Page 47 of Faking Ties

They high-five and giggle like children.

“But,” I say loudly, cutting through their antics, “only as a friend. Once he gets his extension, I’m sure he’ll move on to a new woman.”

“If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out,” Nina says with certainty.

“Very true,” Aria agrees.

“I wish I had your confidence that it’ll all be okay.” What I don’t tell them is the obvious. Once Hunter finds out I’m not really Stella, I’m pretty sure there won’t be a chance to have anything real between us.

“That’s easy,” Aria says, passing me another drink. “Get drunk enough and you’ll start to believe it too.”

I laugh and Nina clinks her glass against mine. The next hour passes in a blur of drinking and dancing. We’re so lost in our own world that when a hand touches my back, it takes me a moment to realize that some new people arrived in the VIP area.

“Hello, doll,” Jax says, sliding his hand down to my ass.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, taking a step away from him and his wandering hands.

“I heard you’d be here.” He closes the distance between us. What does he mean he heard I’d be here? I didn’t even know I was coming here until we arrived.

“Are you keeping tabs on me?” I ask.

He shrugs as if following me isn’t abnormal. I’m not sure what Stella ever saw in this guy because everything about him gives me the creeps. When he tries to pull me in for a hug, I step away and grab Nina’s hand.

“Bathroom?” I ask Nina, not waiting for her response while I pull her away.

“Holy shit,” Nina whispers, locking the door behind us once we’re inside. “That was Jax Stone.TheJax Stone. He’s shorter in person, but still hot and?—”

“Nina,” I hiss. “Fangirl later. He’s the enemy.”

“Right.” She winces. “Sorry, it’s just not every day I’m around an A-list actor.”

“I get it, but this is bad. Really bad.” I grip the sink counter like it’s a lifeline. “He’s one of the only people who’ll know I’m not the real Stella in an instant.”

“Shit.” Her face pales as the realization settles in. “Do you want to go? I’m sure we can sneak out of here somehow.” Nina spins in a circle. “Maybe climb out the window?”

We both look around the bathroom and burst into laughter at the same time. There are no windows.

“I wish I could leave,” I say, “but I should stay. S wouldn’t leave if her ex was here, so I can’t either.”

“Oh fine, let’s go back and save Aria from him.”

With Nina’s arms around mine, we head back to Aria. Aria sits stiffly on the couch with Jax across from her.

“There you are,” Aria says when she spots me. “I was just telling Jax how lovely hell is this time of year. I was hoping he’d take a trip there sometime. Preferably sooner rather than later.”

Nina laughs and sits next to Aria. Jax looks her up and down. “And who are you?”

“The woman who’ll saw your dick off with a butter knife if you keep looking at me like that.” She smiles sweetly as if she didn’t just threaten him.

Jax gives her a long look, as if trying to determine if she’s joking or not. She’s not.

“You do realize you’re interrupting our night,” I say, still standing.

“You call it interrupting, but I’m making your night,” Jax says, patting the seat next to him like I’m a dog who’ll obey its owner. “Come home with me so I can remind you what you’re missing out on.”

I take a small step back, grossed out by his words, and run into a hard wall of muscle. An arm snakes around my stomach and holds me against a rock-hard body.

“Sorry I’m late,” Hunter says.

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