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“Hey!” Jamie fakes indignation. Sounding like they’ve had this conversation before.
“I heard the kiss was really hot.” Cici chimes in.
My mouth drops as I turn to the cook.
“What kiss?” Ginger asks.
I slap a hand over my eyes and groan. “How do you even know about that?”
She laughs. “I heard it from one of the guys, who heard it from Steve.”
“Of course you did.” I drop my hand. “Do you guys have any booze or anything?”
Ginger lifts a hand-rolled joint that I hadn’t noticed from the arm of her chair. “Or something.”
My brows raise and I sit forward. “I haven’t gotten high since college.”
She grins. “Fancy breaking your streak?”
Block out my current situation and pretend everything is fine?
“Yes, please.”
* * *
“That’s not how it goes!”Ginger snaps at Jamie, making all three of us laugh. They got on a debate about song lyrics ten minutes ago, and each disagreement is funnier than the last.
Duke groans, and I reach above my head to pat his neck.
After sitting around the fire for…a while…Duke started trying to climb into my chair with me. But he didn’t really fit. Not to mention he weighs a literal ton. So, we compromised, by lying in the grass, me using him as a pillow, watching the stars twinkle above us like a bunch of polished jewels.
I fill my lungs with the fire-tinged air, appreciating the outdoors for the first time in a long time.
I need to do this more.
My eyes do a slow blink.
It’d be nice if King was here.
Wait…no.
I don’t want that.
Even if he is so handsome. And that body…
He’s everything that turns me on. And it’s annoying. He should be hotter and richer and badder than everyone I’ve ever met.
Badder?
Is that a word?
He’s bad.
A bad man.
A big bad handsome man who makes me tingle from the inside out.
“She’s thinking about that rich as fuck husband.” Ginger’s comment slips into my consciousness, and I grin.