About That Night by Julie James Page B

commitment, but he—and half the free world—had seen just how wrong he’d been about that.
    It was a mistake he would not be repeating. At least, not for a long, long time.
    But there was an upside: he was awesome at noncommitment. Casual flings? He rocked that scene. Sex? He sure as hell had never had any complaints. So from now on, he was going to stay in his lane. Do what he did best. Trysts, flirtations, seductions, no-holds-barred monkey sex, it was all onthe table. But any feelings deeper than a contented afterglow were out.
    Just then, Dex popped his head into the office. “Thought you might be in here,” he said, stepping into the room.
    Kyle held up his glass. “Came in for a refill. Figured it’s better than fighting through the crowd out there.”
    “Is the party too much?”
    Kyle pushed away from his desk and headed toward the door. Maybe the party was a
little
much, but he knew Dex meant well. “Not at all,” he fibbed with an easy grin. “The party’s just what I needed.”
    “What do you think your friends at the U.S. Attorney’s Office would say if they got word of this?” Dex asked with a chuckle.
    “Hey, it’s called home detention. I’m in my home, aren’t I?” And as long as he was abiding by the terms of his supervised release, he didn’t give a rat’s ass what the U.S. Attorney’s Office thought. In three days, he would be free and clear of them.
    “Speaking of your friends…Selene Marquez just got here,” Dex said. “She’s asking about you.”
    “Is she now?” Kyle knew Selene well—quite well. She was twenty-five years old, was a Chicago-based fashion model who did local work while trying to break into the New York scene, and had legs that reached the sky. Pre-Daniela, he and Selene had hooked up occasionally and had always had a good time.
    “Maybe I should go say hello. Be the good host and all.” Kyle raised a curious eyebrow. “How does she look?”
    “Well, if I were a sex-deprived ex-con who’d been locked in prison forthe last four months, I’d say she looked pretty damn good.” Dex thunked his head. “Oh…wait.”
    “That’s real funny, dude. Making jokes about a place where I lived in perpetual fear that I was going to get shanked.”
    Dex’s expression changed, and he looked instantly chagrined. “Shit, I’m an ass. I shouldn’t have said…” he paused, noticing Kyle’s smile. “And…you’re totally messing with me, aren’t you?”
    “Yes. Now, as an ex-con who’s been locked in prison for the last four months, I think I’ll see for myself how Selene looks.” Kyle grabbed Dex’s shoulder on the way out. “Thanks, Dex. For everything. I won’t forget it.”
    Dex nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. They’d been friends since college, and nothing further needed to be said. “Any time.”
    Kyle left the office and worked his way through the crowd. He found Selene in the foyer by the front door, looking spectacular in a silver minidress and three-inch heels.
    She smiled when she saw Kyle approaching. “This is some party.”
    Kyle’s eyes skimmed over her. “That’s some dress.”
    “Thanks, I wore it especially.” She stepped closer, lowering her voice to a husky whisper. “Maybe later, I can show you what’s underneath it.” She slid past him, her hand brushing suggestively against his, and headed into the party.
    Kyle looked over his shoulder, watching the sway of her hips as she walked away.
    This
was how things should be. Simple. Easy. No messy feelings or entanglements.
    He may not have figured everything out since getting out of prison, but he at least knew that much.

Four

    RYLANN HAD NEARLY finished unpacking her suitcases before she realized that she’d been hanging her clothes in only half of the closet.
    Clearly, her subconscious needed to get with the program.
    Her new Chicago apartment came with exactly
one
of everything: one bedroom, one den, one walk-in closet, one parking space, one set of dishes, one