Page 19 of Hot Mess
Thump. Thump.
His tail was wagging so hard it was thumping against the coffee table.
“Hrng,” I grunted, slowly pushing myself up, blinking all the way. My leather jacket was on the floor. My shirt wasgoneand my jeans were open… but at least my dick wasn’t out.
No idea how I’d ended up on this couch last night.
Sunshine was pouring over me. Too much sunshine. And too much noise. There were voices in the kitchen, and I blinked in that direction.
Jesse was sitting at the kitchen island and his pregnant wife, Katie, was buzzing around pouring coffee. The dog, Max, was theirs. When or where we’d picked up Katie and Max last night was a mystery to me.
But here they were, in Dylan’s house.
So at least we’d made it to the island in one piece.
“He’s alive!” Katie said cheerily when she noticed I was vertical.
“Oh, good,” Amber said, coming down the stairs. She was dressed and looking perky, wide awake. “Coffee?” Actually, they were all looking too perky for my liking.
Wasn’t anyone as drunk as I was for the last two days?
“Ungh.” I couldn’t make words, and I had to close my eyes for a second. Headache. Definitely waaay too much to drink. Really should’ve called it after the grocery store—
Danny.
I opened my eyes and looked around. Who knew what I expected to find, though. My dream girl having a bowl of cereal in Dylan’s kitchen?
She wasn’t here. Obviously.
Because I lost her.
Again.
Fuck. Me.
It all came back in a flood of discomfort. Seeing her buying roses in the rain. Talking to her. Drunkenly.
Losing her in the grocery store.
Getting back in the limo and drinking—way too much. I was already wasted. Why did I keep drinking?
Because you were wasted.
I remembered Def Leppard.
And sambuca shots. Lots of sambuca shots. I shivered; so fucking disgusting.
Couldn’t remember much past that point.
I looked around again as my eyes adjusted to the light. “Where is everyone?”
“Went home,” Amber said. “Con and Hayden took them back to the city on the boat.”
Hayden. Haz. My bodyguard.
Apparently he’d decided he wouldn’t be needed now that I was unconscious.
“It’s like one in the afternoon,” Jesse informed me. “In case you were wondering.”
