Page 47 of Burn for You

“I think I’ll stick with a push bike.”

“Oh yeah, that’s perfect!” Marina says. “It’ll only take you two hours to get into town for your shifts.”

“Ugh,” I moan. “Have you heard any more about the progress at the cottage?”

“Not since the first couple of weeks.”

I sigh. “I’m gonna die of dehydration before I move out.”

“What are you talking about?” Isla laughs.

“He won’t let me bring any guys around.”

“What?” they both exclaim in unison.

“Yeah.”

“Well why the hell not?” Marina crosses her arms.

“It went something a little like this,” I put on a ridiculously deep voice. “I don’t want to spend my Friday evening listening to some drunk idiot fuck you through the walls of this house.”

Marina slams a hand over her mouth, but Isla doesn’t bother, leaving her mouth hanging wide open.

“Fucking hell,” Caio mutters from the driver's seat.

“I feel like I’m sixteen and getting a lecture from my dad.”

“Oh, he needs a talking to,” Marina shakes her head.

“It’s fine. Tonight is the perfect opportunity to meet someone, and if I disappear for a while, you’ll know why.”

“How long is a while?” Isla asks.

“Give me half an hour before you come looking.”

I’ve got my trusty Ruby Woo on tonight, and as much as I’m here to have fun with my friends, I can’t say I’ll say no if I get an appealing offer. I haven’t tried to meet up with any guy since the night Rafael kicked my date out of his place. I feel weird about it all of a sudden, especially after my little unexpected performance the other night.

We pull up at the front of a club where there are cameras clicking around the entrance. What kind of place is this that there are paparazzi?

Caio parks up, handing his keys over to a big guy in a suit as he steps out of the car, and all of our doors get opened for us as well.

As we get out, I see Leo standing beside his car. His eyes are serious like I’ve never seen before. They’re cold as ice as he surveys the area around us. He holds out his hand for me.

“Come on.” His gaze is deadly as ever as the paparazzi snap shots of us—which is the weirdest thing ever, by the way.

The bouncer takes one look at the group of us with Leo and unhooks the barrier, letting us all through.

“Who are you?” I whisper-yell into his ear. His icy exterior cracks ever so slightly as he laughs, looking down at me before he peels off.

A hand slides into mine as I walk into the club. “You get used to that,” Marina nods towards Leo’s retreating form as he disappears into the club.

I frown, thinking about how much I don’t know about him. He’s all charm and flirt, but what’s really behind all of that? Why isn’t he working anymore?

The bass of the music reverberates through my entire body as we reach the dance floor packed with sweaty people. Sweaty, good-looking people. There’s no average joe’s here, everyone is beautiful. It’s like we’ve stepped into a fashion magazine.

It’s dark in here, casting everyone in a sexy glow as the dark pink lights roam over the dance floor.

Marina’s hand raises mine, and she spins me around, laughingas we make our way deeper into the mob of people. A hand suddenly lands on my shoulder.

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