Chapter 3

ETHAN

“Poker this weekend? Or are you having another rager?” Maverick asks me, as we walk out of the restaurant.

We stop on the corner, and I prop up beside a meter as I think it over. I’d rather party, but it’s rare all the ball-and-chained guys get out without their women unless it’s for poker.

“Poker sounds good. I’m in. We can do it at my place.”

“Good. What happened to the psycho who tried to stab you?”

“I called her father. She’s going into ‘rehab,’ which means she’s at some resort far away from Sterling Shore until this blows over. I’m good with that.”

He nods and yawns like he’s ninety.

“What happened to you? You used to be young.”

He glares at me. “I’m still young, dickhead. I’m just not used to partying like a rockstar anymore. I prefer hanging out with just our group, because some people get too drunk too fast, and they become too annoying.”

I roll my eyes, but they stop midway when I see a familiar body stepping out of a vehicle at the curb. Of all the luck. It’s the tight-*** nurse who… is with the nerdiest douche I’ve ever seen in my life. Is he really using an inhaler?

She’s been in my head ever since my **** got painfully hard off just her scent, and she patted my cheek. I felt her pat my cheek. I didn’t feel anything but the pressure of her tiny gloved fingers when she was working on my leg, but I felt her touch my cheek when that glove was gone.

I never feel a touch like that unless someone surprises me and touches me when I’m not expecting it. But I saw her coming, yet I still felt her touch me.

Getting me so hard with zero effort both irked me and intrigued to the point I actually asked her out. Then she turned me down like she was disgusted with the offer, even though I could tell she wanted me.

She waits patiently, clutching her purse as she takes in the front of the restaurant I just left. Her dress… **** me. She has a much better body outside of those scrubs than I expected.

Her hair is dark and pulled to one side in some fancy way with clips, and her tan skin is… a hell of a lot sexier and smoother than I noticed before.

“Annnd I’ve lost you. See you later. I need to go catch up with Corbin anyway,” Maverick says, not looking behind him to see what has all my attention.

I barely mutter a bye, because I’m pretty fucking transfixed—and seriously confused. She turned me down, but she’s with a guy wearing a tweed jacket and smoothing down his comb-over?

His fly is unzipped, for fuck’s sake. I’m fairly sure some Buzz Lightyear underwear is poking through the hole of his unzipped zipper as well.

And now I’m staring at a guy’s crotch. Fucking great. Just great.

My eyes dart up to the firm, barely covered female ***. Her little black dress leaves just enough to the imagination. Outside of her scrubs, she’s a solid nine. He’s barely a three. This… This is just pissing me off. No way does that Ice Queen blow me off but go out on a date with a guy who is honestly wearing his shoes on the wrong feet.

He opens the door for her, and she bends over to adjust the strap on her high heel shoe. I get a better look at her ***, and… I take it back; she’s a solid ten. Not a nine.

Irritated, I walk in behind them, giving them time to get their seats. Regina smiles when I reach the hostess station.

“Forget something, Mr. Noles?”

Yeah, I must have forgotten my pride somewhere along with my rationality.

“Is my table still open?” I ask.

She looks confused but nods.

“I realized I didn’t have dessert.”

Damn, I sound like an idiot.

She grins and walks me back toward the table I just abandoned. It’s clean, but she doesn’t act like it’s an inconvenience to reseat me. As soon as she hands me the dessert menu and walks away, my eyes start scouring what I can see of the restaurant. Where the hell did she—There she is. Two tables down and across.

Her smile is fake as hell. Why is she out with him if she doesn’t want to be? Why am I obsessing over this?

Doesn’t matter. I’m pissed, and she’s the reason. It’s only fair that I piss her off in return. Pride is a twisted thing, and I’m full of it.

Once upon a time, the Noles name held mountains of prestige and had as much money behind it as the Sterling name. Then my great grandfather fucked it all up and my grandfather followed the same spiraling route of failure until it was all gone.

It was up to my father to rebuild the name, and up to me to carry it on. So yeah, I’m a prideful bastard. And Bella stepped all over it by dismissing me immediately.

I ease over my table, propping up on my elbows while trying to hear their conversation. It’s not easy, but I catch part of it.

“My mom’s favorite thing to do is buy underwear in bulk,” he’s telling her, which gets an eyebrow raise from me. “It saves so much money. I prefer to spend my money on more important things.”

Like lotion and porn? Because this guy has no game and can’t possibly be getting laid. This is really who she is dating when she wouldn’t even party with me?

“My sister buys her underwear in bulk too,” he adds, laughing like a donkey on crystal meth. Holy hell. She’s going to pay for making me endure this.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***