“I’ll be with you in a minute, Lila,” I say. “Just getting drinks.”
“I’ve put your name on the table,” she says. “You can’t miss it. Enjoy the rest of the evening!”
“I will. Thank you.”
The bartender finishes the drinks, and I pick them up and push through the crowd, not spilling a damned drop, thank you very much, as I reach Skye’s table.
“One banana daiquiri.” I hand the canary-yellow drink to Tessa.
“Thanks so much.” A grin splits her face.
“I took the liberty of getting you Wild Turkey in case you changed your mind.” I hand Skye a glass.
“I didn’t.”
“Great. Then two for me. Follow me. I’ve got a much better table.”
“I’m sure being Braden Black has its perks,” she says dryly, a lock of hair falling over her forehead and into her eyes.
I lower my head and softly blow her hair out of the way. “Being with Braden Black also has its perks.”
Chapter Seventeen
Tessa takes a long sip of her banana daiquiri and then heads back to the dance floor.
Nice. Now I can talk to Skye alone. I take a drink and then slide my tongue across my bottom lip. The bourbon warms my mouth and throat.
“Did you notice how Peter Reardon made a quick getaway when I showed up?”
Skye grits her jaw. “Yeah. I’d have to be blind to have missed it.”
“You said I thought he was hanging around you because of me,” I say, “but that’s not what I thought, and that’s not why.”
“Oh?”
“He was pursuing you because you’re sexy as hell, Skye.”
She gulps, pink spreading again to her lovely cheeks.
“He made a quick getaway because when he saw me stake my claim—”
She crosses her legs slowly. “Excuse me? Stake your claim?”
“You think that was a bad choice of words?”
“I do. I’m not something you can plant your flag on. I’m a person, Braden.”
“A very intriguing person,” I say. “At any rate, when he saw that I was interested—are those words better?”
She nods.
“He put the contract ahead of bedding you. Which is fine by me.”
“I see,” she says, clearly trying hard to sound nonchalant but failing.
“Sure you don’t want a drink?” I nod to the second Wild Turkey sitting in front of her.
Tessa returns to the table and sits down, her brow line sporting a fine sheen. “This band is fantastic, but I need a break. Care to accompany me to the little girls’ room, Skye?”