Page 29 of Dangerous Men
“Excuse me, I… that’s my friend,” Sydney says, pointing. “I have to go.”
Stay, I want to tell her. But I just stand there, like an idiot, while she walks away.
14
SYDNEY
It’sa relief to see Jade waiting for me across the ballroom, and I welcome the opportunity to excuse myself from dancing with Ash. I’m shaken after my conversation with him.
Shaken andconfused.
Because the way Ash had touched me? The things he’d said about me? It made it sound like Alec wasn’t the only one who was smitten.
But that couldn’t be real, could it? What were the odds of one drop-dead gorgeous man wanting to pursue me, let alone two?
“Who,” Jade asks, staring at me with wild eyes and a huge grin as I approach her, “wasthat?”
I glance back over my shoulder at them. Ash has joined Alec, chatting with him as they both wait in line for the bar. When he sees me looking, he waves at us, grinning.
“That’s… Ashton,” I tell Jade, squirming a little. “He’s, uh. He’s Alec’s chief marketing officer.”
Jade blinks.
“And Alec needs a marketing officer because…?” she asks.
“Because he’s… Mason Alexander Sterling. I guess,” I finish, twisting my hands together. “From, you know…” I wave my hand around the room we’re in. “This. The Sterling hotels. And the, uh, casinos.”
When I look at her, Jade looks like her eyes are going to pop out of her head.
“Shut up!” she squeals a little too loudly. A few people turn, frowning. She lowers her voice to hiss it again. “Shut up!”
I’m as stunned as she is.
“You know, I thought he looked familiar! Well, I was coming to see if you wanted to head home.” Jade shakes her head and laughs. “But if you think for one second that I’m going to let you leavenow, with both of those men practically drooling over you? You’re out of your mind.”
“Wait, what happened with…” I stop when I spot the cute blonde caterer standing a few feet away, waiting patiently. She gives me a hesitant but friendly grin.
“Oh, yeah.” Jade smiles. “That’s why I wanted to offer you a ride. Vanessa just finished her shift for the night, and?—”
I slap Jade playfully on the arm, and she laughs.
“Vanessa!” I tease. “Tell me aboutVanessa!”
“Well, Vanessa is a vegan,” Jade says, forming the words carefully and refusing to meet my eyes.
I reel back.
“Jade, you love meat,” I tell her, keeping my voice low so Vanessa can’t overhear. “You once told me you would marry bacon—theconceptof bacon—if they ever made that legal.”
“And I stand by that,” Jade says, face serious. “But… you know. I can pretend not to be a soulless carnivore for a little while, right?”
“At least you’ll beeating vegantonight.” I barely manage to keep a straight face as I say it.
Jade smacks my arm. “Oh, Syd, that wasterrible,really itwas.” She laughs. “But very funny. God, I’m so happy to have you back.”
Something twists unpleasantly in my chest.
“What do you mean, have me back?” I ask. I force a laugh. “Where did I go?”
