I must be hormonal.
What is it about him that makes me lose all sense of control? Bad enough my body buckled beneath him, but now my emotions seem to be going haywire too.
Throughout the evening we’re served seven courses of the chef’s signature tasting menu, each one more mouth-wateringly sumptuous than the one before, yet I’m still hungry. And no amount of oysters, caviar, or crème brûlée is going to satisfy that.
Of all the people in the world, why do I have to be so attracted to Jayden-Smug-Cooper? Soul-piercing eyes stare at me like they can read my mind, and a trace of amusement crosses his lips. When Sasha orders another bottle of champagne, I figure it’s late enough to excuse myself. I barely slept on the flight thanks to Levi’s jovial banter and not only am I wrecked, my willpower is fading with every drop of alcohol.
‘Want me to send one of Ryan’s men to take care of you?’ Sasha winks across the table, giggling.
Jayden’s head jerks up. ‘Did something happen?’
‘Nothing happened.’ Sasha laughs. ‘That’s the problem.’
‘Is that right?’ His husky tone sets my insides soaring. ‘You know I could help with that too.’
‘Colton?’ Sasha scoffs. ‘Please, he’s way too conservative to be Chloe’s type.’
‘I didn’t mean Colton.’
Oh god, is my sister really discussing who I should bed with the only person I want? Fuck my life. No amount of alcohol could prepare me for that.
‘Just going to get some air. Back in five. Don’t go yet, Chloe.’ Sasha pulls Ryan to a nearby balcony with outdoor sofas and a futuristic-looking telescope.
The last thing I need is to be left alone with Ryan. I motion for him to go after them. ‘Don’t you want to see the view?’
‘I already am.’
His soft hand slips across my thigh, inching under my dress as the waitress arrives with the champagne.
She takes forever to uncork it, and when she eventually pours me another glass, I can’t speak to decline because Jayden chooses that precise second to slip his finger inside my underwear, which was ruined the second I sat next to him. The victorious curl of his lips proves he knows it.
His mouth grazes my ear. ‘We are so not over.’
I cross my legs and press them together tightly in a vain attempt to halt his hand. ‘So, we’re back to this again?’ I quote his own words at him.
‘Yeah, and look how it ended the last time.’ A goading arrogance dares me to contradict him.
‘Lightning doesn’t strike twice.’ I remove his hand and smooth down my dress. ‘Goodnight Jayden.’
‘Oh, it will be.’ He shrugs, delivers a sultry wink and picks up his glass.
What does that mean?
If I won’t sleep with him, he’ll find someone who will?
You’re not supposed to care.
That familiar hot flush of irritation swells in my chest again. I stalk out of the restaurant without saying goodbye to Sasha and let myself into my lonely suite.
Despite the long flight and the jetlag, the second my head hits the pillow, my brain recalls every image of Jayden unwillingly planted in it. I should have just succumbed.
No, I did the right thing.
Right for whom?
The room’s in semi-darkness. Partially open curtains allow the bright city lights to penetrate the glass. I flip the crisp white covers down to my waist and spread myself across the middle of the bed, my hands automatically skimming my skin as I recall the poster-perfect physique of Jayden Cooper.
There’s something so inexplicably appealing about him. And it’s not just the pretty parcel he’s wrapped in. He’s so much more than that. That ruthless confidence. His unashamed pursuit of what he wants. Intelligent eyes that notice absolutely everything, including the faintest chink in my armour.
