Simply Complicated Read online

  Now he was rich and famous. Was there any higher goal to accomplish? How about not being an insensitive asshole?

  I digressed. I’d relive the pain he’d caused me, and our little run-in wouldn’t turn out in anyone’s favor if I didn’t stop. Of that, I was sure.

  After what felt like an hour of us studying the other, I moved to turn back around, deciding it was best if I didn’t engage any further. But I barely swung my seat an inch before his hand was on my knee.

  “What do you think you’re doing? Take your hand off me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” My tone was riddled with irritation. “And just so there’s no misunderstanding. I don’t need your help with anything.” He was too slow in removing his hand, so I swatted it away, refusing to admit his touch did strange things to me.

  “That’s not true. If what you told Brooke wasn’t a lie, you most definitely need my help.” He licked his lips and leaned in close. “And I’d do it from the goodness of my heart. You wouldn’t even have to pay me.”

  A rush of heat swirled through me, and I had no doubt my cheeks were now flushed. But what I couldn’t figure out was if the warmth was from anger or frustration or embarrassment. Perhaps it was a mixture of all three.

  “Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, I wouldn’t want to be a notch on that belt. By now, it’s probably worn out, ready to fall off.” I mentally high-fived myself for my quick wit.

  “If that’s your way of asking me if I have a disease, I can assure you I don’t. But if that was your way of muddling through a weird colloquialism… umm… I have no words.” His tone was a mix of condescension, amusement, and a bit of offensiveness blended in for good measure.

  “Let’s pretend we never saw each other. You go back to doing whatever it is you’re doing, and I’ll enjoy the rest of my night.”

  As if the universe knew I needed help, three women approached and sidled up to him, asking if he would take selfies with them. He obliged, looking first to me. A quick roll of my eyes made him smile for some reason, but I wasn’t about to ask why because that would mean more interaction with him.

  I wanted to ignore the spectacle, but all I could do was stare at the way he grinned at each one of them, a rush of heat blooming in my belly when the short blonde woman pressed her lips to his cheek. Refusing to acknowledge I was jealous, because the notion was simply ridiculous, I chalked up whatever feeling held me captive as the result of the wine I’d been consuming.

  Once the women left, Luke scooted his barstool closer, spreading his legs wide as he faced me. I didn’t want to, but I looked at his crotch, and I hadn’t torn my gaze away fast enough because he caught me red-handed. Surprisingly, he didn’t call me out on my brazenness, though.

  “I don’t want to pretend I didn’t see you,” he continued, like our conversation hadn’t just been interrupted. A sentiment I couldn’t readily identify whirled through his voice, one which had me rooted in place, questioning whether he was messing with me or being sincere.

  “Well… I… um….” My words trailed off as I shrugged, not knowing what else to say. I’d only been near him a short while, and already he had me all flustered.

  “Can I make my argument on why you should let me help you out? If you don’t like it, I’ll leave you alone.”

  His teeth toyed with his bottom lip while he waited for me to answer. The problem was, I didn’t want to rush to say no this time, even though that was probably going to be my answer in the end. I thought about his question for a full fifteen seconds before responding, and as I suspected, a two-letter word forced its way up my throat.

  “No.”

  “No, what?” Brooke asked, shoving me toward Luke so she could hop back onto her seat.

  I didn’t need to answer because he did it for me, leaning forward to catch her eye.

  “Hi, Brooke. How are you?”

  Her mouth dropped open right before she shoved against me once more, hopping off her seat to give him a hug.

  “Oh my God! Luke! What are you doing here?”

  I never told her he was moving back here from Miami to play for the Vegas United FC, information I’d unwillingly received from my dad.

  Her excitement at seeing him irked me, but it shouldn’t have because she had no idea what happened between us when we were younger. She was aware I used to have a crush on him, but that was all she knew. I told my best friend everything, except what happened that night. I was too humiliated to speak a word of it, pushing the memory into the recesses of my mind. Now and again, the recollection would surface and embarrass me all over again. Thankfully, those instances were few and far between.

  “I’m back here now. I was transferred to the Vegas team several weeks ago.”

  “Are you happy about the change?” she asked, standing beside him with her arm slung over his shoulder.

  Granted, they’d been friends as well before he up and left, so the familiarity she projected toward him wasn’t unusual. But her being so close to him, all chummy and borderline giddy, bothered me.

  “I am. One of my buddies got transferred with me, so that’s good. And I’m getting more money. No complaints there, either.”

  “Good thing, because I read that you’re broke,” she teased, because one thing Luke wasn’t was broke.

  I only knew because of my father, who’d followed Luke’s entire career, and loved to share information about the guy. He mentioned years ago how he signed a five-year contract for thirty million. And if Luke said he was now making more, I couldn’t even imagine what they were paying him. He was one of the best players in the sport, so I was sure he was worth it, but among a hundred other things, I’d never tell him that either.

  When Brooke finally returned to her seat, she repeated her original question, the one that made me cringe initially because it meant one of us was going to answer. And if he did, there was no telling how he’d spin it.

