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“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Rylee snarled. “Plan on opening those legs up for these guys as part of their initiation?”
Heraand her jealousy.
Arlene arched a brow coolly. “That was my due, Ms. Madden,” she reminded Rylee. “But if I wanted to…” She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.
Not sure if it was pride, commitment, or if Rylee really was attracted to me, but she got in Arlene’s face and said, “Not with Stone, you can’t.” When Arlene looked up at me standing behind Rylee, I wrapped my arms around Rylee’s waist, then leaned down to place a soft kiss just below her left ear.
Arlene chuckled condescendingly. “They need their tattoos done, Ms. Madden,” she explained. “It’ll take a few hours to get them all done, andthat’swhat I was referring to when I commented on moving their initiation along.”
When Arlene walkedback towards the stage, everyone started saying their awkward goodbyes, and I knew this was all my clusterfuck, but I didn’t overly care as long as I had Rylee onboard with me.
I turned her around in myarms, and when she looked up at me, she looked ready to flay me alive, and that’s when I knew she was absolutely perfect for me. Whatever issues that she had with me, she had enough respect for the situation to hold them in until we had privacy for the fight that was sure to come.
“You good?”
She arched a brow. “Not in the least,” she answered low enough for my ears only.
“I’ll answer all your questions tomorrow, baby. Okay?”
“You’d better,” she fired back before turning from me, then walking away from all of us and out of the ballroom.
Chapter 12
Rylee~
Laney didn’t come home last night, and that was another unnecessary drama I could blame on Stone Lexington. When I had walked out of that creepy, rundown mansion last night, I had fully expected on having an argument with Laney once we’d gotten back to our apartment. However, a quick text from Alexis Wyatt, letting me know they were all gathering in her dorm to talk, told me that I had time to go home and try to absorb what the hell had just happened.
Never mind how Alexis had gotten my number. Laney could have given it to her, or that goddamn secret club could have. I wasn’t overly upset about it, though. I imagined if we were all going to be in this together, then we’d need each other’s phone numbers or whatever. I had saved her number in my phone and figured I’d get Jennifer’s and Kincaid’s later.
When I had finally gotten home last night, I had really felt lost and confused.
And regretful.
Really,really regretful.
Once again, Ihad let my pride get in the way of common sense. I had been ambushed-again, the blame on Stone Lexington-and I had felt utterly stupid, surrounded by people who’d been privier to my fate than I had been. When Stone had declared his intentions, everyone but us girls had known what he meant. They had all known was what happening, and knowing that, made mestillfeel like a fool. Between not knowing what was going on and Alexander George’s condescending ways, I had pulled up and pretended as if I’d been a part of this monumental decision affecting my life.
Then Arlene had happened.
The entire time we’d beenthere, I had felt sorry for her. I had felt for her when she had been put on display with Jacob and Donovan. I had thought about her husband and kids. Even when it had become apparent that she was enjoying herself, I had still felt sorry for her. I had convinced myself that she had been put in a terrible situation, and all she’d been doing was trying to make the best of it. She’d taken a situation that was supposed to have been humiliating and had made it hers. But then she’d made that comment about being able to have any of the guys she wanted.
Alexander had just explained the magnitude of the Hera contract, and Arlene had still commented that she could have Stone if she wanted him.
Pride.
Pride was a motherfucker.
Just like I hadn’t been about to let Alexander talk down to me, there was no way I was going to let Arlene insinuate that Stone had been an option.
If I washis now, then that meant he was mine, too.
That was also a whole other issue that I couldn’t wrap my mind around. I’d only spoken to Stone that one time, so how in the hell did we wind up here?
How didIwind up here?
I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to him because I was. I also couldn’t deny that the attraction was powerful. That undercurrent whenever he was near me was real. It was real, and I’d never felt it with anyone else before. When Arlene had talked her crap and Stone had leaned down and placed that soft, reassuring kiss on my neck, my knees had almost buckled.
It had felt like that lightening in thebottle I’d always been curious about.
