
when we met. u/upset.
I’d never gone to a bar by myself. I always had a friend or I had Aiden. We’d been together for two years. Tonight was our anniversary, but I was alone in a bar. I should have been celebrating with him, but our plans went up in flames when I went to his apartment after getting out of work early this afternoon.
I had a key so I let myself in like I always did. I heard sounds coming from Aiden’s bedroom. When I reached the doorway, I covered my mouth with my hand as I gasped.
“Aiden?!” I was so upset that I felt my heart pounding and my fists clenching.
Aiden jumped out of bed, stark naked, leaving his bedmate behind. He walked to me and reached toward me but, I took a step back. “Tessa, I swear I didn’t plan this. Layla and I have been working together for a long time. It just… happened. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me? How long has this been going on?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I lifted a hand and stopped him.
“No. Forget it. I don’t want to know.” I turned and ran out of his apartment. I heard him calling after me, but I didn’t stop. I had to get away from him.
That’s how I ended up at a bar alone.
I was staring into my glass of wine, running my finger around the rim trying to keep my tears at bay when I felt someone beside me. The only way to explain the level of gorgeous I found standing near me is to say that for a moment, I forgot why I was upset.
Our eyes connected, and he extended a hand to me. “Hi. I’m Walker.”
I took his hand. His big, warm, strong hand. “Tessa.”
“What’s wrong, love?”
“What makes you think something’s wrong?” I asked, though I was sure my mood was written all over my face.
“Just a hunch.” He waited but I didn’t say anything. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger…”
I smiled, which surprised me. “I’m supposed to be with my boyfriend tonight. It’s our anniversary.”
“Where is he?”
“Probably still in bed with the woman I found him with this afternoon.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry.”
“Why? It’s not your fault.”
“No. But I know how you feel.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah. The same way I felt last week. When I caught my ex in bed with another guy.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? It’s not your fault.” He teased me, tossing my own words back at me. He made me smile—again.
“Thanks, Walker. I didn’t think I’d be smiling tonight.”
He smiled, too. “Happy to help.”
I sighed. “I think I’m still in shock. I never thought Aiden would do anything like this.”
“Did you say Aiden?”
“Yeah…”
“Aiden Mitchell?”
“Yes…” How could he know Aiden’s last name?
“Fuck.”
“What?” As I waited for him to answer, I had an unsettling suspicion. “Oh no… What’s your girlfriend’s name?”
“Ex-girlfriend,” he corrected me. “Layla.”
“Fuck.”
“What are the chances?” he asked with barely a trace of humor. But his expression changed quickly. “Is it bad that I want to get back at them?”
“If it is, I’m bad, too.” I took a sip of my wine. “You know what we have to do, right?” I asked. This time, I made him smile.
“I think I do.” He took my hand in his and kissed the back of it. “Tessa, will you be my fake girlfriend?”
“I will.”
Little did I know how real it would turn out to be.
—♥—
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p.s. — Who says revenge isn’t totally worth it??
Hot guy: Italian model Simone Bredariol (I know… I know… my addiction to this man may be bordering on unhealthy.) (Also, that picture is my current phone wallpaper.)
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“Daddy! I’m hungry.”
“Kaitlyn.”
He was tall. So tall. And he wore a suit better than I’ve ever seen a man wear a suit. His hair was just barely out of place, like he’d been raking his fingers through it. And the scruff on his face screamed sex. Okay, maybe it only screamed sex to me.

When they crashed onto the sand together, he instinctively held her in his arms. And his heart went mad. My God. What is happening? Am I having a heart attack? I can feel her inside me. Everywhere. Definitely magic. She slowly turned in his arms and rested her hands on his chest. Presumably to push herself up. But that didn’t happen. Her apology barely fell from her lips before she fell silent. And he finally saw her eyes. Beautiful. Those eyes… so intense and so blue. And her mouth… oh God.
Her eyes met Jackson’s. He was already smiling, and he felt a rush when she smiled back to him. She took her eyes from his and looked down to the note Jackson had written. He loved the way her smile grew as she read. When she returned her gaze to his, she just shook her head gently and rolled her eyes, all the while never taking her smile away.







