He holds his hand out to me. “I’m Nick.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Nick.” I slide my palm against his, give it a light squeeze, and let go.
A chill rolls down my spine, like I’m being watched. Discreetly, I turn. When I find Hayden looking at me, my heart picks up its pace. The glare he directs toward Nick brings heat to my cheeks. Is he jealous? Or just worried?
There’s only one way to find out.
I fix my focus on Nick again.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks.
“Why not?” I lift my cocktail. “Rum and Coke.”
“Got it.”
He wanders down the bar to place the order, and again, I feel Hayden’s gaze on me. Our eyes collide. He isn’t smiling; instead, the intense expression on his face as he stares me down makes my whole body come alive. My center throbs as my heart rate picks up, making my breaths come quickly.
God, how much I want his attention solely on me. His eyes on me. His smiles reserved only for me.
I just want him.
16
it’s riley
HAYDEN
Some guy is flirtingwith Riley. And I know him. His name is Nick, and he works in marketing for a record label. We’ve made small talk a few times. I don’t know much about him, other than he’s smart and always seemed nice.
Two traits any man Riley dates should possess. Fuck. I don’t like his attention on her, not even for a second.
On autopilot, I slide two beers across the bar. A girl is talking my ear off, but I’m too focused on Riley to listen. Dammit. I regret not being closer to her. When the crowd started to grow, I chose to keep my distance. It’s safer this way, considering I’ve seen several women tonight who are part of Sabotage’s fan club.
Keeping my distance was supposed to mean she’d be safer from the unwanted attention of my fans, not safer from men who show an interest in her. Though, can I blame Nick? Riley’s always beautiful, but tonight, she’s magnificent. Her white shirt with rolled-up sleeves looks like it was custom-stitched for her. It accentuates her narrow waist, and the way it highlights the round swell of her tits made my mouth water when she walked out of her bedroom tonight. Her light blue jeans hug her fit ass and toned legs so perfectly, it took effort not to stride across the living room and grip her hips.
Her hair? Goddamn it. Long blue strands frame her face, bringingout the color of her eyes. The rest cascades over her shoulders in soft waves. Her look is simple, but it oozes a sexual energy I’ve never noticed in her before.
Probably because I trained myself not to look at her.
And now, I don’t ever want to stop looking.
As Nick shuffles away, I survey her again. She’s staring right at me, as if she can see into my soul. Maybe she can. If so, I’m even more screwed than I thought. I shouldn’t send her mixed signals. I should stick to my previous resolution that nothing can ever happen between us. She’s my best friend’s little sister, yes, but more than that, I’m not in the right headspace to date.
So, I fake a smile, wink at her as if her interaction with Nick doesn’t bother me, then focus on the customers in front of me—two girls wearing Sabotage merch. They want mocktails, to flirt, and take a photo with me. And I do just that, because that’s why I came here tonight.
But genuinely, I can’t wait to go home.
I tendbar for three hours instead of two. When I’m done, Riley is in the middle of a conversation with Nick. By the broad smile on her face and the sparkling glint in her eyes, I see she’s enjoying herself—and by the way he looks at her, he is too.
Fists clenched, I take a deep breath and let it out again. The frustration I feel with myself and the situation altogether makes my skin crawl. I have no right to be jealous. I have no right to tell her what she can and cannot do, but damn, if I don’t want to whisk her back to my penthouse.
Easy, Hayden. Don’t you dare act like a dog ready to mark its territory.
When some of the tension has eased, I sidle up to them, stopping by Riley’s stool. As if I haven’t just given myself a pep talk, I snake an arm around her waist, drawing her attention to me.
“Hey, Ry baby. Sorry ittook so long.”
She looks up at me, her pupils wide and her cheeks flushed.
