I haven’t even had her yet.
But I’ve wanted her for that long.
He bobs his head. “You can say that again.”
He makes it sound like that isn’t necessarily the best thing.
I scrub my hand across my face as he starts to sing Destiny’s Child ‘Independent Woman’.
“Seriously?”
He grins. “She’s complicated, that one. But let me tell you, you get her, and you’re the luckiest man in the world. She’s loyal, she’s smart, and she’s badass. I don’t even have to mention how beautiful she is.”
No he didn’t. Wide dark brown eyes, thick dark hair, and that mouth…
Don’t even get me started on her body.
“I’ve had my eye on her for a while, even though I know she’s holding a grudge over my past with Lexi,” I say, cringing that I even had to bring it up.
“I’m sure you can get her to forgive you,” he says, lip twitching. “She’s a really understanding girl.”
Is that sarcasm I hear in his tone? It doesn’t matter. I know I want her. I’ve had years of seeing her, and the pull hasn’t gone away. There is something there, sizzling between us, and it doesn’t matter how much we try to ignore it.
Because it isn’t going anywhere.
And now—neither am I.
“She said she’s single.”
Ryder glances up from his phone. “She’s always single. She dates but doesn’t usually commit.”
“Why?” I ask, wanting to find out anything I can about her.
Ryder lifts his shoulder in a shrug. “She has high standards, she always has. She won’t settle.”
I like that.
In my line of work, easy gets boring real fast. We have women throwing themselves at us every day, and it’s lost its appeal. Not that I usually take them up on their offer. I’ve f**ked two groupies this whole year, and that was only because I was sick of being lonely and couldn’t take it anymore. I can’t even remember their faces now. All it amounted to was release without emotion, not something to brag about. After I cheated on Lexi I think I’ve been punishing myself. I haven’t allowed myself to get too close to another woman. Or am I just waiting for the right woman? Enough is enough. Lexi and I are friends, and I’m cool with that. It took some time, but I let her go. She’s happy, and she’s with who she’s meant to be with. Now it’s time for me to go after the same.
“I gotta get home to pack,” I say, standing up. “Another tour—can you believe it?”
“I know,” Ryder replies, smiling crookedly. “Morning Alliance made it international, who would have thought?”
“Me,” I reply smugly.
Ryder laughs. “I’ll see you and your ego in a few days.”
I say bye and head home.
A lot can happen in a few days.
*****
I’m not ashamed to admit that I rang Lexi and asked her what her and Tee were up to tonight. I thought I was being subtle about it, but Lexi called me out on it straight away, and I didn’t bother to deny it. What’s the point?
“Why do you want to know?” she asks, curiosity filling her tone.
“AJ,” I say, calling her by the name she used to go by when we were younger. “Why do you think?”
“Ha! I knew you had a thing for her. And don’t call me AJ,” she replies. “Ryder doesn’t like it.”
Why? Because that’s what I knew her as? I thought he was over the whole thing.
“I’m drawn to her, you know? I don’t want things to be weird though,” I tell her.
Lexi is quiet for a few seconds. “It’s not weird on my end. Tee deserves a good man, and I know you’ve made mistakes, but one mistake doesn’t define you for the rest of your life. I just wasn’t it for you. We were young Saxon. Young and stupid.”
“Thank you, Oprah,” I mutter.
She giggles. “Tee is at home tonight, doing nothing. She likes to unwind by watching movies and eating junk food.”
“I wonder how she would react if I just dropped by,” I murmur.
“Do it. Oh and a little suggestion, if you bring something, she’s more likely to let you in. I suggest jam donuts, she’s kind of obsessed with them right now.”
I thank her and hang up.
Jam donuts?
I throw on some jeans and a shirt then head on over to Tee’s apartment. When she opened the door, eyes flaring at my presence, I hand her the tray.
She looks down at the jam donuts and grins. “You do deliveries now?”
I smile and watch her eye the donuts with appreciation. “I heard you had an addiction, and I thought I’d bring you a fix.”
Her laugh draws my gaze to her pouty lips.
“Well than, thanks for this, they look delicious,” she says, blowing me a kiss and then closing the door in my face.
Okay, that didn’t go as expected.
I grimace slightly and knock again. She opens the door and stands there staring at me with narrowed brown eyes. “Okay what are you really doing here?”
“I came to say hello,” I tell her, flashing a panty-dropping smile.
“Hello,” she says, then goes to close the door again.
I put my foot in, blocking it. “You said we were friends, and friends hang out together sometimes.”
She bites her bottom lip. “So you’re just here for… a chat?”