Chapter 01: When Trouble Walked In

ELLIE

I think being the only single person in a group of friends made up entirely of happy couples who have a lot of sex was affecting me, making me think it was time to find the right guy.

Not that I was really looking; I’d just promised myself not to go out with any more bastards or womanizers after everything I’d been through.

But that’s when the problem started—or rather, that’s when the problem walked through the door.

Ben’s younger brother, Ethan, walked into Zoe and Ben’s apartment during one of our gatherings, which involved drinking a lot of alcohol and catching up.

I hadn’t heard much about him. All I knew was that he ran the London office and was returning. Anna should have told me he was... like that.

Just by looking at him, I’d say he was the kind of guy I called a Wolf Charming. That was my antithesis to Prince Charming, who, in my mind, was what I didn’t want but probably should want. But I always thought Prince Charmings were too perfect and, consequently, boring.

The Wolf Charming was my ideal type—the kind who has wild sex with you and takes you roughly, but who has that charming side and treats you like a princess the rest of the time.

That was the impression the tall, broad-shouldered man with dark blonde hair gave me when he walked into the room, dressed in a suit on a Saturday. He looked too elegant and at the same time fierce and virile.

“Wolf Charming?” I whispered to Anna as we moved closer to greet him with the rest of the group.

Anna, my best friend, was probably the main reason I had this idea of finding the right guy stuck in my head.

Not that she had told me to do it, but simply because she was married to Will—the hottest and sexiest tattooed ex-player and nerd I had ever met. They were perfect together.

I was still trying to convince the two of them to donate some of Will’s DNA, so I could clone him in a lab. I always say it’s unfair that there’s only one Will. Anna hit the jackpot, and of course, so did Will.

“Bastard Charming, from what I’ve heard from Will,” she whispered back.

My smile faded instantly. Not that I judged before getting to know someone—I didn’t do that; I hated stereotypes and typification as a good scientist should—but hearing that would put any smart woman on guard.

In recent months, I’d worked hard to stay away from any womanizers, bastards, and players in New York.

Swallowing the last sip of beer, I leaned forward, placing the bottle on the coffee table before it was my turn to greet the man with striking light brown eyes. He was a good twenty centimeters taller than me, even in heels.

My stomach churned as I forced a smile in response to his, which revealed perfect teeth.

Damn... he’s fucking gorgeous.

I blinked, trying to snap out of the trance.

“Nice to meet you, Ethan. I’m Ellie. Welcome back to New York,” I said, offering my hand while my heart pounded in my chest.

I ignored that, along with the shiver that ran down my spine. Maybe it was because everyone around us was staring with some strange expectation, as if something screamed, two single people in the room, not just me as always.

“Nice to meet you, Ellie.” He shook my hand firmly.

I tried to ignore the quick once-over he gave me, spending way too much time focusing on my breasts. I pulled back as soon as he let go of my hand.

Ben, Will, and Jack gathered on the sofas after Ethan’s arrival, and I pulled Anna into the kitchen for another drink.

“His eyes are just like Ben’s,” she commented.

Yeah, those brown eyes were hypnotic.

“So is the reputation, I mean, before he married Zoe,” I said, making us both laugh. “But don’t let her know I brought that up. She’d eat me alive.”

Zoe and Bennett, or simply Ben, were another couple in my group of friends who were probably influencing me, though I think in a slightly different way than Anna and Will.

That’s because both of them were assholes who fell in love before they could kill each other. I don’t know how they’re still alive, maybe because they took out all their anger on each other through sex.

“He checked out your boobs,” Anna said as we entered the kitchen.

Stifling a laugh, she leaned against the island while I got busy opening two beers.

“You managed to notice that? I thought it was in a split second.”

“I think everyone noticed.”

“Ugh! Why was everyone staring?”

“Maybe because you’re the only singles in the room? That makes it interesting to watch when you’re married.”

“Do you really need to remind me? And it’s not like anything’s going to happen between us.”

