WHILST MAI HAD Jessie J and the remaining Rosé to keep her company as she made a mess of my spare bedroom, I had an empty glass and my frazzled nerves. Wearing a nude thong, glittery black painted nails and nothing else, I stared at the emerald green shantung dress draped across my bed. It was sexy, purchased on a whim, and never dared to be worn before.
Until tonight, when my ever helpful friend decided it was the only outfit to knock Nate off his feet. I stepped into the dress so I didn’t disturb the loose flowing waves of my hair and zipped it up. The cool silk hugged my curves and stopped a few inches short of my knee. I was adjusting my cleavage in the strapless bodice when Mai walked into my room.
“Phew!” She added a whistle for effect.
“Will I do?” I asked, doing a little twirl.
“More than. Not sure I wanna go now with you looking all glamazonian.” Mai’s eyes dropped the length of my bare legs. “Jesus, those legs. What’s it like living up there in the clouds?” Her arms waved manically in the air as she strutted to my dressing table in black suede heels. She was stunning, in a cream bandage dress that showed off her slim figure, olive colouring and hair, which she wore loose.
“Should I change?” I faced the full length faceted antique mirror and cocked my head to the side, assessing my appearance. “It’s too much, isn’t it?”
“Women pay good money for curves like yours. Go flaunt them!” Mai’s smoking didn’t suppress her appetite one bit, yet she didn’t carry an ounce of fat regardless. I paid the price of overindulgence if I didn’t workout regularly.
“I’m not used to wearing such bold, revealing outfits.” I dropped onto my bed and put on my sandals.
“The dumbass didn’t know a good thing when he had it,” Mai insisted, referring to Stuart. “He wasn’t man enough to have a gorgeous woman like you on his arm. Whereas, Blake…” She paused, taking a moment to daydream whilst putting on earrings. “He’s all man. Now get your butt over here and do this up”—she held a statement necklace in the air—“so you can go blow his mind.”
I helped Mai out and finished getting ready whilst she spritzed one of my perfumes on then smiled, satisfied with her appearance in the mirror.
“Ross will be here in a minute,” I said when I saw the time was nearing 8 p.m.
“I’m so excited to finally meet Mr Blake—I mean Nate.” Mai came to a halt in the lounge, slipping her cross body bag over her head. “Wait, what should I call him? Is he my boss tonight or my best friends lover?”
The intercom announced Ross’ arrival. “Call him Nate.” I held the door open, waiting for her to knock back her wine.
“How cool is it, having your own driver?” Mai pointed out, breezing past with a smile. “Cabs suck.”
BARELY ten minutes later, the Mercedes stopped outside Andaz in West Hollywood. Searchlights beamed into the sky, and camera flashes popped incessantly at people posing their way up a plush red carpet. Mai squealed and bounced excitedly on the backseat.
“Kara, we have to do the red carpet.”
Her enthusiasm didn’t rub off on me. I shook my head, taking another peek out the window at the hordes of people. “There’s no way I’m walking up there.”
I thanked Ross when I stepped out the car and joined Mai on the pavement. She was deep in conversation with the valet who’d opened her door. That girl could talk to anyone.
She linked arms and tried steering me towards the carpet. “I’m not stopping, Mai,” I repeated. “No-one will want a picture anyway, it’s not like we’re famous.”
After being stopped and asked for ID by a woman in a little black dress, complete with headset and tablet, we were allowed through. The second we stepped onto the carpet we were faced with a blinding glare of flashbulbs.
Squinting against the brightness, I freed my arm from Mai’s grip and rushed inside. From the shelter of the hotel, I watched Mai work it like a pro, until finally she joined me, giddy with the thrill of it all.
“Oh, Kara,” she gushed, “I’m in love with your man. That was awesome.”
We were escorted to the roof terrace by a male host who wasn’t a day over twenty, if that. Walking through long, flowing black drapes billowing in the evening breeze was like being transported to another world. Fairy lights twinkled around large urns of grasses and palms, and tea lights floated on the surface of the shimmering pool. It was magical.
“We’ve hit the jackpot,” Mai announced loudly, steering us towards the bar. We weaved through guests on the stone terrace, their chatter mixing with the heavy bass pumping not too loudly from a DJ booth on the other side. Mai ordered two dirty Martini’s whilst I surveyed our surroundings. The bartenders and waitstaff were dressed in black, and the guests were the typical ‘in-crowd’ I’d expect from this type of function.
