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“Remember when we first met?” I was in pieces when I arrived in Cambridge. I’d barely made it through the summer, the heartbreak eating away at me, devouring me from the inside. Dom took me under his wing, his natural protectiveness getting the better of him. I was really only talking to Dom because I knew how he worried. “The musician who left me to go to London?”
I’d spent the whole day winding myself up about Max, thinking about our meeting non-stop. I was so distracted that I nearly botched a meeting with a high-ranking financial advisor Harris was dying to impress.
“The one who called you Kitty Cat?” I grimaced as he met my eyes. “You never said it was Max Rider,” he said after a beat of silence.
“Oh, you mean I forgot to tell you it was Max Rider, lead singer of one of the most famous bands in the world? How silly of me. Must have slipped my mind.”
The sarcasm was unnecessary. I’d hidden it from Dom and everyone else. I didn’t want anyone to know what a naive idiot I’d been when I was eighteen.
“Hey.” He nudged me with his shoulder, giving me a look.
He was right; it was over the top, but I’d felt like a live wire all day, and talking about Max wasn’t going to help.
“He’s marrying Bunny?” Dom asked softly.
“Yeah.” I blew out the word, unable to stop the disbelief colouring my voice.
I took another drink, keeping my mouth busy so I didn’t launch into a rant about how they weren’t right for each other. It was none of my business.
“You know Mallory’s going to get involved, right?”
“Ugh, she already has. Mum’s been planning this party with Bun for months.”
It was all she’d been talking about. Mum wouldn’t stop speculating about her fiancé, but Bunny would know better than to tell Mum before the big reveal. If Mum knew, she wouldn’t be able to help herself, and the news would spread like wildfire the moment she bragged to her society friends that Bunny was marrying Max Rider. She’d practically adopted Bunny when her mum died. They were two peas in a pod and spending a day with them when they were hyped up was a nightmare.
“What are you going to do?” His voice was lower, laced with concern.
I frowned up at him. “The same thing we always do, obviously. Pair up, beat back the small talkers, and enjoy expensive champagne.” While ideally avoiding Max all night.
But the excitement that had been crackling underneath my rage was disturbing. My calf still held the phantom whisper of his touch, and the worst part of me wished I’d closed the space between us, mounted him on that chair, and taken him up on his offer. I wanted to bury my face in his neck and take a long drag to see if he still smelled of leather and sex and the mints he always chewed.
“You know what I mean.”
I did, but I didn’t want to discuss Max like he was a long-term plan. It wasn’t another problem we needed to manage. I’d deal with it when the time came.
“It won’t be an issue. It’s just one party, isn’t it?”
We both knew it would be more than that, but what else was I supposed to say?
“I don’t want to see you like that again.” His admission was quiet.
He liked to fuss about things like this. It had taken me months to get back on my feet after I started at Cambridge, and I only did it with Dom standing by my side each step of the way.
I let him pull me into a hug. Even though he was Mr Rough, Tough, and Ripped All Over, he loved contact. He needed to hold the people he cared about.
I wrapped my arms around him, returning his embrace. “And you won’t. It was a long time ago. If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were implying I can’t take care of myself.”
He pulled back from me, his blue eyes widening in mock horror. “No! Never! But what am I going to do if you get swept off your feet by a rockstar and don’t have any time for little ol’ me?”
I started laughing before I thought he might actually be serious. “There’s no chance of that happening, I promise.”
He gave me another squeeze.
“Cat! Dom!” Lucy shouted at us from the doorway, her voice carrying through the room. “There you two are!” She was waving enthusiastically, beckoning us over. “Come on, you’re missing all the gossip!”
Even thoughwewere her main source of gossip. I was sure she wanted me back so she could grill me about Max.
We trailed towards her, and Dom dropped a kiss on my head, choosing to take up the invitation of the grey-suited businessman at the end of the bar, who’d been eyeing us up since we’d entered the room. It was an easier choice than going back to the table. I’d been in a foul mood all day, and Lucy raining more questions on me about Max wouldn’t make it better, but they were still my friends.
