I WASN’T ONE to brag, but I definitely had the hottest date here tonight.
Kelly Sinclair. Damn, my man is fine.
Whether he was fully naked or dressed to the nines in a tuxedo I was dying to peel him out of, Kelly was a man who demanded attention. He had an aura about him, a charisma that some were just born with, and after an hour or so of watching him smile, joke, and drink it up with my friends, I was totally enamored—and so were they.
This group wasn’t the easiest crowd to just slide into and get along with. But Kelly had somehow managed to win them all over. Well, not somehow—I knew exactly how. They were impressed by him, which was saying something.
Kelly’s give-no-fucks attitude and openness about his sexuality had made him an instant hit. Add in the fact they were probably all hoping to one day see a certain part of him in person, and he was a new friend they were all willing to embrace.
I cut my eyes to Travis, who was laughing uproariously at something Kelly had just said. Some were a little more willing than others.
Not that I could blame him. If he’d brought Kelly around, I’d be fighting for his attention too. But lucky me, I already had it.
I took a sip of my vodka soda—wishing like hell it was a margarita—then leaned in to the sexy man beside me and kissed the scruff on his cheek. “You having fun?”
Kelly turned my way, and his eyes appeared to glow under the sparkling lights of the chandelier. Or maybe that was the alcohol swirling through my system.
“I am, but if you want to do that again right here”—he tapped his lips—“I’d be having even more.”
I closed the couple of inches between us until my lips brushed over his. Kelly hummed as the sweet taste of Jack and Coke hit my taste buds, but just as I was about to deepen the kiss, something soft and round hit me on the side of the head.
Was that a bread roll?
“Excuse me. Some of us are trying to eat over here.” East plucked the swizzle stick out of his martini and bit down on the olive, sliding it free.
“Last time I checked, olives weren’t classified as a food group.”
“Last time I checked, Kelly wasn’t on the menu either. So unless you plan to share—”
“Nope. Not sharing.”
“—stop tasting him in public.”
I chuckled, a feeling of relaxation spreading through me as I moved back to my seat. But I kept my hand resting on Kelly’s thigh.
East had a point, I supposed. I knew how it felt to sit and watch other couples getting all kissy-face when I had no one to do the same with. But I loved being in a relationship. East was the last person I’d expect to get in a twist over a show of affection. It wasn’t like he had the time or patience for anyone other than himself.
My hand crept a little higher on Kelly’s thigh, and he spread his strong legs for me to go even higher. “Fine, I’ll stick to eating what’s on the menu…for now.”
Kelly’s deep laughter rumbled around the table, making my cock jerk, and for a second I was tempted to drag him off somewhere.
“Van?” Gavin leaned around Joey and pointed to the empty plate in front of me. “You might want to eat something a little more than a salad for your next course. Those vodkas will catch up with you.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I shook my head, but when the room shifted a little, I figured Gavin might have a point. Problem was, I had a big runway show this weekend, and I couldn’t afford to gain an ounce of anything. So liquids it was. Vodka in particular.
“Maybe you could try some of the bread.” Daire smirked and looked at the roll that had bounced off my head and landed on the table. Figured he was the one who threw it.
“Carbs?” Travis scoffed and pulled apart his own bread roll, stuffing a piece in his mouth. “He’s not gonna eat that a couple days before a big show.”
East arched a brow at Travis. “Classy.”
“What?” Travis said around his mouthful. “It’s true.”
Kelly turned my way. “Big show?”
I rolled my eyes at my friends. “Thanks, guys. I was going to tell you about it later. I have a fashion show out of town this weekend, and I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me.”
“Oh shit,” West said from across the table. “A weekend getaway—it must be serious.”
JT cocked his head in his boyfriend’s direction. “We’ve never been on a weekend getaway.”
“I go to poetry slam once a week, Golden Boy. Trust me.” West leaned in and nuzzled under JT’s curls. “I’m serious about you.”
“You want me to come with you to a fashion show? Where you work?” Kelly asked, his expression somewhat incredulous.
When was he going to realize that the only person concerned about his job was him?
“Yeah. They’re putting us up for two nights on this beautiful property where the show will be held, and I thought it would be a nice getaway for us.” I squeezed his leg. “Romantic.”
Kelly reached under the table and took my hand, bringing it up to kiss my palm. “I’ll come with you if you eat something more than a salad for your next course.”
My mouth fell open as he nipped at my fingertips.
“You look perfect. Your hair. Your face. Your body. And a meal tonight will not affect any of that by the weekend.”
I chewed on my lower lip, scanning my group of friends who’d suddenly fallen silent. They stared at the man who was holding my weekend love escape ransom over a meal I did in fact, want to eat.
“Okay. I’ll have the scallops.”
A pleased grin crossed Kelly’s lips.
“Don’t think that charm of yours is going to win every time.”
“No? Well, the times it doesn’t, I’ll just have to pull out my other weapon.” He winked at me, and the whole table let out a round of whoops and wolf whistles. Several other groups nearby looked our way.
“Unleash the python!”
“Set free the monster!”
My friends were insane, and as they started laughing their asses off, Kelly joined in. “You are not helping,” I said.
“I am. Now they’re focused on something other than what you’re eating.”
I chuckled, lowering my eyes to his lap. “Your python?”
Kelly opened his mouth, but a voice interrupted him from behind.
“Did someone just say you own a python?”
My spine automatically stiffened at the judgmental tone. The laughing around the table died down and all eyes shifted to the intruder—my ex-boyfriend, Atticus, who had come to crash the party.
