Page 26 of Irresistibly Wicked

She didn’t know how, but one way or another she was going to figure it out.

Chapter Eleven

AFTER DINNER, SHAUNA insisted on helping Zander with the dishes. She stood beside him by the sink humming softly as he washed and she dried. She’d been through so much, Zander hadn’t been sure if having her crash at his place would be uncomfortable for her or make him edgy, but this was nice and enjoyable, and she was clearly more relaxed. He was glad to hear her humming, but he’d heard the guilt in her voice when she’d told him about the inheritance, and he knew she was struggling over the situation with Brian.

She was loyal to the point of putting herself in danger, and if there was one thing Zander respected above all else, it was loyalty. He didn’t think she had a chance in hell of coming up with enough money for rehab, and there was no way he’d let her sit by Brian’s side again as he tried to detox. Not after he’d put his hands on her. She might believe in Brian, but Zander had worked with enough people in recovery through the club to know how drugs could turn a normally mild-mannered person into a monster.

He wouldn’t be standing there right now if it weren’t for Shauna’s selfless act of bravery. He wanted to help in return, and he wanted her to know she was not alone in this.

As he handed her a plate, he said, “Hey, Flores, can I ask you something personal?”

“You say that like I haven’t been spilling my guts to you all evening.”

“I’m just wondering, with everything going on, are you going to AA meetings, or should you be going to them? I’m not trying to say you should. It’s just…if you need someone to go with you, that’s what friends are for. I’d be happy to tag along.”

She looked at him for a long moment as she finished drying the plate. “That’s really nice of you to offer, but even with all the stress, I haven’t had the urge to drink or smoke.”

“Fair enough.” He began washing a glass. “If that changes, I’m here to help.”

“I appreciate that, and trust me, if I felt even a little bit like I might falter, I’d go to meetings and contact my sponsor.” She set the plate on the counter with the other dishes and flashed those killer dimples. “You know, for a bachelor, you’re not bad at this domestic stuff.”

“I’m a man of many talents.” He handed her the last glass.

“Oh yeah?” she said as she dried it. “Such as?”

“Most of them aren’t appropriate for a new best friend.”

“That’s weird,” she said sarcastically. “I heard you only use your talents on new friends, which makes sense.” She glanced around the unfinished kitchen and said, “Clearly you’re not very good at finishing what you start.” She lowered her voice. “Women aren’t big on that kind of repeat performance.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Trust me, they beg for more.”

“Exactly,” she said snarkily, as if he’d proven her point. “But I don’t want to know about your dirty deeds. I want to know what’s going on with your cottage. You said you’ve lived here for a while?”

“Yeah. I bought this place to flip it, but I was having too much fun living my life to give it up and spend my free time renovating. But that changed after the accident. A lot of things changed, actually. I wanted to take control of my life, and this was as good a place to start as any.”

“Life-threatening accidents tend to have that effect on people. But the accident wasn’t your fault. Was your life that out of control?”

“Not out of control in the sense of drinking too much or anything like that, but I definitely like to have a good time. It’s just that my drug of choice is women. I might not have caused that accident, but the accident caused my family, my club brothers, and my friends a shitload of worry, and if I hadn’t gone home with a couple of girls the night before, I wouldn’t have been late for work or been at that intersection for the accident to happen. That’s on me. It was my choice to go home with them. I’ve always been the good-time guy who acts when an impulse hits and worries about it later.” He realized that was what he was doing now. “Shit. Sorry. You’re going through hell, and I’m doing it again, putting myself first and laying my crap on you.”

“I don’t mind. I like getting to know you. It makes me feel less like I’m the only one juggling excess baggage.”

“Are you taking pleasure in my heartache, Flores?” he teased.

“I didn’t mean it that way.” She laughed softly. “But kind of, yeah.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be alone in that, and you’re not alone in carrying that excess baggage, either. Every person on this earth is struggling with something, and if they tell you otherwise, they’re lying. The bottom line is, I don’t want to be the guy who causes my family and friends to worry anymore. You know what I just realized?”

“That you’re done trying to change your ways and want to get the heck out of here and pick up a woman or two?”

He laughed. “Why would I do that when I’m having such a great time with you?”

“Because I won’t sleep with you, obviously.”

“I didn’t offer for you to crash at my place so I could sleep with you.” He couldn’t resist teasing her back and said, “I mean, you’ll probably want to sleep with me after a while, and normally I’d be into that, but I’m changing my ways.”

Now she was laughing. “That’s not going to happen.”

“I’m just sayin’, it wouldn’t surprise me.” He schooled his expression. “Seriously, though. I’m not going to be that guy anymore. Not that I was ever an asshole. I never pretended to want more than a good time, and I have nothing but respect for the women I spend time with. That said, random hookups were fun.” He smacked against his chest. “But it’s time to treat the old bod like a castle instead of a nightclub, and hanging out with you inspires me to stay on track.”