Chapter 152

“Come on, miele … We’re going to be late.” Jake is harassing me from outside the bathroom door. It’s been a day of lazing in bed, food, and movies, but now he’s rushing me to get dressed up to meet friends for his brother’s birthday. The plan is to all meet up at a nightclub called Top of the Standard. Apparently one of the most exclusive clubs you can find in New York city. It didn’t take much for Jake to swing entry for two dozen of Arrick’s friends and closest family members.

“Well, seeing as you gave me zero warning, I’m doing the best I can.” I pout, finally emerging in a black, strapless cocktail dress that is tight and short, gold high heels, and a gold clutch, I’ve made up my face with nude lips and a smoky dark eye shadow that Leila showed me a few weeks back on the boat. My hair is its usual loose, tousled waves in a side parting.

“Wow, si è assolutamente sorprendente, bambina.” He exclaims, the look on his face telling me that it’s most definitely a compliment. He swoops down to kiss me hard, taking my breath away. “Maybe being late will be worth it.” He smirks, tracing a finger down from shoulder to cleavage diagonally and moving a little too close.

“Oh no you don’t.” I slap his hand away sassily. “I did not rush this kind of perfection to have you mess it all up with a quickie.” I put my hands on my hips as he sighs off the lust. He relents, his eyes still devouring me.

“Only because Arrick has text me twenty times already, that’s the only reason I’m not bending you over the bed right now.” He throws me a hot Casanova smile and I get that annoyingly predictable internal flutter of heat.

Really? Weeks together and I still cannot control the urge to jump his bones.

He’s in his trademark black shirt and leather jacket, only this time with black tailored trousers and black shoes. He looks every bit the billionaire playboy tonight, his hair spiked to the center and his designer stubble trimmed to perfection. He smells amazing.

“You look sexy.” I grin as he pulls up the dark gray jacket from the bed and helps me ease into it. It’s calf length and made of expensive wool and has the most flattering, fitted shape. A new acquisition from Donna at his urging that I needed a winter coat for formal events. New York is starting to get cooler already.

“You look far sexier than me, neonata.” He leads me out of the apartment, nodding at the security staff in the outer hall.

* * *

The club is bumping when we finally find our party inside, taking over an entire corner of tables by the wide windows overlooking New York. We’re up high with the lights sparkling below like a sea of fairy sparkles and plenty of high-rise buildings looking like neon shows in the dark. The club is bustling and glamourous with a center light reaching up from the floor and spreading out across the ceiling like an upturned chandelier, the whole place aglow with gold tones and shimmering magical aura. It’s busy and bustling with people everywhere.

Jake’s has his fingers entwined with mine as he introduces me to the hordes of new faces that swarmed toward him as we arrived. I recognize Arrick right away. He kisses me on the cheek boldly and pats his brother on the back affectionately. I spy Leila and she waves frantically at me, too caught in her conversation with some tall blonde to come over and as I’m glued to Jake’s hand, I can’t go to her.

Daniel appears from the background; he looks toward Leila on the fly and heads in the opposite direction without even the briefest of acknowledgment of us. He’s too busy eye stalking my friend, it seems. I turn back quickly seeing a slight creep of color run up her delicate cheeks and then she goes back to laughing loudly with her friend, it’s obvious Hunter affects her more than she lets on. Her eyes never stray toward Daniel again which is a huge tell-tale sign. I long to go talk to her about it, but I’m soon pulled into the arc of Jake’s arms in front of his body as he introduces me to a vast number of unnaturally handsome people in expensive outfits.

There’s a mix of both male and female friends, too many to count and Jake seems to be at ease with most of them. It makes me feel in awe. He’s effortless with people, he knows everyone and yet I’m the polar opposite. People in social situations make me uncomfortable. I prefer the business deals and meetings where I can wear PA Emma’s face and demand respect. This happy social stuff is beyond my comfort zone. I’m a fish far out of water, but Jake seems to sense my apprehension and pulls me against him with an arm around the shoulders, keeping me in the middle of whomever he’s talking to and involved; nudging me into the conversation at every opportunity. I just sip the cocktail he’s bought me and listen for the most part, smile on cue and eventually start to relax under his attentive and protective care.

The music is good, the place is bumping and as I drink more, I start to loosen up. Jake relieves me from his hold, so he can lift his beer, a casual arm about my shoulders. Leila winds her way toward me and soon she drags me out of Jake’s arms to dance with her near one of the windows. I find it easy to be a little freer in her company, she has that effect on me and her happy energy and bubbliness is infectious.

“Can I just say … Wow … I mean, wow!” Leila giggles and pulls me close to a quiet table by a window, she throws herself down and clicks her fingers toward Jake, motioning a drink. He sticks his fingers up at her then turns and walks toward the bar which only makes me laugh.

“What are you wowing at?” I laugh and slide down beside her, watching his sexy ass swagger across the club.

“Ummm, you and Jake! Like only the most loved up couple I have ever seen, like, ever. He rarely lets you out of his grasp, and for him, that’s really something, Ems.” She beams at me.

“Yeah, I guess we kinda like each other.” I giggle and look over at him at the bar, he’s propped his elbows on it as he waits for the bartender and is in full conversation with some guy on one side. I notice Daniel move up behind him and throw a casual arm around Jake’s shoulder, motioning two fingers at the bartender over Jake’s head. The contrast of the two men happens to be the most attractive sight in the bar. I guess I’m slowly starting to warm to Daniel enough to no longer see him as a sleazy creep. He isn’t a patch on Jake’s looks, but he’s a close contender.

“Pity he has such shit taste in best friends.” Leila glares across at the two men and looks down at her lap, suddenly fiddling with her nails.

“You want to talk about it? He kinda showed up a few days ago and I got the brief outline.” I throw her a supportive smile as her eyes widen.

“He told you and Jake?” I don’t know if it’s surprise or hurt. She is definitely shocked.

“He sort of asked after you and Jake almost beat it out of him, Jake was really pissed, too.” I move to the seat next to her and take a hand in mine, pulling it to my lap and entwining fingers. “I’m here if you want to vent, he’s not exactly my most favorite person in the world.” I try for a laugh but her lack luster look, and down turned mouth halt me. I think she’s going to cry.

I’m going to fucking kill him.

“No, there’s nothing to say. I fell for it again, I slept with him and he never called me back. I’m so stupid when it comes to Daniel Hunter, I never learn.” Her eyes fill with moisture and then she sniffs them back down, her inner strength forcing its way up. She lifts her chin defiantly and looks at me with extreme purpose. “I won’t let him get to me; you know. He doesn’t deserve the time it takes to talk or think about him, so let’s just forget it.”

“I think he does care for you, Leila, the way Jake and he were talking, it seems like overanalyzing and a huge case of cold feet.” I try and soothe my friend, but I catch the cold look move into her eye.

“Guess that’s why he brought a date, right?”

The color drains from my face and anger ignites. My eyes scan the room in fury, and I glimpse the tall porn star like waif hanging close by the bar where he’s still hanging over Jake.

Asshole.