“It’s a free bar,” Mai giggled, handing me a drink.
“That doesn’t mean you have to drink it dry,” I warned her. “Don’t embarrass me tonight.”
“When have I ever done that?” she whined with a sly smile. Mai spoke her mind at the best of times, but after a few drinks, she really got going. I cringed, imagining how easily she could show me up, or worse, Nate.
We found a spot at one of the tall bar tables. Mai excitedly pointed out famous faces she recognised from television, but I was none the wiser. The only face I did recognise was the twenty-something actress who’d been signed as the fresh face of Acacia, and whose endorsement had been given to the beauty book being launched. She was every bit as radiant in the flesh as on the big screen and was surrounded by men wanting her attention.
“Mai, this is the type of event covered in those magazines you read.” I sipped my drink, moving behind the table, appreciating the shelter it gave me.
“Ooh, think we’ll be in it?” she asked excitedly, clearing missing the point of my observation. “I saw E! outside.”
“It’s not really us, is it?”
“Why not?” Mai dug her phone from her bag. “We’re way prettier than them.” Smiling widely, she raised her near empty glass and took a selfie to post on one of her many social media profiles.
I sipped my drink but couldn’t shake off my inadequacies as I watched the beautiful people preening themselves. “Look at them, Mai.” I tipped my chin towards two women, possibly models judging by their waif-like figures and glamorous made-up faces. “That’s the type of woman Nate is surrounded with. I don’t stand a chance do I? I should just end it right now.”
Mai glared at me. “Blake’s chosen you. The sooner you fucking accept that, the better for all of us.”
I felt scolded, like an errant child. Mai’s unpleasant words were only appeased when she placed a supportive hand over mine and gentled her voice. “Don’t let your crazy paranoia screw this up, Kara. I see how important he is to you already.”
“Ladies, allow me to refresh your drinks.” A blond haired man, early thirties, bright white teeth and sparkling hazel eyes, set two Martini’s on the table. “That’s an awesome necklace,” he continued, lifting the black chain off Mai’s chest. “It’s the exact match with your hair.”
I snorted. It had to be the worst chat-up line I’d heard in years.
“I’m sorry. Stephen Avery.” He turned to me and took my hand without waiting for me to offer it. “You have the most wonderful eyes if you don’t mind me saying.”
“She might not, but I do.” Nate appeared by my side and slid the Martini back to Stephen. His manner was calm and poised. The fierce glimmer of possession in his eyes suggested he was anything but. I snapped my hand away from Stephen and chanced a look at Mai. She was gaping, in as much shock over Nate’s reaction as I was.
Stephen visibly shrunk, intimidated in Nate’s presence. “The lady is with me tonight,” Nate warned him, snaking a possessive arm around my waist.
“Hey.” Stephen held his hands up and backed away. “Only a drink, buddy. No offence.”
Nate settled between us, angling his body towards mine. “None taken. Buddy,” he snarled over his shoulder.
Recognition unfurled through my body, carrying warmth through my now faster-pumping blood stream. When Nate faced me, his eyes shone almost an electric blue. The alpha-male standing in front of me was hot as fuck. Indigo jeans hung low on his waist, and the rich fabric of a dark navy slim-cut shirt, open at the collar and sleeves rolled below the elbow, caressed every muscle of his finely honed body. Casually half-tucked in at the front, it brought sex to mind. Wild, frenzied sex that had left him mussed and unkempt.
I drank him in, not quite believing how good he looked. He rewarded me with a lazy, sexy smile.
“Thought you didn’t get jealous?” I raised a brow, referencing his small power exchange.
“That’s an ugly word.” Nate rubbed the small amount of growth gracing his jawline. “The man has nothing I want. Whereas I,” he said quietly, running a fingertip over my cheek, “appear to have everything he wants. You look sensational.”
His kiss, by my ear, caused a flurry of sensation across my skin. A current charged through my body from the brush of his fingertips over the bare flesh of my back when he pressed me into his frame.
My eyes closed, my head falling forward to nuzzle his, absorbing his longed for touch. Nate inhaled deeply before settling his hand on my lower back and stepping back.
Mai dug me in the ribs with a sharp jab of her elbow. Glaring at me, she nodded discreetly to Nate, hinting at an introduction.
“Nate, this is my good friend Mai. Mai, this is—” I wasn’t sure how to introduce him, and settled for “Nate.”
