Page 80 of Salacious Park Avenue Prince

“Dude, try to be nice.” Donovan gave me a pleading look.

“I’m always nice.”

“You know what I mean. Can we have one night where the two of you aren’t going at it?”

Well, when he put it that way, it was damn near impossible. Just not the way he was thinking.

I gave him a light smack on the cheek as I passed. “Don’t worry so much.”

We headed toward to the roped-off entrance to see East already chatting with the guy manning the doors, and the second his name was mentioned, the rope was pulled back and we were ushered inside.

I made sure to hang back with Donovan and Kelly as JT chatted with his best buddy Caleb, and did my best to play things cool. Not the easiest thing when what I wanted was to be the one laughing with Caleb.

The pounding rhythm of a remixed favorite pulsated throughout the club as we weaved our way through the crowds mingling around the bar. There was no way we were going to fight to get to the front of that crowd, instead following East’s lead to where our VIP area would be waiting for us with a designated waiter.

I scanned the barely dressed bodies already writhing on the dance floor and wondered how much crazier things would get by the end of the night, considering the doors had only opened an hour or so ago.

“This place is packed!” Gavin called back at us, as Daire scowled at anyone who came within arm-brushing distance of his man. “Plenty of singles out there for you to mingle with tonight, hey, Trav?”

That was exactly what I’d be thinking on any other night. But the only singleIwanted to mingle with was currently being sized up by a group of women he passed by. A couple of them grinned and made eyes at him in a way that made me want to go over and scratch their eyes out—especially the blonde’s.

“In that outfit?” Kelly gave me an approving nod. “I doubt he’ll be dancing alone for long.”

“He’s not wrong.” Donovan ran his critical eye over my outfit. “Yours, or someone I need to know about?”

“One-of-a-kind original, baby.”

As I headed up the couple of steps to the VIP area, Donovan grabbed my arm.

“When you’re ready to share your talent with the rest of the world, let me know, okay? Because everyone needs to see these.”

“Thanks. I will. But I don’t think the world’s quite ready for me yet.”

“Well, when you think they are…” Donovan grinned and took Kelly’s hand, passing me by. This wasn’t the first time he’d had offered to wear or model one of my designs, and it was flattering to think that a model of his caliber wanted to be seen in something I made. But I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for that kind of attention on my work. Or to have something I loved be picked apart and put under a microscope.

I wonder if that’s how Caleb feels about me—us?

Not that I thought he loved me or anything—we’d only just started to be able to exist in the same room without committing murder. But maybe it was a similar kind of sentiment. He didn’t want others weighing in on whatever it was we were doing with each other just yet.

“You gonna come sit and have a drink with us?” West called out, settling into a black velvet couch and pulling JT onto his lap. “Or you gonna guard the entrance all night to keep the riffraff out?”

Caleb’s eyes on me were almost as tangible as one of his hands, and with the way that made my body react, I made sure to keep my attention focused on West—who of course had to be sitting right fucking next to him.

“Well, you’re in here, so I guess I’m doing a lousy job at playing guard.” I took a seat by East, who was on the opposite side of our private area, and took an offered shot. “Is this tequila?”

East smiled. “The best money can buy. I thought it would be a good way to help Caleb remember how much he likes us.”

My eyes flicked to the man I’d been avoiding looking at since we’d entered the club. Caleb was leveling East with a glacial stare.

“I’m not drinking tequila.”

“I agree.” East gestured to the tray being passed around. “You’re going to do ashotof tequila, and you’re going to enjoy it.”

Caleb shook his head as the tray got closer. “I don’t drink that anymore.”

“Why?” I said, seizing the opportunity to dive in and add a bratty comment or three to the mix.Thanks East.“Because it actually makes you a fun human?”

Caleb’s eyes shifted to mine, the glacier only melting slightly as it drifted in my direction.

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