Page 22 of Beautiful Distraction

He can’t be serious!

“Really?” Mandy chimes in, giving me her you-didn’t-tell-meglare. Slowly, she leans forward in mock interest. “She didn’t mention—”

That he’s so hot.

I can almost see the thought written across her forehead.

“She didn’t mention my new Lamborghini?” Kellan cuts heroff. His tone carries the annoying hint of fake surprise.

Mandy’s jaw drops. “You drive a Lamborghini?”

“Mandy, you’re not helping,” I mutter.

“I do.” Kellan nods, his eyes not leaving mine. “It cost mea few bucks to repair the chip she caused.”

“A few hundred?” Mandy’s gaze is going back and forthbetween Kellan and me.

“A fewthousand,” Kellan says coolly. “But it’s okay. It was worth it because I got tomeet her.”

For a moment, I’m stunned and actually believe hiswords…until his gaze oh so innocently brushes my chest and settles there forway too long.

I wish I could slap his stupid grin right off his face, butinstead, I find myself strangely breathless.

“Oh, my God,”Mandy suddenly exclaims. “That’s why you mentioned Club 69. You’re—” Hervoice breaks off mid-sentence as her gaze sweeps from me to Kellan and thenback to me.

I shake my head, a warning look in my eyes.

“No way.” She laughs. “This ishim? The guy who hit your car? The one you said—”

“Shut up.” I roll my eyes. “I’ve no idea what you’re talkingabout. The rain must have messed with your brain.”

She laughs again. “Club 69. You were there. He’s the hot guywhopropositionedyou, and I’mquoting you there.” She points at Kellan like he isn’t sitting across from us,listening intently. “It’s him. I can see it written across your face.”

Kellan’s eyebrows shoot up, and a glint of amusement appearsin his eyes. “Hot guy, huh?”

He throws back his head and laughs—a raucous, heartylaughter that makes his perfect chest vibrate.

Suddenly, the generously spaced room is too small and Ican’t breathe. My vision blurs.

“Excuse me,” I say and jump to my feet, snubbing Mandy’squizzical look as I grab her arm and yank hard. “I need to talk to you.”

Somewhere, at the periphery of my perception, I hear Kellanmumble something about staying the night, but I can’t be sure because all I canthink is that this trip was one big mistake I shouldn’t have made.

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CHAPTER FIVE

“What are you doing?” I ask as soon as we’re outside. Myvoice is shaking. Not from anger, but from something indefinable. Thetemperature has dropped considerably, and the dark clouds are a lighter shade ofgray, the wind softer.

The storm’s calming down already.

“No, what areyoudoing?” Mandy sounds annoyed as hell. “You didn’t fuck a Boyd?”

“Obviously, not everyone’s life goal is to hook up withsemi-famous guys,” I mutter. “Besides, is someone else occupying your brain?The guy has a girlfriend.”

“Which you didn’t know when you first met him.” Mandy’sexpression changes from anger to suspicion. “Why didn’t you tell me you knewhim?”

“I didn’t recognize him,” I lie.

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