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His entire crew is funny and wonderful, and soon we are all drinking margaritas, singing along to a wild mix of country, rock, pop, and alternative music. There are women, lots of scantily clad women, but Kace is always right here with me. He makes sure I know, and everyone else knows, we’re together. There is cake for Marvin, and more scantily clad women dancing for him. Kace leans in and whispers, “Not my thing, baby. You are. Remember that.”
I’m feeling the buzz of tequila and my hand goes to his jaw, my mouth to his mouth. He kisses the hell out of me and strokes my hair. “Fifteen more minutes,” he says. “Then we leave.”
“I’m going to the bathroom,” I say, “or I might not make the ride home.”
“I’ll go with you.” He wiggles an eyebrow to let me know he has naughty intentions.
About that time, the girls hired to entertain Marvin hop on top of our table, dancing to the song “Bitter” by Fletcher. Kiki is with them and she stops in front of us, squatting down eye level to Kace, as she sings:
I know you think about me when you kiss her
I left a taste in your mouth
Can she taste me now
The very words imply that they’ve slept together and adrenaline surges through me. I’m on my feet in an instant, feeling sick, embarrassed, angry, hurt. Kace tries to stand but the chair hitches. It tumbles over and two half naked girls step between me and him. How appropriate. I’m gone before he can catch me and I don’t go to the bathroom upstairs. I head down the wooden steps to the main dance floor and a mass of hundreds dancing and partying. I weave through the crowd, music pumping through me, trying to find the bathroom and when I’m finally there, there’s a line from hell.
I twist around and head back into the crowd, but I just can’t go back upstairs. I can’t do it. I lean against a wall beside the DJ stand. I shut my eyes, fighting tears that I blame on the tequila. Kace doesn’t get my tears. A tingling awareness has my lashes lifting as Kace steps in front of me. He folds me close, his hand on my face, cheek against my cheek. “Whatever you think that was, it was not. I am crazy about you, Aria.”
I want to believe him, I do, but I’m terrified of being wrong. I press on his chest, feeling as if I’m suffocating in all his perfection that might not be perfect at all. He isn’t having it. He catches my hand and starts walking, taking me with him. We maneuver through the crowd and don’t stop until we’re not only at the exit, we’re outside the building, beside the Escalade. Kace waves Dan off and I don’t know where he goes, but Kace turns me and presses me against the building, his powerful legs shackling mine. “I do not want her. I have not ever touched her, kissed her, or considered any of the above. I want you. Just you. And this isn’t where I planned to do this, but baby, I’m telling you now. I want just you.”
“Then what was that, Kace?”
“I don’t know what the hell that was, but I won’t have her at the future shows. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t invite that.”
“As you say about Alexander wanting me: she wants to fuck you.”
“I’ve never heard you say that word.”
“Tequila and her is a bad combination. It felt like there was more to that than her wanting you. The words she sang.”
“Maybe she wants me.”
“Maybe, Kace?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t matter. You matter.”
“I’m still really upset right now, Kace. She embarrassed me. And I felt like—I felt bad and—”
He kisses me, drugs me with his tongue and taste, and all I can do is what I always do: melt for him. It’s terrifying. It’s wonderful. It’s insanity, but it always feels so good. “I want you,” he says, when our lips part. “Just you. I don’t want you with fucking Alexander or anyone else. We are together now. Say it.”
“You want—”
“Us. Exclusive. You and me, baby. I want you with me in California. I want you with me in Paris for Christmas. I want you with me. Say it. We’re together.”
All the reasons I’ve ever had to say no to this man become yes in that moment. “We’re together.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Kace and I don’t stay at the party.
Dan and Savage drive us back to the hotel and the minute we’re in the room, we’re all over each other. We end up in the bed, naked, a new intimacy between us, tenderness, passion, lust, friendship—it’s all there. We sleep late Sunday and plan to find a fun lunch spot. We’re actually eating tacos on an outdoor patio when Kace brings up Gio. “Savage arranged to have his boss Blake Walker meet with us Tuesday in New York. It’s the soonest he could involve Blake and Blake is a world class hacker. The kind of man that finds men wherever they may be hiding. Not that Gio is hiding. I know the delay sucks, but—”
