Beneath me, she laughed. “This has the potential to be such a romantic conversation.” She wiggled a little, rubbing her slick skin along the underside of my cock.

“Just listen,” I murmured, bending to kiss her. Pulling back, I said, “She was my date at the fund-raiser for Millennium Organics. You were there, too. . . .”

“I remember,” she whispered, watching my lips.

“You had on this dress . . .” I exhaled. “Fuck. That dress. It was—”

“Red.”

“Yes. But not just red. Fire engine red. Siren red. You looked like a fucking beacon, a devil . . . which is pretty appropriate, considering. Anyway, Amber was my date, and—”

“Blond. Tall. Fake boobs?” she asked, clearly remembering. I took a small bit of pleasure knowing she was paying close enough attention even then to remember my date nearly two years later.

“That’s her. And she was . . .” I sighed, remembering my complete apathy that entire evening. “She was nice enough. But she wasn’t you. I was obsessed with you, but in a really fucked-up way. I loved finding ways to push your buttons just to see you react to me for a second. I loved getting a rise out of you, because I think it meant that I was the focus of your thoughts for a moment, however rage-filled.”

She laughed again, stretching to kiss my neck, sucking lightly. “Psychopath.”

“That night,” I continued, ignoring her, “you were getting a drink at the bar, and I walked up to you and made some crack—I don’t even remember now what it was I’d said. But I’m sure it was nasty, and unnecessary.” I closed my eyes, remembering her face, how she stared at me blankly, without even a trace of interest. “You looked at me and then laughed before taking your drink and just walking away. It fucking wrecked me, I think, though I didn’t really get that until later. I was used to seeing you react to my jabs with a tiny hint of hurt feelings, anger, or frustration. But to see absolutely nothing but indifference . . . fuck. That was it for me.”

“I don’t remember what you said, either,” she admitted. “But I’m sure it took a lot of effort for me to look unaffected.”

“We left not long after that. Amber and I.” I smoothed a hand up Chloe’s body, over her breast to her face. I looked her in the eye and admitted, “I fucked her. But it was awful. You kept barging into my head. I would close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to touch you. I tried to imagine the sounds you would make when you’d come, how you would feel. That’s when I came. I bit the pillow to keep from saying your name.”

She exhaled sharply, and I realized she’d been holding her breath. “Did you go to her place or yours?”