Page 15 of Bad for You

Soph smiled at her. “Thanks again, Trixie.”

Trix dipped her chin and led her dog back inside.

Soph put on her jacket and I climbed on my bike, starting it. She climbed up behind me as I glanced up. A truck passed by us. Lila was sitting in the passenger seat, that fucking asshole driving, and she was purposely not looking at me.

But then her eyes lifted at the last minute, locking on mine. Omph. Another lightning strike. She quickly looked away, like she didn’t know me. Like I didn’t exist.

Cool. Cool. Cool. That didn’t feel like she’d stomped on my balls at all.

You’re the one who ended it, asshole.

And the reason for walking away from Lila was still there. Nothing had changed. She was still a sweet little librarian. And I was a biker who regularly cleaned up my club’s messes with my fists.

She was innocent.

I was an emotionally stunted manwhore with no morals.

She was perfect.

I was a piece of shit who came from a long line of pieces of shit.

My fingers curled into a tight fist as I imagined smashing it into cowboy-shrimp-dick’s face. The skin pulled over my already abused knuckles, opening a couple of cuts put there by some other asshole’s face.

Yeah, fucking up her boyfriend will totally earn you brownie points, dickhead.

I pulled out onto the street, and Sofia wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning into the corner with me as I headed for home.

As much as I hated that guy with Lila on sight, there was no doubt in my mind that he was better for her than I’d ever be.

I had to stop thinking about her. I was home. She’d moved on. I needed to stop fantasizing about her. Stop wanting her.

When I finally settled down, it’d be with someone more like Soph. Someone used to the life, who understood it. Someone who’d drink and party and laugh with me, then fuck until dawn.

That’s what I needed.

A nervous little librarian who blushed when I squeezed her tit, who fucking gasped and slammed her legs shut when I tried to touch her pussy, who stammered and trembled when I said dirty shit to her was not for me.

I’d shake this obsession I had for her.

I had to.

Lila

I was running late to open the library.

“Espresso, coming up,” Addie said, grinning at me.

“You’re an angel, you know that, right?”

Addie owned the Lake’s End Café. Her business was set up at the front of the small cottage, and she lived in the back. She had the magic touch. Anything she cooked, baked, or poured was pure heaven.

This morning I needed caffeine, big-time. Sleep had been elusive last night, had been all week. All I could think about was Jesse—no, Grifter. Jesse seemed too personal now. I couldn’t get the image of him and his gorgeous, stunningly sexy girlfriend cuddled up together by his bike out of my head.

Which had led to images of them cuddled up in his bed. Though I’m sure they were doing more than cuddling. Doing things I’d shied away from. Been afraid of. Scared to be anything but the good girl my parents had forced me to be for the longest time.

My reusable to-go cup was suddenly under my nose, as well as a brown paper bag. “Here you go, Ly. And a muffin, ’cause you look like you could use it.”

I smiled at Addie. “I love you.”