Before she could protest, he’d changed the subject and resumed his efforts in mixology. “Hey, have you seen Jay?”
She’d hadn’t, but she didn’t feel like admitting that, considering helpful was the last thing Moquest was being. “Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t.” She’d given him what she hoped was a mysterious look and walked away, putting a knowing twitch in her step.
Kimber had left the party then as if in a trance, her whole body still buzzing and feeling like it no longer belonged to her. She’d slid behind the wheel of her car and driven home, the experience having sobered her yet she felt higher than a skyscraper. She’d just let a complete stranger do things to her that she hadn’t let Dane do until three months into the relationship. What the hell had gotten into her? She’d behaved out of character, engaging in anonymous sex, yet it had felt so natural that maybe she’d just discovered who she really was.
She’d returned to her apartment, fed Pepperoni, slipped into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and then burrowed in her bedcovers-her normal routine, but she felt anything but normal. Her mind had refused to deviate from her encounter; she could still feel his lips burning the inside of her thighs. Kimber had replayed every moment, every kiss, every touch, every thrust, until she couldn’t take it anymore. She’d stuffed her now much loved My First Vibe between her legs and less than two minutes later experienced an effortless, instantaneous orgasm, remembering to keep from crying out so Taryn and Brad, likely sleeping next door, didn’t hear her. This cycle had repeated itself until the weak morning sun’s blush slipped through the cracks in the blinds. Her pajama pants had been at a tangle around her ankles, her fingers had gone numb from clutching the dying vibrator for so long, and all she’d been able to think about was how to get whatever the hell happened to her at the party to happen again.
It was still on her brain at work that night. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she hopped from one corner of the bar to the next, serving drinks with a wide, genuine smile she’d thought was impossible to muster while on the clock. She’d even hugged Alison in greeting when her coworker had arrived-twenty minutes late-for her shift.
“Someone must’ve gotten laid last night,” Alison had said, bewildered, having no idea how close to the truth she was with that expression.
But it had been more than getting laid. Despite her limited experience, Kimber knew that much.
She tried to guess what her lover looked like based solely on remembering the feel of him. Her overactive imagination led her to hope he resembled someone like Ryan Phillippe; her mystery man had had such sexy, tousled curls, and she’d never fooled around with a blond before. Not to mention, he seemed to have a mouth similar to the actor’s, if the way his lips had felt on hers was any indication.
The memory had her head in a lusty fog for the entirety of the day. It was a wonder that she managed to get anything done at all. She somehow managed to function using only half her brain; the other half was devoted to the memory of last night’s rendezvous. She couldn’t imagine what she could’ve gotten done if she weren’t constantly thinking of her mysterious stranger. The possibilities boggled the mind.
Jay slunk into the bar before his shift, interrupting Kimber privately reliving the evening for what had to be the thousandth time since it happened. He slid onto a stool and stretched his arms in front of him, staring at his hands like they were a Chinese math problem. “Hey,” he said after a few moments, his eyes flickering to her then away again. He looked like he’d suffered through a restless night.
Kimber chalked up his discomfort to how awkward things had been between them lately, but suddenly, their lack of seeing eye to eye seemed inconsequential. “Hello.” She captured his hands in hers, ignoring how he jolted at her touch, and sighed with happiness. “Have fun last night?”
“Um, yeah.” He stared at their hands. “It was okay.” Finally, his gaze lifted to hers. “Did you?”
“I did.” A smile twitched on her lips and she looked away, afraid she’d burst into peals of giddy, uncontrollable laughter. She cleared away a few empty glasses, humming to herself.
“Really?” Jay straightened in his seat. “What, uh… I mean, what happened?”
She dug her teeth into her lower lip. “You don’t want to know.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“You really don’t. You wouldn’t approve.”
He took a deep breath. “I promise I won’t be judgmental. Come on. You can tell me.”
It was then that Kimber realized how badly she needed to talk to someone about what had happened. Who better than her best friend in the world? She turned to face Alison, who was flirting for tips in her low-cut black top. “Al, I’m going to take my break early, okay?”
“Yep.” Alison waved her away, leaning over the counter toward the sixty-something-year-old man she was talking to and purring with interest to whatever he said.
Kimber clocked out and scurried around the bar to meet Jay, linking her arm around his and tugging him through the rows of slot machines until they were outside on the patio that faced the horse track. After glancing around to ensure they were alone, she turned to him with a grin. “Jay, last night was the most amazing night of my life.”
His mouth dropped open. “What happened?”
“I can’t tell you the details.” She looked away, dying to tell him in order to relive the moment via conversation. “It’d be rude.”
“It wouldn’t.” Jay grabbed her upper arm, forcing her to make eye contact. “Really. I want to know.”
“Well…” She swallowed hard, buying herself some time to put her chaotic, passionate thoughts in order. “Moquest sent me upstairs and blindfolded me, remember? So I was in his room, honestly not expecting much-just a little making out and stuff. But…”
“But?”
“But I don’t know.” Kimber sighed and slapped her palm to her forehead, unable to prevent a smile. “Let’s just say I just got carried away. And you know what’s weird? Even though I was acting totally unlike myself, I never felt more true to who I am.”
“What do you mean?” Jay stared at her, like she was a mystery that desperately needed solving.
“I can’t explain it. It just felt right. I won’t go into details, but it really was amazing.” Her face grew warm. “You want to know something that’s sort of sad?”
“What?” His voice sounded rusty.
“I felt more cherished and desired-understood, even-in that one moment that I had during my entire relationship with Dane.” She laughed, although nothing was funny. “Isn’t that crazy?”
Jay called upon every fiber of his being not to reach out and kiss her in a way that would make her feel incredible and valued again. “That’s not so crazy. That’s pretty cool. You’re lucky.”
A series of complex, undefined emotions played over her features, and Jay couldn’t believe that this girl-the girl he’d loved for years-was the one he’d been inside last night, the one he’d felt come around his cock after so long dreaming of just that. He looked away, afraid he’d crack and confess.
It was confusing, to say the least, to learn that he’d made her so happy. As per her claims, he’d given her the best night of her life. That was one night out of almost ten thousand that usurped all the rest. That was so fucking unbelievable he had to take a seat on one of the nearby metal filigree chairs, afraid his knees would give or he’d start bawling, moved beyond his comprehension.
She’d made it clear she didn’t want him. But now, how was he supposed to give her up?
Moquest made his appearance then, all dark sunglasses and slightly wrinkled suit, his Manager nametag hanging from his lapel at an angle. “Guys,” he said in a voice that clearly suggested he was beyond hung over-and all too well aware of their situation. “What’s the haps?”