What the hell was he doing here? The last I’d heard was that he’d moved to London, and it had been good riddance, as far as I was concerned. But there was no mistaking the condescension dripping from his words or the way my hair stood on end knowing he was behind me.
Kelly glanced over his shoulder, unaware of the wet blanket that had just been thrown over the table, and smiled at the newcomer.
“Hi,” he said good-naturedly. “Not a real python, no.”
I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t seem to turn around, couldn’t seem to warn Kelly that the guy he was talking to was not worth his time. But luckily for me, I had a table full of guys who had no problem speaking their mind.
East slowly got to his feet, giving Atticus a once-over dripping with disdain. “Funny you showed up, though, just as we were discussing snakes.”
“Nice to see you again too, East.”
“I wish I could say the same. However…” East brushed at a nonexistent piece of lint. “If you could slither back from wherever you came, that would be most appreciated.”
I could feel Kelly’s eyes on me, the question in them one I hadn’t been ready to answer tonight.
“That’s rich,” Atticus scoffed. “You calling me a snake.”
East’s lip curled, and he looked like he wanted to toss his drink on the guy. “At least I don’t pretend to be anything else.”
“East.” I reached for my vodka soda and drained the rest of the contents. Then I gave a slight nod, letting him know I had this.
I pushed to my feet and looked down at Kelly, an apology in my eyes, before I turned to Atticus, who was waiting for me to acknowledge him.
“Atticus.”
“Van. Looking good as always.” His cold, dark eyes swept over me, and while I figured I would be repulsed or horrified by running into him again, I felt nothing.
It was funny what a year apart and dating a sex god could do for one’s clarity. Add in the alcohol running through my veins, and what I’d thought would be an uncomfortable moment for me turned out to be one where I pitied him.
Kelly got to his feet, a towering figure of a man, and as Atticus looked up at him, I took Kelly’s hand.
“Kelly, this is Atticus Dumas. Atticus, this is my boyfriend, Kelly.”
Kelly’s eyes widened on me. Yeah, we hadn’t discussed being boyfriends, but I wasn’t stupid—I knew the way Atticus worked, and could see the way he was eyeing Kelly. So if I had to piss a circle around him, then I would.
Atticus held his hand out. “Kelly, huh?”
Kelly took his hand, and even that amount of contact was too much for me.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
I loved the surly tone from my guy, and if I’d been worried about throwing out the word boyfriend, Kelly didn’t seem to be in the slightest.
“That’s what I thought you said.” Atticus nodded, his eyes flicking between the two of us, and I would’ve done anything for the floor of this ballroom to open up so he could fall in it.
“I thought you were in London these days,” I said.
“I am, but Father asked me back for this event. He wanted the two heads of the family business to be seen.”
“Pretty sure they could see yours from London,” Gavin muttered from across the table.
“Oh look, it’s Tiny Truitt. Almost missed you there. Nice to see you still haven’t found any friends of your own.”
I gritted my teeth, about to tell Atticus to back the fuck off, when Daire called out, “Yeah, well, everyone knows better than to be a friend of yours. Dumass.”
“It’s Dumas.”
“Is there a reason you came over here?” I asked, wanting Atticus to move the hell along. What I ever saw in this guy was beyond me.
“I just wanted to say hi, and meet your new”—his eyes flicked back to Kelly—“boyfriend. You look so familiar to me.” Atticus pursed his lips, lowering his gaze over the perfectly tailored tuxedo Kelly wore. “Are you sure you only go by the name Kelly? You’re so hot it’s almost…sinful.”
Fuck. He knew. Of course Atticus hadn’t come over here to see me. He hadn’t even wanted to see me when we were together. Why would I think that had changed?
Kelly dropped my hand, clearly about to do or say something. But before he could, I stepped forward, leveling Atticus with a look that should have cut him off at the knees.
“Hey, asshole. I know you’ll use anything to get in the headlines. But if you say one word to anyone at this event tonight, we’ll know where it came from. Do you hear me?”
“Aw, still so sensitive, Van. But I hear you, and I’ve seen you.” Atticus’s lips curled as he looked past my shoulder at Kelly. “You’ve upgraded from photos to video—that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
I whipped my hand out before I could stop myself, grabbing his lapel and hauling him in so we were toe to toe. Then I said in a menacing voice I didn’t even know I had, “You fuck with him, I will fuck with you? Got it?”
Atticus’s jaw bunched as someone behind me—probably Travis—added, “And we’ll help him. Get lost, snake.”
I let go, shoving him back a step, and Atticus looked past me to the rest of the group.
“So good to see you all again.”
“Bye-bye,” East called out, as I glared Atticus a path away from us and he turned to walk away.
I stood there for a moment trying to calm my nerves, then felt a warm hand on the small of my back and Kelly’s lips by my ear.
“That was the hottest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
I glanced back at him to see him smiling smugly. “Oh yeah?”
“Fuck yes. Who knew you were such a possessive thing?”
I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck. “He was coming after what’s mine.”
“Is that right?”
“Mhmm.” I pressed a quick kiss to his lips, and then my stomach rumbled. “Huh, seems like all that possessiveness made me hungry.”
Kelly chuckled as he led me back to my seat. “Then by all means, let’s get some food in you.” As we sat down and I picked up the menu, he leaned in and said, “Don’t think we’re not going to talk more about this.”
“Later?”
Kelly winked at me. “Later. For now, I’m going to drink to me and my python’s personal bodyguard.”
