Page 4 of Wildly Inappropriate

He drops my arm, backing away slightly.

“Thanks,” I say, trying to hide my embarrassment. Nothing like being the slightly drunk girl who needs her enemy and brother’s best friend to watch out for her. Unfortunately, the second I take my eyes off the path, a large man wearing navy running pants and a white tank top knocks into me from the side.

I grunt, grimacing as my shoulder connects with his sweaty arm. JT pulls me to him, wrapping his arm around me. The fact that we both stumble at the move suggests JT is not quite sober either. This time, I’m more prepared for the fire his contact ignites, and I snuggle into his warmth. Sober me is going to be revolted by this, but tipsy Lila likes a good cuddle.

JT shrugs as if he’s going to pull away, but as a large group cheers next to us, he moves his hand to my lower back, directing me past the craps tables and into the elevator bay. I brace myself for the cold casino air that will find me again when he moves his hand, but it never comes. Instead, he moves me with him, keeping his hand on me as he pushes the Up button.

“Lila?” a voice asks from behind.

Shit.Please tell me that isn’t— I glance over my shoulder. Ugh. Why in the world is Andrew Caldwell here?

JT must feel my discomfort, because he shoots me a confused look before turning to face the group of five guys headed our way.

What have I done in my life to deserve this? To be embarrassed in front of the one man certain to taunt me with it for the rest of my life?

“Hey, Andrew,” I say, trying to play it much cooler than I feel right now—or ever, if we’re being honest.

“Are you out here watching your brother?” Andrew asks.

I don’t typically go around telling people who my brother is. Not because I’m ashamed, but because it just seems easier when I don’t have to question everyone’s motives for being my friend. Unfortunately for me, I thought Andrew and I were dating, so of course he knows my brother is a professional golfer.

Before I can answer, he notices JT—though how he could’ve missed the man’s imposing presence from the beginning is beyond me. “Holy shit. You’re JT Johnson!”

JT smiles, and I recognize it as his TV smile, not the real one he surprisingly let loose tonight. “Hey, man. Nice to meet you.” He reaches out to shake Andrew’s hand, and I feel the loss of his warmth like I just lost a limb.

A group of people pile out of the elevator that finally made its way to the ground, but, before we can get in, a bachelorette party in leather skirts and cowboy boots pushes in front of us, filling the entire car.

“Oh, man. You’re JT!” Andrew exclaims.

JT and I both glance at each other. I can only imagine he’s thinking the same thing I am: Is this kid losing his freaking marbles? He just did this whole “you’re JT Johnson!” bit.

Andrew notices our faces and laughs. “No. I mean, that night, I was all worked up to tell Lila we shouldn’t see each other anymore. I’d heard around campus she thought we were dating, and I mean, we definitely weren’t. I thought it was going to be the whole embarrassing thing where I had to break the heart of the poor girl who thought we were together, but turns out, the rumor mill had it wrong—she’d been talking to some other guy too.”

He gestures to JT with his hand before continuing his one-man act, hell-bent on making this situation as embarrassing as possible. “I can’t believe I didn’t put it together before now. I guess I just never really thought the JT she was texting with was you. Damn, Lila, really hitting above your weight class, huh?”

I want to die. Please, Lilith, if you can hear me, now would be the ideal time to call me back to Hell. Though, on second thought, it’s distinctly possible I’m already in Hell.

JT looks at me before pulling me back to his side. “I’m the lucky one. I can’t believe I get to date someone as amazing as Lila.”

I’m sorry. What? Is JT…helping me? I gape at him, and his eyes widen as he panics. Luckily, I think I’m the only one who would pick up on the doubt raging in his mind, though I’m also the only one who knows just how similar this situation is to the one that set us on a crash course to enemies.

Fortunately, we’re saved by another elevator arriving. Unfortunately, Andrew’s group of friends plus another group all shove their way on, so it’s a tight fit. As people shuffle around to make space between the groups, JT pulls me to him, my chest millimeters from his. JT asks the lady in front to push his floor, and I remain quiet, sober enough now to recognize it would be a dead giveaway to our ruse if JT and I weren’t sharing a room. I catch Andrew openly watching us from the opposite corner. JT must notice him as well, because he gives a small nod in Andrew’s direction before wrapping his arms around me and placing a quick kiss on the top of my head.

The sweet move is surprisingly nice for a bottom-feeder like JT Johnson.

As the elevator dings, letting a single rider out, Andrew is still watching us. I know from experience that I’m playing a dangerous game with JT, but all I can hear is Andrew’s voice saying JT is out of my league. What a dick. So I do the only logical thing: I lean my forehead into JT’s chest, breathing in his clean, masculine smell. He must have sprayed on some cologne before heading down to the bar. Or maybe he took a shower. Yeah, a long, hot shower, all lathered up— I jolt back from my tipsy fantasy as his arms settle around my waist. I lean into him further, wrapping my arms around his neck and taking a deep breath. For the show, of course.

The elevator stops, and the other group exits. The door closes again before Andrew’s voice comes from the corner, “It is weird, though. I heard from a couple of different people in our engineering cohort that Lila thought we were dating.” JT’s body goes stiff as Andrew keeps talking, “That’s why I decided I needed to say something. It’s just weird that—”

JT grabs my chin, tilts my face up to him, and kisses me. My lips. The ones attached to my face.What is happening?At the contact, Andrew’s voice fades away, the hot embarrassment morphing into a fiery burn that pulses through my chest and straight to my core. I grab JT’s face, pulling him down to my height and deepening the kiss. He matches my intensity, and I let out a small gasp. Taking advantage of my open lips, he slips his tongue inside, and I’m gone. There is nothing and no one. Only this.

There’s a cough, and one of Andrew’s buddies says, “Um, this is your floor.”

JT and I break apart, and I glance at Andrew’s stunned face. I want to care I just won, but honestly, I am shaken by the fire spreading through my body. I distinctly do not like JT Johnson. We aren’t friends. We can barely stand to be in the same room.

But fuck. I’m not sure if the buzz is from the tequila or the spark that ignited when our lips met, but I can’t seem to catch my breath thinking about doing it again.

JT looks just as shocked as I feel, so I grab his hand and pull him off the elevator. We stop on the dark purple carpet just past the elevator doors, and I turn to face him, uncertainty warring with desire as my slightly addled mind argues over what should come next. As the doors start to close, I pull his head back down to mine, capturing his lips.

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