“Don’t make me have second thoughts.”

She purses her lips in thought. “My beneficiary only gets the money if there’s proof I’m dead. What if I’m just missing?”

“Look, your friend Amy’s going. Your internship knows you’re going. I assume your other roommates would know, too. If anything happens to you, I’ll be the first suspect.”

“True. Okay, you can keep your collateral.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

“You’re going to Phuket then,” I say. “End of story.”

“End of story. Which means no spanking.”

I lean across the table toward her. “That’s what you think.”

Chapter 16

BRIDGET

Past

A spanking doesn’t scare me. I’ve got padding where I need it. But I’m not going to go out of my way to get a spanking.

After dinner, Darren drives us to the clinic where we both get swabbed for STDs. The results take a few days.

“No sex without protection, no drinking before twenty-one,” Darren says as he drives me back to my apartment. “You’re the straightest arrow I’ve ever met.”

I keep coming back to opposites attract, which I didn’t really believe in before. Darren claims he doesn’t have a moral compass, but he hasn’t shown me he doesn’t have one, even if it may not be a large one.

“Hanging out with you might have a corrupting influence on me,” I joke.

“I hope so,” he replies.

“Or maybe the opposite will prove true.”

“God, I hope not.”

“What’s so bad about being good?”

“It doesn’t fit my lifestyle.”

“How come?”

He stares ahead at the road. “It just doesn’t.”

“You worried that you won’t attract as many women without your bad boy image?” I tease.

“No, I don’t worry about that, even though it’s true that women prefer bad over good.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“No? Then how come all your favorite heartthrobs in movies, shows and books are billionaire playboys?”

“They’re not my favorite.”

He turns to stare at me. “Then what are you doing with me? Why aren’t you with some guy who’s out there saving the environment or registering voters and shit like that?”

What am I doing with a guy like Darren?

I cross my arms. “I don’t know. Lapse in judgment, I guess. And the sex is good.”

My answer surprises him at first, then he smiles broadly. “Works for me.”

“And what’s a bad boy like you doing with someone like me?” I challenge.

“The sex is good.”

“But it’s not like you can’t get it with one of the models wandering around your club. I’m guessing pussy is pussy for a guy.”

“You said it, not me.”

“Seriously. Why are you hanging out with me?”

“Lapse in judgment,” he replies, his tone a little dark.

I think he means it.

“So we have that in common, along with the sex,” I summarize.

“That’s good enough for me.”

I guess it’s good enough for me, too. At least for the time being, though I’m a little disappointed he doesn’t see more than that. I’m not expecting a long-term serious relationship with Darren. But is he capable of any level of commitment?