“I know, I know. No scumbags, bastards, or womanizers. I’ve been hearing that for over a year now?”

“And you’ll keep hearing it until I find the right guy.” I handed her one of the beer bottles.

“To the right guy! May he show up soon!” She raised her bottle, proposing a toast, forcing me to do the same. “And end your bad mood with lots of sex!” she concluded.

“Hey! What bad mood?”

“Excuse me!” The deep voice sounded before he entered the kitchen.

His presence alone was enough to make me uncomfortable.

“Mind if I find Ben’s wine stash?” he asked, making Anna turn to face him.

“I’ll help you,” she offered, guiding him to the wall-mounted wine rack behind me.

I took a long sip of my beer, getting lost in my own thoughts as they discussed wines behind me.

“What do you Morgans take? I know Bennett goes to the gym almost every day, but nothing justifies you growing that much, not just in height,” Anna suddenly said, nearly making me spit out my beer.

God! She, as always, with no filter. I heard him let out a low laugh.

“You’re the scientist, right? Then you can explain genetics.”

“I think there are some things that even scientists like us can’t explain, right, El?” she said, forcing me to turn to them.

“Of course! Whatever you’re talking about, I’m with you.”

“So, you’re also a scientist?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Yes, more of a researcher these days.”

“I admit, I had a very different image of scientists in mind,” he said, not bothering to hide the way his eyes moved over my body.

And that look was enough to make me uneasy.

Shit, Ellie, focus. He’s definitely not the right guy; he’s more like the completely wrong guy.

I blinked, trying to remember what he had just said.

“Let me guess... White lab coat, glasses, test tubes, and a total nerd?” I raised an eyebrow.

He nodded.

“Something like that.”

“Don’t be fooled. We spend ninety percent of the time dressed exactly like that,” Anna said. “But even now, the nerdiness remains.”

That’s right. That’s my girl.

“You just forgot to mention that we wear high heels,” I added, winking at her.

Ethan sighed.

“That’s the closest you got to making the image of a scientist sexy. Well, thanks for the help, Anna. Finish what you’re doing and join us; it’ll be the first time I’ve had the chance to talk nonsense in front of two scientists,” he said before leaving.

“What the hell was that?” I asked, frowning.

“What?”

“‘What do you take?’”

“It was just curiosity. The man is... huge!”

“As if that’s uncommon and Will isn’t just as big or bigger.”

“Well, Will is... Will.” She shrugged.

“Great argument.”

“What I mean is that Will works out a lot and runs regularly.”

“What I mean is that your question sounded like flirting. It’s obvious he spends a lot of time at the gym.”

“I’m married; it couldn’t have sounded like flirting.”

“You’re terrible!” I laughed.

“I was just trying to be nice.”

“I get it. Where were we?”

“I think we were praying for your ideal guy to show up so you can have lots of sex?”

“You make me sound desperate.”

“I know you’re not. But you really do need to get laid.”

“Just because you have sex every day doesn’t mean everyone else has to. People do other... things.”

“You don’t have to do it every day, at least once a month, but never once a year.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You tell me... How long has it been?”

“That’s enough.”

A year? Maybe more. It was with that lawyer I met through work. He was hot but too busy. A shame.

“You’re trying to remember, aren’t you?”

“This conversation is over. My sex life isn’t important when all the available men are bastards.”

“Don’t forget Will and Ben’s past. I don’t forget. So there’s still hope. Sometimes a bastard just needs to discover love.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to be the reason any bastard changes. And Will and Ben were always good men. Sleeping with lots of people doesn’t make you a bastard. Only when you lie and deceive.”

“I wouldn’t bet on them,” she said, surprising me.

“We’re talking about your husband.”

“I know.”

I blinked, considering it for a moment.

“Come to think of it... neither would I,” I agreed, making us burst into laughter.

“He checked out your ass,” she said when we stopped laughing, making me frown in confusion.

“Huh?”

