Paradise Lost (Private 9)

When Upton replaced me on the floor, I looked over at Sawyer, who was now double-fisting red chips and looking stunned as his brother ruffled his hair. Slowly, he looked up at me, and for the first time all week, I got to see his smile.

And damn, was it a nice one.

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CHAPTER 36 THE UPTON OLYMPICS

"Oh my God! Did you see the look on Gage's face when I doubled down and won? I honestly thought he was going to start foaming at the mouth," Kiran said, laughing as we all tumbled into the bathroom together, a gaggle of silk, chiffon, and lace.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Taylor said, placing her beaded bag down on the counter and fluffing her curls in the mirror. "Remember London's sweet sixteen? When Portia spiked his vodka cranberry with Alka- Seltzer? "

"Tm dying! I'm dying! And I never got carnal with Scarlett Johansson!'" Noelle crowed, mimicking Gage as she clutched her hands to her throat and rolled back her eyes.

I laughed so hard at the image, my stomach started to cramp up. I dropped down on a velvet stool near the wall and fought to catch my breath. Kiran fanned her face to prevent her mascara from running as Taylor braced both hands on the sink to keep from doubling over

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with giggles. Definitely the best night we'd had since we'd arrived on the island. Without a doubt.

"Speaking of Scarjo, Noelle, what is with the major boobage?" Kiran asked once the laughter subsided. She waved her black-lacquered fingernail back and forth over Noelle's neckline. "You don't usually display the ladies quite so prominently."

"I'm trying something new," Noelle said blithely, leaning toward the mirror with her mascara wand.

"Yeah. Or someone old," I teased, getting up to stand next to her.

Taylor, Kiran, and I all expectantly eyed Noelle in the mirror. She managed to ignore us for a good half minute as she finished plumping her lashes, then capped the mascara before standing up straight.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said with the sparest hint of a smile.

"Oh, please. The Dash-master has been all over you all night and you know it," Kiran said, whacking Noelle's arm. "Stop blue-balling the guy and give in already."

Noelle rolled her eyes as she touched a blotting pad to her nose. Then she placed her things back into her clutch, took a deep breath, and looked at herself in the mirror, turning to the side to check her gorgeous profile.

"I may give him a little taste," she said coyly.

"We knew it! We knew you were getting back together!" Taylor blurted happily.

"But just a little taste," Noelle repeated. "Boy still has some intense groveling to do."

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"Understood," Kiran said with a nod of approval. Then she turned around to face me, leaning back against the porcelain countertop. "What about you, Reed? Will you be officially winning the Upton Game tonight?"

I blushed furiously and stepped up next to her, practically pushing Noelle aside so I could look at myself in the mirror, rather than at them. "Please," I said. "I've known him for, what? A week?"

"Yeah, and I've known him for eighteen years. I've never seen him like this," Noelle told me, walking over to the door and standing in front of it. "That boy is gone. Like gone-to-Jupiter gone."

My blush deepened. As I dipped into my purse for my lip gloss, my fingers trembled. My heart beat so fast that I felt as if I might faint. All night my skin had tingled at Upton's every touch. My body temperature had been at least twenty degrees above normal. But I kept telling myself to chill. To be smart. Cautious. Because Upton might have been falling in love with me, but he was still a player.

But now my friends, the very girls he'd played with in the past, were telling me he'd changed. Changed because of me. And it was getting me seriously flustered.

"Yeah, Reed, forget the Upton Game," Kiran said, placing her hand on my back. "You've already medaled in the Upton Olympics."

"Really?" I said, unable to contain my giddiness any longer.

"Oh yeah," Taylor said. "He hasn't looked at anyone else all night long. And considering the washcloth-with-fringe that Poppy's wearing, that's really saying something."

"Yeah, didn't anyone tell her this is a formal event?" Kiran asked,