Smirking, she remarked, “Congrats, by the way, if you’re taking a ride on that pogo stick.”
“Excuse me?” My eyes bulged.
Who the hell told Hannah?
I shiftedmy gaze to Dakota beside me, but she shook her head, indicating she hadn’t been the one to spill the beans. Considering Braxton wasn’t the biggest fan of our hookup and was worried about the career implications, it didn’t make sense for him to be blabbing about it, either.
Hannah continued, “Things got a little handsy that night. The man is packing.”
Cal wasted no time in hauling her onto his lap. His voice was low but still audible over the hum of chatter surrounding us. “Unless you want to be on your knees in a filthy bar bathroom, you’ll lock it up.”
I watched on as desire flashed in Hannah’s sparkling eyes, and she shifted on Cal’s lap. “Don’t tempt me with a good time.” He grunted, but she continued, “And there’s no need to feel inferior about Maddox’s dick size. You’re no less impressive.”
“Like I don’t know that, having showered with the guy for two years,” he grumbled.
I guess that laid the question of whether guys peeked in the shower to rest.
Hannah turned to me expectantly, but I was still reeling, trying to figure out how she knew I’d slept with Maddox while coming to grips with her knowledge of how he compared to her husband below the waist.
“Um—I don’t—We’re not—”
“Oh. I see,” Hannah said knowingly. “Still in the denial stage. We’ve all been there, haven’t we, girls?” She peeked at Natalie and Dakota, and they both nodded in agreement.
“You don’t understand,” I tried. “We can’t.”
She scoffed. “Girl, I took the book on ‘we can’t’ and threw it right out the window. If I’d followed the rules, I would be a sad, single, thirty-four-year-old woman having an endless stream of lousy, meaningless sex. Breaking the rules set me free. Highly recommend.”
Hannah made it sound so simple when it was anything but. She’d had to fight tooth and nail to get where she was with Cal. They eventually got their happy ending, but it hadn’t come easy.
Of course, my situation was a little different. Maddox and I would be walking into a gray area—it was strongly discouraged, even if not outright forbidden. I was just getting settled in Indy; it wasn’t worth rocking the boat.
“Tell me that he doesn’t know exactly where everything is.” Hannah waggled her eyebrows.
Cal muttered, “He’s lucky I didn’t break his hand for touching what was mine.”
My mouth dropped open. Earlier, when she’d mentioned getting handsy with Maddox, I figured she meant over the clothes, especially when she said they only shared a dance. But this new comment made it seem like it was more.
Insecurity rushed in like a tidal wave. Hannah was stunning and confident in ways I would never be. She didn’t need a man to define her. She would have never put up with Nix’s bullshit, letting him push her around.
If you put Hannah and me next to each other in a lineup, I might get some interest due to my red hair and the always intriguing do-the-carpets-match-the-drapes curiosity that came with it. But I was willing to bet that nine times out of ten, they would take the woman sitting across from me. She screamed sex appeal, and I seemed like a child by comparison.
I stood suddenly, my chair clattering to the ground. All eyes turned to me and the spectacle I was making.
Face flaming, I stammered, “I need to use the restroom. Excuse me.”
Dakota grabbed my hand before I could escape. Her eyes were full of concern. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I knew she meant well, but I needed a minute alone to take a deep breath and reset. Maddox wasn’t even here, yet he was still managing to wreak havoc on my life. That man was bad news all the way around. The universe kept trying to warn me to stay away, and it was about damn time that I listened.
“No.” I gave her what I hoped was a convincing smile. “I’m fine.”
Her expression was full of doubt as she scanned my face, but she nodded. “Okay.”
Peeking over her head, I locked eyes with Braxton. He gave me an imperceptible nod, letting me know he wouldn’t do anything until I returned.
Stepping around the fallen chair, I righted it before sneaking off to the bathroom to get my emotions in check.
Thankfully, the room was empty, and I didn’t have to hide in a stall. Grabbing a paper towel, I dampened it with cool water before pressing it to my cheeks.
