In my limited experience, one-night stands usually meant awkward mornings where reality set in and you realize you aren't ready for a relationship. This usually involves the guy trying to get out of bed without waking the beast; the beast, upon hearing her mate moving, jolts to attention and latches on without a second thought to the male's inability to feel anything but the sharp talons of the female burying into his skin.
There are almost always tears, followed by yelling; and if the guy is lucky, the girl vacates the premises, screaming obscenities into the air. If the guy lacks any sort of good luck, he usually ended up with a bag of peas pressed firmly against his best friend.
His other best friend.
I let out a chuckle.
Yeah, so that one-night stand? Freaking perfect.
Though I could have sworn Beth was still talking to herself from the bathroom — at least she wasn't screaming or clawing my eyes out. Then again… I winced as I moved my shoulder back and forth, causing a crack to reverberate throughout my body. What the hell had happened last night? Everything was so fuzzy. The only thing I remembered was drinking and then Beth eating cookies. I only remember the cookies because she was so damn beautiful when she was eating them. I sound insane, but it was true. She hadn't mauled them; she'd taken her time with each one. And each time she'd bitten into the cookie, I could have sworn I'd felt that bite all the way down to my toes.
There was always that special something about her, besides her obvious good looks, shiny dark hair, and damn cat eyes. I was drawn to her. I'd been drawn to her since I was seventeen. Shit, I felt like I was seventeen again. My body sure as hell responded like it.
Our brief encounter at prom shouldn't have been brief, which again gave me a clue as to why a one-night stand with her was a bad idea. Our last meeting? Had not ended well. Clearly, the feeling hadn't been mutual. I'd been like a moon-eyed starstruck teenager, and she'd been less than impressed that night. It was good I'd never made it. Seeing her again brought back the old feelings. Damn it! They were supposed to stay locked away. I was twenty-eight now. I was an adult. I was a senator, for shit's sake. I pinched the bridge of my nose. The problem? The details of our hot night together? More than fuzzy.
Which had to be a bad sign.
Then again, I had no hangover whatsoever. Not even a headache.
In fact, other than the sore muscles, I felt fantastic.
Whatever. Shrugging, I went in search of my suitcase. Then paused.
Why the hell didn't I have my suitcase? Details came rushing back. I'd been staying with the Titus family during the wedding, meaning my suitcase was still there, and I was… here? Whose hotel room was I actually in? Because it sure as hell wasn't mine!
I scratched my head then resorted to slapping myself in the face to jolt any sort of memory. But nothing. Still blank. Maybe Beth knew?
Right. That's what every woman wanted to hear: "Hey, you're hot, but I totally don't remember what you look like naked. Even though we woke up that way together. Thanks for a good time? Oh, and PS, whose room are we in?"
May as well put the name Jake Titus across my forehead and do the walk of shame.
I wasn't some billionaire playboy like Jake was. I was responsible. In control. Hell, I was the youngest damn senator Oregon had ever seen.
And that's when reality hit.
In a force so strong my eyes frantically searched for a paper bag.
Holy shit.
It was going to be in the newspapers.
If I couldn't remember being drunk or getting to the damn hotel, that meant I was sloppy about every single thing that happened.
I checked my watch. Six a.m. With a curse, I reached for my cell and winced. Fifteen missed calls.
I never put my phone on vibrate.
Then again, I'd never had a one night stand, kissed a girl whose last name I can't even spell, or done a walk of shame Jake-style. So maybe I was turning over a new leaf. Or maybe Jake's whorishness had left him the minute he said his vows and floated into my consciousness.
Shit. Now I was freaked about being possessed? By what? The need to screw every female within a ten-mile radius?
A throat cleared. I looked up. Beth stood wrapped in a fluffy white towel, her dark wet hair clinging to her neck and shoulders.
Scratch that. Not every girl within a ten-mile radius. Her. Just her.
"What's your last name?" I asked, needing the distraction as she shifted from one toned leg to the next.
"You're kidding, right?" Beth's eyes narrowed.
"Yes?"
Yeah. It was definitely a day of firsts. For example, not only was I the first person in my family to make it into politics, but I was going to be the first male of the family to die before the age of thirty.
How would she do It, I wondered? Suffocation? Push me out the window?
"Why are you so pale?" Beth slowly walked toward me.
"I, uh…" Damn. I had nothing. My entire career was spent talking, and I had absolutely nothing. Words escaped me. My focus was on her lips as they moved. Fantastic. First I want to actually be the cookie she bites into, and now I'm obsessing over her lips.
But they had this naturally pink tint to them.
Which reminded me of bubblegum.
I had a thing for gum. It kept me from getting nervous during speeches.
I had a feeling Beth would do the same thing, if only I was given the chance for one, small taste.
One night stand. One night stand. Maybe if I kept repeating it to myself, my body would catch up. Getting lost in those gorgeous green eyes or looking at that amazing ass was going to get me nowhere in life. I needed a solid, committed relationship where both parties equally benefited from said partnership. Not a fiery green-eyed temptress who ate cookies at 3:00 a.m. and cried into a box of them when she discovered they were peanut butter instead of chocolate.
"Jace?" Beth reached out and cupped my chin with her hand, peering into my eyes.
"What are you doing?" I stepped back.
"I'm a doctor." Beth rolled her eyes.
Doctor my ass. I distinctly remember hearing she played with diseases for a living; no way did I want her hands anywhere near my face. Then again, they'd probably been on other parts all night.
Mental note: Scrub harder in shower.
"You're a chemist. Big difference." I swatted her hand away.
"So you know I'm a chemist, but you don't know my last name?"
"You were doing the periodic table of elements in your sleep and were talking about curing cancer? Remember? Doesn't take much math to add that one together, sunshine."
Besides, part of my homework given by the lovely Grandma Nadine was to do a background check on Char and her family. That woman was insane; she wanted no stone unturned. In the end, I'd broken at least four laws to get the information she'd needed. But I owed her. She'd pulled me out of my slump. I remembered Char from high school since we were closer in age, and Beth? I remembered her for entirely different reasons…