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“Oh, hey, Hannah.” Another voice. Another dude.
I turn as a guy I’ve never met before cuts through our group and takes Hannah’s hand in his.
In his defense, he at least allows her to stand tall again. Staring up, her chin in the air, the way it’s supposed to be.
“I’m sorry I’m late.” He presses a gentle kiss to her cheek and sets my temper alight.
My teeth gnashing and my head tilting to the side in question.
“I hope I didn’t make you wait long.”
“No, it’s fine.” She releases his hand, but wraps her arm around his. Then bringing them both around to face me and Montenegro, she pastes on an angelic smile that would have anyone else thinking she’s some kind of saint. “Jase, these are my friends. Raul,” she points to the other fucker, “and Axel.”
Jase’s eyes stop on mine. But while mine narrow, he looks entirely too pleased with himself. Like a fucking Labrador, getting his ears scratched for being a good boy.
“Axel and Raul, this is Jase. My date.”
I never, in the history of my life, expected to be on the same wavelength as Raul, the prick whoobviouslywants to fuck my girl. But now, almost as though scripted, we speak at the same time.
“Your date?”
Hannah
OOPSIE
My heart thunders with adrenaline, and my pulse skitters in my throat so Iswear, everyone must be able to see it. But Jase chatters as we walk. He talks of his day at the local animal shelter, playing with the lovable Rocky, and bathing the skittish Treasure.
A massive rottweiler named Treasure.
There’s always that one.
My arm remains looped through his, and he sets his hand on my wrist as we walk a lap around the party, and laughs at his own funny stories while I scour the ballroom searching for danger.
And bydanger, I mean Axel freakin’ Feeney.
When I find him watching us from the back corner of the room, his arms folded and his jaw clenching, I swallow the nerves in my throat and slide my tongue along my lips to wet them.
Suddenly, unexplainably, they’re desert dry.
“And she bit me!” Jase yammers, happily in his own world. “She didn’t mean to cause harm or anything, so I reassured her we were fine. She just needs a friend, ya know? Someone to take care of her.”
“Mmmhm.” My pussy throbs, and my stomach whooshes. Because wherever Jase and I walk, Axel makes damn sure he’s in my line of sight. His silver-gray eyes, practically molten. His strong, broad shoulders, larger because of his stance.
When a server holding a tray of crystal champagne roams by, I snatch a glass and chug half its contents in one go.
Surprised, Jase’s words slow, and his gaze travels the length of my face. “Er… You okay?”
“Thirsty.” I drink a little more to hide my burning cheeks as they grow hotter. “I’m sorry I couldn’t arrive with you. I know you wanted to pick me up.”
“Well, it’s traditional,” he goes back to his friendly chatter. “But this is work for you, too. So I understand. How well do you know those guys you introduced me to on the way in?” He tightens his hold on my arm and steers me between two tables that sit close together. “Colleagues, or…?”
“Mm.”I need more booze. Now. “They’re both colleagues, sorta. Raul is the delivery driver for Nicole’s and my businesses. And Axel…”My best friend. My lover. My enemy.The reason I’ll never be able to move on and give someone else a chance.“He’s Nicole’s brother, and a sort of silent investor in her portion of the business. They’re both pretty cool.”
“Yeah? Well,” he nudges his chin forward and grins slyly, “the one with the angry face doesn’t seem all that pleased about us being here together.”
I roll my eyes and wave a hand in Axel’s direction. “He’s protective. As Nicole’s brother, he’s kind of taken on that role for us both.”
“Not Axel.” He turns us again and nods, so I follow his line of sight and find Raul watching us from the kitchen door, his eyes burning with anger, and his body tight with rage.
