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“And your colleagues?” she questions. “Some of them are here tonight to celebrate, aren’t they?”
“You let me worry about them, princess.” I offer her my elbow. “Now, would you quit overthinking so we can have some fun?”
She worries her bottom lip with her teeth. It takes a moment for my words to settle in, but she finally slips her arm around mine and holds on tight like she’s afraid she’ll lose me in the crowd. It’s really fucking adorable.
It takes a while for her to loosen up, but when she does, I can’t help but marvel as she comes to life. Eden’s particularly impressed by the contortionist they hired. She stares, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as the performer bends over backwards, grabs her own ankles, and sticks her head out from between her legs.
I lean over to whisper something in Eden’s ear, but before I can even get a word out, she giggles and says, “If you’re about to say something lewd about bending me over like that, I will slap you silly.”
I can’t help but smile, sliding a hand down to grab her ass. Her little squeak is the cutest fucking sound on the planet. “You think you know me so well, don’t you?”
“Whose house is this?” she asks, her ears burning red. “Don’t tell me this is secretly your second home or something.”
“No, it’s not mine. Much too small for my taste.”
Eden rolls her eyes. “Oh, yes. Ten bedrooms instead of sixteen? How on Earth do they even get by?”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Make fun of you?” she says sarcastically. “I wouldn’t dare, Mr. Stride.”
I shake my head. “We’re not at the office, Eden. We’re not in the bedroom, either. What are you supposed to call me when we’re off the clock?”
Her cheeks flush pink. “Hunter,” she says carefully, like she’s testing the feel of my name on her tongue. She makes it sound like a prayer.
“Stride!”
I turn and find Charlie quickly approaching, a drink in his hand. He must have arrived before we did because I didn’t see him walk in through the front. He whistles when he sees Eden.
“Damn,” he says with a charming smile. “Someone came out topar-tay.”
Eden giggles.I, however, am not amused.
“Hunter Stride!” I hear Ashton call out to me. It isn’t difficult to pinpoint him in the crowd with the way he shoves through people expecting them to part like the Red Sea. “Did you see the tits on that—” When he spots Eden, he all but drools. “Well, hello, young lady. Fancy seeing you again.”
I don’t like his tone. I fight the urge to deck him in the face for staring at Eden’s breasts so unabashedly. Does the fucker have no sense of common decency?
“Go get a drink,” I murmur softly into Eden’s ear.
She nods. “Do you want anything?”
I pat her on the small of her back, giving her a gentle nudge in the right direction. When Ashton takes a clumsy step forward to follow, I put myself directly in his path.
“Where did you find her?” Ashton asks me, continuing to leer at Eden past my shoulder. “Need to get me one of those. I bet it’s never a dull day at the office, eh?”
“Do you know if she’s single?” Charlie asks. “I’d like to show her my camera collection, if you know what I mean.”
I’m never quick to anger. I find that the best way to judge a person is by how they handle themselves in irritating situations. Normally, I’m able to put up with Charlie’s antics and Ashton’s general sleaziness, but it seems I don’t have a lot of patience today. Not when it comes to Eden.
How unfortunate for them.
“Watch your mouth,” I warn.
“Jesus, man, would you relax?” Charlie says with a huff. “What crawled up your ass and died?” There’s suddenly a glint in his eye. “If she’s your girl, you should have just said so.”
This is dangerous. Admitting I want Eden all to myself feels like the next step to…I’m not really sure. I can’t see us being a long-term thing. Sooner or later, she’s bound to move on. She’ll go off to medical school, meet some respectable young man closer to her age.
But I suppose there’s no harm in pretending in the meantime. If it means keeping Charlie away from her, then so be it.
