Page 130 of Just This Once

He shifted his gaze to her just as she flew to where he sat to give him a big hug, nearly suffocating his face with her boobs.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she chanted as she pulled back enough to send him a big grin.

He blinked from the circle of her arms before dryly asking, “Been working on our personal space skills, have we, Vargas?”

Oaklynn merely sniffed his sarcasm away and kissed his forehead. “Damien and I got into V-Eleven this week with no problems whatsoever.” Then she paused to frown. “Or are we calling it Seven now?”

“It’s V-Eleven,” Parker told her before glancing around the table for her boyfriend. When he spotted Damien, he lifted his arms in a what-the-hell gesture. “Can you…take this back now?”

“Yeah, Bashful, before he leaves scorch marks and the scent of sulfur all over your girl,” I added with a snort as I plopped into my seat next to Alec.

Oaklynn finally let go of Parker to return to Damien, and Parker veered his attention my way, his gaze blazing.

My breath caught in my throat.

Nudging my arm in warning, Alec jumped in to blurt, “What shemeantto say wasthanksfor getting us on the exclusive list at the restaurant too. The lobster bisque was amazing.”

I shrugged and sat back in my seat to pick up my lemonade and take a sip, making it obvious that I didn’t care to thank Parker at all.

But no one was paying any attention to me because Hudson broke in to announce that he’d helped make the sauce for the restaurant’s bisque all week. No one besides Parker that was. Parker narrowed his eyes at me moodily and frowned for a good two seconds before turning his attention away to listen to Hudson.

Tension spread across the back of my neck, and I fanned my face as if all my exertions on the dance floor had overheated me. But it was because I had no idea how to act around Parker anymore.

God, I was botching this so badly.

All I could remember was snuggling up to him on Saturday night, wrapped in his arms, my hair splayed across his chest and one leg hooked possessively over his waist as he rubbed a hand slowly up and down my back while telling me how every million he made caused him guilt because he’d benefited so much from his parents’ death and yet he still felt determined to make more so he could make them proud.

I shivered and sat up straighter only to yelp out my surprise when someone appeared at my side and slapped a wet, sloppy kiss to my cheek.

“Oh my God, Langston,” Keene exclaimed with the biggest smile as he gripped my arm and shook me. “You’re a fucking genius. Look at this.” Lifting his hands, he showed me an assortment of cocktail napkins with writing all over them. “Five,” he explained in awe. “I just gotfivefucking numbers from chicks. That’s a goddamn record right there.”

My lips parted in awe as I studied his accomplishments. “Well, what else did you expect?” I murmured before beginning to grin right along with him. “You’re one of the hottest guys in this place and can dance like nobody’s business. Of course, you raked in the numbers. Now, get this cheek too.” I turned my face the other way. “It’s starting to feel left out.”

Keene laughed and kissed the other cheek. “Thanks,” he told me. “But I better get back over there. I’m pretty sure I have a chance of scoring with at leastoneof them before the night’s over. Maybe more.”

“Oh, you better go, then,” I encouraged, slapping him on the butt as he turned away. “Good luck.”

With a surprised jump, he glanced back, only to snicker in amusement and wink, shooting me a finger gun in farewell.

“Well, you certainly madehisnight,” Alec leaned toward me to murmur with an approving lift of his eyebrows.

Grinning, I said, “And I got him to stop sniffing around Xander too, so…” Waving my hands in celebration, I added, “Double score.”

He scoffed but a second later, a smile bloomed across his face, letting me know he approved of that as well.

Tickled that I’d made my brother happy, I started to take another sip, only for my gaze to inadvertently seek Parker again.

He narrowed his eyes in displeasure, so I widened mine back and mouthed the word,What?

He rolled his eyes bitterly, then shook his head, and turned his face away to ignore me.

I shrugged, not sure what had crawled up his butt that time. Taking another drink of my lemonade, I turned pointedly toward my brother, except Oaklynn slapped the table to get everyone’s attention.

“Hope!” she called as if an idea had just occurred to her. “You should invite the orgasm king to join us.”

While Parker immediately started to choke on the drink he’d just taken, Alec looked up in horror and demanded, “Thewhat?”

“Who’s the orgasm king?” Hudson asked Faith.

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