One Night With His Ex

“I don’t know. I wanted you. Just you. But you weren’t here and I wasn’t sure you were ever coming back and I hated that feeling of wanting you and feeling...”

Vulnerable, she thought. But that didn’t excuse him or take away what he’d done.

“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that. I honestly wasn’t thinking about anything,” he said, leaning even closer. She felt his lips brush over hers and closed her eyes. She knew that she should walk away. Sure, she’d regret this in the morning but tonight there was nowhere else she’d rather be. She’d been alone for way too long and she was horny.

For him.

This could be that farewell hookup they’d never had because of the way things had ended. Maybe then she could move on with a nice guy like Jackson or someone else.

He cupped her butt and lifted her more fully against him so his groin nestled into the notch at the top of her thighs. She parted her legs slightly, rocking against him.

He lifted his head, and she noticed his lips were wet from kissing her and his eyes were heavy-lidded. She felt the ridge of his erection against her so she knew he was as turned on as she was.

“Uh...that wasn’t what I intended to do,” he said, stepping back. She did the same.

“Me neither, but honestly, Mo, I think we both need it,” she said. “Ever since Sunday when you put your hand on my shoulder, I’ve felt it.”

“Me too,” he said.

That was all she needed to hear. She took his hand and stopped by the deserted table where she’d left her handbag and then led him out of the Bull Pit. The night air was cool and fresh as they stepped outside. She tipped her head back and looked up at the big Texas sky dotted with a few stars and a half moon.

She heard him sigh and looked over at him.

He had his hands on his hips and his head was tipped back. The way his legs were parted, she knew he still had a hard-on, and when he glanced over at her, she saw... Well, she thought she saw him hesitate.

“Changing your mind now?” he asked.

“Are you?” she returned.

“Not a damned bit but I don’t want this to be something I forced on you,” he said.

She turned and closed the small distance between them, rubbing her hand over the ridge of his erection and putting her other one on the back of his neck as she went up on tiptoe and kissed him hard and deep.

“I’m exactly where I want to be tonight,” she said.

He lifted her off her feet, into his arms. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”

She put her arm around his shoulder as he carried her toward the parking lot but she stopped him. “We can’t drive.”

“Uber?” she suggested.

“The only driver out this late will be someone we know,” he said.

“That’s true,” she said. “So...”

He stopped and set her on her feet. “The Grand Hotel is only a five-minute walk.”

“Perfect,” she said. “It’s a nice night for a walk.”

“Is it?”

“I think so,” she said, slipping her hand into his. She’d missed this. The way his big hand completely enfolded hers. She wasn’t going to remind herself of all the reasons why she shouldn’t be enjoying this. For tonight she wanted some good memories of Mo instead of the painful ones from the recent past, including their breakup and then Mauricio fighting with her date at the Bull Pit last fall.

“I thought you had book club on Friday night,” he said as they walked to the hotel.

“Is there a question there?”

“Just wondering why you were at the Bull Pit instead of at Helena’s place,” he said as they headed down historic Main Street with its wide sidewalks to accommodate the pedestrian tourist traffic.

“We all needed a night out,” she said. “You know Helena delegated the wedding flowers and interior design to me so I have to liaise with Mom on it.”

“I didn’t know that,” he said. “She seemed pretty determined to do it herself.”

“She was. She had to ask our parents to pay for some of it—” Hadley clamped her hand over her mouth. “Please forget I said that.”

“It’s okay, I knew about the problem. I’ve been trying to talk to Mal and figure out what is going on for her.”

“You have?”

“Yes,” he said, stopping to look at her with an arched eyebrow. “You sound surprised.”

She was. “It just doesn’t seem like your sort of thing.”

“Why not?”

“There’s nothing in it for you,” she said.

“Fair enough. But there is something in it for me,” he added as he started walking again. He’d dropped her hand but they were still walking side by side.

“What?”

“Your happiness,” he admitted. “It’s in my power to help your sister out and to figure out what’s going on with Mal, and I know how much you love her so in a way I’m doing it for you.”

“Why would you do that?”

“To make up for being an ass, Hadley. We both know I handled things like the hothead I am, and I regret it now,” he said.

They were in front of the Grand Hotel now and he stopped to turn to face her. “Have you changed your mind?”

She shook her head. Not in the least. This right here was the man she had fallen for. It wasn’t often that Mauricio felt comfortable showing this side of himself, but she was happy he had tonight.

“I still want you,” she said. “What about you?”

“I think I’d have to be dead not to want you,” he admitted.

It was so quiet in the hotel bathroom except for “God Bless Texas” buzzing in her head, which was one of the songs she’d danced to earlier with Mo. He was being very cautious with her, which she appreciated. More than once he’d asked her if she was sure about this. But honestly, she wasn’t sure about anything except that she wanted him and didn’t want to think beyond tonight. Unlike stud muffin out there, she hadn’t slept with anyone since they’d broken up a little over eighteen months ago, and though she’d never describe herself as sex crazed, she missed it. She leaned in to look at her face in the mirror.