Chapters (82)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- Praise for Blood in the Water
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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“I’m not. And then you left. You and Jess nodded to each other, and you were out the door. I couldn’t resist, so I followed you. You went over to the Horseman, and I went in after you. I stood at the far end of the bar, just watching you for a while. I was trying to figure out a way to meet you without coming off as a sleazeball. I’d almost given up when that other guy showed up.”
“Chris,” Diamond said, remembering. “My asshole ex-boyfriend.”
“Chris, your asshole ex-boyfriend,” Buddy agreed. “Thank God for Chris, your asshole ex-boyfriend.”
“He was so drunk that night, and so pissed at me, he couldn’t leave it alone. I wanted to kill him.”
“He wanted to kill you, too, clearly. When he started screaming at you, I just reacted. I couldn’t stand to see anyone treat you that way.”
“You didn’t know me.”
“I know. It’s weird, but it was just an impulse I couldn’t resist. I didn’t even think about it. I just moved across the bar and grabbed him.”
“I thought you were going to start a brawl.” Diamond could feel her heart beating fast as the memory overtook her.
“I thought I was, too.”
“What stopped you?”
“I don’t know. He was drunk. And it suddenly occurred to me how I’d feel if I ever lost someone who looked like you. I felt bad for him, so I just told him to back off and go to another bar.”
“And he did. I think everyone there could see in your face not to mess with you. I’ve never seen Chris move as quickly as he did when he left that place. God, I was so turned on. I wanted you so badly, right then—right at that moment.” She sighed. “But then you turned away. I remember, you looked at me, and all you said was, ‘I’m sorry, are you OK?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ And then you walked back to the other side of the bar.”
“I didn’t know what else to say.”
“You didn’t even give me the chance to say thank you. That was when I knew I really wanted you. Anyone who could be that hardcore, and not expect anything in return … that was something I had never seen before. So I did two shots to get up my courage, and I went over to talk to you.”
“You did,” he agreed. “And the rest is history.”
“I’ve never slept with a guy that quickly.”
“I felt like the luckiest guy in Boston.”
“Huh,” she said. “I always thought I was the one who chased you.”
He laughed. “You did. But it was only after I’d chased you.”
“How do you feel now?” It was a sudden change of direction, but she needed to know.
“What do you mean?”