She paused in front of the door, fist raised and ready to knock, when a thought occurred to her. Lex had mentioned he’d seen Abbott earlier, and all of Blackwater knew damned well that on a Saturday night there was only one place to find Abbot and that was at Blackies.

“Shit,” she whispered fiercely as she backed away from the door. If it had been any other bar, she wouldn’t have given a damn, but Blackies? Known for its cheap hookers and cheap booze, it was the one bar not one respectable Blackwater resident would ever show their face. Sure, Blackwater was full of hoodlums and fools, but even most of them steered clear of Blackies. Turning away from the door, Thea made her way to the kitchen.

She yanked open cabinets, rifling through them until she found an old bottle of whiskey. Hunting high and low for shot glasses, she came up empty.

With an annoyed growl, Thea plopped down at the table and opened the bottle. “Fuck it.” A long swig later and Thea found herself sputtering and coughing up a damned lung. Wheezing, Thea thumped her chest until she was able to breathe again. “Shit, that always looked easier in movies.” Wiping her watering eyes, she lifted the bottle again, and this time she took a careful sip; the liquid formed a burning trail down her throat and pooled in her belly.

What the hell was Lex doing at Blackies? If all he wanted was liquor, then he could have ended up at any other bar, why had it been that one? Braving another gulp, Thea closed her eyes and tried to imagine Lex picking up another woman. The thought seared her blood more than the liquor ever could.

Feeling foolish for one, drinking alone, and two, not having the guts to ask Lex the question himself, Thea bounded up, liquor bottle in hand, and stomped down the hallway. This time, without hesitation, she burst into the bathroom only to see Lex, all naked, tatted, two hundred and some pounds of him covered in soap with her little pink razor between his fingers, eyeing it as if it were a snake seconds from striking. Thea couldn’t help but stand frozen in place, viewing him through the see through shower curtain. His tanned and toned ass flex as he turned, confusion marring his now clean, but still hairy face.

Lifting the razor, he asked, “What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?”

Thea covered her mouth, yet was unable to mask her laughter. “What are you trying to do with it? ’Cause I can tell you now that all that hair ain’t gonna do nothing but break that poor little thing.” The pink disposable razor seemed tiny compared to his enormous fingers. Leaning against the doorjamb, Thea watched as suds slid down, leaving a glistening path down his back to slide down the round globes of his ass. She licked her lips when Lex turned to face her. The eagle tattoo on his chest glistened and his ripped abs sparkled as iridescent soapsuds glided down to mingle with the blond curls covering the top of his sex. Before her eyes made it down farther, Lex called her name.

Thea jumped and whiskey sloshed over and down the side of the bottle. “Uh—huh?” Her surprised changed to annoyance when her gaze met his cocky smirk.

What did I come in here for, again? Ah, yes, to scold him about being a dick. Dick, cock … Her mind slipped back into a naughty abyss of Lex’s wet, lathered body. Her eyes made their way south, taking in the sight of a man who prided himself on being fit, but again, he caught her attention before her eyes met his naked sex.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “May I have a modicum of privacy?” His jovial tone added fuel to the fire in her belly.

Privacy? He wants privacy? Hell, no!

Thrusting a finger in his direction while keeping a firm grip on the liquor bottle, Thea grumbled, “Did you and your hooker have privacy at Blackies?”

Lex’s lips parted and his brow dipped in confusion. “Blackies?”

“Oh don’t you play dumb with me.” She sneered. “You said you saw Abbott, yeah?” Liquor burned a hole in her belly, so what better way to relieve the burn than to add to it? She lifted the bottle to her lips, staring at Lex over the brim while she took a healthy gulp. Fighting the urge not to choke she added, “And we all know where Abbott spends his nights, don’t we?”

Lex had the decency to look embarrassed. His face and neck reddened as he averted his gaze.

“Jesus, Lex.” Thea slapped a hand over her forehead and gave him a disparaging glare. “A hooker?”

In a more subdued tone Lex asked, “Close the goddamned door, will ya?”