Page 55 of Hard To Stay

I really would have. The last thing I wanted was for him to be uncomfortable. So, that’s what his shitty mood was about? Emily. Of course. Fucking brilliant.

“Hey,” he reached for my hand. “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”

“Obviously.” I said, a little too sharply. He narrowed his eyes at me.

“I didn’t want you to change your plans. You were so excited to go out tonight. I just wanted to make you happy.”

I was torn on being pissed or feeling sorry for him. I wanted to be understanding, but why wait until now to say something? Plus, it bothered me that she still had this kind of effect on him.

Brad reached out and grasped my hips, hauling me close. His voice dropped low and rough. “Can you forgive me for being a fuck-up and for ruining your night?”

I fought a smile. I didn’t want to admit how good it felt to have him back to normal. His thumb skimmed my waist as I wrapped my hands around his neck. “Of course, I forgive you.” I said, brushing my lips against his and burying my hands in his hair.

He cupped my chin with one hand and planted his lips on mine. His thumb stroked along my cheek as his tongue pushed against my lips. I felt my breathing pick up. There was something about kissing Brad that always had me wanting more. No one had ever made me feel the way he did. Lucas, who’d just returned from the bathroom, let out a loud wolf-whistle. “Get a room, you two.”

I jerked back laughing and Brad released his hold on me. Lucas stood at the bar smiling at us while taking a long draw of his beer.

Brad’s brown eyes were still locked on mine. “Will you dance with me?”

“I thought you would never ask.”

After we danced, we spotted a few of my co-workers on the other side of the club and decided to chat and have a drink with them. When we finally made it back to our spot, Lily looked like she was scanning the room for the nearest exit sign.

“Hey. What’s wrong?” I asked, when Brad let go of my hand to go talk to Sawyer and Lucas.

“I don’t think Gage is coming.”

My hand reached out and brushed her long brown hair along her shoulder. “He said he was probably going to be a little late. Don’t give up just yet. I can text him if that will make you feel better.”

She laughed, but there was no humor in her voice “I know, it’s dumb. I’m just nervous that’s all.” She was freaking out, and I felt terrible for her.

I shifted my weight, considering her words. I tried to put myself in her shoes. “It’s not dumb. It’s perfectly normal to feel a little apprehensive. If it makes you feel any better, the only reason why he is even coming tonight is because you are here. Those were his words not mine.”

“My brother is going to be pissed at you. You know that, right?” She jerked her chin over to Brad who looked like he was finally starting to enjoy himself.

“Your brother is a very reasonable man. He’ll come around.” I said, hoping that the words would come true. I was half tempted to walk over there and tell him that I had invited Gage, but I knew if I did it would only cause more problems. He would have spent the entire night telling Lily how much Gage wasn’t worth it. She was already worked up as it was. The last thing she needed was to be interrogated by her brother all night.

Brad caught my eye and shot me a wink. I walked over and placed my hands on his chest letting the heat from his body comfort me. I pushed the guilt of not telling him out of my mind and just enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms.

Brad always looked good, but he looked exceptionally good tonight. He wore a black button down with the sleeves rolled up, leaving the top two buttons undone. His perfectly tailored dark grey dress pants fit his trim waist to perfection. His dark brown hair was disheveled from running his hands through it all night. He looked downright striking. He was also getting a lot of female interest tonight, but you would never know that by the way he looked at me.

He swept my hair off my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “What are you thinking about?” God, even his voice was deeper than usual. I felt my nipples harden under the fabric of my white silk top. He was driving me absolutely crazy, so I decided to return the favor. I licked my lips and stared at his mouth. His eyes narrowed, my body was practically begging for him.

“Don’t.” He said firmly. “Unless you want to put on a show for this entire club.”

We continued to hold each other’s gaze. If he wanted to go find an empty storage closet or an empty bathroom stall, I was totally fine with that. That thought, however, was crushed when Gage came into view. My whole body tensed causing Brad to turn his head.

His eyes flashed to his sister and then back to Gage. “What are you doing here?”

I grabbed onto his arm, sensing him gearing up for a fight. “I invited him.”

Brad snapped his head to mine, his long lashes blinked three times. Yes, I counted. “Why?”

I could feel every pair of eyes trained on me. I swallowed the lump in my throat feeling a lot less confident. “Lily told me what happened between them. She feels terrible about it.” I sighed, running my hands down the length of my black pencil skirt. “I texted him and asked to meet us out tonight so they could talk.”

Brad’s eyes darkened, his glare practically sliced right through me. “You went and texted him behind my back?”

“I did. I’m sorry you’re upset about it, but Lily wanted to see him.”

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