by Codi Gary
Finally, she got the attention of Ned, who gave her a disgruntled, what-now? look.
“Yes, Valerie?” Ned asked, looking between her and Kyle.
“Hey, Ned, I need to move tables.”
“I’m sorry, but every table is full,” Ned said.
“So, switch me with someone,” Val said, trying to hold onto her patience.
“Everyone was matched by their compatibility, and I’m sure, if you just gave it a chance—”
Val didn’t even let him finish and walked toward Justin’s table. Picking out a woman sitting near him with clearly expensive taste, she said, “Excuse me, but would you mind switching spots with me? I’m sitting over there.” Val pointed to Kyle and lowered her voice. “He’s a lawyer and a politician’s son.”
The girl stood up faster than you could say “dollar bills,” and Val gave Ned a smug smile. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”
Ned glared at her as she sat down, and she suddenly wondered why he was so bent out of shape. Why would he care so much?
And then an idea struck her, and she went with her gut.
“I don’t know how much my father is paying you, but the spying ends now or I fucking promise you, I will break every bone in your hand,” she said. When Ned scoffed, she added, “And then I’ll tell Dorothy how easily one of her guides can be bought. A lot of celebrities come to this place, right? It would be a shame to lose their tips if word got out that discretion wasn’t your highest priority.”
Ned’s cheeks burned red and he spun away from her.
She sat down heavily in her chair, fury burning inside her. Her father had spied on her—which shouldn’t have been surprising—but it was that he had blatantly tried to push her toward a man she hated that made her nauseous. Edward Willis was a bastard, a selfish, cold bastard, and she wanted him to pay.
Her gaze caught Justin’s around the centerpiece, and his concerned expression tore her up more. He really was a good guy and she was damaged goods. She didn’t deserve a guy like him.
Grabbing the bottle of wine from the table, she poured a healthy glassful and took a gulp.
“Hey, I’m Thomas.”
Val turned to face the man next to her and said, “Valerie.”
“What do you know, that’s my mother’s name.”
“Oh, I don’t hear that very often,” Val said waspishly. As far as pickup lines went, it was right up there with “Nice Shoes, want to fuck?” She glanced toward Justin again and saw he was busy talking to the sweet-looking blonde next to him. Val swallowed another mouthful of wine.
“Yeah, I love that name. So, are you here for real, or are you just looking to hook up?”
Val turned back to Thomas and blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve been to lots of these, and you’ve got some who are here for the real deal, but most are either looking for dates to a specific function, like a reunion or a wedding, or are just hoping to hook up with a bunch of people. Just wanted to let you know, if you’re one of those, I am completely available.” Thomas reached out and trailed his hand over her sleeve, and she considered the whole fork-stabbing thing again but decided on a less violent approach.
“Actually, my doctor mentioned I should probably avoid sex, at least until the rash goes away.”
The guy jerked back his hand as if she were contagious and got up from the table. “Excuse me, I’m going to . . . ’bye.”
She laughed as the man weaved his way through the crowd, and she caught Justin looking at her. She held up her glass to him before polishing off the rest of the red liquid.
Justin kept glancing her way, and she was tempted to ask his dinner partner to switch, but with the mood she was in, she probably wouldn’t be good company anyway. She might as well head back to her room and pack up for home. Her sister didn’t want her help and her father certainly didn’t deserve anything. Why the hell was she still here?
The free wine?
She poured another glass, ignoring Justin’s frown. Whether he was concerned by her mood or her drinking, she didn’t need anyone else telling her what she was doing wrong.
“What did you do to poor chuckles?”
Val looked up to find Trent suddenly standing beside her chair.
“Who?”
“Thomas, your former dinner partner,” he said, sitting down in the empty chair.
She shrugged. “He asked if I was interested in hooking up and I told him a little white lie.”
“Involving some kind of disease, huh?” he asked.
“It might have come up,” she said, hiding her smile behind her wineglass.
“I like your hair. It suits you.”
Reaching up to touch the short strands, she had to admit it felt better. Like a weight had been lifted.
“Thanks,” she said. “So how did you get the short straw? I am diseased, you know.”
“I heard the guy asking one of the guides to switch places and I volunteered. I figured there probably weren’t very many Valeries, so I took a chance,” he said, his hopeful blue eyes making her feel guilty that she’d been less than charitable to him. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”
Leaning in, she whispered, “I think you’re a really nice guy, Trent, but I’m not here to seriously meet anyone. I did this to make my dad and sister happy, but I’m just not looking for a relationship.”
“Are you sure? ’Cause I’m not the only one who seems interested in being more than your friend.”
She followed Trent’s gaze to Justin, who was scowling at them, and she couldn’t stop the zing of excitement.
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure yet what’s going on there,” she said casually.
“But there’s something?” Trent asked.
How much should she reveal? What if Trent was one of her father’s spies? It really didn’t matter anymore what she did, she supposed. Kyle had probably already called her father to report his failure, so he’d know she wasn’t following whatever plan he had laid out for her. Even if Edward called, she wasn’t going to pick up until she was damn good and ready. If that pissed him off . . . well, he could go to hell. If he took away Ellie’s trust fund, so what? Her little sister wanted to make it on her own, so fly away, little bird.