  “What were you telling him no for when I came back?”

  She inched forward so she could see both of us, her attention bouncing from him to me and back again while she waited for one of us to respond.

  I decided on: “I don’t remember.”

  Unfortunately, as I suspected, Luke had a different rebuttal.

  “I offered to help Ollie here with her issue.”

  “Ollie.” Brooke laughed. “You hated when he called you that.”

  “I remember.” I moved toward her because he was closer to me now than he was a second ago.

  “Wait. Go back. You offered to help her with what issue?” The inflection in Brooke’s voice told me she knew exactly what issue he referred to.

  I’d been taking a sip of my drink when he spoke again.

  “To help her come during sex.”

  If he’d phrased his answer any other way, my wine wouldn’t have ended up on the ledge of the bar, on my hand, or on my best friend’s forearm.

  “Damn, woman.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped off what I’d spit on her. But she wasn’t angry. In fact, when I glanced over at her, she wiggled her brows and had the biggest smile plastered on her face. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Before Ollie answers, let me plead my case, if you will.”

  He was talking to Brooke, of course, because he wasn’t going to get anywhere with me. Tactics. It was all tactics. If he could get my best friend to come over to his side, he’d have an ally to help him.

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” she said, rubbing her hands together in eagerness.

  I was going to say “me too” but decided against it at the last second.

  “I overheard—”

  “Eavesdropped,” I corrected, crossing my arms over my chest. Which wasn’t the best move because I ended up pushing my breasts higher, the slight cleavage I was already sporting now amplified. His gaze veered to my chest before he turned his attention back to Brooke.

  “As I was saying.” He p
aused for effect. “I overheard her tell you she wants someone who isn’t a psycho. Check. Someone who’s attractive, which I believe I am. I mean, people aren’t running away scared when they see me, so I think I fit the bill there. Check.” He was fully aware of how good-looking he was, and if he didn’t, the table of women staring at him was a telltale sign. “She also wants someone to know how to use what they have.” He talked like I wasn’t sitting right next to him. “I’m not bragging but I have an above-average penis, and I know what to do with it.” His use of the word penis and the way he spoke was purposefully clinical like. He either mocked me or placated Brooke. Or perhaps he was just being funny. Whatever it was he was doing, I wasn’t amused. “So, check for that one. And as for the last item on the list—”

  “That was it. You already covered the requirements,” I rushed to say. I didn’t want him to mention the last one because I would be bombarded with memories of the two of us in his bedroom, doing what it was he was going to list as the last item.

  “No, there was one more,” Brooke said. “Go ahead, Luke.” She had the audacity to smirk at me when she caught my eye.

  “Last requirement,” he said, looking at his hand as if he was reading off a piece of paper. “She wants said man to be a good kisser.” I couldn’t believe he remembered everything I’d told her, listing them in the same order too. “She can already attest that I am.” Luke finally turned his head to look at me, but I refused to meet his eyes. “Can’t you?”

  “You guys kissed? When?” Brooke never waited for an answer when she fired more questions at me. “Why didn’t you tell me? You tell me everything else, right?” I hated the suspicion in her voice, but I wasn’t about to sit here, in front of him, and dive into why I never told her about the one time we made out.

  “Because I wanted to forget it ever happened.” Finally lifting my eyes to his, I said, “Besides, I’ve had better.”

  “Liar.” His response was immediate, arrogant, and right on the money.

  “I think you should do it, Liv. Take Luke home and put him to the test. If you want, I can oversee it. Make sure he’s doing what he needs to.”

  “I think I’m capable of handling my business, but thanks for the offer,” Luke said.

  “If you change your mind, I’m here.”

  “I assure you—”

  “STOP! Enough already. I’m not having sex with Luke.”

  “Why?” she asked

  “Yeah, why?” he parroted.

  I placed my feet on the ground and straightened my dress, fiddling with the belt cinched around my waist. “Because I don’t like him.” My focus was on my friend before I swung my attention to the man beside me, to reiterate my statement. “I don’t like you. In fact, I can’t stand you.”

  An indescribable emotion flashed behind his eyes. “That’s a strong sentiment.”

  “I’m aware,” I responded, fidgeting where I stood. This conversation was going nowhere fast, and the longer he looked at me, the more I wanted to disappear.

  He licked his lips and swallowed, his eyes narrowing slightly before he tossed up what I could only describe as a mask. “There you go. That’s perfect. Angry sex or can’t-stand-you sex is sometimes the best kind. I’m sure it’s exactly what will do the trick. No attachments. No expectations. Other than me making you come so hard you’ll forget your name.” The intensity in his voice made my stomach flip. “But you won’t forget mine.”

  “Goddamn, Luke.” Brooke fanned herself. “You almost make me want to switch teams.”

  “We do have a good team.”

  She nudged my arm. “This is what you said you wanted. Time to step up and make it happen. You’re not going to find anyone better. And he’s absolutely right, angry sex can be really fun.”

  I looked from my best friend to the guy who once broke my heart, weighing the pros and cons. My cons list filled up fast, but the one pro I mentally listed unfortunately outweighed the other side.

  And the single item was that I’d finally get to sleep with Luke Sorenson.

  “I can’t believe I’m even considering this.” The deal was already signed, sealed, and delivered in my head, but I pretended I was still contemplating. Locking eyes with him, I steeled my expression and pointed in his face. “You get one shot. That’s it. And we do this tonight.”

  His only response was an ear-splitting grin.

  3

  Luke

  And to think I was going to stay in and rest. My body had been put through the wringer this past week with constant training and practices, and all I wanted to do was sleep, but something had spurred me to come out tonight.

  I’d contemplated going somewhere else but, in the end, McConley’s was the best choice. It was a hole in the wall, someplace I wouldn’t be continuously hounded for autographs and pictures, or at least that was what I thought. Fame was now part of the deal, but sometimes getting recognized sucked. All I wanted to do was play soccer. I happened to be great at it, hence the money and fame.

  After being approached by some fans when I first walked in, I’d been sitting in the far corner of the bar when I noticed Olivia. At first, I thought I was hallucinating. I did a double take, but sure enough, it was her. At some point, I figured I’d run into her, but I didn’t think it would be this soon after moving back to Vegas.

  To be honest, I was worried about this very scenario because the last time I saw her, our situation was far from ideal. But there was no way she was still angry at me. What happened between us was a decade ago. Although, the woman never left my thoughts for long, so if I continued to think about her, I might’ve still run through her mind over the years, just not in the same way, I was sure.

  For ten minutes I watched her from afar, mesmerized by her slightest of movements. The way she tossed her hair over her shoulder, the auburn color darker than I remembered, exposing her slender neck. The way she threw her head back and laughed at something Brooke said, an action which made me smile, even though the expression was involuntary. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until my cheek muscles started to ache. But when she glanced around the bar before leaning into her best friend, I knew whatever she was set to divulge had to be good.

  Curiosity prodded me to change seats.

  I’d accidentally bumped into her, almost spilling her drink. Luckily, the element of surprise hadn’t been lost as she never turned to see who the clumsy ass was who banged into her.

  And good thing because I got an earful.

  It didn’t take me long to figure out what she was talking about, her matter-of-fact points making me rock hard. Thank God for the shelter of the bar’s overhang because I adjusted myself three times before I offered her my services.

  Which brought us here.

  “You get one shot. That’s it. And we do this tonight.” The look on Olivia’s face was a blend of irritation, intrigue, and stubbornness, a heady concoction that once again made my dick twitch against the seam of my jeans.

  The bartender, whose name I learned earlier was Hale, approached, interrupting my response to a sentence I never expected to hear.

  “You want another?”

  “Nah.” I swallowed the rest of my drink and pushed the glass toward him. “I’m good.”

  He jerked his chin toward the group of women seated at the table near the door, the same ones who approached me while I was talking to Olivia. “Looks like they want more of you.”

  Olivia turned her head to see who Hale was talking about. When she looked back at me with those beautiful green eyes, she made a noise with her throat, but she didn’t say anything. I prayed she didn’t back out because what I had planned for her tonight, I’d been thinking about for years.

  “Not interested,” I finally managed to say.

  “Oh, to be you, Sorenson. What a dream it would be.”

  “I don’t have any complaints.” I looked at the woman next to me when I uttered the next thought that popped into my head. “And neither will you.”

  “We’
ll see.”

  She turned to face Brooke. Whether she mouthed something to her friend or made a face, I’d never know. But I did steal the opportunity to ogle her.

  The green floral dress she wore was snug in all the right places, accentuating her plump backside. And although Olivia wasn’t tall, possibly standing around five foot five, give or take an inch, the heels she wore made her legs look like they went on for miles. Okay, maybe not miles. Yards? Yeah, that’s a better analogy. Either way, I couldn’t wait for her to wrap them around me as I moved inside her.

  There went the big guy again, begging to be freed.

  We needed to leave before she changed her mind. I leaned in close to make sure she could hear me, the chatter in the bar picking up.

  “You ready?”

  She answered without looking at me. “Let’s go.” She hugged her friend before walking toward the door, flinging her purse over her shoulder in what I could only assume was frustration.

  “Take care of her,” Brooke said, pressing her lips to my cheek afterward.

  “I’ll do my best.” I was two steps away when I turned back. “Are you good to get home?”

  “Aren’t you sweet.” She looked at me like I was crazy for asking the question, though. “I’m good. I’ll grab an Uber. Now go do your job.” Her laughter trailed behind me while I searched for Olivia.

  She was halfway out the door when I caught up with her. Damn, she’s fast. I reached for her hand, but she pulled her arm away the second my fingers brushed against hers. I chuckled but I doubted she heard me.

  This is going to be fun.

  4

  Olivia

  As soon as we stepped outside, I welcomed the briskness of the night air, hoping to cool off. But the opposite happened, and I was all too aware why my body’s temperature continued to rise. It had everything to do with the man falling into step beside me, even though I didn’t want to admit that to myself.