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“And he almost broke Craig’s nose. Craig is pissed.”
“Craig’s a dick, anyway. And if he broke his nose, maybe it would be an improvement.” She straightens up and fluffs her hair. “Anyway, if you’re gonna make a move, you better make it fast. Otherwise, I’m gonna have to jump on that dick. Law of the jungle, girl.”
The toilet next to me flushes, and the girl in the stall bursts out. “No fucking way, I saw him first. Don’t be a slut.”
“Who knows? Maybe he would take us both on at the same time. Did you see that tattoo on his hand? Under that suit, he’s bad. And you just know a guy that tall has a huge cock.”
Yes, it is huge—at least, from what I felt of it. And there I was, passing up the opportunity to do something with it, all so these nasty skanks could have a chance with him. I almost want to throw the door open and tell them I turned him down. Me! The one they’re laughing about, the one they think is a charity case. He wanted me, not them. He spent the whole night making me feel good about myself. Making me feel beautiful.
But you’re paying him. Try to remember that.
There go the tears, welling up in my eyes this time. I can’t let them do this to me. They don’t even know me, and from the way it sounds, I wouldn’t want to be friends with either of them. It’s not like I’ve never heard anything like what they were saying about me before.
This is different. This is like a knife to the chest. And instead of making me want to run out of here and go home and hide under a blanket, I can easily imagine myself tearing out fistfuls of their hair. Who are they but a couple of—what did he call them?—vapid bleach blondes.
I grit my teeth and nod because that’s right. That’s exactly it. He hit the nail on the head. He wasn’t talking about them exactly, but they fit the description.
They’re right about one thing—he isn’t here because he likes me. He’s here because I’m paying him.
But I wasn’t paying him to kiss me like that. To stare into my eyes and stroke my cheeks with his thumbs as he kissed me so deeply, so completely, the whole world melted away. I didn’t pay him to make me the center of attention by sliding that garter up my leg. I didn’t pay him to stand up for me in front of my family.
No matter how many times I go over it in my head, it doesn’t make any sense. Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I’ve heard so many times and for so long that I’m worthless and weird that I can’t believe anybody would feel differently. Especially somebody like him, who’s just as hot as those girls made him out to be. They’re still talking about him, plotting as they hurry out of the ladies’ room.
What am I going to do?
What do I want to do?
That’s a good question. What do I want? Because, as I see it, sitting here on this stupid toilet lid with around a million yards of fabric gathered in my arms, I have two options. I can either go for it and have a fun, naughty memory to look back on, or I can stay scared and play it small and sneak out of here, grab an Uber, and cry my eyes out to Klaus.
No offense to Klaus, but that’s not what I want to do.
For once, I’m going to make the most of an opportunity. Even if it scares the bejesus out of me.
One thing is for sure: I need to get a move on before either of those girls gets their hooks into him. He seemed disdainful of most of the other women here, but that could have been something he said to make me feel better. And now, I left him hanging and hard, and for all I know, he could take one of them up on it for that reason alone.
How many books have I read where the heroine needs to dig deep and surprise herself by being brave? It looks like it’s my turn to do that.
Stepping out of the stall, I take a good look at myself in the mirror. I don’t look like a tomato in a dress anymore, so that’s a plus. My skin is back to its normal color, though my cheeks are flushed with… what? Anticipation? Dread? It’s a toss-up. I throw my hair over my shoulder and roll my shoulders back. He wants me. He wouldn’t have kissed me like that if he didn’t want me.
And I will be damned if I let some other girl get in my way.
Though I have to open the door and dart out of the room like it’s on fire for fear of losing my nerve.
The music is blasting loud enough to make me want to cover my ears, but I manage to ignore it in favor of scanning the ballroom for a sign of Talon. Where did he go? He’s not at our table, though I wouldn’t expect him to be. He’s not at the bar, either.
My heart sinks, and I feel sick. What if he left while I was in there? He probably got fed up. Maybe he figured no amount of money is worth getting turned down by a nerd like me.
“There you are.”
His voice is enough to pull something out of me that sounds like a sob as I spin on my heel to find him standing there like he was waiting for me. “I thought you ditched and left me with these assholes.”
“Were you out here all this time?”
“I took a couple of seconds in the men’s room, if you’re interested.”
“No, I mean—never mind.” He must have seen those girls, and they must have seen him. Did they approach him? If they did, he turned them down, or he wouldn’t be standing here. Waiting for me.
He eliminates the space between us, overwhelming me with his nearness, his size, his… him. The aura around him now seems darker than before. Dangerous. He’s now the man I met at the store.