What did it matter if she told a virtual stranger that she liked the hot farm boy across the table?
“There’s definitely unfinished business, but I’m not sure how serious it is,” she said, tipping back her glass again. She made quick work of the wine before setting the glass back on the table and glaring at the empty bottle.
Trent nodded and patted her arm. “Why don’t I get you some more wine? Even though you broke my heart, it seems like you’re having a rough night.”
“You have no idea.” Laughing, she squeezed his hand. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that broken heart. A good-looking doctor should have no problem finding love in a place like this.”
“Especially with women who have a thing for Elvis. I tell you, I just don’t see it.”
Her laughter continued as she wheezed, “Oh, Trent, slap on a sequined jumpsuit and you’d be a dead ringer.”
JUSTIN WATCHED VAL laugh again at something Trent had said and gritted his teeth.
Come on, no one’s that funny.
He’d been sitting there watching the two of them all through dinner, acting way too cozy, and when Trent had poured Val a fifth glass of wine, he’d almost said something, but Dorothy’s announcement that they needed to set up for the dancing had stalled him.
The two of them stood up, and Val excused herself, heading toward the bathroom.
“You two are making this more complicated than it needs to be.”
Justin didn’t look down at Dorothy as he watched Val disappear. “What’s that?”
“You like her. She likes you. So why are you sitting over here while she’s over there?”
“What do you mean? She was sitting several tables over but switched for some reason.”
Dorothy frowned. “No, I had
her sitting next to you.”
“Well, apparently, there was a mix-up.”
Dorothy looked around the room, and Justin figured whomever she was searching for should probably run. She definitely didn’t look happy.
“Then I have to get to the bottom of it,” she said, patting his arm. “Regardless of where you were seated, dinner is over. Take the initiative and go after what you want. Love is supposed to be fun, for the love of pie. So why not have some fun, Romeo?”
She walked away from him with a disgusted sound, and Justin thought about all the things that had held him off so far. Her father. Her hang-ups. Really, everything keeping them apart was on her.
He waited against the wall, watching for her, but when she came back out, she headed for the front door, shrugging into her coat. He started across the room just as a blond man approached her, but Justin jerked to a stop when she slapped the man.
Whatever the bastard said, he’s a dead man.
Justin pushed through the rest of the crowd and tapped the blond douche’s shoulder. When he turned around, Justin’s hardly recognized his own voice, it was so dark.
“What the hell did you say to her?”
Val came around to put her hands on Justin’s chest, but he didn’t look away from the pale asshole who looked like he was about to piss himself.
“Don’t worry about it, Justin. I handled it.”
“What did you say?”
“Damn it, Justin, I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. I’ve been handling myself fine without you.”
His gaze swung down, but nothing in her expression gave away what she was thinking.
Putting up his hands, he said, “Fine. I’ll mind my own fucking business from now on.”
He took off for the door, forgetting his jacket, ignoring her voice calling after him. He made it outside to the first step before the cold air stole his breath and he cursed, but there was no way he was going back in there; he was too pissed.
The door behind him opened and he heard the click of her shoes before she spoke.
“We seem to apologize to each other a lot. I’m not sure it’s healthy.”
He took a deep breath and blew it out hard, the air fogging in front of him, but he didn’t say anything.
“Look, I just found out tonight that this whole weekend was orchestrated by my father in the hopes I would end up with his friend’s son, but I can’t stand him. I was just going to go back to my room and pack, but he . . . well, Kyle isn’t exactly the type of guy to bow out gracefully.”
Justin didn’t react, just listened.
“I have a past. I react horribly and lash out often. My father is a self-serving bastard and my sister is a nightmare. Really, I’ve given you no reason to defend me or stick up for me, so I just have to know . . . why?”
He turned around with a glare. “Why what?”
“Why do you like me? I’m not a good person. People think I cheated on my husband, for God’s sake. Why do you rush to my defense and push my buttons and kiss me like you want to know every deep, dark secret I have?”
The moon glistened off her dark hair, and Justin reached out to cup her cheek, his anger draining at her frank question.
He thought about it, and a dozen different reasons raced through his brain. Because of the way she stood up to people and damned the consequences. Because he still remembered that girl who had so captivated him. Because, despite her belief that there was nothing good about her, he thought she was wrong.
But instead, all he said was, “I have no idea.”
VAL WAS DRUNK, that was for damn sure, or she wouldn’t have asked Justin such a stupid question.
She’d just wanted to walk back to her hotel room, call her father, and lay into him. She hadn’t been prepared for Kyle to come up behind her and offer to walk her to her hotel room. Still, she would have just sneered at his offer if he hadn’t followed it up by saying, “If you want, I could tuck you in too. Give you a little taste of that thing you’ve been fighting so hard against.” His voice had dropped to a creepy whisper next to her ear as he’d added, “I bet you’ll like it.”
He was just lucky it had only been a slap, because when Justin had come up behind him, he’d looked fit to kill.
