The Little Black Dress (Love in Las Vegas)

“You guys texted me, remember?” I say, hoping she won’t push the matter.

“So, you decided to drive all the way here to tell us, in person, whether or not you growl in bed?” she counters.

There’s a thump under the table just before Ava howls. Bending over to rub her shin, she shoots Sophie a glare, who’s returning it in full-force.

“What she means,” Zoey says quickly as she leans forward, “is that we’re glad you came. We’ve been looking forward to meeting Sophie’s new boss.”

“The pleasure is mine,” I say, realizing I mean it.

Ava and Zoey are brash and sassy, giving me an insight to what Sophie might be like if we weren’t constantly at odds with each other. Not that I haven’t enjoyed sparring with her. I can’t deny it, even to myself.

Sophie keeps me on my toes, and I’m here for it. One hundred percent.

It’s why I haven’t really put any effort into finding a replacement for her. It’s why I can’t seem to stop imagining what her lips taste like.

What? Fuck. Stop it.

If I get hard right now, and they notice…

“So, Jared, are you dating anyone?” Ava asks, her tone oh, so casual.

Sophie snorts, loudly, saying, “The devil doesn’t date.”

“The devil, huh?” I ask, my gaze boring into her profile.

She refuses to look my way even though I can tell she feels my eyes on her. Her spine stiffens the tiniest bit, and her throat works as she swallows rapidly. Reaching out, she grabs her glass of water and chugs half of it down.

After setting the glass back on the table, she groans and leans forward, crossing her arms on the wooden surface and burying her face in them.

“Soph? You okay?” Zoey asks, concern etching her features.

“I don’t feel so good,” she mumbles, her voice muffled and weak.

Concern rips through me, and I reach out to lay a hand on her back. She stiffens, but doesn’t move or try to pull away.

“Come on,” I say. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

“No,” she says, shrugging her shoulders to try to remove my hand.

Pulling back, I look to her friends for help. She needs to get out of here, take some preventative painkillers, and go to bed, but I can’t force her to leave with me if she doesn’t want to.

“Let him take you home, Sophie,” Ava says, and Sophie groans louder.

“Do you ladies need a ride, as well?” I ask, hoping Sophie will agree if they come with us and she doesn’t have to be alone with me.

“We’re good,” Zoey says, smiling. “My brother is coming in a couple of hours to pick us up.”

“Two hours?” Sophie asks grumpily. “Can’t he come sooner?”

“He’s at work,” Zoey says, shrugging. “You should go with Jared. He’ll get you home, all snug in your bed before you know it.”

If there’s any innuendo in her words, I can’t hear it. But one look at Ava says she does. She’s grinning so unrepentantly, I shake my head at her. And I can’t stop my own lips from curving upward.

“Come on, Sophie. Let’s get you home,” I say gently, pushing myself to my feet.

“Ugh. Fine,” she says, standing so quickly, she teeters sideways.

I catch her by the arm, holding her steady until she finds her balance. I expect her to jerk her arm out of my grasp, but surprisingly, she leans closer, allowing me to wrap my arm around her waist to hold her upright against me.