Page 63 of Feels Like the First Time

“Let’s go somewhere and talk privately, okay? I don’t want my, you know, identity getting out.”

Brad’s gaze flicked to the side, his face hardening at whatever he saw over Zoe’s shoulder. She was about to glance back to see for herself, but before she could, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

“C’mon, babe. Let’s head up to my hotel room. We’ll have all the privacy we want there,” Brad persuaded, trying to move her toward the elevators.

Zoe twisted away and shot him a puzzled look. “Your room? You’re kidding, right? We’re private enough here.”

An ugly look flashed across his face, then he shrugged and gave her that patented good-ol’-boy smile. “You know what I mean. We’re a team now, right? You want my help, I want a little something from you.”

Zoe’s jaw dropped. He was serious? Anger bubbled to the surface, but she shoved it back down. Misogynistic pig or not, if he was telling the truth, her brother wanted to talk to this jerk. In one piece, which meant she couldn’t rip his head off until after Zach decided if he wanted him or not.

“I wanted to talk to you about Gandalf designing a video game for my brother’s company,” she snapped. “Not about running off to your room to relive a failed high-school rendezvous.”

“Then you’re talking to the wrong guy.”

Zoe gasped and turned to see Dex standing behind her. Brad’s glare turned uglier.

“I’d say she’s talking to the right guy,” Brad snapped, grabbing her arm again. “She’s with the guy she chose, loser. Get over it.”

“Hey,” Zoe protested, tugging her arm away from Brad. “Cut the crap.”

While the idea of two guys fighting over her might be ego-stroking, feeling once more like a bone between two snarling dogs wasn’t.

“C’mon, Zoe,” Brad urged. “You need my help, right?”

“No.” She shook her head. She was sure she’d been right before. Brad wasn’t Gandalf. “I don’t believe you’re the guy to help me.”

“Listen to her,” Dex taunted quietly. “I warned you that you’d lose. Cheating won’t change anything.”

What the hell were they talking about?

A couple of people stopped as well, surreptitiously watching while pretending not to. Perfect way to ruin her happy morning-after glow. A public scene. Zoe’s shoulders tensed, her lifelong issue with being watched and judged urging her to throw her hands in the air and walk away.

But this was Dex. Still, glancing between the two men, if she had to choose between Brad, the biggest jerk in the world, and Dex, who was suddenly flexing his ego annoyingly, she’d have to take Dex. After all, she knew he had other things that flexed much better.

The few onlookers were now a dozen. At this point, they weren’t even pretending not to watch the confrontation. Whispered conversations scurried around the three of them like scampering mice.

Zoe wanted to writhe in embarrassment. It was high school all over again. She shifted toward Dex.

“Did you tell your girlfriend where her nickname came from, computer boy?” Brad called out before she could take a step.

“Don’t,” Dex warned, his tone low and threatening.

Zoe’s frown deepened. What did Dex have to do with that nickname? She looked at the gathered crowd, the nods and whispers, and realized they all knew something she didn’t. Her stomach clenched into a vicious knot. Her shoulders automatically stiffened and her chin lifted to show them she didn’t care.

“Mr. Big Shot here is the guy behind your virgin tagline back in school,” Brad accused.

Zoe shook her head in denial. Dex wouldn’t do that. Brad gestured to the clump of people. She followed his gaze and saw the nods.

Her gaze flew to Dex’s face. He set his jaw and gave a disgusted shake of his head. She wasn’t sure if he was denying the accusation, or if it was guy code for a warning to kick Brad’s ass for spilling a secret.

The room spun. Zoe’s mind spun with it. Dex? But she trusted him. She saw Candice edge her way through the crowd, a malicious smile on her face. Fury buried Zoe’s confusion in a quick wave. How could Dex turn her into a public spectacle like this?

He grabbed her arm. Zoe gasped and tried to shake him off. The hell he’d top off her embarrassment by dragging her off like a Neanderthal. But he didn’t let her loose.

“Dex,” she hissed.

Humiliation took hold as he ignored her.

Past Brad’s gloating face and the gathering crowd of curious faces, he pulled Zoe over to the registration desk, around and into the small staff room.

Two bellboys and a concierge stared in shock.

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