Home | Happy Lowman/OC (Book 1)

three

Victoria felt sick standing in the doorway to the bedroom, leaning against the frame with a steaming cup of coffee between her hands. Her eyes were locked on the man covered in tattoos laying on his stomach in her bed, one arm tucked under his head beneath the pillow, the other draped across the side she'd been laying on until an hour ago. His colorful skin looked so out of place up against the white feather-down comforter and sheets.

She'd barely been able to peel her eyes open when the sun came up, and she couldn't even remember coming home last night, let alone closing the curtains to avoid awaking before her alarm.

Her eyes were so dry, her mouth the same, her stomach unsettled from all the alcohol. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a real hangover.

Everything had been a blur when she finally got a hold on the situation, a tan arm latched to her waist with no recollection of how it got there. She'd turned to her side to face away from his body, gaze landing on her jeans and shirt from the night before thrown haphazardly on the floor.

What did I do? The question kept repeating itself in her head over and over.

She hadn't worked up the courage to wake him, so she'd slid from the bed and did her best to follow her normal morning routine. Make coffee. Check email. Shower. Call Cameron. All while avoiding the rock of guilt that'd settled in the pit of her stomach

Victoria made it to the showering part, but stopped with her hand on the phone ready to dial her boyfriend's phone number. It took a few minutes to scan through the texts Cameron sent the night before and earlier that morning. There were a few random, barely decipherable texts from her that she couldn't remember sending.

That's how she got to be where she was—standing in the doorway to her bedroom staring at the sleeping man in her bed with no idea what to say or do. The silent contemplation was interrupted by Happy stirring and turning over on his back, eyes open. His gaze landed on her and she bit down on her bottom lip, fingers tingling with nerves.

"Hey," she finally said, barely more than a whisper.

"Hey." His voice was husky and laced with sleep. It would've been a pleasant sound if she weren't in the situation she was.

Happy sat up to rest his back against the headboard, eyes still heavy with sleep. As he watched her watch him, a silent conversation took place when he realized what she was thinking. "We didn't have sex," he said.

Victoria let out a nervous breath of relief and set her coffee mug on the dresser. She motioned toward his mostly naked frame except for a pair of plain black boxers. She'd woken up in even less.  "Are you sure?"

A playful smile formed. "Pretty positive. I think I'd remember an act like that." He leaned over to reach for the bedside table where a pack of cigarettes and a lighter rested. "You mind?"

She shook her head and headed for the window to open it. A light breeze blew through the curtains and with it, a sense of relief. She didn't cheat on Cameron. She still had no recollection of the night before, but if what Happy said was true, all was well.

"Though, you did almost beg for it." Happy pulled the cigarette from his lips and leaned over the bed to blow the smoke out the window.

"What?" she snapped, turning around to face him with furrowed brows, the mood shifting.

He smirked at her shock. "You heard me."

Victoria's face flushed, heat flaring up her neck. "I didn't."

"Hey, I'm just tellin' you how it was. You're the one who doesn't remember." Happy shrugged. No shame, no apologies, just the ever present calm, quiet confidence he seemed to radiate from his very being.