One Night of Trouble by Elle Kennedy Page B

He’d forgotten that they’d moved their meeting to Sunday because Gage had taken Friday off to have dinner with his girlfriend and her stepfather.
    It also occurred to him that Friday was the night he’d met Brett. Wow. Had it only been two days ago? Christ, they’d had a ludicrous amount of sex in such a short time. It felt like he’d known her for months, years even.
    His wrists still bore the damage from their latest round between the sheets—Brett’s knots had chafed the hell out of him. AJ hoped his friends wouldn’t pay too close attention to his hands. They’d probably be stunned if they knew what kind of kink he’d just participated in.
    “Sorry, it slipped my mind,” he apologized. “You guys haven’t been waiting long, have you?”
    “Naah, just ten minutes or so,” Gage answered.
    Reed’s blue eyes twinkled as he pocketed his phone. “So what’s her name?”
    AJ tensed as two identical smirks appeared on his friends’ faces, but he decided to play dumb. “What’s whose name?”
    Gage snickered. “You’re really gonna deny it?”
    “We know you had a visitor the other night,” Reed chimed in. “Jerry told us. Ergo, you’re busted.”
    Damn. AJ should have known Jerry would blab. Sin’s employees gossiped more than a group of teenage girls.
    “A friend stopped by to say hello. It was no big deal.”
    “A friend,” Reed echoed. “Uh-huh. Suuuuure.”
    The two men exchanged knowing looks. “He’s lying to us,” Gage said thoughtfully. “Why do you think that is?”
    Reed pursed his lips. “Maybe she’s got crazy scars on her face or something?”
    “Naah, you know he’s not obsessed with looks. Maybe he’s in love with her?” Gage suggested.
    “Fuck, of course.” Reed nodded fervently. “But it’s still so new and shiny he doesn’t want to share yet. Wants to bask in the glow in private for a while longer. Makes sense.”
    “Perfect sense,” Gage agreed.
    AJ flopped down in his chair. “I’m not in love with anyone, and stop talking about me like I’m not in the room.” He picked up the inventory sheets on the desktop. “Are we doing this or what?”
    To his relief, his friends quit needling him and shuffled their own papers.
    He wasn’t sure why he’d deflected their questions, but he didn’t feel entirely comfortable telling them about Brett. It didn’t help that Reed and Gage happened to be dating women who liked to poke their noses into AJ’s life. Darcy’s nosiness made sense—they’d dated, after all, and AJ knew she desperately wanted him to find the kind of happiness she’d found with Reed. But Gage’s girlfriend Skyler was just as dogged in her matchmaking efforts. She’d already tried setting him up with both her roommates, and after he’d shot her down, she’d proceeded to make a list of everyone she’d gone to college with in an attempt to push a love connection on him.
    Well, he didn’t need help finding dates, and he certainly didn’t need Darcy and Skyler latching on to Brett the way they’d latched on to each other. If he introduced them to her, they’d welcome her into the girlfriend fold in a heartbeat. And then, knowing Darcy and Skyler, they’d remain friends with her after she and AJ parted ways, and he’d be forced to see Brett all the time.
    Though forced was probably the wrong word. Truth was, he was surprised by how much fun he had with the woman. She was strong and outspoken, she made him laugh, she challenged him…
    Hell, it was probably a good thing she wasn’t looking for a relationship. If circumstances had been different, he’d totally consider turning their temporary arrangement into something more permanent.
    But he couldn’t. His family situation was too delicate at the moment, and God knew he’d caused his parents enough grief over the years. He’d valiantly tried to be the son they needed him to be, until he’d veered off course and started making one selfish decision after the other. With his mom still