Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Whitney had driven us to the sushi restaurant, so she also drove to the club, following Liam’s car so we’d end up at the same place. Traffic was heavy, typical of a New York Saturday night, and it took us about thirty minutes to get there, even though we were only traveling a few miles.
“So, are you mad that I accepted the invitation?” Whitney asked while we were in the car.
“No,” I assured her, keeping my true feelings about it to myself. “I wouldn’t have agreed otherwise.”
Whitney glanced at me quickly before looking back at the road. “It’s just that despite everything, there still seems to be something between you and Liam.”
I couldn’t deny her observation, but I wasn’t about to admit it out loud, either.
Whitney drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “When I agreed to go to the club, I was kind of swept up in Henry’s flirty personality, and I wasn’t really thinking about your situation with Liam. We can go somewhere else if you’d like.”
I placed a hand on her arm and squeezed. “It’s fine, really.”
She shot me a sideways look. “How are things going between you two at the office?”
Since we’d sat with Liam and Henry at the sushi restaurant, we hadn’t had the chance for any kind of private conversation, or to discuss my working relationship with Liam. “Well, we almost kissed on Thursday afternoon.”
Her eyes widened as she pulled into the parking lot behind the men. “Well, that’s…something. What happened?”
“Absolutely nothing,” I said quickly. “We were interrupted.”
She grinned at me. “But will it happen again?”
I shook my head vehemently as Whitney parked her car across from Henry and Liam, and we watched them exit their vehicle. “No.” The conviction in my voice might have been more for me than her.
Whitney tipped her head curiously. “Because you don’t want it to, or because it’s a bad idea?”
I groaned. “You always ask the hard questions.”
“That’s what friends are for. So, what’s your answer?”
I sighed, and I realized that the guys were looking at us now, probably wondering why we were still sitting in the car. “A little bit of both,” I admitted. “I’m still attracted to him, but I wish I wasn’t. And, kissing him again is a terrible idea.”
“Yeah,” Whitney said, a sly smile on her lips. “But sometimes terrible ideas are the most satisfying ones.”
“You are such a bad influence,” I said, and laughed.
We exited the car and met up with the men. We didn’t have to wait long to get inside. Liam slipped a large bill to the bouncer, and we bypassed the long line and stepped into the club’s dark, pulsing interior.
The music was loud and there were people crowding in on all sides as we made our way farther into the club. Half of the space was a dance floor, and the rest was the bar area where there were tables and chairs as well as booths against the walls. Every seat was occupied and people were pressed up against the bar, trying to get the bartender’s attention for a drink.
I started in that direction, but Liam gently grabbed my arm to stop me. “Henry will get the drinks while we try and find a table.”
We gave Henry our drink orders and Liam placed a hand on my lower back and guided me forward. I thought that Whitney and I would go our separate way from the men once inside, but a table with four chairs emptied, and Liam ushered us over to it. I figured it would be rude to wander off now that he had secured us premium seating, and Henry had bought us drinks.
We settled in. I wore a red leather jacket over a black dress with strappy heels. I probably would have chosen something a little more revealing and done more with my make-up if I’d known we were going to a club, but I figured this was good enough for an impromptu night out. And, it wasn’t like I was trying to impress anyone.
I stripped off my jacket and hung it on the back of my chair. Liam sat across from me at the table and when I glanced his way, his gaze was fixed on my chest. I raised my eyebrows and stared at him. It only took a couple of seconds for him to realize he’d been caught ogling me, but he didn’t look the least bit contrite. His eyes were dark, direct, and appreciative.
A familiar heat rolled through me before I looked away and toward the dance floor where multi-colored lights flashed over the crowd.
“Here we go,” Henry said as he returned with our drinks and set them on the table. He and Liam had ordered basic beers while Whitney and I had opted for fruity cocktails.
The DJ’s music was too loud to allow for easy conversation, so we didn’t talk much as we enjoyed our drinks. Whitney and I sang along to the music, popular pop and rock songs from the last decade, while Henry’s gaze scanned the crowd like he was searching for his next fling. I hoped that Whitney wasn’t too attached to the flirty guy.