She hadn’t meant to be such a bitch to Justin after, but that seemed to be her MO. When she’d followed him outside, she’d only wanted to apologize and walk back to the hotel alone. But when she saw his wide shoulders and the way they tapered down to a trim waist, she’d almost wrapped her arms around him. It would have been so easy to cuddle into his broad back and forget about everything else.
And then she’d opened her mouth and asked him why he liked her, like she was an insecure teenager.
“Forget I asked, okay?” she’d said and started to escape, but he’d caught her hand.
“No, I’m not going to forget it,” Justin had said, pulling on her arm, turning her to face him. “I’m tired of waiting for you to decide whether you want me or not. Because I’ve made it pretty damn plain that I want you.”
She’d swallowed against the dryness in her mouth as he stepped into her. He’d leaned down like he was going to kiss her, and she’d closed her eyes, waiting for him to take control, but he never did. She’d opened her eyes to find him watching her closely.
“When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”
And with that parting comment, he’d walked past her and back inside.
She stood there for a few minutes, watching the door before she decided to head back to the hotel room to sober up. She didn’t feel like walking back in there with Kyle and all of those other people looking for their perfect someone to sweep them up.
Perfect someone, ha.
She walked down the steps, irritated that Justin hadn’t taken her. Everyone kept saying she needed to get some, and as Justin had told her over and over, he wasn’t asking to date her. Things didn’t have to get weird. She’d been waiting, ready and willing.
Are you kidding? After all the back and forth you’ve done, I’m surprised he’s even talking to you.
She had to admit the voice was right. Every time something happened between them, it was because he’d made the first move. She’d been pushing him away because she didn’t want to get attached, so she could understand his actions.
Didn’t mean she wasn’t still irritated.
She made it back to her hotel room and dropped her jacket on the back of the chair. As she kicked off her boots, the adjoining door caught her eye, and her mind started racing. She padded across the room and turned the knob, finding it still unlocked.
She smiled with anticipation as she pushed the door open and started stripping. If Justin was waiting for her to make the first move, boy was he going to be surprised by the leap she was taking.
Go big or go home, right?
Chapter Fourteen
* * *
A LITTLE OVER an hour later, Justin opened the door to his hotel room and tried the switch, but it wasn’t working. “Great.”
Dorothy had caught him as he was coming back into the community center and told him she’d figured out the mix-up. He had hardly been listening to her, though, his mind had been so filled with Val and the way she’d looked as she’d waited for his kiss. But Justin didn’t want to keep kissing her. He didn’t want to keep putting himself out there for her to shoot down. If she wanted him, she was going to have to prove it.
When he’d finally escaped Dorothy, he’d grabbed his coat and seen Kyle chatting up a pretty blond woman. Walking up behind him, he’d tapped his shoulder.
Kyle had turned around and his eyes had widened. “What?”
Justin smiled around at the woman. “Can you give us a minute?”
She shrugged and left. Alone at last, Justin glared down at the small man.
“If you bother Val again, I will end you. Do you follow me?”
Kyle swallowed but otherwise stood his ground. “I work for her father and my dad is a U.S. senator. Threaten me
again—”
“And you’ll what? Sue me? Tell Daddy on me? You want to intimidate a woman half your size, you little pussy?” Justin was tempted to punch him, but with all the witnesses watching, he didn’t trust the coward not to press charges. “If I find out you’re messing with her anymore, you won’t get a chance to do anything. Take me at my word or you’ll see me again.”
After that, he’d left the community center and taken the long route through town, trying to clear his head. There must’ve been a history between Val and Kyle; he didn’t think they’d dated, but no one hated someone that much unless it was personal.
But for tonight, he was just going to sleep and not think about what would happen with Val. He walked over to the lamp in the corner and felt for the little knob. Light filled the room, and he had just started to unzip his coat when he caught sight of a pair of jeans at the end of his bed. He took a few steps closer and saw a sheer black top dropped next to them and he swallowed hard as his gaze rose to the woman in his bed.
Val was in his bed, and by the looks of things, she was fast asleep.
And very naked.
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her. The round, pale skin of her shoulder above the blanket, the column of her neck exposed as her dark, short hair spread across the pillow. Dark lashes rested against her cheeks and her pink lips parted. The soft sound of her even breathing made him smile.
She’d been waiting for him but had fallen asleep. She’d made a move.
He brushed back her hair and trailed his hand across her cheek, whispering, “Val.” She moved under the blanket, and he continued to stroke her as she turned and squinted at him. When her lips spread into a breathtaking smile, he said, “I think you’re in the wrong room.”
She sat up and looked around, the blanket falling to her waist, and sure enough, she was naked. He had a hard time taking his eyes from the pert, round breasts until she cleared her throat, and he forced his gaze to meet hers.
“I think I’m exactly where I want to be.”
He wasn’t going to talk it to death or make sure she meant it. Wrapping his arms around her, he brought her closer and covered her mouth with his. She tasted like warm wine as he swept his tongue into her mouth and resisted the urge to bury his hands in her hair. He wanted to be gentle, to take things slow.
