Page 39 of Deception & Daylight
Paige snorts as she slides onto the stool beside me, leaving a spot empty for Miles to sandwich me between them.Thanks for nothing, bestie.
Sure enough, Miles seats himself to my left, his delicious scent surrounding me. My body betrays me at his proximity as something like desire pulses through my veins — or maybe that’s the tequila.
I swivel on my stool, facing Paige and giving Miles my back. “Who’s got the little sprout tonight?”
“Luca. He needs the practice. He’s great with Rylin, but a 5-year-old is a far cry from an infant. Ivy’s under strict orders not to intervene unless it’s a dire situation. I’m expecting a panicked phone call about a blown out diaper any minute. That girl is still teething, and it’s not pretty.” She scrunches her nose in disgust as Cade slides a second margarita across the bar.
Miles palms my shoulders and shifts me to the side so he can join the conversation, and my body heats at the feel of his calloused hands on my skin. “So you left him with a shitty infant and strict orders for his wife not to help him out? Diabolical, Sunshine.” His deep voice reverberates in my ear sending a shiver down my spine.
“Payback for all the shit he put me through over the years. He’s a big boy. He’ll be fine.”
Just then, Paige’s phone vibrates on the bar top, Luca’s name lighting up the screen. She reads the message aloud, punctuating the text with unrestrained laughter.
Luca: What the fuck did you feed this kid and why is her shit green?
She taps out a response before placing her phone back down on the bar to pick up her margarita. She leans back on the stool with a carefree smile on her face, and I can’t help but smile with her, knowing just how far she’s come in the last two years. My friend is happier than I’ve ever seen her. I glance up at her husband, and the way he’s looking at her leaves the bitter tang of jealousy on my lips. Nobody haseverlooked at me like that.
She slowly licks the salt off the rim of her glass, spurring him into motion. Cade steps out from behind the bar, swiveling her stool to face him. She squeaks as he lifts her off her seat and takes off down the hallway with her wrapped around him like a koala, peals of laughter following in their wake.
It’s not until they’re well out of sight that I realize I’ve been abandoned, left with only the tequila buzzing in my veins, and a drop dead gorgeous fake boyfriend at my back. I have a feeling I’m not getting out of this bar unscathed.
Mustering every ounce of confidence I have left, I meet Miles’ stupidly handsome face. His five o’clock shadow is a little more defined today, highlighting the slight dimple in his chin as he brings the glass to his lips, taking a deep pull in a motion that shouldn't be as hot as it is. Why do I want to climb onto his lap and devour this man?
His roughpalm slides up my leg, fingers trailing beneath the slit in my skirt, teasing the inside of my thigh. Leaning in next to my ear, he says, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you wanted to eat me alive, Wildcat. If that’s the case, just say the word.”
In one swift motion, I down the rest of my drink and excuse myself to the restroom, mumbling something unintelligible as I make my hasty retreat. Once I’m safely behind the door, I lock myself in a stall, take a seat on the toilet, and hang my head between my knees, taking deep, steadying breaths. I try to remind myself I signed up for this — we agreed to a fake dating with benefits arrangement, so why am I so fucking terrified of the way he’s making me feel?
Before I can devolve further into my shame spiral, the door opens and creaks shut, murmured voices drifting through the enclosed space. “Miles Barlow’s lookin’ fine as hell.”
“Yeah, but did you see the girl he was with?”
“She’s nothing special. He’ll get what he wants and toss her aside like the rest of us. Besides, what does he want with that flat chested polly pocket wannabe when he could have all of this?”
Instantly, my feral side emerges, and I push out of the stall, flinching when the door crashes against the wall from the force of my anger. I give the bitch a once over while I silently wash my hands, watching as she pastes on another coat of lip gloss and meets my gaze in the mirror. “Better the flat chested polly pocket wannabe than the desperate pick me cunt.” Her shocked expression follows me as I quickly dry my hands, exiting the bathroom without further incident.
With renewed confidence, I purposefully stride down the hallway, ignoring the groans I hear coming from behind the office door as I make my way back to the bar. Miles is absently tracing a line of condensation on his glass when I approach. Fueled by my lingering frustration, I step into his space and wrap my arms around his neck, leaning in for a filthy kiss. The women from the bathroom snicker when they pass by, but I’m too distracted by Miles’ hands roaming over my body to care about their muttered insults.
The spell is broken by the shrill ringing of his phone. Groaning, he checks the caller ID before cupping my cheek. “Hold that thought,” he says, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead before excusing himself. He’s gone for a long time, leaving me a mess of mixed emotions, torn between the need to feel his hands on my body, and the sudden urge to flee the scene and forget anything ever happened.
Just when I think this night can’t possibly get any worse, an aggravating voice finds me. “Little Minx.”
“Piece of shit.” I respond.
In a familiar gesture that echoes one I’ve seen Miles make on several occasions, Matty clutches his chest and staggers backwards. “Ouch. That was uncalled for.”
I let out a huff of air, rolling my eyes. “It was well deserved.” My tone is clipped as I search the bar for any sign of Miles, but he’s nowhere to be seen, and Paige and Cade still haven’t resurfaced from their office tryst. I attempt to lock eyes with Liam from across the room, but he’s busy tending to other customers. It looks like I’m on my own this time.
“Let’s dance,” he demands, tugging violently on my arm. He’s deluded as fuck if he thinks I’d go anywhere with him willingly.
I pull myself from his grip, turning my back to him as I toss a middle finger over my shoulder. He chuckles darkly and I can feel the heat radiating off his body as he steps impossibly close, his chest pressed up against my back. His fingers trace down my arm and my entire body locks down, trembling in fear. I never should have turned my back. What the fuck was I thinking? “You’re playing with fire, bitch. Wouldn’t want you to get burned.” The overt threat sends an icy chill up my spine as his hot breath fans over my neck.
In the blink of an eye, his unwelcome presence is gone, ripped away by a very pissed off Miles. “Get the fuck away frommy girl,” he seethes, fisting Matty’s shirt as he shoves him back from the bar. Matty fixes his disheveled clothing, nostrils flaring like a bull ready to charge. Miles couldn’t be more different from his brother. In contrast to Matty’s menacing demeanor, Miles is usually laid-back, if a little cocky at times — that is, until his brother threatened me. Now his body is tense, muscles coiled tight with barely restrained anger. And fuck if that doesn’t make me want to throw myself at him.
“When are you going to learn, brother? I always get what I want.” Matty’s eyes lock on mine over Miles’ head, and I instinctively reach out a hand, twining my fingers with Miles’ to pull him back towards me in case he decides to let his fists fly.
“It’s not worth it Miles.”
“Get the fuck out of my bar.” Cade’s voice cuts through the tension, his arm wrapped around a very satisfied looking Paige as he holds her back from charging at the piece of shit who dared to threaten her best friend.
