Page 5 of The Plus One Contract

“Uh-huh.”

Moments later, Eli walks up, slides an arm around Harper’s waist, and presses a kiss to her cheek. She beams at him like he personally hung the moon. Behind him is Miles, who I know vaguely. He’s funny, charming, and in a long-distance relationship so completely off limits. But the two other men with them, I haven’t met before.

“This is Sienna,” Harper introduces me. “Sienna, this is Theo and Jordan.”

Theo is tall, bright-eyed, and polished in a tailored blazer that screams trust-fund trouble. Jordan, by contrast, is boyish and charmingly rugged, with a dimple and messy blond hair. Both are undeniably attractive, but neither sparks anything more than polite interest.

We exchange hellos, and I try to stay engaged, but my eyes betray me, flicking to the man at the far end of the bar again.

Harper catches my stare immediately. “You okay?”

I clear my throat, refocusing. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Her gaze follows mine, and a knowing smile creeps onto her face. She leans close. “Who’s the guy?”

“No one.”

Her grin widens. “Sure.”

She nudges my arm, leaning closer. “Okay, well, I give you permission to ditch us if tall, dark, and broody is the distraction you need.”

My cheeks heat. “I’m not—”

“Yeah, yeah,” she interrupts with a dismissive wave. “Just promise me you’ll do something crazy tonight. For once.”

The group chatter fades as Harper and Eli talk softly between themselves, clearly in their own world. I sip my drink, pretending to be interested in Theo’s story about his terrible boss, but my eyes wander again.

This time, tall-dark-and-broody is looking right back at me, expression unreadable, eyes dangerously intense.

My pulse spikes.

I don’t do this. I’ve never done this. Even the thought of approaching a stranger usually sends me into cardiac arrest, but tonight, desperation overrides self-preservation.

Tonight, I want trouble.

∞∞∞

Three drinks in, and everything is warm. My limbs, my head, the space between my ribs where the stress usually sits. It’s all pleasantly hazy, softened by alcohol and good company.

Harper stretches, her eyes bright with tipsy energy. “Okay, enough of this. Let’s go somewhere with music.”

Miles raises a brow. “We’re in a bar with music.”

She waves him off. “No, I mean music we can actually dance to. Let’s go to Ember.”

Theo grins. “I’m always down for bad decisions.”

Jordan chuckles. “Same. Let’s do it.”

I know this is the part where I should nod along, get up, let Harper pull me into whatever chaos she’s mapped out for the night, but as much as I’ve laughed and genuinely enjoyed their company, I don’t want to go.

Honestly, I think Theo and Jordan could smell theI’m not that interestedon me from five minutes into our conversation. They were polite about it, still flirty in a casual, easygoing way, but there was no heat.

While any sane, logical person would take that as a cue to call it a night and go home, there’s something bold thrumming in my veins, and it’s pointing me in the direction of the guy at the end of the bar.

Which is stupid because I left my balls at home, and there’s exactly zero chance of me walking over to him. No, I’m just going to finish my drink, put on my coat, and leave. Like the reasonable, slightly tipsy adult that I am.

I push back from the bar. “I think I’m gonna sit this one out.”

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