sighed and ran his hands through his overly long, shaggy blond hair. If you didn’t know he was a plastic surgeon, you’d think he were a nomad living on the beach with a surfboard as company. “Look, just make up some lame excuse about getting her into bed at a decent hour so she can be fresh for Monday.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday.”
“Is it?”
“Thatch.”
“Dude, you cheat on chicks all the time. Just do what you do best—get her out so I can get in.” His chest puffed out like he was proud of his own wordplay.
“It’s not cheating.” I rolled my eyes. How many times did I have to explain myself? Especially to my best friend.
Avery’s laughter caught my attention again.
I’d always loved her laugh.
Now it just reminded me that I’d gone four years without it. Laughs are funny like that; just like scents, they can be attached to memories you’d rather forget.
“Fine.” I let out a defeated sigh. “But you owe me, big.”
His only answer was to pull out a bottle of Prisoner sweet red wine and shrug.
“Minion!” I yelled, turning the corner and entering the living room. “Time to go.”
Avery crossed her arms and leaned back comfortably against the couch, stretching out her legs; they went on for days. I ignored the way they swelled gently into her full hips, just like I didn’t curse my best friend to hell when she licked her luscious lips and muffled out, “Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“Pretty sure”—I stalked toward her—“I didn’t ask what you think or thought. It’s getting late, and as much as I’m loath to admit it, I need you on your A game next week at work, alright? I would hate for you to get fired, live on the streets with the bums, and end up digging through trash cans for a Twinkie, all because you stayed up too late and refused to go night-night.”
Avery’s eyes narrowed into tight slits. “You’re—you’re—”
“Go.” Austin shrugged. “Besides, I think Thatch and I”—she grinned and released a happy sigh—“have some really important work to do too.”
“Slut,” Avery coughed.
“Jealous?” Austin fired back.
“She has a boyfriend,” I said smoothly, confidently, looking back and forth at Avery and then Austin. “Right? Male dancer?”