Page 36 of Owen

Gregor plonks himself down beside me on the sofa. “Well, shit. Cobra won’t be happy about that.”

“Cobra?”

“Yeah, he’s our big boss; the wing commander. He’s our supervisor and oversees our health and safety procedures and does the commentating at the displays. You’ll meet him soon. I think he has feelings for Jade.”

With a nickname like Cobra, sounds like he’s ready to strike and sink his teeth into her.

He adds, “But he can be leery. Weird. I don’t like the way he looks at Jade.”

“Weird how?”

“I don’t know. Creepy. Like his eyes linger on her too long. And just other things he does and the way he speaks about her. I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.”

Blake. Cobra. How many more admirers does she have?

Never one to be jealous before, I find myself wanting to lay my heart on the line for her, enter the gladiator ring, and fight any man until I’m the last one standing. Maybe it’s the lack of direction I currently have in my life that’s sending me off-piste, but I can’t say I’ve ever felt the instant spark like the one I feel with Jade.

Gregor continues, “Jade is…” He tails off.

“Special, I know, so everyone keeps saying.” They don’t have to tell me. I feel it. All the way down, deep in my bones.

“Wow. This is big.” Gregor sounds shocked at my news. “Jade is a closed book in relationships.” He pauses, his gaze thoughtful. “She’s an introverted extrovert. In public, at the shows, during press conferences, meeting celebrities and the royals and such, she lights up the whole room and does more positive PR than any of us combined, but with her private life, she keeps that on lockdown. That’s a treasure chest no one’s getting the key to.”

Except she let me unlock it last night—not that I’m telling him that—and I’m so fucking grateful she did, because after hearing how closely guarded she is, I feelspecial. She made me feel important. But now I know she is having dinner with Blake, she clearly doesn’t feel the same spark.

“And she told me earlier that she doesn’t like that her villa isnext door to Cobra’s. I’m certain he has an ulterior motive,” Gregor adds.

Without saying anything, I know what he means; Cobra wants to get closer to Jade.

“He allocated the biggest villa to her and then put himself right next to her in the smallest apartment, making it look like he was taking one for the team.”

Cobra couldn’t be more obvious if he tried.

“Is Jade interested in Cobra?” I snap, not understanding why my blood is boiling hotter than the sun and I have an overwhelming desire to pull his fangs out with my bare hands, despite having never met the man.

“No way. Jade would never date another fellow serviceman… not after Michael. It’s weird and I’m not sure what’s going on, but she’s mentioned how uncomfortable he makes her feel. She’s not interested in him at all.”

Gregor slaps my thigh. “You can’t fuck this up. She’s my boss, Owen, and I won’t let your fuck-boy ways ruin my career. She’ll give me all the shitty flying stunts if you mess around with her.”

I sit up straighter than a ruler. “I am not a fuck boy.”

“Yes, you are. All those times you split up with Skye, did you not hook up with girls every time?”

“Yes, but…”

“And now you’ve split up with Evangeline? It’s only taken you a week to get your dick wet.”

What the fuck? I push myself to my feet. “I didn’t fucking sleep with Evangeline.”

“What?” He looks shocked, his eyes wide and doubtful. “For an entire year, you kept your dick in your pants?”

“Yes.” Exasperated, I fling my hands in the air. “I haven’t slept with anyone since Skye and I broke up.”

“No way?”

“And I neverevercheated on Skye.” I only hooked up with the same three girls when Skye and I would break up. It was a rebound thing and something I’m not proud of.

“Well, that’s a pleasant surprise.” He rubs his chin. “So, you and Evangeline… never?”

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