Page 130 of Naughty Nelle

We hugged and said it at the same time: “What are you doing here?”

I let Lauren answer first. “This is Taylor’s parents’ house. Remember, I told you they were throwing an impromptu cocktail party to celebrate our engagement?”

Some “impromptu party.” With the white-gloved staff and elegant décor, it looked like it had taken months to plan. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the scope of Lauren’s wedding as she asked for a glass of champagne.

Taking a sip of the bubbly, she flashed an auspicious grin. “And I bet you’re here with—”

“Yes, Ari,” I said, cutting her off. And then I remembered that Taylor’s father owned the largest chain of drug stores in the country. Of course, he must be one of Ari’s biggest clients.

“You’re next,” beamed my BFF, flaunting her boulder-sized engagement ring. The diamond sparkled under the moonlit sky.

I rolled my eyes and took another sip of my wine while Lauren chugged her champagne.

“Listen, I’ve got to go and spend some time with Taylor’s parents’ friends. I’ll catch up with you later. I want to hear everything.”

She sauntered off, strutting in her mile-high heels as if she were born wearing them. In the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Ari. My heart skipped a beat and my wine glass almost slipped from my hand. He was talking to a gorgeous blonde, who looked like she could be a movie star. One of his women? Or someone he just met and was hitting on? A mixture of jealousy and anger ripped through me. I thought about marching up to them—“Oh, hi, I’m Sarah, Ari’s girlfriend”—and then refrained. First of all, I wasn’t Ari’s girlfriend (I’d known him for all of forty-eight hours) and secondly, maybe I was jumping the gun and letting my insecurity take hold of me. Maybe she was just an acquaintance. Or an old friend. I was nonetheless miffed that he had left me alone, stranded for such a long time, and was ignoring me. Maybe he was testing me. To see how independent I was. To see if I could survive his crowd of movers and shakers.

And then, just as I got a grip, he took her in his arms and smacked a hot kiss on her lips. I’d seen enough. Draining my wine, I fled and thought about calling a cab. But where would I go? I sure as hell didn’t want to go back to his house and have an ugly confrontation with Gwen. Then, I thought about the train station we’d passed on our drive but doubted trains were running back to the city on a Sunday night in the middle of a holiday weekend. And I certainly couldn’t afford a cab ride into Manhattan. Right now, I just needed to be alone. With tears brimming in my eyes, I escaped the party, running aimlessly through the vast property, passing formal gardens, a tennis court, guesthouses, a pond with swans, and ending up at the pool area. The shimmering pool was surrounded by chaise lounges and off to the right was a lit-up pavilion.

Emotionally drained, I leaned against the pavilion and gazed up at the starry sky. As clear as the night was, I was in a thick fog. Yes, here I was at a glamorous party in the Hamptons with a gorgeous billionaire that I’d met only a couple of days ago, but I was just arm candy. As exciting as my life had been since I met him, loneliness and apprehension assaulted me. Even jealousy and insecurity came out of hiding. He had fucked a lot of women. I was just one of them. This man did not want commitment. And I, Sarah Greene, did not want to get hurt.

For all I knew, he would be going home with the stunning blond tonight. Maybe not fucking her in his bed, but fucking her somewhere. He was a player and that’s what players did. Tears pricked my eyes as I watched a shooting star rocket across the darkening sky. I didn’t need this. I had too much on my plate as it was, between my ailing mother and my demanding job. Before the weekend was over—maybe even tonight if I had the chance—I was going to end it. Tell him the truth that this “relationship” wasn’t right for me, that I needed more…someone who adored me and could be supportive, get me through this challenging time. Unbearable sadness swept over me. Who was I trying to fool? I was smitten by this man. Helplessly, hopelessly falling in love with him. And his little son. The timing was all wrong; that’s what it was. Fate fucked me over when I ended up sitting next to him on the train. As much as I longed to be in his arms, it just wasn’t meant to be. The tears that were threatening to fall could no longer be held back.

As I brushed them away, a familiar man’s voice startled me. “Hey, babe. Fancy meeting you here.”

I turned my head. My bleary eyes squinted at the husky male form about twenty feet away. It was Lauren’s fiancé Taylor, staggering toward me with a drink in his hand. His eyes were glazed, his lids hooded. He was drunk. Very drunk. I had seen him this way before way too many times.

“Watch’ya doing here, Sarah?” he mumbled as he stumbled up to me, slurring each word.

“I’ve got to go…head back to the party.” I hurried the words, pondering an exit strategy.

“What’s the rush, sweetheart?”

Before I could take a step, he pinned me hard against the stucco of the poolside pavilion. His hips pressing tightly against mine, he leaned into me. His warm breath reeked of alcohol. Whiskey? Gin? Vermouth? I was no expert.

“You look fucking hot tonight,” he breathed into my face, his fetid breath nauseating me.

I tried to wiggle myself free of him, but even in his drunken state, ex-football star, Taylor Hodges IV, was too strong for me.

His lips parted, and I was prepared for the worst as they moved in close to mine. Ugh! He was kissing me, his slobbering mouth all over mine. I squirmed as his tongue darted out and forced my lips to part. It rolled around my palate, its foul taste making me feel even more nauseated than I already was. His hands groped my breasts as his hips gyrated into mine. A hard bulge, growing between his thighs, dug into me through his chinos. I continued to resist him, but the more I struggled, the more forceful he became. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. Oh God, get him off me.

“What the fuck?”

I knew that voice too. Ari! Oh God, what was he going to think?

In one swift move, he yanked Taylor away from me, sending his cocktail tumbler crashing to the ground.

“Hey dude, chill,” slurred Taylor.

Fury was blazing in Ari’s eyes. Balling his fist, he socked Taylor in the face, sending him to his knees.

“Hey man, what was that for?” winced Taylor, blood pouring from his nose.

“For the same reason I’m doing this, motherfucker.”

I cringed as Ari kicked him hard in the gut. Taylor clutched his stomach and groaned as Ari grabbed me by the elbow and jerked me away.

“I’m away from you for fifteen minutes, and you wander off with some asshole?” Rage mounted with every word.

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