“Ah, Mickey Mouse,” Nate lilted, extending his hand to Mai. As she took it, her expression dropped from a face-splitting grin to a frown as she turned to me for further explanation.
“He saw the photo,” I explained.
Mai’s normally olive skin turned crimson. I covered my mouth to hide a smirk and was rewarded with a mouthed “fuck off.”
“I’m sorry. It’s good to meet you, Mai.” Nate covered her hand, patting it reassuringly, and dazzled her with a smile. Mai flicked her hair coquettishly, batted her eyelashes and visibly swayed on her feet. Her flirting made me uneasy and instantly possessive of Nate.
Stephen had long since disappeared. Nate’s arm slipped around my waist and he struck up a conversation, mostly with Mai because I was too awed and overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage a relationship with Nate when he frequently rendered me speechless, but judging by his proprietorial body language right now, I needed to learn fast.
Party guests, mainly women, occasionally passed our table, all desperate to catch Nate’s eye. Their scrutiny of me was unsettling. Some were curious glances, others more derisive. All in all, they succeeded in making me uncomfortable.
Nate tightened his grip on my waist and moved closer. “Ignore them, Kara.”
I glanced over his shoulder at the small group standing nearby, who appeared to be talking about us, if the finger pointing and indiscreet glances were anything to go by.
“Don’t let them bother you,” he urged, moving so my back was to the crowd.
A photographer appeared, excusing himself for interrupting but readying his camera anyway. Nate angled towards me and locked me in a firm embrace. He gazed lovingly at me, whispering, “I want a picture with the most enchanting woman in the room.”
Dazzled by his smile and overcome by his sincerity, I smiled back, just as the flash popped.
“Excuse me, Nate.” A well-dressed, attractive middle-aged woman appeared behind him. Giving me a perfunctory nod of acknowledgement, she carried on. “There are some people I’d like you to meet.”
Irritation washed over me as she ran her hand down his arm—the one still curled around me—seeming just a little over friendly with him. Practised in the art of managing people, Nate slipped gracefully out of the unwelcome contact without making her feel awkward.
“You going to be okay while I do this?” he asked me, irritated at being dragged away. He was referring to the moral-less women still making eyes at him even though he was clearly with me.
“I’ll be fine. Go work the room.”
“Be back as soon as I can,” Nate apologised, eyes not leaving mine. They stayed that way as he stepped backwards, before the woman led him off to the other side of the terrace. The small gathering of women were quick to follow.
“Fucking hell, K!” Mai sipped her Martini, neck craned to watch Nate disappear. “He’s a living, breathing, airbrushed photoshop! There’s gotta be laws against looking that good in public.”
“Weren’t you the person telling me how hot he was in the first place?” I asked, following Nate around the room with my eyes.
Mai shook her head. “That was before.”
“Before what?”
“He screwed you!” Mai handed me a fresh drink, courtesy of a waiter who brought them to our table. “Now I’m seeing him with entirely new eyes. I could cut myself on that jaw…” Mai blew out a breath and brought her glazed eyes from Nate back to me. “And, ugh,” she groaned, “what I wouldn’t give to hear that voice talk dirty in my ear as he fucked me into oblivion…”
“Mai!” I gave her shoulder a gentle shove. “You’ve got your own boyfriend. Stop lusting after mine!”
With a raised brow, she smirked as she supported her merry self against the table.
“Bad choice of words,” I muttered, irked by my careless choice of noun. A couple of dates and a night of explosive sex hardly warranted Nate being given that label.
“All those honeys need to take a back seat, ‘cause that man only has eyes for you.” Mai yanked me down to her level and slurred in my ear, “So infatuated with you.”
“Don’t be silly!” I straightened, snickering at her outrageous comments. With the amount of empty glasses on the table, I could only assume she was on her way to getting drunk. “C’mon, bathroom.” I gripped her elbow and steered her away from the table. She clearly had no idea what she was saying.
As we neared the exit, I heard my name. A hand seized mine and tugged me through the black drapes.
“I can find my own way,” Mai announced when she spotted Nate and marched off before I could stop her.
“What are you doing?” I giggled.
Nate’s sultry smile was the last thing I saw before I was pinned up against a wall by six foot three of hard, lean muscle. His hands were everywhere, roaming my body with a sense of urgency. He kissed like his life depended on it, getting his fix to keep him going until the next time. I was just as fervent, tangling my fingers in the glossy lengths of his tousled hair to hold him steady.
