As she raised it higher, he accepted the candy, pushing it into his cheek.“I don’t have wine to hold up my end.”
She took the candy back.“Then you better go to the kitchen and pour me some.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Linking their hands, he led her out just as the trio of guys stepped up into the kitchen.
“Look at this place!”Noble said, raising his hands as he came over to kiss her cheek.“You did good.”
Ozzie kissed her other cheek; Dalton just offered a smile.
“Wine, coming up,” Cam said, kissing her knuckles then passing the beer fridge to enter the kitchen.
More people poured inside.The list would be checked, security was tight.Only those with official invites would be admitted.Brooker got ten spots, just because, but everyone else was connected to Cam or the guys.
A party would be fun.Drinking, dancing, talking.Fun.She exhaled.They could do with some of that.
NINE
PARTY.PARTY.PARTY.
Fun was true, people were getting lubed.No one had done anything too crazy.Yet.A few of the men… she’d have to ask Cam exactly how he knew them, and if maybe they had criminal records.White collar crime counted.
She’d taken a few names and numbers, not to follow up in pursuit of her wildness, to ensure they weren’t invited to the next soiree.Sheesh.
“Thank you,” Elle said to the guy sitting next to her on the patio.
“Can’t believe we’ve never hung out before,” he said, leaning a little closer.
She mirrored the move in reverse.“I’m new around here.”
“Yeah, and I’m not the only one interested.”
When he nodded past her, she didn’t have to ask.Mason.He’d been staring at her all night.Creeped her out, but she couldn’t rise to it.Ignoring him was the best remedy.Her sanity wouldn’t hold up to anything else.
“Don’t worry about him,” she said, wishing she’d put exclusions on the Brooker slots.
“If you say so,” he said, resting a hand on her leg.“You want another drink?”
Her wine level was a little low, but it was after midnight.Time to wind down the drinking, not up.
“Not yet,” she said, keeping her options open.
“You were dancing with that other guy a minute ago,” he said.“Which one’s your boyfriend?Dancing guy or bar guy?”
“If either was my boyfriend, do you think they’d be happy with your hand there?”
He smirked.It wasn’t him she was thinking about.Cam had been MIA for a while.She wasn’t looking for him.Not exactly.Most of her night was spent zipping around fixing issues and answering questions.
The wine was good, the music infectious.When Noble wanted to dance, there was no reason to say no.He had more than a few women interested, the guy needed the breather.Dancing that close with Cam might be inappropriate given he was her boss.With Noble, it was benign.With Cam…
“Excuse me.”The meek voice interrupted the moment.A blonde server stood over them.“Mr.Collier asked for you.”
Think about the man and he’d manifest.This could be about the knee toucher or not.He’d made that comment about not inviting guys or wanting to watch her flirt, but that was a joke… maybe a joke.
“Excuse me,” she said, leaving her glass and the knee toucher to go with the server.“Where is he?”
“In the restroom.”
