I can’t help but laugh. “Well, you did just wring, what, twenty orgasms out of me.”
He chuckles, shaking his head at my dramatics. “You up to coming with me to poker night?”
I raise my brows. “Poker night? With who?” His mouth quirks, and my stomach dips, not in the good way. “Your friends?”
“You don’t have to. They’ll never go for dinner, and the club … they’d be too preoccupied for that.”
“Well, better now than never, right?”
“That’s my girl.” He swats my bare ass, placing a chaste kiss on my lips. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll wait for you to get ready. Everyone pretty much shows up when they want.”
I make quick work of showering and dressing. I opt for a simple white off-the-shoulder summer dress and wedged sandals. I twist my hair up in a bun and keep my makeup simple. After the gala, I don’t feel the need to go all out and get in their faces. I figure if I look more virginal, sweet, and down to earth, it’ll win me some points. Baz said we’d be heading to Zach’s place, which means if I could find an opportunity to “explore,” I need to take it.
When I step out of the bathroom, Baz is already dressed, looking casual and too fucking hot for words. I try not to eye fuck him, but he really makes it difficult, and by the crooked grin on his face and the heated gleam in his eyes, I’d say he knows it.
“How do I look?”
“Good enough to eat.”
A laugh bursts past my lips, and I close the distance between us, nudging him in the chest. “Stop it. I’m being serious. I want to make a good impression.”
“They’ve already met you. Twice now, actually.”
“I know that. I just want things to go well. I’ll be in their space tonight. I’m really trying hard not to fuck this up.”
He stares down at me, questions floating behind his eyes. A frown mars his features, making him look more severe than usual. “Why is this so important to you? Having them like you?”
I glance down at his chest, swallowing down the golf ball-sized lump in my throat before I summon the courage to look back up at him. While staring into his blue-green eyes, he makes it hard to lie. “Because they’re your friends, and I like you.”
As Baz stares down at me, I get an odd vibe from him. Lately, I’ve noticed it more and more when we spend time together. It’s like he’s stuck in his own head, thinking too hard. I want to ask what it’s about, but at the same time, I worry about what he could really be thinking, and I worry I won’t be prepared for whatever it is.
With the pad of his thumb, Baz tenderly caresses my cheekbone. With a mind of its own, his thumb traces my lips, smearing my ChapStick. A crease forms between his brows as he utters, “And I more than like you.”
I freeze. My breath lodges in my throat, and my eyes grow round as I process his words. By the reproachful expression on his face, it’s obvious he’s struggling with the truth of his words, struggling to open up to me.
Unable to help myself, a wide, toothy grin spreads across my face. I rise onto the tips of my toes and slide my hands around his neck, still smiling like a loon.
Baz rolls his eyes at the pleasure his slipup has obviously brought me, but he still tugs my body into his, pressing my front against his warmth. “Don’t let it go to your head, dirty girl.”
I laugh, tightening my grip on him. “Oh, it’s gone to my head, all right. Baz King does have a heart, after all.”
He shakes his head down at me, his mouth twitching as he unsuccessfully tries to hold back his smile. “Yeah, yeah, just don’t go breaking it, dirty girl.”
With no more self-restraint, I press my mouth against his in a kiss that stuns us both silent. His fingertips dig into my flesh, drawing me into where he deepens our kiss. His tongue strokes mine, and I moan into his mouth.
“Fuck, you taste good. Let’s go before I keep you locked in the bedroom.”
The laugh that escapes me sounds embarrassingly close to a giggle.
Hand in hand, we file out of the penthouse and head down toward Dan and the waiting car. Just as he’s been doing, Baz helps me inside before sliding in next to me. I’ve noticed sometimes he enjoys driving himself, mainly on the nights he doesn’t drink, but when he does plan to consume any kind of alcohol, he almost always has Dan drive us.
We merge onto I-10, and I rest my back against the leather, trying not to grow too anxious about tonight. I feel his warm hand settle on my thigh, and he squeezes, bringing my attention to him.
“Nervous?”
“What? No. Of course not. Why would you think that?”
“You keep bouncing your leg,” he quips.
Christ. I hadn’t even noticed.
I shoot him a halfhearted smile. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Those guys are a tough crowd. But to get your mind off it, let’s talk about something else. How’s the piece coming along?”
My brows dip. “The piece?”
Something passes over Baz’s face, the muscle in his jaw clenching. “The piece for work? Isn’t that why you’re here in LA?”
Shit!
“Oh! Yes, sorry. The piece. Right.” I cough, trying to clear my throat and pull myself together. “It’s coming along slowly. I’ve run into some blocks, you know, material and flow issues, but I’m sure it’ll pass soon.”
“Blocks, huh?” he cross-examines. The strange glint in his eyes is making me sweat. “I don’t think I ever asked before now, but what’s the piece about, anyway?”
“Oh, it wouldn’t interest you. It’s just some freelance gig. Nothing notable.” I wave him off, hoping like hell he’ll change the subject.
“Who is it for, if you don’t mind me asking? Your previous works as well, where can I find them? You’ve seen firsthand what I do. It’s only fair I do the same.”
Fucking shit.
Fuck.
Fuck. Shit. Fuck!
Why is he suddenly asking all these questions? And on the way to his friend’s house of all fucking times? As if I don’t already have enough on my plate.
I rub my suddenly sweaty palms down the material of my dress, trying to come up with something logical.
“I’ve never really been featured in anything special. I’ve written a few ads, some warranty policies for companies, and one other time, I wrote a column in Cheddar for their celebrity section. It’s not much, and it’s obviously like nothing you do at the resorts, but”—I inhale a deep breath—“it’s a check. And it pays the bills, so I can’t complain. And what I’m working on right now is more of a journalism piece. It’s on crimes here in Hollywood and the surrounding areas. It’s a little gruesome to go over old reports, but it’s a huge opportunity and not to mention a huge check. I’d be stupid to turn it down.”
When I finish with my lie, something I promised I’d stop doing so damn frequently around Baz, my heart is pounding, and my breathing is labored. He stares at me for a beat, searching my eyes. I wonder how long he’s going to do that until a smirk spreads across his face.
“You’re something else, you know that, dirty girl?”
I force a smile. “So I’ve been told.”