Page 91 of Collision

The week passed in a blur. If I wasn’t at work I was with Jamie, hashing out every last detail of this party, so it’s no surprise that just four hours before the big event I’m sprawled across my brother’s couch, coffee in hand and a guest list the length of my arm.

“I notice a few names that aren’t colleagues on here, JimJam,” I chastise.

“Yep.” He grins over his shoulder as he puts the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and I look back at the list.

“And Stu is happy to work the door?” I check off the box on my to do list that tells me to finalise the guest list, because the party planner Jamie hired insisted Jamie did that part. And he asked me.

“In exchange for advance reader copies of the next hundred books we publish, yeah.”

I grin as I picture Stu, the burly doorman who spends most of his working hours hiding in a corner on his phone, with the next big romance novel Jamie is pushing out in a couple of months.

“Fair trade,” I muse.

“So,” Jamie throws himself over the back of the couch, nearly knocking my laptop off of me in the process and slouches into the cushions. “No one to add to the list, huh?”

“What?” I furrow my brow and my brother stares at me.

“No date? No plus one?”

I groan as I close my eyes and shut the laptop. “No, Jamie.”

“Okay.” He raises his eyebrows as he shakes his head. “Then I should warn you.”

My eyes snap open and my blood pumps through my veins at an alarming speed. “Warn me about what?”

“Asher’s coming.” Jamie pulls out his phone as he murmurs, no doubt avoiding my glare.

I grimace. Asher Jones is a thorn in my side: an old friend of Jamie’s who, despite actually being quite sweet, has a way of looking at me that makes me want to punch him. Regularly.

“I know. He was one of the non-colleagues I was referring to.”

“He agreed to sort the catering.” Jamie justifies before his face screws up in anticipation of my reaction. “And he knows you’re single.”

“Why the fuck does he know that?” I kick at my brother playfully and he grins a little.

“A few weeks ago, when we were out for drinks, we were winding Ben up about his new girl and Xav mentioned you and then Asher just wouldn’t drop it.”

“Oh great.” I roll my eyes as I push to my feet and grab my keys from the side.

“Be nice, Mik.” Jamie tries to smile at me as I flip him off. “Asher’s a dick, but he’s genuinely harmless. And you know he’s had a thing for you for a while.”

“Yeah well he can keep histhingfar away from me,” I grunt as I swing his door open and halt. My heart does a little squeeze before breaking into a happy sprint and I remind myself I cannot touch the man standing right in front of me right now. “Hey.”

Ben grins as he looks over my shoulder to what appears to be an empty room. Jamie is still hidden behind cushions and my mouth is dry. He has a garment bag slung over his shoulder and his silly little sideways smile that makes my stomach melt into a puddle of warmth and wanting as his eyes shift over me lazily. How, when I spent an hour on a video call with him this morning, have I missed the blue of his eyes so much today?

“Hey.” He winks as he reaches towards me, angling our bodies so the door covers the way his fingers hook into the belt loop of my jeans. “Your brother about?”

“On the couch.” Both an answer and a warning. “You’re getting ready here?”

“I am.” His eyes flick to my lips as his fingers move from my belt loop to the edge of my jeans and skim over my stomach. “You?”

“No.” I pray to every deity out there not to let my voice get breathy on me now. “I’m actually heading out now. Max and I have appointments and then we’re getting ready at mine.”

Ben nods thoughtfully, before glancing over to the couch again and frowning. Jamie still hasn’t emerged but that doesn’t mean he isn’t listening.

“Cool.” His attempt to sound indifferent is adorably unbelievable and I fight back a smile. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at the party.”

“I guess so.” I take a step around him and out of the door without a glance at where my brother is, gasping quietly when I feel a firm hand grip my waist and pull me in behind the door.

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