“I’m longing to make love with you again, Kara.” Nate moved to my bare shoulders, breathlessly nibbling at the sensitive skin. “So much it hurts.” Trapped between his solid frame and the wall, I was helpless.
“You’re near-naked beneath this dress, and visualising how good that looks is driving me crazy,” he groaned, cupping my jaw and capturing my mouth again. “Your beguiling nature could break the strongest of men.” His hand curved my arse and pushed me into his erection whilst his mouth moved feverishly across any area of exposed skin. “You’ve wrecked me…”
I knew it was a sexy dress, but hearing what it did to him, feeling how I affected him, was eye-opening.
Nate paused for breath, resting his forehead to mine and cradling my nape. “You have no idea how alluring you are, have you?”
I shook my head. I didn’t, but I was beginning to get an idea.
“That’s such a turn-on,” he murmured, his voice uneven. “It’s all I can do to stop myself from fucking you, right here, right now, regardless of where we are or who we’re with.”
Nate’s greedy mouth covered mine again, absorbing my gasp into his hot mouth. The thumping bass from the music vibrated against my back, a similar rhythm to the thudding of Nate’s chest against mine. His hand skimmed my hip as it travelled up to my braless breast. His thumb brushed the erect nipple, his groan sending a shudder through his body as his lips touched my neck, collarbone then lower.
“Nate, stop!” I jerked his head away before he reached my breast. Scorching eyes flared back at me, whilst his chest heaved with rapid breaths.
“I can’t stop this,” he panted, closing in again. “Give me what I need.”
“Excuse me?” I dodged his mouth. “You want to have sex here?” I cried. “In front of everyone? A dirty little quickie in the corridor!” I craved his touch like I needed to breathe, but I didn’t want it here, not like this. I ducked under his arm and made for the gap in the curtain. “I knew this was a mistake.”
“Wait!” Nate caught my wrist. Glaring at him, I couldn’t make sense of anything. His eyes were still wild with lust when he closed them and quietly said, “Don’t say that.”
I deflated, upset at the way he’d made me feel. “I thought I was more important to you than that?”
“I didn’t mean—” Nate folded me into his arms. “You could be so good for me, Kara, but you have to open up. I’m drowning in feelings for you and need a sign. Anything to show me you’re feeling it, too. Give me something.”
My indignation left me in a rush. The way Nate regarded me so adoringly with those gorgeous blue eyes made me ache. I brushed my lips over his.
“I feel it.” My admission was so quiet I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me. But the release of tension in his frame confirmed he had.
“Come home with me tonight,” he suggested, tracing the line of my neck with his thumbs. “We don’t have to make love. I just need to hold you, feel the heat from your body next to mine.”
“I can’t. Mai’s staying over. It’s not fair to abandon her.” She wouldn’t mind, but as much as I wanted to spend the night with Nate, I wasn’t the type of girl that dropped their friends for a man.
Nate stepped back, keeping me at arm’s length. “Do you want to be with me?”
“You know I do,” I said shyly, running my hand down the buttons of his shirt until I reached his belt.
“I want this, so much. I can’t stop thinking about you. Every goddamn minute I’m awake, you’re in my thoughts. I can’t sleep.” He laughed quietly, tipping his head to the side. “Even in the few hours I do, I dream about you.”
I trailed trembling fingers along his jaw, completely in awe of his honesty and openness.
“But you’re hesitating,” he added. “Why?”
“What happens when all this goes wrong? You’ll be okay, you’ll simply move on to someone else. Trade in the new girl from the office for a better model.”
Nate’s brow wrinkled. “You think I could forget you that easily?”
I shrugged. “More than I could you.”
“You think?” he repeated flatly.
“Well, look at me.” I gestured at my body, hoping he’d understand.
His gaze dropped the length of my body, then his lips curled. “Oh, believe me, I do. Every chance I get.”
“I’m being serious,” I tutted, batting his hand away as it slid over my arse.
“So am I. If I could, I’d spend every second of the day with you. I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”
“A man like you couldn’t possibly stay interested in me,” I mumbled, sagging against the wall.
“You mean a man who’s living and breathing?” He stepped forward and caged me to the wall, one hand either side of my head.
“I mean a man whose life is this.” I pointed over his shoulder to the event in full swing the other side of the curtain. “Glitzy parties, and an army of pretty girls all vying for his attention.”
“This isn’t my life,” Nate said despondently, “this is my job. Don’t mistake them for the same thing.”
