Page 75 of Her Dark Angel

My heart squeezes painfully. Having Nash be so raw and open with me about a silly little sun tattoo has knocked me around a little. The admission was unexpected, but appreciated at the same time.

I wonder how many people he has shared that personal piece of information with.

“I like it,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I thought your matching tattoo would’ve been something crazier like a tiger or a large music note.”

Nash chuckles and shakes his head. “Nope, we went for a sun of all things. But if anyone asks, you know nothing about it.”

I laugh along with him. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Nashie boy!”

My head snaps toward Axel as he charges through the room with Luca hot on his heels. They both plop onto the couch across from us, occupying Hudson and Iris’s seats. Axel tips his head back to chug the remainder of the liquid in the beer bottle before leaning forward to add it to the bundle of empty bottles on the coffee table separating us.

Luca smiles at me, his deep chestnut eyes gazing over me. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight, Kinsley.”

I return his kind smile. “Yeah, Nash invited me earlier today.”

Axel observes my position on Nash’s lap, his eyes lighting up with mischief before he wriggles his brows at us. His two-toned hair is pulled back into a ponytail with strands of hair falling around his face, the same style he had at the award show. I must admit, he rocks a ponytail. “So, what’s going on here? You both look rather close.”

“Shut up, Ax,” Nash grunts. His chest vibrates against my back with each word. “You know the situation. It doesn’t matter that we’re not in public, we still need to play the part.”

Okay, so he is just putting on an act for the strangers around us. While I know it makes sense, I can’t stop the pang of disappointment slamming into my heart.

Axel nods in understanding, but something in his blue eyes tells me he doesn’t buy a word Nash has said. “Well, either way, Kin, I hope you’re ready for a good fucking night.”

“Did someone say ‘a good night’?” Hudson has the biggest grin on his face as he waltzes across the living room to drop on the couch beside Nash. He hands his friend a red plastic cup. “Drink up, Nashie. We're about to get fucked up tonight.”

Iris smiles at me as she hands me a red cup with an orange liquid floating around inside. She lowers herself onto Hudson’s lap. “It’s called a Fuzzy Navel.”

The plastic is cold in my hands as I inspect the drink. “What’s in it?”

“Vodka, orange juice, and peach schnapps. Trust me, it’s delicious.”

Now that sounds like a good fruity drink to me. I smile at Iris. “Thank you.”

Moments later, the group begins talking about topics I have no knowledge of, but I don’t mind. The cup in my hand is a welcome distraction from the way Nash’s knuckles graze the side of my thigh at an agonizing pace.

It takes everything in me not to return his touch because having his hands on me is far more addicting than I thought.

Instead, I settle back against his chest, sip on my drink, and listen to his friends’ conversation and banter. I must admit, the way they interact is better than anything I’ve seen on TV. I have to fight to keep from laughing every two seconds.

“You know what we should play? Never have I ever. We can make it a drinking game, so if you have done it, you take a sip from your drink.”

Nash snorts from behind me. “Hud, we’re twenty-six, not twelve. No one still plays that game.”

“I think it could be fun.” Axel is quick to come to his friend’s defense, which only makes Nash sigh heavily. “Are you afraid of your girl finding out all your dirty little secrets?” He wiggles his brows suggestively, and I giggle into my hand.

Nash snorts and shakes his head.

My mind has grown fuzzy from the number of drinks I’ve consumed in the couple of hours we’ve been sitting in the living room. I told Nash I would only have one drink, but that one drink has somehow turned into five, courtesy of Iris and her amazing bartending skills.

I shouldn’t be drinking this much when I’m around Nash, but it seems all sensibility has flown out the window. I take a sip from the fruity drink and smile.

“Fuck it. I’m in,” Luca says with a shrug, running his hand through the ends of his hair.

Now it’s three against one, leaving Iris and I to be the deciders. We look at each other, seemingly thinking the same thought because we both smile.

“We’re in too,” Iris agrees for the both of us.

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