“No,” I say honestly, some of the fire draining out of me.
Sam is a good friend. The best. He honestly cares about me, and my position, power, and money mean nothing to him. And if he knew my mood was foul because of the way she touched him…
My eyes drift over his shoulder to land on Sophie, and Sam’s gaze follows my line of sight before he turns back to me with a smirk.
“Oh, I see.”
“What?” I ask, refocusing my attention on him.
“Just ask her out,” he says, crossing his arms over his wide chest.
I blow out a breath, roll my eyes, and take another sip of my drink. Sam watches me carefully, his own eyes narrowing as I pretend he’s lost his mind.
“You can’t fool me, Jared,” he says. “I know you too well. You like her, and you can’t stand that she’s being friendly with other guys.”
He jabs his thumb into his chest, confirming he’s talking about himself.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I say, draining the rest of the glass and signaling the bartender for another.
“You know, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
“Thanks, Grandpa,” I retort sarcastically. “Got any more ancient pearls of wisdom for me?”
“Hey, don’t be a dick to me just because I’m calling you out on your shit.”
My body deflates, and I leave the fresh glass of bourbon on the bar where the bartender sat it. I am being a dick, and the alcohol isn’t helping like I’d hoped it would. I shoot Sam and apologetic look, and he waves it off before clamping a hand on my shoulder.
“A woman like Sophie won’t be single for long. She’s bright, funny, and insanely hot. She’s also got a big heart, and if you want it to be yours, you need to stop with the ridiculous excuses and make your move. Someone is going to lock her down.” When I shoot him a dark look, he holds up his palms. “It won’t be me. I wouldn’t do that, knowing how you feel about her. Even if you refuse to admit it, even to yourself, you want her. And I think you should go for it.”
He pats me on the arm and walks away, leaving me alone to think about what he said.
He’s right. I do want Sophie. But what I want pales in comparison to the disaster everything could become if I heed his advice and go after her. She could say no, and things would get even more uncomfortable between us than they already are. She could say yes, then expect more from me than I could ever give, and the whole thing would blow up in our faces.
No. This is just some passing fancy. If I ignore it and carry on like normal, we’ll eventually settle into our roles and the ache in my gut will subside.
Walking away from the bar and my untouched drink, I head through the crowd to find Scotty. This party is about him, and I want to spend some time with him before it’s over, and he leaves Las Vegas for good.
I’m going to put that feisty, intriguing redhead out of my head for the rest of the night. Even if it kills me.