Free Kilty Pleasure by Shelli Stevens Page B

tight. How did she handle this? Now that the whole crazy moment of lust was dissipating what the hell was supposed to happen next? They basically loathed each other.
    Here it was. Regret came in spades. Crap, she’d been so stupid. Thank God he’d at least worn a condom.
    “You should probably just go,” she said thickly. “Maybe we can just call it a night.”
    “Call it a night?” Disbelief laced his words.
    Get yourself under control, Hailey. Now.
    She opened her eyes, making her expression as casual and exhausted as she could.
    “Yeah. This…what we just did…” she hesitated, “…it was, uh, good. Maybe we just needed to clear the sexual air between us. Get that out of the way.”
    He nodded slowly, but frowned as he moved off her. “Aye. Maybe.”
    She watched as he walked half-naked—he’d kept his shirt on—to the bathroom, probably to dispose of the condom.
    Scrambling to her feet, Hailey pulled on her robe and tied the belt around her. She double knotted it a moment later, just to make it a little harder in case she decided to go round two with the last man she should ever be getting involved with.
    Stupid. So freaking stupid.
    Colin strode back into the room, but was silent as he dressed himself.
    Lost in his thoughts, just as she was, no doubt. He had to be having a similar reaction to her right now. How could he not?
    He shoved a hand in his pocket, jingling his keys. The space between his brows was crinkled, and a small frown played on his lips.
    “Hailey, I actually came here tonight to apologize for yesterday.”
    Why that hurt she couldn’t really say, but her throat tightened and tears burned at the backs of her eyes.
    She forced a shrug. “Well, hey, if making me orgasm twice is your idea of an apology, I’ll take it.”
    For a moment she almost swore shame flashed across his face. His mouth tightened into a slash and he nodded.
    “Fair enough.” He pulled his keys free and walked to the door. Before he left, though, he turned once more to stare at her. “Just a word of advice. Be careful around your ex. You took out a protection order for a reason—you would do well to remember it.”
    She waited until she heard his car start, for the sound of him driving away, and then she went to the kitchen.
    After pulling down the bottle of expensive wine she’d been given last year at Christmas, she finally opened it.
    Tonight she needed a drink.
     
     
    “Why the fook are you calling me so late at night?”
    Colin smiled humorlessly at the way Aleck had answered his phone.
    “It’s not late. Not yet ten, even.”
    “Aye, not late for pub hours, but don’t you need to go chase bad guys early in the morning.”
    Adjusting his Bluetooth, Colin replied, “Seven a.m. Are you working?”
    “I’m always workin’.”
    “Can you take a few minutes’ break? I need to talk to you.”
    “A brotherly chat? Hmm. I don’t see why not. Shall I have a whiskey ready for you?”
    “Aye. And perhaps for you as well.”
    “Well shite. This sounds like fun. How far away are you?”
    “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Colin disconnected the call and turned the radio back on.
    Blaring some Coldplay was about the only thing that could potentially drown out his thoughts. It only distracted for a moment and then the screaming, neon-bright thoughts slipped back through his head.
    He needed to confess to someone what had just happened between him and Hailey. While usually that someone would be his twin, Ian was the last person he could talk to right now.
    Colin’s chest went tight and he clenched the steering wheel in an iron grip. Shite, but the thought of Ian finding out what he’d just done…
    Ian and Sarah could never know. Simple as that. Sleeping with Hailey had been a one-time deal. A complete lapse of sanity that he never should’ve let happen. Why had he gone to her house in the first place. Seriously, to apologize? Had he been completely delusional? After yesterday he should’ve known