Page 78 of Take What You Want

Nikolai tilts his head and the movement causes a lock of hair to fall over his forehead. “You’re a smart girl, LJ. You’ll figure out a way to excuse yourself from them.”

“This is a girls night out.” I cross my arms and try to ignore the way that my stomach clenches at his arrogance. Fuck, I hate how attractive it is.

And I hate even more that I’m not as annoyed as I’m trying to show him at his presence. If anything, I feel more at ease under his eye and side by side with his presence. He’s always been a safe place for me, even before we were anything more than friends.

“It didn’t look likeonlygirls' night while you were flirting with those guys.” His eyes flame in the low lighting as his words set me off balance.

“Are you jealous?”

“Yes.” No hesitation. No trying to play it cool. He outright admits it and it does something to me. Sets something off deep inside my stomach and explodes outward.

“What if I had plans to find them again tonight?” I step closer to him until our chests brush. With my heels, we’re eye level, and I tilt my head to the side innocently as I toy with him. “What if you’re too late?”

His hands wrap around my hips. “Your plans have changed.”

“You seem awfully confident about that. And may I remind you, you don’t tell me what to do.”

“And may I remind you”—his words brush over my cheeks as he leans in to speak into my ear—“that you used to love it when I told you what to do.” Goosebumps erupt over my arms and he doesn’t miss my body’s reaction. He smiles lazily as he pulls back.

“Now go find Scar and Carter and tell them you’re going home. Then come back up here and find me. I’ll be waiting over at the bar.”

With that, he drops his hands and strides away confidently, not bothering to look over his shoulder to see if I’m doing what he instructed.

Because he knows I’m going to. That I want to.

Part of me wants to defy him. To go downstairs, join my friends, and leave him sitting up here by himself all night. Maybe I’ll even find another guy downstairs to dance with and make him watch what he can’t have.

But a larger part of me, the one clouded by alcohol and nostalgia, wants his hands back on my body.

So despite the warning bells going off in my mind, I head downstairs in search of my friends to excuse myself for the night exactly like he told me.

“Aren’tyou worried about people spotting you here?” I ask Nikolai as we sit facing each other at the bar, our legs gridlocked. “Especially without your girlfriend?” Bitterness coats my tone but I don’t try to hide it.

Nikolai smiles. “Who’s the jealous one now?”

I ignore that. “All it takes is one photo of the two of us to have that image crash and burn.”

“With what phone is anyone going to take a photo? They confiscate them for everyone up here.”

“What do you mean?”

Nikolai leans in. “Believe it or not, LJ, but I’m not the only one in a fake relationship. But this up here,” he gestures, “people can bring whoever they want and trust that it’s not going to get splashed across the press tomorrow morning.”

My eyes dart around, searching for anyone I might recognize. Being around my brother and the band, I don’t get starstruck much anymore but curiosity has me giving everyone a once-over.

“How did I get to come up here then?”

Nikolai smirks. “I pulled some strings.”

“In like the hour between you finding out where I was and getting me up here?” I ask doubtfully.

“Being famous has to have some perks.”

Whatever. I don’t really care at this point. “Does Kerra know you’re here?”

“Why would she?”

“Because she’s your?—”

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