“You forgive me?” I grab the coat off the hanger because I need to escape this area. It’s like a sexual trifecta with him, me and a bed five-feet away.
“You could make it up to me...give me a belated birthday gift,” he says from behind me.
“I can only imagine what you had in mind.” I stop in the family room and push one arm into my coat when suddenly the back of the coat is held up for me.
“Nah, you never were the birthday blow job kinda girl, were you?”
I say nothing because there’s currently a fire igniting between my thighs and I know it’s only going to spread.
“I think you loved my cock more than I did,” he says in a low, gravelly voice.
There it goes, a full five-alarm fire between my thighs.
I slide my arm through my other sleeve. His fingers brush the nape of my neck as he straightens the collar.
“November third,” he whispers my birthday into my ear. “Figured you were wondering.”
“You figured wrong.” I move to the table to grab my clutch, my eyes never meeting his. “I don’t like to be late.” I yank open the door, but he grabs the edge, motioning for me to go first.
I was so wrong about this only being a ride. I’m not sure myself or my panties are going to survive.
Somehow, I did just that—survive. Mostly because I made sure to stay on my side of the Uber car. Thankfully, Dean took the signal and stayed on the opposite side. We discussed RISE mostly, he wanted more information on the charity he only volunteered his services to help so that he could have a “casual” run-in with me.
I admit, Hannah’s right, I like the fact that he sought me out way more than I should.
We make our way into the building and one of the three doormen direct us to the elevator and steps in with us.
“Why did Hannah start RISE again?” Dean asks, dangerously close to me.
“Because her ex was an asshole.”
The doorman glances over his shoulder with a smirk.
“Those damn ex-husbands,” Dean jokes. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
Giggle number two. I’m going to count them the entire evening, so if you’d like to grab a piece of scrap paper, you’d be doing me a service.
“I could live without mine.”
His hand lands on my hip. It doesn’t mold, just stays there and the heat between us makes it feel like he’s branding me.
The elevator dings and the doorman holds his hand on the doors so they don’t close on us. Dean’s hand finds the small of my back to lead me out.
“Have a good night.” The gentleman nods to us.
“You as well. Thank you.” Dean puts out his hand, shakes it with what I assume is money.
“Where did the farm boy go?” I ask.
“I told you I’ve changed.” He shrugs.
We stop in front of a woman dressed in black and white who’s holding her hands out. “May I?”
Dean helps me with my coat and hands it over to the woman, and then sheds his leather jacket. For some reason, I have a momentary lapse of judgment. Before he hands it over, I twirl around and place a hand on his chest. “Don’t go stripping away the old you completely.”
He smiles down at me, his hand covers mine and we stare into each other’s eyes for a moment. I want to look away. I need to look away.
“Chelsea!”
Thank God.
“I’ll be keeping that.” Dean keeps his jacket, sliding his arms back through the sleeves, leaving his cool persona intact.
“You look gorgeous.” Victoria approaches, Reed at her side. “Spin.”
“No.”
“Come on, spin.” Victoria’s eyes are expectant. Are they handing out crack at this party? What the hell is wrong with her?
“No.”
Dean steps up beside me and links his fingers through mine and holds our hands up in the air between us. For some reason that I can’t fathom, I don’t pull away.
“Oh, I’m not supposed to like you,” Victoria says with dreamy eyes.
“You’re Victoria?” Dean asks.
Reed steps closer, putting his arm around his woman and planting his hand on her hip. “And I’m Reed.”
“Down dog,” I joke. “This is Dean.”
“Dean?” Reed questions and then he removes his hand from Victoria and extends it out to Dean. “The ex-husband?”
“The one and only.” Dean shakes his hand while still holding my arm up with his free hand. I fight to lower my hand, but he’s stronger and wins out.
I spin quickly to get it over with. Victoria claps. “Just gorgeous. Love the dress.”
I swear she’s transformed into Mary Poppins since Reed came into her life.
“I couldn’t agree more, Victoria.” Dean’s hand extends to Victoria.
She stares at it and then glances to me, hesitantly letting Dean’s big hand swallow her petite one.
“You look beautiful. Spin,” I say back to her with a shit-eating grin.
She laughs, spinning without the assistance of Reed. Even does a curtsey.
“Reed, are you giving her drugs?” I ask.
He chuckles and kisses her temple. “If happiness is a drug, then she’s overdosed.”
I roll my eyes. “They’re newly together.” I point to the happy couple and look at Dean.
He nods. “Hopefully they’ll rub off on you.”
I roll my eyes and glance around the room, trying to spot Hannah’s German Shepard, Lucy. When I don’t spot her trying to climb up anyone’s leg, I turn to Victoria.
“Where’s Lucy?” I ask.
“Hannah said things did not go well when the caterers came to start setting up, so she begged Tad to take her for the evening.
I chuckle. “She’s going to owe him big time.”
“Who’s Lucy?” Dean asks.
Before I can respond, Reed spots someone behind me. “Raegan!” Reed raises his hand and Victoria slides to the side to see past Dean.
“Oh. My. God.” Victoria’s face pales.
“I told you, she doesn’t like me. See, she brought a date with her.” Reed argues against Victoria’s jealousy of a lawyer who did some intellectual property work for us pro bono. He introduced us to her and she helped us out of a jam.
Victoria’s hand smacks Reed in the stomach. “Give me some credit.” Her eyes find mine and her voice lowers. “It’s the silver fox.”
“What?” I spin around and sure as shit, the silver fox is helping Raegan with her coat and handing it to the lady who just took mine.
I spin back around to Victoria, my gaze scanning the immediate area for Hannah.
“Last we saw her, she was on her way to the kitchen to make sure everything was going smoothly.” Victoria bites her lip.
“What am I missing?” Reed asks. “Is that Hannah’s boyfriend?”
“NO!” we both screech.
“It’s her ex-husband’s attorney,” Victoria says.
“Divorce attorney,” I clarify.
“So, he might be more hated than me at this party?” Dean asks.
Reed and Victoria laugh.
“I don’t hate you,” Reed chimes in.