“Thank you.”
Wiggling through the crowd, Olivia found an unoccupied corner by the dance floor. As she sipped on her drink, she watched the people dance and grind. Heat and longing built up in her belly as she watched an entwined couple, their bodies pressed together, seemingly in their own world.
She looked away, blowing out a breath. As much as she was still hurt by their breakup, she did miss the sex and intimacy part of being in a relationship. That mind-altering pleasure. The basking in the afterglow. The contact of a warm body against hers. Before Liam, she’d been too busy to have a boyfriend. Her lifestyle wasn’t exactly conducive to maintaining long-term relationships.
When she met Liam, however, she thought he was worth making the effort. And yes, the sex was that good, but she also loved just cuddling with him after, falling asleep in his arms, and waking up next to him the following day. Her chest ached with longing, thinking of those mornings?—
God, I’m pathetic.
Her she-wolf snorted in agreement.
Rolling her eyes, she fished her phone out of her pocket, checking to see if she had any messages, in particular, from her cousin, Lizzie. Sadly, the notifications screen was empty. But then again, Lizzie was way too busy hooking up with some mystery man, probably right at this moment.
Lucky little bitch.
That, of course, meant that in the most positive and encouraging way. ShelovedLizzie, was as close to her as a sister, and was happy for her if she was getting her brains bonked out on the regular by some hottie whose identity she refused to reveal, even when Olivia had practically smelled him on her earlier that day when they had met up.
“That is the unmistakable scent of male and sex.” Olivia took a deep inhale. “Mmm, fresh too. You were just with him, weren’t you?” The scent was so strong, Lizzie had probably seen him no more than an hour ago. “Lycan for sure. No one I recognize though. Who is it? Someone new from work? Another clan?”
“Can I ask for a forty-eight-hour moratorium on that?” Lizzie had begged. “I promise, I’ll tell you everything.”
Olivia was dying to knowanddying to tell their other cousin, Charley. But she did promise, so she didn’t even dare open their group chat, in case she was tempted to spill the beans. While this trip to New York was supposed to be a short layover until she decided which job to take on next, she could stick around for another day or two in New York. Truthfully, she wanted to hear all the details in person, if only to distract her from the woes of her own love life.
Throwing her head back, she finished the rest of the drink in one gulp, the whiskey going down smoothly.
Well, fuck Liam and fuck his new girlfriend.
Maybe I’ll get some tonight.
Perhaps deep down, that was why she came here. But, no one was going to notice her tucked in this corner, so she headed back to the bar for another drink. However, as she weaved through the crowds, someone from behind pushed her aside, sending her staggering forward. Her hand smacked into the person ahead, sending the remaining ice flying out the glass and hitting him on the chest.
“Hey!”
Crap!“Oh, shit, sorry!”
“What the fu—oh.”
The initial annoyance on the man’s face dissipated, only to be replaced by an expression she recognized—interest and lust. She was used to it, of course; after all, she was in a profession that glorified beauty.
“I’m sorry about that.”
His smile was all teeth. “For what, sweetheart?”
“For spilling my ice all over you.”
“What? This?” He gestured to the damp streak down his white dress shirt. “It’s nothing. Besides you can get me wet anytime, anywhere, sweetheart.”
Olivia shuddered and not in a good way. While he wasn’t bad looking with his clean-cut good looks and dark, slicked-back hair, there was just something about him that didn’t feel right. Maybe it was that shark-like smile that showed off his full set of teeth or that smug tone, but her instincts screamedno.
The three guys behind him jeered and whistled.
Shark-teeth winked at her. “Or I could getyouwet.”
Without missing a beat, she retorted, “I’d get wetter in the Sahara.”
“Burn!” one of the guys said while the other two laughed aloud. The man’s face quickly turned beet red.
“If you’ll excuse me …” She brushed past him before he could react, calmly walking away. She hadn’t gotten too far before someone crept up from behind to block her path.
