Page 2 of Sweet Temptation

Looking around, though, I could see why they’d ditched this event as quickly as they’d arrived. Wasn’t really their scene. My boys were rock ’n’ roll, and this party was not.

I sighed and focused on Elle. Long, platinum-blonde hair and short silver dress. Slick makeup. Fabulous manicure. She’d brought her A game tonight, as usual. She’d had baby Emma only five months ago, and other than the increase in breast size, you’d never know it.

This woman put the rock into rock star mommy.

“I don’t even have the will to tell you how good you look right now,” I informed her. “Please don’t make me.”

“Uh… okay?” She smirked, perusing my curve-skimming sapphire-blue cocktail dress. “You look incredible yourself.”

I smoothed my hair. “I feel incredibly off my game.”

“Well, the waitress is right there. We’ll get you a drink.”

“I don’t think this is something alcohol can fix. Erase, maybe.”

“Uh-oh.” Now she looked concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just having a bad day. Pull up a martini and let me regale you with—”

Elle screamed, cutting me off. She grabbed a menu off our table and slammed it on my back. Several times. Heat flared briefly behind me… and that was it.

I didn’t even have time to scream.

The smell of burnt hair wafted through the air. “Holy shit,” Elle panted, like she’d just run into a burning building and carried me out on her back.

I glanced behind me. A few people I didn’t know were sitting around a hightop table, staring at me, their mouths dangling open. A candle burned innocently on the table.

And now, people all around us were staring. Brody and Jessa were gaping.

“What happened?” Brody demanded.

Flynn suddenly loomed over us, sweating, like he’d just sprint across the room. “You alright?”

I blinked at Elle’s bodyguard. “Did my hair just catch on fire?”

“What?” Jessa said. I supposed she and Brody had missed the entirety of the spectacle.

“You’re okay,” Elle told me, which didn’t really answer my question.

“Of course it did,” I said. “My hair just caught on fire. Because this is exactly the kind of day that my hair would catch on fire.”

“It’s out now.” Elle took my hand and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

A waitress had appeared next to us, staring. “Are you okay?”

I blinked at her. “I’m just wonderful. How are you?”

“Uh… okay. Can I get you anything? It’s on the house.”

“Thanks.” I plucked a martini off the tray she was holding and took a swig. Probably not what she meant, but fuck it.

“Ladies’ room,” Elle ordered. “Now.” Then she tugged me away from the table. Brody had his mouth open, like he was about to say something, but we vanished too fast.

Flynn came with us, of course.

Apparently, word that a woman had just caught on fire spread fast in a high-end restaurant. Because a security guy, a bartender, and a managerial type all intercepted us on the way to the washrooms, asking if I was okay and offering food and drink on the house. I declined politely, but finally agreed to let the manager, who’d cornered us in the hallway, bring out a complimentary platter of crab cakes for our table.

I didn’t even like crab cakes.

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