“Twice, and he lingered the second time when he thought I wasn’t looking.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“He was analyzing you, first your boobs, and now your ass. I’d say he liked it.”

“Why are we still talking about this? The guy has a history.”

“He’s hot. And maybe... if you just wanted to...”

“Don’t continue. I’m not interested in anything superficial. I think I have to repeat...”

“Okay, okay. No bastards, womanizers, or players.”

“Great.”

“But why not have some fun until you find the right guy?”

I sighed. She knew why.

“I’m never letting anyone use me just for sex again. I respect that there are people who enjoy that, but it doesn’t work for me anymore. You know what happened last time.”

“Seven months wasted with a guy who couldn’t be honest with you and didn’t have the guts to say he wasn’t interested in anything more than sex, while you fell deeper and deeper for him.”

“Yeah. I wasted my time. So, enough of this topic.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

It was past ten. It was time to leave. Jack and Zara were already heading out. They were another one of my couples of friends.

What to say about the two of them? Eccentric? Overly romantic? They made my heart warm just watching them. The way Jack treated Zara as the object of all his dedication and affection.

There were also two more couples I saw less often but loved just as much. The most recent of all, Anna’s brother, Jason, and his English girlfriend, Phillipa. And Jack’s brother, Neil, and his also English girlfriend, Rosie, who was a friend of Phillipa.

It was really hard not to feel a little envious of each of these couples' stories, being the only single one in the group. And maybe that’s why I was starting to feel like I was stranded at twenty-seven.

Poking Anna on the couch, I pointed to the empty beer bottles that had accumulated on the coffee table.

“Let’s take them to the kitchen,” I suggested.

“Don’t bother,” Zoe said, slightly tipsy from the drinks, leaning against her husband’s chest on the couch in front of us.

"Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it," Ben added.

"Don’t be so nice. We already know you’re not that nice in reality," I said, making everyone laugh.

"I’ll help you," Ethan said, standing up. "Anna can focus on figuring out how to get Will home," he teased.

I nodded, getting up as well.

"I’m fine. You’ll see that during our run tomorrow," Will said, grinning as he pulled Anna closer. "I’ve still got plenty of energy to burn tonight," he insinuated.

"Oh, God!" I muttered, picking up four bottles, two in each hand.

Zoe and Ben laughed as I headed to the kitchen, hearing Ethan walk behind me, making me uncomfortable.

I really didn’t want to witness the foreplay of two couples.

"Are you sure it’s a good idea to go running with Will tomorrow? The man’s a machine," I tried to make conversation, attempting to avoid an awkward silence as I placed the bottles on the kitchen island.

"It wouldn’t be the first time. I’ve known Will for a long time. We’ve done a lot of runs in London during his visits."

"Of course. You also think it’s normal to wake up before ten on a Sunday to work out. How could I not have noticed?" I said, sarcastically.

"Don’t you like exercising? I mean... you seem pretty fit to me."

I tried to ignore the idea that this might be flirting.

"Thanks. I go to the gym whenever work allows. But waking up at seven on a Sunday? I’ll pass," I said, turning to look at him, meeting his eyes for the first time since I shook his hand.

Bad idea. The man had a perfect face that made me feel awkward. His jaw seemed to have been sculpted by the gods themselves.

Looking away, I busied myself organizing the bottles he placed on the island, lining them up with mine.

"I see. So, you don’t mind a bit of cardio after ten?" he asked.

"I guess not."

"Great, because it’s almost eleven."

"What?" I looked up at him, not understanding.

"Looks like we’re the only ones here who won’t be having sex tonight."

"I think I missed the part about cardio after ten, but as for that, you’ll get used to it; it’s part of having only married friends."

"You really didn’t get what I meant?" A mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Should I have? Maybe it’s the alcohol."

"You said you don’t mind doing cardio after ten... It’s almost eleven, and I have an idea for some cardio we could do together," he articulated, making me blink.

"Wait... are you? Did you just meet me and are doing what I think you’re doing?"

"Is that a no?" He raised an eyebrow.