Page 20 of Scarred Hearts

He rolled his eyes. “You’re such a brat.”

I pursed my lips, wiggling my brows. “You have no idea.”

He leaned in closer, our faces only inches apart, despite our attempts to keep it professional. His warm breath tickled my skin as he put his lips next to my ear. “Oh, I remember well.”

“Do you still regret our night together?” I asked in a barely audible whisper.

“I never regretted it,” he admitted, his gaze softening. “I just wanted to forget about it after you showed up here and I was married.”

“Consider everything I just said, my way of helping you forget our night then, but I want to know what happened after you took me home the other night.”

His eyes lowered to my lips for a split second before snapping back up to meet mine. “Did you wake up sore?”

I shook my head slowly. “Just hungover.”

A wicked sparkle appeared in his eyes as they flickered down to my lips again. “Then you should kn?—”

Before he could finish his sentence, my breath hitched, and his expression twisted into one of concern. In an instant, he had pulled out his phone from his pocket and was answering a call with one hand while keeping the other pressed against the wall next to my head.

Yeah?

She’s with me right now.

Yeah, I’ll send her right there.

He slid his phone back in his pocket and took a step back. “Luke said Jade wants you headlining tonight so Amber can train someone. But he wants to see you right now. I’ll show you my secret some other time.”

“Can we talk later?” I asked, trying to keep my composure despite the fluttering butterflies in my stomach.

He slipped his hands casually into his pockets, his eyes meeting mine. “I meant what I said about keeping it professional.”

“Your rules, sir.” Pressing my lips into a thin line, I fought back a smile at the name he made me call him the night we were together. I whirled around to leave but he grabbed my wrist, spinning me back around. I scowled at my arm, then him. “What the fuck is your pro?—”

“Ekaterina was up here this morning,” he said, ignoring what I called him.

I gasped, and he let go. Rubbing the remnants of his touch with my palm, I asked, “What, why?”

“No idea, but I thought you deserved to know. I can have someone follow you home without making a big deal about it if you want.”

“No.” I waved a hand lazily. “They’ll have to drive really slow.”

“Why?” He creased his brow.

“I took the T,” I replied. “Walking home.”

He let out an incredulous laugh. “Why are you determined to get killed?”

“Screw you,” I snickered. “I’ll be fine.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I gripped my hips. “Also, you want to keep things professional, right?”

“Of course.”

I pointed to my wrist. “Then keep your fucking hands off me.”

He didn’t respond as I spun around to leave as fast as my high heels would carry me. I had to snap myself back into the present. Maybe Kirsten was right. Maybe a part of me always liked him, even after all these years. But I refused to fall into the trap of wanting something that I could never have.

Deep down, a small voice whispered that maybe we didn’t actually hook up the other night. And if that were true, it meant that I hadn’t said anything too embarrassing or revealing. Or at least, that’s what I hoped for.

Feeling a mixture of pride and defiance, I strutted out of Luxe without exchanging a word with the other staff. They could wait for my greetings later. My main priority was meeting up with Luke, who I knew was waiting for me in the lobby. As soon as I stepped into the grand space, his presence was impossible to miss; arms crossed over his chest, his tattooed sleeves accentuating the bulge of his muscles.

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