Page 132 of Savage Suit

He drew in a breath, pinning me with a hard glare. “The asshole with the blue eyes? Noah Keegan? Him?” he growled, anger darkening his brown eyes.

I nodded. “Him,” I confirmed, swigging my drink, welcoming the numbness alcohol provided.

“As I recall, you weren’t looking for anything romantic.”

“I’m not!” I exclaimed, opting to withhold a simple truth. I wasn’t looking for a relationship with anyone except Noah. At that deplorable admission, I finished my drink and held out the empty glass. He snatched it out of my hand and slammed it down with such force, it shocked me it didn’t break. “It was just a heat of the moment thing.”

“That’s why the guy was such a dick during my date with you,” he snarled, leaning across the bar to thrust his face close to me. All traces of the sweet guy I’d met and the understanding one he’d promised to be five minutes ago were gone. “You two are fucking.”

His nose almost touching mine made me uncomfortable, so I scooted to the edge of the barstool. “Ian,” I murmured, trying to control my temper, and pushing aside my sudden hurt. “We only kissed.”

Lies. Such fucking lies.

“That’s hard to believe, Ryan, so I’m calling bullshit. You’re a fucking liar. Keegan’s been a passive-aggressive dick to me since we’ve met. Now, it makes sense why.”

“I warned you that you wouldn’t want to hear my thoughts, but you insisted.”

“I didn’t think you’d say that!”

“You didn’t know what I’d say. For all you knew, I could’ve been ready to confess to a murder spree. And by the way, I don’t appreciate you calling me a liar.”

Well, shit. The fucking nerve of me.

“I don’t appreciate being lied to,” he retorted.

“How the fuck did I lie to you?”

Hint—by omission. By claiming you and Noah only kissed.

Guilt and confusion clawed me, worsened by alcohol, missing Noah, and realizing my friendship with Ian was over. “I told you I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and I’m not.”Lies, lies, and more lies.“Kissing someone doesn’t change that, nor gives you the right to insult me because you’re jealous it wasn’t you.”

“Jealous?” Ian snapped. “Jealous of that classist fuckbag kissing you?Not.That you think that bullshit shows just how fucking full of yourself you are, Ryan.”

Who the fuck lied now? From the moment we met, Ian made his attraction to me clear.

Folding my arms, I glared at him. “You must think I’m an idiot, Ian. The first time we met you tried to spit weak ass game at me. And if you aren’t jealous, what’s it to you if I kissed Noah?”

Ian’s eyes flashed with hot fury. “Fine, Iamjealous, but don’t act like there’s no reason to be. From jump, you’ve led me on and played hard to get. Liar! You’re fucking that rich boy egomaniac you work for.”

“Ian, gag on a fucking dick!” I snarled, opening my wallet, and throwing two twenties onto the bar. “I didn’t come here to be subjected to your fucking temper tantrums because you feel as if I’ve spurned you. I didn’t lead you on or play hard to get. I’ve been honest with you, so fuck you and your false accusations. And a word of advice: don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.”

I stormed out of the bar, fighting off tears. Ian’s words hurt me to my very core, especially after he’d promised to listen as my friend. His malice heightened my sense of betrayal. Combined with all my overwhelming emotions over Noah and I felt like utter shit.

“Ryan.”

Reid handed a photo to me, then tasted whatever tropical concoction he’d been served. We were at a tattoo shop party on Eighth Avenue. The owners were good friends of Graham and Soraya. They’d invited me when I called to once again thank Soraya for giving me the heads up about the letter Quinn sent toAsk Ida. At first, I’d declined their invitation, then reconsidered once I realized it would be perfect to introduce Quinn to Soraya. To arrange the meeting, I called Reid. After expressing my anger at his lies, I’d listened to his explanation and promised to email copies of Concerned Sister’s letters. Somehow, he’d talked me into going to a late dinner at Nicholas and Tina’s house. He didn’t know about the scene in my office and I had no interest in revisiting that confrontation. Besides, I was restless and I wanted Ryan. An evening in my brother’s company would keep my occupied. I’d ignored the asshole for years and still worked with him.

Reid and I decided to meet at Tig’s Tattoo and Piercings, then head to dinner from there. He’d also agreed to convince Quinn to accompany him.

She hadn’t arrived yet, though my cousin had been here for thirty minutes already, long enough to be on his second drink. We were inside, away from the guests, but sounds of laughter and chatter floated to us, serenaded by music unknown to me.

I finally glanced at the picture and my breath caught.Ryan. My angel in blue, arm in arm with Quinn. Their masks were on, and Ryan’s hair was just as I’d remembered, dark and bone-straight. Memories of her coconut scent wafted to me, and I closed my eyes.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me, Reid?” I demanded, looking at her again and tracing my finger over the image. The sapphire blue made her golden skin radiant. So many dirty thoughts ran through my head, it surprised me my cock didn’t burst my zipper. “I asked you point blank.”

“You asked me in front of Nick,” Reid reminded me. “What did you expect me to say?”

“The fucking truth. You know how to contact me.”