“Maybe, although I need to get back to Aiden tonight.”
“It’s almost midnight. Wouldn’t he be in bed by now?”
Her face morphs, and she holds me tighter, as if she realizes this dream of a night must end.
I hold her tighter, too, thankful for this moment. For her. And getting harder, hoping she lets me bathe with her in my suite soon.
I scan for our friends, ready to say goodbye and carry her away after this song is over. My eyes land instead on a woman at the edge of the dance floor, staring me down. Blonde. Sharp smile like a viper. Familiar posture with her hand on one hip.
Bunny.
I blink hard. Couples dance between us, and she’s gone. Fuck, I hope she was just a ghost. I don’t need my ex bringing this perfect night with Stella down. I haven’t seen her since last summer at a team picnic when she showed up, thanks to mutual friends, and I left that party early because I couldn’t stand the sight of her.
Stella yawns. “That bath would feel good about now.”
“Agreed.” I sweep her off the dance floor and over to our friends. We say our goodbyes. The women all promise to stay in touch. The guys wink and nod, watching us leave. They’ll want details on our group chat tomorrow, no doubt.
I check my phone as we wait by the elevators. There’d been a winter storm warning an hour ago. No travel on the roads unless absolutely necessary.
“Shit.” My chest clenches. “Stella… the storm’s bad. Whiteout conditions.”
“What? But I need to get back to Aiden.” She frowns, voice slurring.
“I’m not driving in this,” I say firmly. “And I’m not putting you in a car with someone else either. I need to keep you safe.”
She drags me over to the hotel windows, peering out at the wall of snow coming down outside as if she had to see it to believe me.
I wrap myself around her. “Stay with me tonight. I have the penthouse. I’ll take you back in the morning.”
“You’ll sleep on the couch?”
I swallow. Wasn’t the answer I had hoped for. “If that’s where you really want me.”
She gazes up at me, eyes tired and ready to rest. “We’ll see.”
The corner of my lips turns up. Maybe she’ll feel differently after I run her a bath.
When we turn back to the elevators—Bunny is right there.
The statuesque blonde in a black leather Batwoman costume is equal parts dramatic and terrifying. Before I can evade, she throws her arms around me.
“There you are,” she purrs. “I missed you.”
“Get off me.” I scowl and pick her up and set her aside. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“We have mutual friends, remember? And who is this?” Bunny peers down her nose.
Stella crosses her arms, glaring hard. “Eli…?”
“This is my ex-wife,” I snap.
Bunny laughs. “A.k.a. the love of his life.”
I shake my head. “No. Money is. You only cared about my money.”
“And you didn’t want to spend it,” she shot back.
“We’re not doing this.” I clip through a clenched jaw. I take Stella’s hand and turn away, ducking into the first available elevator. “We’re divorced, remember?”
