“What are we hiding from Daphni?” I whisper as I scoot down in my seat.

“Shh!” she hisses. “If we don’t move, he won’t see us.”

I roll my eyes in response, but follow along anyway, that is, until I hear the sound of a familiar voice clearing their throat behind us.

“Why, it must be my lucky day. I appear to have found not one, but both of the beautiful and elusive Monroe sisters.”

Jordan James. Now I know why Daphni wanted to hide. God, why didn't I just listen and follow my sister's lead and slither away? Now I get to face the Jordan James halfway rolled down in my seat with my hands covering my face. Real attractive look for me.

Daphni and I do our best to nonchalantly slide back up in our seats, but the amused quirk in Jordan's lip says all we need to know.

I watch with similar amusement as Daphni restrains herself from throwing her hands around Jordan's neck, but she knows there are far too many witnesses. Instead, she pastes on a large smile and opens her arms wide. “Jordan, what a lovely surprise.”

Jordan accepts her embrace, his arms wrapping around her tense frame. I watch the whole charade with rabid fascination. That is, until Jordan turns his sparkling blue eyes on me.

“Gabby, nice to see you again. Mind if I join you?” he asks, eyeing the empty stool next to me.

Daphni immediately jumps out of her seat. “We were actually on our way out. You know, early morning.”

“Well, it looks like your sister still has half her drink left,” Jordan comments, looking at my unfinished vodka and soda. “Shame to waste that.”

I pause, looking first at my sister and then at the half-empty glass. Truthfully, a part of me did want to celebrate a little longer. And why not do it with this gorgeous human specimen at my side? Sure, he was my sister’s mortal enemy, for whom she would spend at least forty minutes each night plotting elaborate deaths. But let’s be real: Daphni had at last thirty mortal enemies on any given day. And none of them were as undeniably gorgeous as Jordan James.

“Sure, I can stay a bit longer,” I say, and Jordan slides into the empty seat, a triumphant smile on his face. I can feel my sister shooting death glares at me. But, ever the performer, Daphni doesn’t let Jordan see her anger and instead gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before storming out of the bar. Liam falls into step with her, lowering his head to hers, looking equally annoyed.

“Looks like my sister’s a big fan of yours,” I say as I take a long sip from my drink.

Jordan laughs in response, his addicting blue eyes crinkling around the corners. “Yeah, she actually sends me fan mail every week. It’s beginning to freak me out.”

"Oh, that's nothing. You should see how she decorated her locker with all your pictures. She's scribbled your name on all her notebooks," I quip back.

A wide grin spreads over Jordan's face as he nods approvingly. "You have a sharp tongue," he remarks.

"I need one to make up for my terrible personality and mediocre looks."

I bite back a smile as Jordan's mouth drops. "I don't even know how to keep up with you," he says. His blue eyes rake over me and while I feel a rush of excitement, it instantly fades away as I remember Liam pushing me off him. I can't put myself through this again. And especially not with someone who is as infamous a man whore as Jordan James.

I quickly swallow the contents of my drink. "No need," I reply. I slip out of the seat and reach for my purse on the ground. As I move to push my chair back in, I feel Jordan's hands circle around my wrist, stopping me.

"You're leaving already?"

"It's been fun, but I think it's time for me to head out."

"Has anyone told you what great company you are?”

“Well, I’ve never heard my cats complain,” I shoot back.

A large smile stretches across his face and he lifts his drink to his lips. “You are an interesting woman, Gabby Monroe. You bruise my ego, but you sure as hell look good doing it.”

His compliment sends a rush of crimson to my face. I focus all my attention on ignoring my stomach’s somersaults. I can feel his eyes on me and I bravely force myself to look at him. His intense blue eyes are watching me, and I curse God for making someone look this handsome. Seriously, being this pretty should be illegal: it can make very rational people do very dangerous things.

“Let me walk you up to your room," Jordan offers, jumping out of his chair.

I laugh and lightly swat him on his arm. “Nice try. I Googled you, you know.”

He groans in response. “Don’t believe everything you read, Gabby.”

“Oh, I don’t. But still, sir, you’ve got yourself a mighty reputation.”

“Well, then let me prove you wrong,” he counters. “Tomorrow night. After the concert. I’m going on first and I’ll be done early. Let me take you to a late dinner. Let me prove to you I’m not some tabloid sleaze.”

I shake my head at his tempting offer. “No, thanks.”

“Is this because of your sister?”

“That and other things.”

“Other things?”

“I need to focus on studying right now. I can’t have any distractions.” I look at him, letting my greedy eyes rove his toned, perfectly dressed body, and offer him a resigned smile. “And you, Jordan James, are a distraction.”

I grab my bag and make a beeline for the door. I stop by the concierge desk to grab my room key and check to make sure my bags were delivered. As I make my way to the elevator, I see Liam’s large frame doming the small settee across from the elevators. As he sees me, he quickly pulls out his phone and holds it to his ear.

I march straight to him, my anger bubbling. “Were you waiting for me?”

He shakes his head and points to the phone at his ear. I tug it away and toss it on his lap.

“Cut it out, I know you’re not on the phone.” His guilty face confirms it and I prop my hands on my hips in annoyance. “Oh my God, Daphni told you to wait for me, didn’t she?”

He again refuses to answer, which only further infuriates me. It doesn't matter: his silence confirms everything I need to know. I stalk to the elevators and press the call button a few times, hoping it can sense my frustration and make the elevator appear faster.

Liam gets up to stand beside me, his silence only irritating me more. And because my filter disappears whenever he is around, I turn around, unable to suppress my anger.

“You have no right to babysit me. I’m a grown woman, Liam. I can make my own choices.” I poke my finger into his hard chest to further emphasize my point.

He grabs my hand, closing his much larger one around it. His eyes darken as they look down at me. “Not him, Gabby.”

I pull my hand away and rush into the arrived elevator the minute the doors open. Liam follows me inside and I glare at him as the doors slowly close.

We both press the buttons for our respective floors and ride the first few seconds in silence. Me, fuming with my arms crossed in one corner and him, sulking in the opposite corner.

“You can have anyone you want, Gabby. Just don’t pick him,” he says, finally breaking the silence.

“Why do you even care, Liam?” I ask, defeated.

“You know why,” he replies, his eyes locked in on me.

I groan in frustration, and the second the elevator doors open to my floor, I rush out, not wanting him to have the final word because, for some inexplicable reason, Liam seems to bring out the very mature side of me. I turn to face him.

“You know, just because you didn’t want me doesn’t mean you have a right to control who does actually want me.”

Liam grabs me, not allowing me to leave, and pins me against the open elevator doors.

“I never said I didn’t want you, Gabby,” he says, his voice almost unrecognizable: deep, husky, and possessive.

I feel my willpower fade as a gnawing ache forms in my belly. The feeling lasts only a second, and I almost give in to the temptation of his lips close to mine. But then the humiliation of him pushing me off him comes rushing back, and I tear myself away. The elevator doors slowly close and I glare back at him, standing still in the elevator, his dark eyes never leaving me.

“You didn’t have to say it, Liam,” I say, just as the doors close.