I lowered my eyes away from his impassioned gaze. “I’ve made poor judgements of people before, laid myself wide open and suffered the consequences. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Hey.” He bent down to my line of sight, tilting my chin up with his finger, drawing my eyes back up. “I understand more than you think. Trust me on this, I’m right where I want to be.”
The arms that were already too familiar wrapped around me, holding me like they never wanted to let go. “This is all I want,” he murmured into my hair, “you and me. Don’t pay attention to anyone else.”
And I believed him because nothing else mattered, was important, when I was safely in his arms, where I belonged.
I agreed to meet Nate back at the table and made my way to the bathroom. Being thoroughly well ravaged had mussed me up. Having unsuccessfully trying to locate Mai, I returned to the table and found the two of them deep in conversation. All the humiliating stories she could tell him flashed through my mind as I rushed over.
“Hey,” Nate greeted me, placing a hand on my lower back. He slid a fresh Martini in front of me.
“Thank you.” My eyes darted between the two of them, concerned by Mai’s impish smile. “Don’t mind me,” I said, urging them to carry on.
“Oh, we’re done,” Mai said, sipping what must’ve been her sixth drink, “think he’s got the message.” She gave Nate a conspiratorial wink and picked up her clutch. “I’m going for a smoke.”
I watched her stagger off. “She’s scheming,” I muttered under my breath, sliding the olive off the stick with my teeth.
“She’s watching out for her friend,” he corrected cryptically, rubbing my back reassuringly. “I like her.”
“She can be an interfering pain in the backside, too, but don’t hold that against her.”
“She’s enjoying herself.” Nate took a sip of the iced clear liquid in front of him.
“Too much.” I swept the table and took in five empty Martini glasses. “Getting a ticket to this party will be the highlight of her life. She’s in her element that you and I are dating now.”
Nate tucked me into his side and lowered his head to keep our conversation intimate. “Is that what we’re doing?”
“I thought so.” I glanced sideways. “Aren’t we?”
His hand flexed on my hip. “Just wanted to make sure you understood that,” he said, nuzzling my ear. “Tell me when I can see you again.”
“I don’t have any plans tomorrow.” I found myself rubbing my face against his, the intimacy making my breath catch at how good it felt to be this close.
Nate’s hand glided up my spine and brushed my hair aside, then settled at my nape. “I’m out of the office all day,” he murmured, “and I can’t cancel dinner with my sister again.”
“Again?”
Nate laughed softly. “Mel needs managing appropriately. Cancelling because of you again will really piss her off. But,” he said, turning me into a swift kiss, “I’m definitely seeing you Friday. No excuses.”
My stomach fluttered, my entire body longing for his touch. I was missing him before we’d even said goodbye.
Mai returned, eyes gleaming brightly, the effects of alcohol and successful meddling agreeing with her. She took her ringing phone from her bag and said, “Fuck off, babe, you’re a real dick with double-standards,” in the sweetest, most insincere voice. The pent up resentment she held against Mitchell always came out when she’d been drinking. Hearing her snipe was our cue to leave before she humiliated us all.
“I should get Mai home,” I told Nate, finding him engrossed in me and oblivious to Mai’s rising voice.
His expression dropped. “You really have to leave?”
“You can do without her causing a scene.” I kissed him, hoping to cheer him up. “Thank you for inviting us, I’ve had a great time.”
“I’ll have Ross bring the car to the rear.” Nate made a quick call whilst I indicated we were leaving to Mai.
“Asshole.” Mai abruptly ended the call and knocked back the last of her drink. Nate’s brow rose at Mai’s pleasant description of her fiancé.
“Everything okay?” I asked her.
“Everything’s awesome. My fiancé’s a two-faced jerk. My best friend’s hooked the hottest bachelor for miles, ruining any chance I ever had. And I’ve just been hit on by a guy with more hair on his chin than his head,” she said sarcastically. “What’s not to love about life?”
“Bald men are supposed to be more virile,” I joked, tucking her phone into her bag and taking her hand. I was the last person to encourage infidelity.
“Oh,” she swayed, “in that case…” Mai tried feebly to go back as Nate helped steer her to the exit.
“If you’re not happy with your fiancé, don’t cheat,” Nate offered sagely, propping her up as we waited for the lift. “Calling off the engagement and walking away is more dignified.”
