I’m still perplexed, but grinning when movement near the entrance catches my eye, and everything inside me goes still. A man just walked in fashionably late.
He’s taller than I expected, maybe six-foot-two, with a perfect tan and Hollywood smile that probably cost more than my car. He pretends not to notice that all eyes are on him as he adjusts his pristine navy suit jacket and runs a hand over his slicked-back blonde hair. But it’s the eyes that get me. They’re bored, predatory, scanning the crowd like everyone here is beneath him, no matter who they are.
“Well, well,” I breathe as Locke straightens beside me. “It’s him.”
He nods once. “I know he looks harmless, all charm and practiced smiles, but don’t underestimate him.”
“I won’t.” I down what’s left in my glass, setting it on a nearby table as I step toward the crowd. “But he’s about to underestimate me.”
Chapter 18
LOCKE
The women I prefer are never boring. I guess that’s my type. Sienna came in and stirred things up, as usual. But she wildly underestimated her opponent this time. Arden proved it even further when she noticed Luke Holloway walk in.
She didn’t hesitate, just slipped into the crowd, with a sly smile and those sharp eyes, moving toward him like a lioness stalking her prey. I should have known she wouldn’t wait for me to be ready or give her the go-ahead. Of course she’d go straight for the kill.
I could have used a moment to recover from all the bullshit seeing Sienna stirred up in me, but here we are.
I force myself to stay calm on the surface, even though I’m already unraveling inside. I watch as she “accidentally” trips, spilling a fresh drink on his perfectly tailored suit. His eyes turn from annoyance to predatory lust as soon as they land on her face.
Within minutes, they’re laughing as if they’ve known each other for years. She touches his arm, leans in, and whispers something in his ear. He gives her a wicked smirk in return.
I watch as he places his hand on the small of her back as they continue their conversation. The same way I did as we walked in. That gesture alone sends fire raging through my veins. Then, his eyes drag down her body, and I want to break something. Preferably his face.
I can’t do this again. Watching them flirting from across the garden, being powerless to stop him from saying, or doing, whatever he wants to her. It’s giving me a sick sense of déjà vu that makes my stomach churn.
Before, it was Sienna; I watched him use the same practiced charm to dismantle what we had, piece by piece, until she was a shell of the woman I once knew and wanted nothing to do with ‘someone like me’ any longer. Those words were a turning point. In that moment, Idecided never to let another woman make me feel like who I was, at my core, was something to be hidden.
I also haven’t had a serious relationship since.
It seems that Luke has a twisted instinct for finding a woman who catches my eye and making her his prize. He doesn’t even need to know her name to know he wants to take her from me. It’s a calculated game where he doesn’t just win; he ensures I lose. That’s how I know this plan, this job I’ve given her, will work.
Keep it together, Locke. Don’t make headlines tonight.
But my feet are already moving. I can’t let her stay near him for another second. I snatch two drinks from a passing server, not even caring what’s in them, and cut across the garden. My heart is a sledgehammer against my ribs as I close the distance.
As I come up behind them, Luke grins down at her, absolutely shameless. “You’re easily the most captivating person here. You should join me at the after-party. My place. It’s going all night.”
Arden’s lips curve, sweet as poison. “Tempting, but I don’t usually follow strange men home.”
He leans closer; his voice is so low I have to concentrate to hear it over the rest of the crowd. “Trust me, sweetheart. You won’t regret it.”
Before Arden can reply, I step in. “She’s busy.”
Luke’s eyes dart up, irritation flashing before it melts into a satisfied smirk. “Locke, it’s been a while.” His gaze drifts between us. “Didn’t know you’d brought a date. Not really your style, is it?”
I bare my teeth in something that hardly feels like a smile. “I guess tonight is full of surprises.”
I glance over, and Arden’s glare is sharp enough to kill.
Luke chuckles, slick and dismissive. “I guess so.”
His eyes flick to her again, gauging her reaction, and he smiles to himself. “Well, when he’s done playing bodyguard, Arden, call me.I’ll be waiting.” He winks at her, then slithers back into the crowd like the snake he is. Walking past everyone else as if they don’t even exist.
The second he’s out of sight, Arden whirls on me, eyes blazing. “What the fuck!” she hisses, barely keeping her voice down.
“I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at you. Undressing you with his eyes like you were just a piece of meat.”
