Melony waved me off and continued to talk about the ridiculous theme of her niece’s birthday party. I stepped out of the townhouse and sucked in a deep breath. Now that I was no longer distracted by Gin my mind instantly raced to Tex. I ground my molars and pulled my phone out.

Fifteen minutes later, my car was dropped off. I was distracted the entire drive. Even through traffic, all I could think about was Tex and the way he’d laughed and hugged the woman at the club. He’d seen me, and I’d felt a spark the moment our eyes met but he’d turned away from me.

Remembering only made me angrier. I slammed the car into park in the parking lot of Tex’s apartment. I hadn’t planned on coming back, at least not this soon.

I was out of the car and at his front door in seconds. Gin’s words came crashing through my mind before I could break the lock. Boundaries. Did it still count if I’d already broken in? I was tempted to call Gin and ask him the rules on boundaries if one had already been crossed or if I’d already done it. My head hurt. Instead of entering, I leaned against the wall next to it.

Minutes turned to hours, and it was well past two in the morning when I heard Tex’s smooth voice. He was saying goodbye to the girl in the taxi. She waved at him, laughing as he stumbled toward the building. He didn’t notice me right away, but the moment he was close enough and I could smell the beer on him, he jumped.

“Fuck!”

I caught Tex before he could fall back. He blinked rapidly at me. “What the fuck are you doing here, asshole? Here to go through my shit again? Once wasn’t enough?”

My head tilted. I took in the anger in Tex’s eyes and the way his mouth dipped in a heavy frown. He is upset.

“You’re angry with me?”

“No, I love it when a guy who fucked me left me at a hotel alone comes back around randomly to clean my place and go through my shit. It’s the goddamn best feeling ever.”

“Then why are you frowning?” I asked.

“You…You can’t be fucking for real.” Tex shouldered me out of the way. He was still unsteady on his feet as he cursed under his breath, trying to get the key in the lock. “Motherfucking cocksucker,” he continued to mumble under his breath.

I moved closer, my body nearly touching his. He went still as I reached around him and took the keys. I slid it into the lock and turned it with ease. Tex leaned back toward me as if seeking me out before he shook his head and snatched the keys away.

“Thanks, now fuck off.”

He opened the door and stumbled inside. The fluffy orange cat greeted us at the door, and Tex scooped him up.

“Hey, Penelope. Ready for bed?”