Page 31 of Before and After

“Is that what you’re calling it?”

Ro just smiled. “Allie calls you Broody. Suits you. See you later.” He took Tessa’s hand and dragged her into his office.

Despite how it may have appeared, I was happy for my friend. Ro was a workaholic, driven, and pushed by his own family demons. He seemed far happier and calmer now that Tessa was in his life.

Movement caught my attention, and Allie rounded the corner. My mind went blank.

She’d changed out of her uniform, and fuck me, she was wearing a tiny skirt and a long-sleeved, cream top that looked soft and silky.

Those legs.They were even longer than I realized. I couldn’t drag my gaze off them. They were toned and smooth.

On Saturday, she’d been wearing leggings that had hugged her legs and ass. She might be slim, but she still had an ass. After ice cream, I’d come back to my suite. I hadn’t been able to get my mind off those legs. Or imagining them wrapped around my hips.

I wondered what she’d think, knowing I’d taken my cock in hand and stroked it, thinking of her damn legs until I’d come.

She looked up and shot me a small smile. “Hey, Broody.”

“Allie.” I cocked my head. “Got a date?” The thought felt like knives to my gut.

“What?” Her brows drew together. “No, why?”

“You’re in a skirt.”

“Oh.” She tugged on it. “Ollie’s with my neighbor and my shift is done, so I decided to treat myself to a drink in the Bluff Bar.”

The knives in my gut whirled. “Alone?”

She fidgeted. “Not exactly. I know some guests are having a few drinks. They said to stop by.”

“So a date.”

She huffed. “It’snota date. It’s a drink. It’s me pretending for an hour that my life didn’t blow up, and I didn’t lose my brother, or leave behind the life I’d made for myself—” She clamped her mouth shut. “It’s a drink.”

With the blond guy. “I saw you flirting with that guy in the lobby.” My words were a growl.

Her mouth dropped open. “I was not flirting.”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Broody, that was a conversation,notflirting.”

“He wants more than conversation.” I paused. “Are you into that guy?”

“Blake? No.”

Of course his fucking name was Blake. “The flirting made me think otherwise.”

Her eyes flashed. “It wasn’t flirting.”

I could feel my damn control slipping through my fingers like water. “Fine.” My voice sounded like gravel. “Don’t let me keep you.”

She stared at me for a beat, then she shouldered past me. She was muttering under her breath, and I suspected calling me a few names.

I probably deserved them. My hands flexed, then I whirled and stalked toward the conference room.

I wasn’t going to think about her with that guy, laughing, having a good time.

My cellphone rang and I snatched it out of my pocket. “Castro.”