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He gestures toward the dance floor in the middle of the room and she follows him onto it. When he slides his hand around the soft skin of her back, I have an overwhelming urge to stalk across the room and rip his arm from his socket.
By the time they’re done swaying together, my jaw aches from the pressure of my molars against each other and I’m one second from punching the stupid kid out.
Pushing off the barstool, I move toward the smiling couple. I’m prepared to tell Charles the Third where he can shove his charming little smile when Michael claps a hand on my shoulder.
He gives me a nod of approval. “You were right. Charlie was a solid pick. How’d you know?”
“Just one of those things,” I answer, scanning for Atlas. Damn, she’s gone already, and I can’t see Charlie, which means he’s probably with her.
“Listen, there’s someone I want you to meet. He’s a potential client who has questions that are outside of my scope.” He gestures for me to follow him.
I glance around for Atlas and Charlie one more time. Thinking about the things they could be doing in some dark corner of the hotel has my blood pressure skyrocketing. “Let’s make it brief.”
Michael chuckles. “Got a skirt to chase?”
Yeah, your daughter’s. “Something like that.”
* * *
Atlas
Charlie is the world’s biggest bore. When he’s not talking about the price of his father’s yacht or his own collection of Aston-Martin cars, he’s making lame jokes and covering for what appears to be seriously low self-esteem.
None of it is a turn-on.
Still when he invites me outside for a walk, I accept. The sooner I can get out of here and ditch Charlie, the sooner I can transform into Miss Karma.
After a few minutes of awkward small talk in the courtyard, Charlie leans in and kisses me. It’s sloppy and gross, nothing like Eric’s sensual kiss.
I step away from Charlie, fighting the urge to grimace. Instead, I say, “Did that feel…?”
“Zero chemistry. Probably because I’m a ten and you’re only a three.” He chucks me under the chin. “Don’t let it get you down. There are lots of guys here tonight and your father is loaded.”
He turns and leaves while I’m still staring after him, completely speechless.
“A three?” I mouth when I can finally speak. I remember the heated look in Eric’s eyes in the kitchen this morning. Something tells me he wouldn’t agree with Charlie.
There’s the sound of a twig snapping, and I whirl around to find myself face-to-chest with Eric.
I swallow hard and take a step away from him. My back bumps into the scratchy bark of the oak tree draped in Spanish moss and twinkling Christmas light. I have to crane my neck to look into his eyes.
“Charlie is a really good kisser.” I wait to see what Eric’s reaction will be, needing him to confirm he hated seeing me with another guy.
The lines of Eric’s face are harsh tonight. “Is he now? Did he make your panties wet, princess? Are your pretty thighs aching now?”
“So, what if they are? You’re the one who picked him.” Despite the fact that I started this argument, I’m filled with indignation. He threw me to the wolves, so he doesn’t have the right to complain if I smell of dog.
“The entire time you were dancing with him, you were wishing you were back in that hallway in Mexico, grinding your sweet little pussy against my cock.” He puts his arms on the trunk of the tree, caging me just like he did back then.
I never feel safer than when he does this, like he’s the barrier between me and the big, scary world. That feeling of safety ticks me off almost as much as his words.
“No, I was wondering why you’re a liar. You say you’re not attracted to me, but you’ll stare at my ass. You’ll send me on dates with other guys only to whisper filthy things in my ear later. Just admit you want me, Eric.”
“I don’t want you.” He drops his head and presses a kiss to the racing pulse in my neck. “I want sex. You’d know that if you were grown.”
My palm is connecting with his face before I even register that I’ve moved my hand. The sting of flesh smacking together echoes in the night air.
Eric doesn’t flinch. “You only get to do that once, sweetheart. Next time, I’ll tan your hide.”
