Page 58 of Mastered By Lust

When I get closer, Danica catches sight of me over one of the guys’ shoulders. “Leah! Hey!”

A couple of the men make room for me. Danica’s blond hair is down in loose curls and waves. She looks gorgeous in a knee-length, pearlescent white dress with spaghetti straps. Like me, she’s overdressed for the occasion, but unlike me, she still seems to be in her element.

She passes around clumsy introductions because she seems to have forgotten everyone’s names.

But two of the guys seem especially interested in her. And she must have more than a little interest in them, because she remembers their names.

“And this is Edmund and Troy.”

They each shake my hand. Both men are muscular and tall, dwarfing Danica. Edmund is leaner, with light brown hair and glittering green eyes. Troy has darker brown hair, not as dark as Gage’s, I don’t think, although it’s hard to tell in the dim lighting. He has Dmitri’s bulky, muscular build.

“How do you know Patrick?” I ask them.

Edmund smiles. “We’re just getting acquainted. He moved into our neighborhood, so we’re neighbors now.”

The meaning is warm, but the words come out cold. Danica gives him a hard look.

I force a carefree grin. “Oh, nice. Danica, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure.” She gives her admiring group a little finger wave and allows me to drag her away. Once we’re out of earshot of the guys, she says, “What’s up?”

“Are you all right? Edmund doesn’t sound like he likes Patrick at all.”

“But he just said…” Danica gestures hopelessly.

“I know what he just said. It’s the way he said it. His tone.”

Doubt shines in her gray eyes as she seems to play back the conversation. “I guess it’s possible, but I didn’t hear any tone.”

I bulldoze on. “It’s also weirding me out a little that those…five—six?—guys are all crowded around you. I want to make sure you’re really okay.”

“They’ve been perfect gentlemen.” She laughs. “But you’re probably right. There are a lot of people to talk to here. While it’s good to make nice with the neighbors, I should spread the love. Right?”

I eye the group. They eye me back—especially Troy and Edmund. But when I frown, both men smile.

“Yep, let’s mingle.” I link my arm with Danica’s.

She doesn’t protest, but she gives one last, longing look to her new “friends.”

The music changes to a duet between Cinderella and Bastian Crown. Everyone goes wild. I can’t believe I met Ella and Bastian. I wish I could tell Danica, but talking about the folks who frequent Low Vice is a big no-no. Danica pulls me into the crush of dancers at the center of the room, and we lose ourselves in the beat.

This isn’t the party I expected, but I’m coming to love it.

After a few songs, Danica and I are sweaty and exhilarated and ready for a break. We move toward the edge of the room. Patrick sees us and meets us there.

He reaches for me. “Ready for that tour I promised?”

“Yeah.” I hold up a hand. “Give me a minute, though. I need to catch my breath.”

“I’ll get you a drink. Dani?”

Edmund has already come up to her other side, though. Ignoring Patrick and me, he puts a hand on Danica’s bare shoulder. “May I claim a dance with you?”

Two seconds ago, she screamed in my ear that she was going to collapse from too much dancing. But she hops back into the madness with Edmund leading her away.

A sour look crosses Patrick’s face.

“You okay?” I ask.

---