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CHAPTER SEVEN
EVIE
I can’t believe what’s happening. How had the night turned into this?
I’m in a surreal state of what-the-fuck as I thread my way through the crowd, replaying Nick’s whispered words over and over in my head. If you walked into work dressed like that I’d bend you over my desk and fuck you until you begged me to let you come.
The image is ungodly hot, and so distracting that I don’t realize that I’ve found Mickey until my feet stop seemingly independently of my mind.
Mickey has found the hunky blond Viking who was hitting on her earlier. They’ve abandoned any pretense of dancing and are making out against a wall.
“Uh,” I start, standing awkwardly behind them as they make a valiant effort in swallowing each other’s tongues.
“Excuse me?” I try.
Nothing. The Viking slips both of his hands under Mickey’s ass and hikes her up so that she can wrap her legs around his waist.
Time to dive straight in before I see something I can’t unsee.
“Hey!” I reach up and grab Mickey’s shoulder to get her attention.
She breaks off the kiss, and they both turn to look at me, him still holding her like she weighs nothing at all.
“You wanna join?” the Viking asks, flashing a pearly smile.
“Thanks but no thanks.” To Mickey, I say, “I think I’m going to get out of here. Will you be okay?”
Mickey turns back to the Viking, says, “Give me a moment, gorgeous,” and hops off him. She hooks her arm into mine and steers me off to the side.
“I’m sorry I ditched you up there,” she says genuinely. “I saw children and panicked. Are you upset with me?”
I shake my head. God, she’s nice. Cheryl never thought twice about leaving me anywhere at any time.
“No worries,” I say. “Like, at all. Trust me, I wanted to run too.”
“Then why are you leaving?” Mickey asks with a frown. “The night is young, and I suspect that Mr. Viking has an equally hot friend that will make Nick Madison look like a potted plant.”
I snort and don’t verbally disagree, even though I sincerely doubt a man that gorgeous exists. “Thanks but no thanks,” I say again.
I hesitate, embarrassed for a moment that I’m leaving the club with our boss. But then I relent. If Mickey tries to talk me out of it then maybe it really is a bad idea.
“I’m actually going with Nick.” At her expression, I quickly clarify, “But just to another, quieter bar. To get a drink. We’re not going home together.”
Nothing about Mickey’s face says she believes me.
“It’s true,” I insist. “I have no interest in complicating this cruise job.”
Mickey doesn’t try to talk me out of it. Instead she just grins, winks, and says, “Give him my best, girlie. And have fun.”
I swat away her wink, already heading back toward the door. “It’ll be boring,” I promise, not quite believing it myself. “You’re the one who’s in for some fun.”
Mickey shoots me a devilish smile and turns on her heel back to the Norse invader, beckoning him with a finger.
I shake my head as I walk away. Even back in the early days of college, before I was with Brent, I was never the type to go out to clubs like this. Doubly so for random hookups with strangers, as sexy as they might appear. Up until seeing Nick, the night wasn’t going so hot. I was trying to pretend like I was having a good time for Mickey, but club crawls just aren’t my thing. Then Nick appeared and all thoughts of an early night went right out the window. At first I hadn’t quite believed it, thought that my brain had somehow conjured an illusion. All night I’d been seeing traces of him, doing double takes at a host of tall, handsome men. But they were never him. Until suddenly there he was, looking suave and sexy in a gray suit without a tie.
Every moment after has felt like being on a slingshot ride; the only thing I can do is hang on. And it all has the uncanny feeling of being preordained. Somehow it seems inevitable that I’m leaving this place with Nick, like something in me had known all night that it was going to happen. I gulp, nerves buzzing in my stomach. Thankfully I haven’t drunk much tonight and have a mostly clear head.
Just don’t do anything stupid, Evie, I tell myself, choosing to ignore the fact that leaving this club with Nick is the worst idea I’ve had since accepting Brent’s ring. When am I going to admit that Nick Madison will never look like a boring old coworker? When will I learn that my self-control can’t be trusted around him?