The wise words of advice hit a nerve and stirred something in my soul. That small insight into Nate’s beliefs, standards, expectations, filled me with hope. How could he shred me so easily with a few innocent words? Nate glanced over, and when those smoky eyes latched onto mine, I knew he understood me more than I appreciated.
Nate came with us to the rear exit of the hotel. He held me back whilst Ross helped Mai into the Mercedes. “Don’t ever feel like you’re competing with any other woman,” he reiterated, giving me one last delicious kiss goodbye. “Because believe me, you’re gonna win hands down every time.”
I was left to process his words from the back seat of the car. Mai didn’t recover from her swooning until we were almost back at my place. “He coming over later?” she slurred, leaning into my shoulder.
“No, he wanted me to go home with him.”
“S’cool. Ross can take me home.” Mai lurched forward and smacked Ross on the shoulder. “You can take me home.”
“Whatever you say, Miss,” Ross replied politely.
Cringing, I apologised on Mai’s behalf and distracted her with the contents of the gift bag we’d been given as we left.
KICKING off my shoes, I flopped into an armchair and tossed my clutch on the coffee table. Mai had found the bottle of Baileys, and was pouring generous measures into two glasses.
“I don’t want one,” I told her. “I’m going to bed.”
“One for the road.” Holding hers aloft, she knocked it back like a shot. When my mobile rang and I saw Nate’s name, I took the call into my bedroom for privacy.
“How’s Mai?” Nate asked. “Is she in bed?”
“I wish. She’s started on the Baileys. Could be a long night.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah,” I laughed, switching on the bedside lamp as I perched on the edge of the bed. “Are you at home?”
“Still here. I’m hoping to leave shortly.”
Since leaving, I’d tortured myself with thoughts of Nate still being at the event, surrounded by those stunning women keen to get noticed, all too happy to flaunt a relationship with him. Not hide it away like me.
I was peeved with Mai for not being able to handle her drink. “I wish I could’ve stayed.” My voice was tiny, timid and wary. A few simple words felt like an enormous commitment.
“Kara.” There was a pause and a small sigh. “I’d give anything to kiss you goodnight right now.”
The sense of longing his words evoked in my soul was painful. “I’d be there if I could,” I whispered, hugging a pillow to my chest, hating myself for turning him down.
“Friday,” he said huskily, his voice catching.
“Friday,” I agreed. Though right now that seemed too long to wait.
Nate cleared his throat. “Sleep well, baby.”
I hung up and held the phone to my chest, silently processing the enormity of everything Nate had said to me tonight. It was all happening so fast. Too fast. It was crazy. The only comfort? I wasn’t the only one feeling it.
“That Nate?” Mai asked from her stretched out position on the sofa when I returned to the lounge.
“Hmm.” I took my drink and curled up into the armchair cushions.
“So what gives? You looked really uncomfortable around him.” She removed her earrings and set them on the table beside the necklace. “Thought you were happy?”
“I am.” I sighed. “I like him.”
“No kidding,” she said sarcastically. I threw a furry orange cushion at her which she caught and threw straight back, hitting me with surprising accuracy given her likely blurry vision. “Nate feels exactly the same. No doubt.”
“Really?” I swirled the glass, letting the creamy liquid coat the sides. “Because every time I see him, all I see are reminders of why he shouldn’t be with me.” I sat as still as I could, hoping she was falling asleep. I didn’t want to wake her. My bed was calling, and I was desperate to get some rest.
“You want more,” Mai spoke unexpectedly, her eyes staying shut. Damn. “He’s trying to give it. S’all you can ask for. Want him to become a monk?”
“Good God no! He’s way too good in bed for that.”
“I knew it!” she cried, leaping up and rubbing her hands together expectantly. “Details, please!”
“No.” I laughed and went to the kitchen to get us some water, ignoring her grumbling. She knew how to play me, but I wasn’t backing down this time.
Mai joined me. “Not all guys will jump into bed with the next slutty tramp who offers herself to them.” Even though she’d never met Stuart, she hated him with a vengeance that rivalled my own.
“Thanks, Mai.” I pulled her into a hug and led her to the spare bedroom. “You going to be okay?”
“I’m great. Gonna sleep now.” Somehow she got out of her dress, leaving it in a pile on the floor with the rest of her discarded belongings. Then she crashed onto the bed, dragging the covers up, already half asleep and mumbling incoherently.
“Night, Mai,” I said quietly. “And remember, no sneaky cigarettes in here, please.”