‘You’re the fine one,’ Bonnie slurs, licking her lips.
‘Hey! What about me?’ Carter thumbs his chest indignantly.
‘And me!’ Dax tries to prise Bonnie from Jackson.
‘Now, now, boys, there’s enough of me to go round,’ Bonnie says flirtatiously.
Yep. She’s bitten off a tumultuous amount of trouble, with no idea she’s about to be chewed up and spat out. Bonnie is all for casual sex, but she’s not an advocate for orgies, or being used by three handsome hedonistic devils.
Cillian and I exchange a look of concern.
‘Bonnie, let’s go get some fresh air. We’ll come back here in a few minutes. Trust me, you’ll feel better for it.’ I step forward, willing to frog march my friend out of here if necessary.
‘Oh, come on, Ava. I’m fine. We’re just having a bit of harmless fun. Stop being so judgemental!’ She rolls her eyes like a petulant child.
Uh- oh. She’s even drunker than I realised. ‘Some of us are good with casual sex. Not all of us stalk our prey for a year before we pounce!’ She gesticulates wildly towards Cillian. ‘Mr Suave Suit Guy was a tough conquest, but he’s yours. And I’m happy for you, but please, let me find my bit of happiness now, even if it is just for the night.’
Ground swallow me whole.
Cillian stiffens behind me.
Even in her drunken stupor, Bonnie realises what she’s just let slip. She slaps a hand over her mouth, making the situation look a million times worse than it actually is.
‘What is she talking about?’ Cillian’s eyes glint like cold, sharp metal.
‘It’s nothing.’ I pull him away gently. We need to get out of here before Bonnie puts her foot any further down her throat. From the horror etching into her expression, she’s sobering up fairly fast.
Good, because I’ve got bigger problems now. ‘Let’s get some fresh air and talk about this where it’s quieter.’
Cillian stalks across the ballroom and out the French doors overlooking the ocean. The waves crash on the rocks below, each one sending plumes of salty spray into the air. An icy gust of wind slams into my chest but it has nothing on the cold horror creeping through my veins.
I can only imagine how it sounds, especially given what Teagan did to him.
‘What did Bonnie mean when she said you stalked me for a year?’ His shoulders are rigid, and the tendons on his neck look tight enough to snap.
‘It’s not how it seems, Cillian.’ I reach for his bicep, but he flinches, shrugging me off along with any hopes I had for our future.
ChapterThirty-Eight
CILLIAN
‘Am I Mr Suave Suit Guy, Ava?’ My voice sounds immeasurably calmer than I feel.
Her head bobs, her eyes falling to the ground as she nods.
‘You knew who I was before we met at Elixir?’ The heart that was so full it could burst shrivels and withers in my sternum. ‘Have you and Bonnie been laughing at me this entire time?’
‘No, we have not! It sounds way worse than it is, Cillian.’ She reaches for me again, but I take a step back.
‘You had your eye on me for a full year, stalked me from afar, lured me in with a false sense of security. Just like Teagan did.’ The moonlight casts a sinister shadow across her pronounced cheekbones.
‘I didn't! You came to me, remember?’ Desperate eyes flash to mine, overflowing with despair.
‘No, I approached a professional matchmaking agency, or so I thought.’ My head is splitting. ‘You must have thought Christmas came early. Tell me, why me? What is your end game?’
‘This is the end game. You and me together. I swear. I know it looks bad, but I promise I’m not trying to trick you or trap you like Teagan did.’ She throws her hands in the air in a dramatic display of exasperation.
‘I confided in you. I told you how she played me, and you’ve done the exact same thing.’
