AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My body ignored my brain, turning in the direction I last saw him, searching him out. He wasn’t hard to find, not even in a packed ballroom. I bet even with my eyes closed I’d be able to sense exactly where he was.
You idiot. What did you expect?
Of course he was holding court surrounded by a bunch of ass-kissers. That much had stayed constant all night, even as he’d roamed through the Elysium making sure everything ran smoothly. Ever-present at his side was his date, whom I didn’t dare think of by his name. That would make him real, and hewasn’t real. He was just a fill-in. No one that would matter a few short hours from now—at least, that was what I hoped.
God, I was petty as fuck.
Archer looked up suddenly, catching me staring at him the same way he had all the other times I hadn’t been able to stop myself. I thought I’d been so good all my life at hiding my true feelings, acting unaffected when deep down I was a tumultuous wave of emotions. Archer seemed to be the exception, and I knew I was living dangerously by letting it show.
A hand clamped down on my shoulder.Daire grunted, shoving a shot glass of what smelled like tequila into my hand. The bruise he sported from kicking Joey’s ass was settling into shades of green that he’d refused to let Serena cover with makeup.
“What?” I said. “Am I being obvious?”
“If you have to ask…”
For Daire to be the one to save me from myself, I must’ve been mooning like a fool.
I didn’t argue, just tapped my glass against his and downed the shot. Definitely tequila, though it was so smooth I didn’t need a chaser.
“Thanks,” I said, setting my glass on the tray of a passing waiter.
Daire nodded in acknowledgment and then went quiet, passively looking over the crowd.
Hell, since he was here, I may as well ask him the question I was dying to know the answer to.
“Wanna talk about what happened with Gavin and Joey the other day?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I figured he wouldn’t, but after a long moment, he shrugged.
“Joey’s a dick-fuck.”
I waited for him to elaborate, but I should’ve known better. Daire wasn’t exactly the forthcoming type, so unless Gavin decided to give up the goods to the rest of us, we weren’t getting shit.
Further proof he didn’t want to talk about it was when he inclined his head toward Serena a few feet away on the dance floor, where she’d been with her roommates since I passed on joining her. “You should be out there.”
“Nah, not really in the mood.” She’d done her best to take my mind off things, but I didn’t want to be the downer ruining her night.
When I started to look in Archer’s direction, Daire moved, blocking my view.
I cursed. Maybe I should’ve been grateful I had someone, even Daire, making sure I kept my eyes off a certain someone, but I was dying to know if not being with me was having any effect whatsoever on Archer.
I could do this. I could stand here for another hour or two and pretend.
That was the plan, anyway, before the gossip mills began to run.
“Did you see he brought a date?” an older woman said from behind me. “It must be serious if Archer Carrington is showing him off. He never brings anyone to these events.”
“And so handsome,” another woman agreed. “They make a gorgeous couple. Do you think he’s got something to announce?”
“Hmm, hedoeslook different tonight…”
While they continued to speculate about Archer and whatshisname, my entire body went numb. I couldn’t feel my feet. My hands. There was a buzzing in my ears louder than the sound of the crowd, loud enough it blocked out whatever they were saying.
Daire did a double take when he looked at me, and then he shook his head, warning me not to react.
A few weeks ago, that would’ve been easy. No problem at all. Back then I didn’t know what Archer tasted like or how it felt to have him inside me. What it was like to wake up in his arms and have him look at me like I was the only person in his world.
The urge to claim him in front of all of these assholes was overwhelming, and when the feeling came back into my limbs, I clenched my fists.
