Momentary Lapse Read Free Page A

thought of Marcus approaching her had left a hard knot in his chest. “She’s already mine,” he’d told his friend. “But I’ll share the details tomorrow, when I untangle myself from her sheets.”
    â€œI hope karma comes and takes a chunk from your ass.”
    â€œWhat is it about my ass you love so much?”
    Marcus had given a pained sigh. “I’ve been covering it long enough.”
    â€œTalking of covering.” Cole had gotten serious for a moment. “I haven’t been able to get hold of Jess. Have you seen her?”
    A long pause had followed. “You know your sister’s not so little anymore, don’t you?” Marcus had worded his question carefully.
    â€œDon’t start with me. You know she’s not like other girls.”
    A sigh. Then. “Okay. I’ll check on her.”
    Cole had released his breath.
    â€œBut, Cole.” The warning in his friend’s voice had cut-short Cole’s relief. “One day soon you’re going to have to let her go.”
    â€œThat day ain’t today.” Cole had said sharply, before the call ended.
    With Jess taken care of, he’d drained his beer and waved away the waitress who’d approached him for another order. He’d already decided to go to the bar. Find out this beautiful woman’s story.
    Karma. No such thing. Otherwise every fucktard that’d stepped over Cole on their way to the top, wouldn’t still be rich and powerful. And while Cole was destined to join them as far as affluence went, he could honestly say he’d never used anyone else to get there.
    Which didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about going for a little exploitation with Madison right now. Yeah. Cole hadn’t intended to be interested when she’d first walked into the bar, but it was funny how fate intervened at just the right moment.
    He hoped Madison had been a very bad girl. Because Cole was about to go all karma on her ass.
    * * * * *
    One drink. That was all she’d promised him.
    Yet somehow, Madison was still at the bar twenty minutes later, no closer to wrapping her lips around anything resembling hard liquor. The bartender kept disappearing every time she raised her hand to signal him. She gripped her glass of tepid water, frequent top-ups as welcome as Cole’s failed attempts to engage her in conversation.
    Cole was charming, Madison had to give him that. And funny. The bigger his smile, the more difficult she found it to keep the pained expression on her face.
    â€œSo, where did you say you grew up?” Despite her unfriendly performance, Cole persisted with his line of inane questions.
    And the temperature continued to sneak up a few degrees each time his sexy voice rumbled beside her. Madison played with the corner of her napkin, trying to remain focused on the subject at hand and not on the warm sizzle in her belly that was currently moving on a downward trajectory to trouble.
    â€œMinot, North Dakota. And I didn’t.”
    Her sharp tone had his eyes twinkling like icicles in the sun. Like she amused him. Madison pressed her lips together and gritted her teeth.
    â€œWhat, you didn’t grow up?” Feigning surprise, Cole laughed, the sound low and sensual.
    Damn it.
    His gaze sauntered down her body in a leisurely perusal. Considering. He shook his head. “Believe me when I say you most definitely did.”
    Ignoring her instant purring reaction to his admiration, Madison added dangerously sexy to her list of annoying things about Cole. His laugh was a slow seduction, sliding across her senses like whipped butter. She pretended she couldn’t hear it. Similarly, she tried to ignore the way his irises darkened into a suggestive, black smudge whenever he looked at her. Like now.
    Something soft fluttered into her lap and Madison looked down to find she’d shredded her napkin into a million ragged pieces. She brushed the mess off her skirt