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That’s how I met him, I want to tell her.

Bruce.

He was visiting his elderly gran after New Year’s Eve, and she introduced me to him. A few weeks later, I met him again at Starbucks, and he invited me for coffee.

God, I miss him.

If only I could let him know that I love him like crazy.

I can’t wait for the whole thing to be over and get back to my old life.

“Look.” Sylvie moves her arm past me and points a long index finger to the window. “We’re here.”

I follow her line of vision. As I make out the shapes, my smile dies on my lips and my frown deepens.

Ahead of us is a white building. It’s expensive and big. And frigging ancient.

It must be at least two hundred years old. At least from the look of it.

Please let it not beit.

Please.

I shudder at the thought of sleeping in an old bed. It’s an irrational fear I have. Like the fear of never meeting someone who’ll love me and want to grow old together. Or ending up all alone with only a couple of cats as company. Nothing against cats. I love them, but let’s face it, they’re not always exciting company.

It’s the same fear—the fear of losing someone—that got me in trouble with the judge. In my humble opinion, it’s nothing reading a self-help book couldn’t solve.

They didn’t have to send me to rehab.

There, I’ve just said it.

It’s an ugly word.

Rehab.

I associate it with needle marks on arms, yellow-stained faces, and moody alcoholics. To be honest, I’m sure being branded a love addict isn’t worse. It’s not like I follow Bruce everywhere and have to know what he is doing everyminuteof the day.

It’s enough if I know what he’s doing every day.

2

KAIDEN

My life sucks.

I'm not a sex addict. Honestly, I’m not. That word makes me cringe. I’m not even sure why I’m here, but apparently the board thinks my healthy sex life is spiraling out of control…

Well, they’re wrong.

It’s not an addiction if I enjoy every minute of it.

It’s not an addiction if I love what I do.

But tell that to the thick-sculled fatties with no sense of humor on my board.

I’m not even greedy. I like to share. Twosomes, threesomes, but my all-time favorite: no strings attached, and no repetition. I love it wild and versatile, my sheets clean and my private drawers safe, and I love my monthly health checkups.

If you jump between the sheets with me, I can guarantee that I’m groomed, clean, and will ensure you’ll have at least one orgasm, or two, or three.