“He reached out to me recently, so I figured I’d bury the hatchet like an adult.”
Every muscle under my crawling skin went cold. “He reached out to you? What did he want to tell you?” I asked in a casual voice, but my legs were already shaking under the vanity. I tried to study Jackson’s expression as I asked myself a million questions about why on Earth I’d ever trust Dane.
“What do you mean what did he want to tell me?” Jackson laughed, tossing back the rest of his drink. “Pretty sure he called me up because he wanted an invite to opening night, which is fine with me. If he wants to grovel, I’ll take it. And if he wants to say hi to my fiancée, I’ll let him – so he can take one look at her perfection and remind himself that no matter where Forbes ranks him, I’ve got what he wants. Now come the fuck on.”
~
It was tipsy, champagne-fueled madness downstairs, but Jake caught my eye the second I stepped into the dining room. Our gazes locked intensely as he stood with Piper, whose method of seduction tonight involved eating her piece of sushi very slowly, chewing languidly and then sucking on the ends of our steel chopsticks from Japan – flirtation gone wasted because Jake barely looked in her direction as Jackson led me to Dane.
Wearing a vintage suit and hair gelled like it was 1950, Dane stood among some guys I didn’t quite know. Once he spotted me coming, he stepped away from his friends, his eyes gleaming at me with such a wolfish hunger that I couldn’t believe Jackson failed to see it. “Miss Future Kinsley,” he grinned, his stare unblinking on me as he pulled away from our kiss. “Stunning, as always,” he murmured, sliding his lecherous gaze all over my body as if he were trying to mark his territory.
Jackson smirked. “Take it down a notch, Nult. Your creep level’s at a nine and I need you closer to a three.”
“Fuck off, Kinsley,” Dane grinned. “We both know you love the fact that I’ll never have her,” he said, staring straight at me as he did so. “Ever. Correct?”
Jackson laughed. “As long as you know it,” he said just as the concierge called to let up another guest. My gaze flicked toward Jake when Jackson walked away, confirming his watchful eye on me as Dane closed the gap between us. His lips curled as he spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about you, Lara.”
I could hardly bring myself to look at him. “Why are you speaking to Jackson again?” I demanded under my breath. “Are you planning on telling him that I came to you?”
“If I must. I’m just covering my bases, sweetheart. And I figured my renewed friendship with your fiancé would give me more opportunities to see you, which I’ll clearly need if you plan to continue ignoring my texts and leaving so abruptly from our meetings.”
“I ignored one of your texts, Dane, and it’s only because I saw you recently. It’s not like I can constantly sneak out of my house.”
“Your fiancé’s at work ten hours a day so let’s cut the bullshit now before I get annoyed.” Dane leaned in so close that I could feel his breath and smell the bourbon on it. “I haven’t come close to telling you everything yet, Lara. You know I’m smarter than that. And you also know how I run business,” he said, running a single finger along the curve of my hip. “I don’t do favors. I make exchanges. And I’m not asking you to fall in love with me here, sweetheart, I’m just asking you to show me just a night or two of those talents that Jackson’s constantly – ”
“Fuck!” Barreling in out of nowhere was Sawyer, spilling his full glass of whiskey straight down the front of Dane’s jacket.
“Shit!” Dane stumbled back and shot a wild look at Sawyer that had me anticipating a fight. But then his attention returned to his ruined outfit. “This is a fucking thousand-dollar jacket you dumb fuck,” he snarled, shedding it to assess the damage and put his indecent proposa
l on the backburner – for now. Thank you, I mouthed to Sawyer, my heart still pounding as my shaking legs carried me anywhere else but near Dane.
I found myself in the guest room for all of a second before Jake burst in. Without a word, he took me in his arms, holding me so tight I could feel his heart pounding. “What’d he fucking say to you?”
“Don’t worry, it was stupid – just the same things he says to any girl he’s done a favor for,” I breathed hastily, wondering why I’d even let stupid Dane McNulty rattle me so much.
“Whatever he said, don’t worry about it.” Jake kissed my forehead. “Don’t even think about it. I’m going to find what we need, baby, and he’s never going to say a word to you again.”
I blinked and nodded, breathing so fast I could barely process what made me feel suddenly so good.
Oh.
Baby. The way he had called me baby.
“Come on,” Jake murmured, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs and kissing my lips. “Let’s go back out there before they notice.”
“Wait.” I couldn’t stop my tongue. “Jake,” I breathed.
I knew I shouldn’t risk it but he’d done it again – he’d breathed calm into my veins when I was seconds from breaking. He’d restored my sanity before even an ounce could be lost. And he looked so damned handsome in his sleek suit with his hair actually done and his sculpted lips curving into such a sexy, inquisitive smile. I couldn’t stop myself.
“I love you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second but it felt like an eternity.
When I opened them again, I could see the surprise registering in Jake’s gorgeous eyes. They gleamed darker than usual as he gazed down at me. Still cupping my cheeks, his brows flinched just a bit before he pressed the softest kiss on my lips.
But the words weren’t returned.