“Yeah, everyone's out back.I just came in to take a business call,” Benji said easily.“Nerissa.Me.Jesse and Mercedes—”
Jaxon groaned lowly.“Fucking hell, Mercedes is here?”
“Accurate.And I suppose they're in the midst of an argument right now.Apparently, Jesse stared at the waitress too long at lunch.Ariyo and his… guests are here, too.”
“Guests?”Jaxon asked, brow raised.
“Plural?’
“He brought two women with him.”
“Of course he did,” Jaxon tsked, shaking his head.
“You won't be amused when I tell you he flooded his original room last night.Showerhead incident.We had to move him and the women into the spare room.”
They both glanced at me for a split second, and Jaxon sighed.
“Which means…”
“Exactly.The room flooded yesterday and the plumbers managed to drain the water yesterday.But it's still disastrous in there, so that leaves one room—yours.”
Oh no.
No, you have got to be kidding me.
“I know it's fake but…” Benji's gaze shifted between us.“You two good sharing?”
I'd respond but my throat was dry.Sharing a room with Jaxon?That screamed recipe for disaster.
“We’re fine,” he said smoothly, tugging me flush to him.“Right, trouble?”
I glanced up at him, narrowing my eyes.Whatever voodoo he'd done, this situation was working in his favor.One of my stipulations for coming on this trip was that we'd be in separate rooms.Of course, he reminded me that we'd have to play the part this weekend, but our compromise was that he'd sneak out of the room late at night and go into the spare room.
The spare room that was now occupied by Ariyo and his flavors of the month.
I nodded, hoping my voice wouldn’t betray me if I tried to speak.“Right.”
Benji gave a nod, glancing down at his phone.“Everyone went to Club Seven.I'm heading down there now.”
Jaxon looked down at me.“You want to go?”
I shrugged, the motion carefully neutral.“Sure.”
“Well, I guess I'll see you both there.”Benji offered me a smile then disappeared down the hall.
Club Sevenwas already jam packed when we walked in, the bass thudding through the floor, lights strobing the walls like a heartbeat gone wild.Bodies were pressed together in loose choreography, laughter spilling over music, the air thick with perfume and heat and anticipation.Jaxon’s hand stayed threaded through mine as he led the way, parting the way like he knew exactly where we belonged in all of the chaos.
He led us to the group in a roped-off VIP section, looking back at me a few times, which made me smile inside.The second we arrived, Jaxon bumped fists with Jesse while Nerissa got on her feet.
“There she is,” she sang, pulling me into a hug.“Finally.I needed a dance partner.”
“Wait, I—” I started, but it was already too late.
She had me by my wrist and was dragging me toward the dance floor, laughter trailing behind us like confetti.I glanced back once, just once, and saw Jaxon taking his place in the booth, one arm slung along the backrest, watching me go with an expression that did unsettling things to my pulse.
The music swallowed us whole.
I followed her lead, stiffly moving my hips at first as my eyes surveyed the crowded room.When my gaze returned to Nerissa, I could see the reassurance in her eyes, and it gave me the courage to just ease into the music.It felt good to let go—to not worry about the wedding, the exams, the internship, or even the tattooed bad boy behind me.
