Page 53 of Double or Nothing

“Absolutely not.”

“Then that’s a no on the party stopping anytime soon, Kitty Kat.”

The nerve. Who the hell does he think he is blackmailing me into dinner? Between Jack’s mantra of whatever the client wants, the client gets, and my desperate need to get this party shut down and the rest of our guests happy, I don’t have much choice.

I huff and puff, then blow out a deep breath as I throw my hands in the air.

“Fine. Just make it stop.”

Sutton puts his phone to his ear and makes a call. Moments later, the music silences, and Mac’s voice bellows through the suite.

“Thank you.”

“Dinner, eight o’clock.”

Turning, he heads back into the party, leaving me standing alone on the terrace.

Chapter 26

Sutton

“Rise and shine sleeping beauty,” Mac says. “You have a busy day, including a meeting in twenty minutes.”

“That’s plenty of time,” I say as I roll over, a huge grin plastered on my face.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think you got your dick wet last night. Kat finally give in?”

“Not exactly, but she did agree to have dinner with me.”

“You’re that excited over dinner?” Mac laughs. “Because that’s the ‘I got laid’ smile you’re sporting right now.”

“Fuck you.” I throw a pillow at him. “This is all your fault. You’re the one that brought me here.”

“And your damn glad I did now, aren’t you?”

Sitting up, I scrub my hand over my face.

“She agreed to dinner, not to marry me.”

“It’s a step, man, and the best part is you finally pulled your head out of your ass and admitted to yourself you still care about her.”

I press my hands into the plush mattress and shove out of bed.

“I always knew I cared about her, dickhead. It was just easier to drown in booze and pussy than remind myself how badly I fucked up.”

“And did you ever fuck up.” Mac whistles for effect. “I can’t believe you were so stupid. You’re lucky she didn’t kick you in the nuts the minute she laid eyes on you.”

Mac’s a friend, a good friend. The friend who gives you shit and reminds you of your mistakes, so you don’t fucking make them again. Like now. I’m fairly certain he’ll remind me daily just what a prick I was to Kat and how I deserve everything she gives me, all while telling me to fix things with her.

As much as I want that, as much as I want her, didn’t I just say the other night that I couldn’t stay here? I couldn’t come back to Vegas and be this close to my dad—to his bullshit. So, what’s the point? Why bother having dinner tonight? Why bother trying to make things right or hell, even to get her to forgive me?

It was hard enough to leave her the first time. How the hell am I supposed to do it again?

My leaving only wrecked things. Being away from her broke me. I became an angry, sullen dick of a guy—someone I’m not proud of. A man who used anyone he could to satisfy the ache Kat left me with. I ran with the bad boy rep, let everyone believe it, even though deep down, none of it was true. Being that guy, though, was easier. Much easier than being the hurt, broken man I really am.

If it did that to me, I can only imagine what it did to her. Scratch that. I don’t want to imagine. The idea of hurting her is unfathomable. I can’t think about it. I won’t.

“So, you’re going to tell Jack no?” Mac isn’t asking to clarify. He’s hoping my impending dinner with Kat, the possibility, might have changed my mind.

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