Page 91 of Tracing Holland

He shakes his head.“No, I’ll check with Callie and the guys but I’m sure Sweeny and Eli will want to hit up Neptune while we’re here.When they come up for air with those brunettes, we can ask.”

I make a face.“Really?I hate that place.”

“Lots of hot models in bikinis.”

I roll my eyes.“Exactly.Hot models in bikinis who expect to be acknowledged.”

“We don’t have to go.We can split up and do something else.”

But my brain seems to have even less interest in event planning.It was a long night and I just want to see Holland.“Whatever you want to do is fine.Just text me the details.”

I say goodbye to Casey and motion to Eli and Sweeny that I’m leaving.They nod their response, and I’m off in search of Holland.I’m hoping she’s finished with her fans and glance at my phone to see if she’s sent any updates.There is a message, but it’s from an unknown number.I open it and my pulse picks up.

You were amazing tonight.Can’t wait to meet up later.Been a while, huh.

I hope it’s a wrong number, but man, those odds are terrible.

Casey was right.Eli and Sweeny have their horny little hearts set on The Neptune Club, but Casey, Callie, Holland, and I opt for the admittedly less trendy, but much classier Region 3 bar.Sure, our tabs will be identical, but at least the four of us have zero chance of being soaked by bikini-clad models grinding us on the dance floor.That’s an undisputed win in my book.

The obvious loss of the evening, however, comes in the form of Wes and Spence who also choose Region 3 over the Neptune models.This twist surprises everyone but Holland and me, and it’s everything I can do to keep the glare in my chest from spilling onto my face as I meet her at the buses to wait for the others.

“You ok?”Holland asks, slipping her arms around my waist.

“Fine,” I mutter.

She searches my eyes and sighs.“Is this about Wes going with us to the bar?You know there’s absolutely no way he doesn’t go.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t mean I’m not pissed about it.The guy is ridiculous.”

“I know.But maybe it’s good.”

My gaze shoots to hers and the glint in her expression when she smiles seriously threatens my bad mood.“Good?How could being stalked by Nanny Wes possibly be good?”

She shrugs.“I don’t know, I guess this is the way I see it.I’ve had to watch you all night, the way you own that stage, basically enslave everyone else in the stadium to your will.It kind of wrecked me, Luke.You know, filled my dirty mind with a long list of wicked, vile things I want to do to you.”Her eyes slide over me, exposing her desire and releasing a violent surge of fire.“And of course, you’ve been undressing me since the moment I met you by the door.Even now, I can tell my clothes are being scattered all over this shady parking lot.”Her tone is so steady, so measured, and making me completely crazy.“So given all of that, yeah, I just don’t see any way we go to that bar tonight and leave with our reputations intact without Wes.He’s saving our good names.We should be thanking him.”

She’s only making me hate him more.

I let out my breath in exasperation.“Or we could have found a private place to work through our ