Triple Shot (11 page)

The second memory was fresh in his mind.
The short interlude of a botched surf lesson, courtesy of his mouth, had him
rethinking his approach with Susan, but she’d shut him down after dinner also. The
sweet little fireball grabbed his attentions and then squashed any hopes that
they might spend time together when she declined his invitation for a night
out.

Josiah continued to peruse through the
channel guide one more time then decided to give up on finding anything to
watch. His mind just wasn't in it. He was itching to get out and do something,
but everyone was tied up with their own lives. Cade had appointments at the
office and Rowan had spent the last few days with Madison's nursing her back to
health. Although no one really knew what was going on with her yet. Josiah had
called Tessa to see about hitting Joe's Crab Shack earlier in the afternoon,
but she was working on a freelance assignment for some local surfing magazine. When
she turned down his offer, she'd suggested that he call Susan to get her out of
the office. He'd told Tessa that from the track record he had with Susan, he
knew she'd turn him down. Of course, Tessa had been quick to tell him that he
was being ridiculous. She told him that Susan would be more than willing and
that he should call her. Apparently Susan hadn’t shared the tidbit of
information with Tessa that he’d already asked and she refused. Josiah knew it
was a losing battle to try to argue with Tessa, though, she always found a way
to win, and so he just told her that he would and dropped it.

He pushed himself from the sofa and
paced around the living room, trying to figure out what to do with himself. Waiting
on others to finish up their daily routines would be how he spent his time
while in California if he didn't make a decision soon about his immediate
future. Cade and Rowan were hounding him to stay and go into practice with
them, but he wasn't sure if that was really what he wanted. He loved
California, had been missing it since he left, but being here now, he wasn't
sure if it was where he belonged. So much had changed, not just the surroundings,
but the people he'd been so close to, had gone on with their lives without him.
Cade and Tessa were married now, Rowan's life was consumed with Madison and all
Josiah had was a head full of memories from a war he’d never believed in and an
ache in the center of his chest he wasn’t accustomed to experiencing. He knew his
feelings of being misplaced were nothing more than his feelings of being
replaced, but he couldn’t relinquish the emotions no matter how much he
struggled with them.

Josiah had never been in any real
relationship that held any kind of significant meaning; he never wanted the
hassle of it. During medical school, he'd been consumed with school work, during
his time in the military he'd been a Marine with no time for anything else. The
military had been his everything; he committed his entire life to it for the
time he allotted to them. Oh there’d been women whose company he enjoyed, but
they were all just for the physical pleasure of it. He’d even had a couple
nurses in Afghanistan who’d been nothing more than friends with benefits. It had
worked out fine for him, no strings, no attachments, and all the bullshit that
came with a serious relationship had been left on the floor in the midst of the
pile of clothes they’d shed. Now, he felt like he was just floating through
life. He wanted to keep practicing medicine, but he wasn't sure he wanted it to
be here. He could do all that in Texas where he'd be close to his family, but
Cade, Tessa, and Rowan were family, also. So the battle within him ensued.

Josiah grabbed his cell from the coffee
table and the keys to the rental car he’d picked up yesterday and decided a
trip to The Launchpad was just what he needed. Throwing down a few beers and
taking in some eye candy would do him good. Descending the front steps of
Rowan’s place, he watched as Madison and Rowan took the short walk from her
place over to where he stood.

“How are you feeling?” he asked Madison,
noticing that her skin had finally regained its natural color.

“Much better. Thank you for asking.”

“Where are you off to?” Rowan asked.

“Thought I’d go grab a couple beers at
The Launchpad. Y’all aren’t up to it, are you?”

Rowan shook his head. “Not tonight. I
don’t want Madison to overdo it.”

“Rowan, I told you I’m fine. Why don’t
you just go out with Josiah?”

Rowan looked to Josiah. “No offense, but
I’d much rather keep her company,” he said gently stroking Madison’s shoulders.

“None taken. I’m outta here then. Glad you’re
feeling better, Madison.”

“Thanks, Josiah.”

Without another word, Josiah slipped
into the driver’s seat of the green Honda Accord he rented and watched as Rowan
and Madison disappeared into the house. He shook his head then pulled out of
the driveway and headed to The Launchpad. He didn’t suspect that it would be
very busy with it being a Tuesday night, which would be fine with him. He just
wanted to have a few drinks, enjoy the scenery, and relax.

When Josiah arrived at the club, there
were actually more people there than he anticipated for a week night. Some in
groups, their business attire revealing they had come for happy hour after a
day in the office. Others were single men and women at the bar and a few
couples out on the dance floor or at the surrounding tables. Josiah slipped
past the bouncer once he showed his ID and took a seat at the front bar. He
ordered a Corona with a shot then swung his legs around with the middle of his
back pressed to the edge of the bar as he waited for his drinks. The song
coming through the overhead speakers seemed louder than usual, but then again
when he’d frequented The Launchpad it normally had been filled to almost
overflowing with bodies. Tonight there weren’t enough people to deaden the
sound much.

“Do you want me to start you a tab?” the
bartender asked, placing the drinks on the bar in front of him.

Josiah swung around to face the
bartender and pulled his credit card from his wallet, sliding it across the smooth
surface. “Sure. Thanks.”

He tipped the shot back, the warm liquid
almost scalding his throat as it slid past his lips and made its journey
downward, then chased it with a quick swig of the ice cold beer.

“Kind of quiet tonight,” Josiah stated
when the bartender returned to retrieve the shot glass.

“Hmm, it’s pretty normal for a Tuesday. Wednesdays
are our busiest during the week. If you’re looking for some action, that’s the
best night. Other than the weekend, of course.”

Josiah shook his head. “Just looking to
relax with a few drinks, that’s all.”

The bartender walked off to help another
customer who’d just arrived on the other side of the bar. Josiah thought he
might have recognized the woman, but couldn’t remember where he’d seen her. She
had her blond hair pulled up into a ponytail and what he could make out from
where he sat, she wore a white button up shirt that clung to her thin body.
Typical
California girl
, he thought to himself. Josiah tipped his beer to her when
she glanced over at him, then pressed the opening of the bottle to his lips. As
he finished off the last of his beer, the bartender returned with another shot
and Corona.

“Just the beer, no more shots for me
tonight,” he said pushing the glass away from him.

“That one is from the lady,” the
bartender nodded in the direction of the blond.

Josiah lifted the glass, and downed the
drink, never taking his eyes from the woman as she sauntered over in his
direction.

Chapter 15

Just one night, Josiah thought to
himself, setting the glass on the bar, his eyes taking in the beauty of the
blond approaching him. He could have her for one night and be done with it. Slake
his thirst, relieve the pent up frustration he’d felt for the past few weeks
and move on. Hell, most single women who came into a bar in the middle of the
week were looking for the same thing, weren’t they? The blond slid into the
seat next to him, grabbed the shot glass and held it up to the bartender.

“Oh, not another for me. I’ve had my
limit,” he said to the woman.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” she
asked.

Josiah shook his head as he tried to
place her. He had seen her before, but couldn’t remember where. Remembering a
beautiful woman like her should be an easy task, but for some reason he couldn’t
find her in his memory. He had always been bad with names, but never with a
pretty face or a smoking hot body, both of which she possessed.

“Erin,” she said sticking her hand out
to his. “Your little friend, Susan, is the one who assaulted me not so long ago.”

Josiah waved to the bartender for
another shot of whiskey. He’d need it, he was certain of that. The last time
he’d seen Erin, her hair had been down and her ass had been planted on the
floor of this very bar. And Susan had been the one to put her there. Rowan had
filled him in, after Susan had fled the bar, on all the horror stories about
Erin. She’d tried to cheat on Rowan with Cade the night before she and Rowan
were to be married, so Rowan had called it off, yet because she still worked
for Cade, the woman still had a foot planted in their lives.

“Ah yes, I do remember that vaguely,” he
said. “Put both the shots on my tab,” he told the bartender when his third shot
appeared before him.

“You have a problem with a woman buying
you a drink?” Erin asked.

“Not at all. I’m all for feminism and
all that equal rights bullshit. I just have an issue with
you
buying me
a drink.”

Erin let out a laugh. “So Susan’s told
you the lies about me then?”

“Honestly, she didn’t tell me anything,
but I’m certain Rowan’s version is a little more accurate than anyone else’s.”

“Not everything you hear, even from
friends, is true. I’m just throwing that out to you.”

Josiah knew he should grab his beer and
find another seat, but that ache in his body urged him to stay. That need for
release told him that Erin could give it to him and that no one would need to
know. One night, he silently told himself. Rowan wouldn’t even need to know. Josiah
had been with women before that Rowan knew, but he’d not once told him about
any of their escapades. He could keep this one a secret, as well.
One night
,
he repeated to himself again. But it was Erin. The woman who hurt Rowan, the
one who almost drove a wedge between his two best friends and who Susan had had
an adverse reaction to. If any of them found out, they’d never forgive him. He’d
definitely find himself on a train, making his way to Texas and who knows if
he’d ever speak to them again. And what would Susan think of him if he found
the physical pleasure with Erin that he so wanted with her? And why did he
care? She didn’t show any signs of wanting him. Just the opposite had occurred.
She’d made it perfectly clear to him that she had no interest in it at all. Hell,
he was a grown man and could have sex with anyone he wanted. He didn’t need permission
or approval from any of them. Erin hadn’t done anything to him, except buy him
a drink.
Just walk away
, he told himself nonetheless. And although he
knew he should, his ass stayed in the seat and his third shot found its way to
his mouth. As he finished off the shot, Erin’s fingers caressed his inner
thigh, her long fingernails scraping against the Wranglers that clung to him
like a second skin. Her fingers inching up his thigh caused his cock to twitch
and he slowly closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her touch for a moment.

“How about a dance?” he asked as he
slammed his shot glass down and finished off his beer.

“Sure,” she said as she released his
thigh.

They made the rounds on the dance floor,
Josiah unable to stop himself from comparing Erin to Susan. Erin was much more
graceful when it came to dancing, but the feel of her body next to his felt wrong.
Susan’s had caused heat to run through his veins, and although his body had a
reaction to Erin, it had been minimal to the way he was affected by Susan. With
Susan, it had taken every ounce of energy he had to keep his hands to himself. However,
with Erin he knew he’d have to touch her if he wanted to find the physical
release he was looking for, so he pushed the vision of Susan from his mind and
placed his hands on the firmness of Erin’s ass. There were only a few other
couples in the bar so the two of them had the floor pretty much to themselves. As
they slow danced, he cupped the back of her head, lowering his mouth to hers. He
didn’t even have to make a request with his tongue for entrance as Erin had
opened her mouth to him immediately, lashing out her tongue eagerly. He felt
disappoint rise at once, wanting there to be some kind of battle of wills, but
she proved that he’d get no fight from her.
One night
.
Get her out of
here, find your release, and be done with it
.

“How about you take me back to your
place?” Erin asked as she slid her arms around his neck, her body pressed
tightly to his.

Josiah shook his head, his mind clouding
as his cock began to harden while Erin’s fingertips gently scraped the nape of
his neck. That part of his body, as well as his throat, had always been
erogenous zones for him. Touch him there with fingernails or lips and his cock
would respond.