Page 114 of The Sun and Her Star

But right now, the only thing that would excite me is seeing them both spontaneously combust. The mental image that conjures makes me laugh out loud.

Graham’s head whips up at the sound of my laughter, and he arches an eyebrow at me.

“What’s so funny?” he asks, enunciating so I can read his lips. I can’t hear anything above the booming music.

I just shake my head and dismiss him with a wave of my hand. He eyes me expectantly, and my laughter dies. “It’s nothing. Really.”

His eyes narrow and he leans toward me, rests his chin on his linked fingers and his elbows on his knees as he watches me like he’s trying to decide what to do with me.

“Tell me,” he demands again.

“No,” I say with the same conviction.

He stands up, his tall body appearing even longer as he comes to stand in front of me, legs spread, arms crossed over his broad chest. My eyes are eye level with the brass buckle of the dark brown leather belt that he always wears. I purse my lips defiantly and glare up at him.

He caves first, and with a small chuckle, he drops down into the seat next to me. He’s such a big man, but he’s as graceful as a dancer as he drapes his big body over the low, tufted sofa that I’m sitting on.

His arm is slung on the back of the chair. His hand rests lightly on my shoulder, and he toys with the lace that trims the straps of my top. It’s cold in the club, but the gooseflesh spreading all over my body, the tingle in my nipples as they start to harden has nothing to do with air conditioning. His touch. It is … my weakness and my greatest desire.

I lean forward to pick up my drink. My sleeve slides out of his grasp, and my heart rate calms.

He tilts his head and studies me as if he’s read my mind.

“Will you stop staring at me?” I hiss and take a sip of my drink to drown out the nervous laugh that’s tickling my throat.

“No.” He shrugs ambivalently and repeats, “Tell me why you were laughing.”

“Oh my God.” I groan and roll my eyes, but as much as I want to, I can’t suppress the smile that plays on my lips. “Why are you sonosy?” I elbow him in the side playfully and laugh. He frowns as if wounded.

“Come on, Sunshine, tell me.” He shifts in his seat, turning slightly, so we’re face-to-face. He’s biting his lower lip, but I can see the smile in his eyes.

The fist of unease I’ve been carrying around all day loosens. At our core, Graham and I always havethis. Us. The friendship that binds us has only been rekindled and set aflame by all of the things that we’ve been through in the last five years. It’s only made me sure that we can survive anything.

“You are so annoying,” I say, not trying to hide my smile.

“Whatever,” he says with a shrug. “You can’t laugh and not tell me the joke. You can’t frown and not tell me what’s wrong.” He lifts an eyebrow and says, “And you’ve been doing a lot ofthatall night.”

I jerk my head back to him in the eyes. “How do you know what I’ve been doing all night? This is the first time I’ve seen you,” I demand, squinting skeptically over at him. His smile widens, and he scoffs.

But instead of answering me right away, he looks to the table and grabs his drink. I watch his profile as he takes a huge gulp of his club soda and take the opportunity to watch his strong, sharp jaw work to crush the ice he’s chewing. He puts the glass on his knee and stares at it for a few seconds and appears lost in thought.

“Well?” I nudge him. Only Graham could space out in the middle of a loud club packed with a thousand people who are all hoping to catch his eye.

He looks up at me, all traces of amusement are gone, and his eyes are suddenly very intensely focused on mine.

“I saw you the minute you walked in. I’ve watched you all night. Don’t you know Ialwayssee you?” he says softly, his eyes holding mine and he lets me see the longing in his eyes. My heart leaps into my throat.

“I know you do.” I lick my suddenly dry lips.

His eyes dart to them, and he leans toward me.

He frowns and his nose crinkles in annoyance as he looks down his chest. He sticks a hand into his blazer and pulls his phone out of a pocket inside. He glances at it and groans and gives me an apologetic grimace. “One sec, I need to get this.” And then he stands up, he puts his glass down on the table, and he walks to the end of the sofa, putting the phone to his ear and begins talking right away.

I reach for my drink again and see Josie’s knees across the table.

Shit!I’d forgotten all about her. I brace myself before I meet her eyes. She’s glaring bolts of lightning at me. If looks could kill …

“Are you having a nice time?” I ask lamely.

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