Page 12 of Accidental Abduction

“Nah, I’ll make it work.” Eyeing where I’d tossed my cut off denim shorts on the bed, I gauged if they were tight enough that there wouldn’t be a risk of indecent exposure on the dance floor downstairs.

“You’re such a slut,” she laughed as I pulled on the shorts, going commando, making sure that there wasn’t any chance they’d show off something that’d get me in trouble.

“It’s not like I’m going downstairs in my underwear like some people,” I teased, giving the almost see through lace bodysuit Hazel was wearing underneath her tiny skirt a pointed look.

“We’ll just have to avoid Hudson. He’ll lose his shit if he sees me like this.”

Hudson had always been overprotective of Hazel, especially since she’d always been too trusting for her own good. In high school and college, I’d been the reckless one while she was the well-behaved good girl. I’d tried to get her out of her shell in the last year or so, but he’d continued treating her like she was a sixteen-year-old virgin. And while she’d never confirmed it because she didn’t like to kiss and tell, I suspected her V card had yet to be punched.

“He can suck it. You look hot, and I can guarantee you still have more covered up than some of the girls downstairs.” We’d seen several already tonight who were spilling out of their tight costumes.

“Did you see the one Reid was dancing with before you came up here?”

“Can’t say that I was keeping track of him, but I’m sure you were.”

She blushed and tucked a loose curl behind her ear before she looked away. Hazel had been crushing on Reid for years, but she’d avoided him since the incident where she walked in on him fucking some girl in the stock room downstairs. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t continued to watch him from afar. Her crush was blatantly more obvious than mine on her brother. To everyonebutReid.

“Once we put on our masks, they won’t be able to tell who we are.”

That’s what I was counting on. Tonight, I wanted anonymity. I didn’t want to be Hazel’s best friend, and more importantly, I didn’t want to be Charley, the ball-busting waitress. My reputation for booting handsy guys from the bar had exactly the opposite effect I wanted it to tonight. I wanted to find someone to put his hands all over me. Not threaten to dislocate his fingers if he “accidentally” brushed my ass while I was dropping off drinks at his table.

It wasn’t about being touched. It was about consent. And a guy tracing his hands over every inch of your body with consent was sexy. Random, drunken ass grabs were not.

“Since you’re ready to go, why don’t you head downstairs. I’ll be down as soon as I get my hair figured out and drop my tip log in the safe.”

“You know he’s taking the next few days off, so that could wait until tomorrow.”

“I know,” I sighed. While under normal circumstances Hudson was meticulous about his bookkeeping, he was scheduled to be gone until Monday. He’d earned a break with all the extra hours he’d been pulling. And I knew he typically withdrew when he was stressed, but I was worried about him. “He needs it after this week.”

Even if I didn’t talk to him most days, just knowing he was in the same building was comforting.

“I swear to God, if she’s down there when we go down, I can’t be responsible foraccidentallyspilling something on her. Preferablysomething disgusting that stains. I’m sure the cooks would help me find something.”

“I love your petty side,” I laughed, shooing her out of my bedroom with a flick of my wrist. “Try to hold in your vengeance until I’m there to help.”

But if I had anything to do with it, she’d be getting more than a stained costume. If I had my way, she’d never step foot in this building again.

“Wish me luck.” She spun in a circle, her short skirt twirling around her waist. “I’m in the mood to ruin my lipstick with a cute college boy.”

“Same.” But I wasn’t imagining being kissed by a college guy. I was fantasizing about finally getting kissed by the one guy I couldn’t have.

Hudson

Just put it on.Put on the mask and take a deep breath. You got this. This is what she wants. You’ll chase her, take her back to your place, and remind her how good you can be together.

And then what? One hot night and she’d agree to work things out? Putting on this mask wouldn’t be a band-aid, and as I stared at it peeking out the top of my backpack, a sense of unease swept over me.

“What are you still doing in here?”

I jumped at the voice coming from the office doorway.

“I thought you were out there trying to pick up women with bad boy issues?” Reid still hadn’t put on a shirt. Instead, he was casually leaning against the doorframe with his helmet tucked under his arm, and I suddenly wished I had half the amount of swagger he had.

Judging by the loud music and voices coming from the other side of the building, the party had gotten into full swing while I’d been hiding in my office. I hadn’t meant to stall joining the chaos, but since no one from the door had been sent to tell me Viv was here, I’d used the time to catch up on paperwork. It’d been so long since I’d had to think about trying to catch a woman’s interest that I’d forgotten how. And I was having some major performance anxiety.

“Which you should be doing too,” he laughed. “But it seems like you’re in here having some existential crisis dressed all in black, like you’re about to rob the place, instead of out there beingcharming so you can finally hook up with someone who doesn’t want to change you.”

Now that things were shaky between Viv and me, he hadn’t hesitated to make his opinion of her known. Deep down, I knew how much he disliked her, mostly because she didn’t seem to respect my decisions, but he didn’t know her like I did.

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