I kissed her hungry lips again. I thought about her talking to the intruder as I slipped my fingers in the leg of her panties and inside of her, pressing my hips against the back of my hand. Heard her laughing at what he’d said as she fumbled between our bodies for my zipper and freed me. I shifted my hips until my tip rested against the slick line of her, picturing her hand on his chest as I flexed and filled her to the hilt.

Mine.

I couldn’t breathe as I pulled out and slammed back in.

“Harder,” she breathed, and I gave her what she wanted.

My fingers gripped her thighs as I held her still, driving into her, flexing my hips until she tightened around me, her arms, her legs, her body. One thrust, then another, and she came — one more and I followed.

I held her against the wall with my body, and my hands cupped her cheeks, fingers in her hair as I covered her mouth with mine and kissed her deep.

When I broke away, she looked up at me with hot eyes. “I cannot believe we just did that,” she said with a breathy laugh. “I’ve never done anything like that before.” Her eyes widened. “And West … oh, God, Cooper.”

I thumbed her flushed cheeks. “Don’t worry about West. He’s too drunk on whiskey and Lily to notice us.”

“We shouldn’t have done this. Not here. We could have been caught so easily.”

The door opened again, and someone went about their business. I brought my lips to her ear. “You’re safe with me, Maggie.”

“Am I?” she whispered, the question loaded, and my chest ached.

So of course, I made a joke. “I’d never risk the pants that I’m the boss of.”

She stifled a laugh, and I kissed her again, hoping she could feel the truth as the door opened and closed again.

I put her feet on the ground and kissed her once more before we cleaned up quickly, and I moved to the door to check the hallway, which was clear. I motioned for her to follow.

She blew past me and down the hall, looking back over her shoulder at me with a smile before she disappeared.

I leaned against the wall again, my hands in my pockets, staring at the flyers stuck on the wall like wallpaper, layer after layer of them, trying to get a handle on the thoughts spinning through my brain.

I was jealous, I realized curiously. I was possessive of her. The feeling of ownership hadn’t left me, though it was quieter than it had been, an undercurrent instead of a tsunami. It wasn’t something I’d felt before — not at this level. And I had no idea what that meant. But until I figured it out, I’d play it cool, starting then.

And so, I put on The Smile and headed back into the bar, focusing instead on a plan to get Maggie to come home with me.

MR. M

Maggie

MY HEART CHUGGED LIKE A freight train as I walked through the bar and back to our friends, feeling like a sexy-ass criminal. Who knew sex in a public restroom could be so hot? And Cooper jealous? I mean, if that hadn’t set off my libido, I might have thought about seeing a doctor.

Cooper was right about West — he was smiling with Lily in his arms, completely oblivious. Rose and Patrick laughed as Astrid told a story, and I sidled in, catching the tail end of it. I laughed when they laughed, half listening, my body still humming from Cooper.

He was beside me again a minute later, and I had to stop myself from looking at him. He brushed against me to take a seat, sending a shock through me.

I glanced at Lily, who stared at me with her brow quirked. She looked at Cooper, then at me once more, and her smile slowly fell, eyes widening.

I watched it all click like detonators going off behind her eyes, and I silently begged her not to say anything.

She threw on a fake smile and looked up at West, turning him so his back was to us.

I glanced over at Cooper, and he met my eyes. And in that moment, I decided.

I was officially the queen of bad decisions.

I didn’t know what to do, standing between Cooper and my brother, amongst my friends who I’d been lying to. Lying over a guy who I couldn’t have, who I shouldn’t want.

There was only one thing to do. I had to get the hell out of there.

I smiled. “Hey, y’all — I’m gonna head out.”

Rose and Astrid whined and pouted.

“I know, I know. But it’s late, and I’ve got a big day tomorrow. If I go in hungover and tired, I’ll never make a good impression.”

The girls conceded and gave me hugs, and West patted my head like I was a puppy, wishing me luck. Cooper gave me a long, lingering look, and Lily whispered something into West’s ear. He smiled like an idiot and blushed a little, giving her a quick kiss.

“I’m out too, guys. Gotta be up early in the morning. I’ll walk you home, Mags.” She turned to me and grabbed my arm, hauling me out of Habits under the guise of a smile and a wave at our friends.

The second we hit the sidewalk, she spun around and let me have it. “Oh my fucking God, Maggie. Tell me that Mr. M is not Cooper. Please. Please, please, please.” Her eyes pinched closed.

I bit my lip.

She cracked her lids. “Please?”

“I’m sorry, Lily.”

She groaned and dropped her head back before taking a deep breath and letting it out slow. “Please tell me how the fuck this happened. From the beginning.” She hooked her arm in mine, and we started walking toward our building.

I took a deep breath of my own. I hadn’t told anyone besides Brooke, not a single soul. “Well, it all started on my wedding night.”

She stopped dead, and I stumbled backward. “What?” Her eyes bugged.

I blushed. “God, don’t make me say it again.”

“Are you serious?” She looked me over. “Oh, my God. You’re serious.”

I had no idea how to explain myself. “I don’t know how it happened. I was just so …”

Lily shook her head, fuming. “That son of a bitch took advantage of you. West is going to kill him.”

I shook my head, blustering. “No. Really, Lily — he didn’t take advantage. I wanted him. I needed him that night. I swear to you that he didn’t have to convince me of anything. He promised me nothing. But if West finds out … well, West can’t find out.”

Lily ran a hand across her forehead. “No, you’re right about that. I refuse to date a criminal.” She sighed again, the sound heavy, and we started walking again. “Come on. We have an hour before West comes home, and you’re about to tell me everything. If I’m going to keep this from him, there better be a damn good reason. And you’d better convince me that Cooper’s not using you, because if he is, I’m telling West tonight, consequences be damned.”

I nodded as we walked past the pizza counter. The smell normally made me salivate, but tonight, it only turned my stomach.

She watched me. “Do you need liquor or are you ready to spill the details?”

“Just promise me liquor at home and I’ll start now.”

“Deal. Start at the beginning. I think I can handle it this time.”

I thought back to that night, the first night, my worst night. “Do you have any idea how hard the reception was, Lily?” I asked softly.

She turned to look me in the eye. “I can’t even begin to imagine.”

“I was okay for a lot of it, just smiling through, you know? Don’t get me wrong — I wanted to have the reception — really. I felt like I needed it. Like I just wanted to throw that party and wear that dress and give Jimmy the big fuck-you. It was a good thing. But it was hard, Lily. It was so hard. And there was this moment when everyone else disappeared and I was alone for the first time since everything had fallen apart. I wasn’t ready for that, to deal with that. I was scared, and I was alone, and Cooper was right there.”