Page 2 of Say it Ain’t So

“Not really?” There was an invitation there, and I accepted it as if she’d flung open her front door and asked me in. I took a seat beside her, getting distracted as she tucked a long hair behind her ear, and I caught sight of a yellowing bruise on her throat. “As in, you're not lost? Or you don’t need help?”

She slowly dragged her attention my way, and I felt it like a caress as her gaze drifted over me, rising from where my elbows rested on my thighs, up my chest, and finally stopping as our eyes met. “I’m not lost.”

There was no way for me to tell if the sirens I heard were from the casino around us or from those three whispered words. My body reacted as if she’d just begged me for help. I fought to keep myself from jumping into action even as the flush of her skin made more bruises appear under the drape of her hair.

As if realizing that’s where my attention was locked, she lifted her hand and covered herself. Like hiding it could wipe away the knowledge that it was there.

“Did someone hurt you?” I didn’t realize I’d reached out to her until my fingers were swiping away her long, silky hair. She dipped her chin, her shoulders pulling up, but she didn’t shy away.

“It’s nothing.”

“This isn’t nothing.” She let me brush her hand aside and didn’t flinch when I smoothed my thumb against her bruised throat. “Who did this to you?”

Her pretty eyes met mine. She didn’t hesitate before she said, “My ex-boyfriend.”

Ex?

My body had a visceral reaction—some combination of wanting to pummel the asshole and wanting to jump for fuckin’ joy that she’d tacked that ex on the front of boyfriend.

“Is he here?”

She shook her head as she reached for her phone without turning away even an inch. “He’s back home. I’m…”

When she dipped her chin and didn’t continue, I ducked down and forced her to look at me. “You’re what?”

She sucked in a shaky breath. “I was supposed to be celebrating with his sister today. We’re here for her bachelorette party. But when she found out…”

“Found out what?” I asked when she didn’t seem to want to go on.

“That I broke up with him because I found out he’s fucking someone else.” Her spine straightened as she sat up straight. She lifted her phone and held it out in front of me. On its screen was a text conversation between her and someone named DB Peter. There was a video there, the cover of which gave away plenty.

“DB Peter?”

“Douchebag.” The first real smile she’d given crept across her lips and something deep inside me chinked into place.

Holy. Fuckin’. Hell.

I’d never seen anything like it, and I’d do anything to see it again.

“I just changed it.” She gave a shrug, her smile growing as one of my own split my fuckin’ face in two.

“What’s your name?”

“Joss.” The single syllable slid off her tongue like honey, and I swore it was my new favorite sound. “What’s yours?”

“Rylan.” I extended my hand to her, and a tingling sensation swept my skin the minute she placed her hand in mine, causing my blood to buzz in my veins and my mouth to water. I swallowed it down and forced out, “Nice to meet you.”

Joss didn’t take her hand back, and I tucked that fact into the back of my head. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“So, the sister,” I said after I watched color pink her cheeks as she dropped her gaze to our clasped hands. “That’s who you were with earlier?”

“Earlier?” She tugged her hand away, and I reluctantly let her, cursing myself for opening my big mouth.

I shrugged and cast her a lazy smile. “The one with the tiara and the white dress that looked like a nightie?”

Joss may have covered a smile with her fingers, but happiness gleamed in her eyes.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” I chuckled quietly. “Let me guess. All those women you were with told her she looked spectacular while you sat there biting your tongue?”