Page 11 of High Stakes

“Is he another wanker that just wants to get in those knickers?” asks Jack.

I scoff. “No, he’s not interested in me. And trust me, I’m not interested in him.”

“Bullshit,” exclaims Aria.

“I’m not,” I argue.

She rolls her eyes, “Wait until you see him, you two will see exactly what I mean.”

“Men don’t help a woman for no reason,” says Beck, looking concerned.

I smile gratefully. “Trust me, he isn’t short of women. And he isn’t interested in me.”

“So, what’s his motive for helping a woman he doesn’t even know?” he asks.

I shrug, “Right now I’m just grateful for a place to stay. I have his address, his name and his place of work. He’s hardly going to do anything. He’s openly invited you guys here tonight, hardly the moves of a killer.”

“Or he’s playing the long game and wanting your V card?” suggests Jack.

I shake my head. “Definitely not, he’s in his office with two women right now, he wouldn’t flaunt it if he wanted to get me into bed.” I finish my drink, “Now, can we stop talking about my shit show of a life and dance?”

We dance until my feet ache and my cheeks hurt from laughing. It’s almost enough to make me forget about everything that’s happened in the last few days.

JP approaches me, gently placing a hand on my waist and leaning so his mouth is positioned at my ear. “The boss is wondering where you are,” he says. His deep voice rumbles through me and I shiver. He looks up and I follow his gaze to where Aiden is staring down from the balcony. I offer a wide smile and a thumbs up. “Well now he knows.”

“He thinks it would be better if you were to stay in the VIP section . . . where he knows you’re safe.”

I turn in his arm and slide my arms around his neck, standing up on my tiptoes. “You could stay here and keep me safe,” I suggest, pressing myself against his hard body.

He grins, placing both hands on my hips and holding me at arms length. “Are you trying to get my backside kicked?”

“Aiden?” I ask, laughing, “He has no interest in me, you’re safe.”

He shakes his head looking amused, “If only you knew.”

CHAPTER SIX

Aiden

I haven’t been able to take my eyes from her. The way she lights up the room has me transfixed, the fact she doesn’t even realise it, adds to her appeal. She dances with a sexy edge, carefree and relaxed. And she laughs with her friends hard, making me long to be a part of their circle.

Despite her attempts to drag JP off to dance with her, he backs away, glancing up and me and giving his head a slight shake. I don’t want to come over all alpha, but I want her up here with me. Down there, she’s getting way too much attention from other men. And as predicted, thesecond JP walks away, she turns to a man who’s been trying to grab her attention for at least ten minutes. I ball my fists in anger the second she engages with him, laughing at something he says. He slides his hands to her waist, and she slips hers around his neck, they begin to sway to the music. He gently presses his nose to hers and I lose it, slamming my glass on the table behind me and heading for the stairs. She shouldn’t even be down there, not when she suspects men are after her.

JP blocks my path on the stairs, his face full of concern. “Where’s the fire?”

“She’s about to kiss someone,” I snap.

“What happened to playing it cool?” he asks with a grin.

“We’re moving to stage two of the plan,” I grit out, continuing down the stairs.

I hear him laughing, “What’s stage two, possessive, psycho, dickhead?”

The guy she’s dancing with sees me coming, and whether it’s my demeanor or the fact he recognises me, he steps back, letting her arms fall away from him. I slam against her, pulling her against my front, “Are you trying to piss me off?” I growl in her ear.

“Why would I be pissing you off, Aiden?” she asks innocently, and I’m not sure if she’s playing her own game.

I feel her backside pressing against me and I inhale sharply. “I warned you what would happen if you kept rubbing against me,” I whisper, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the stairs.

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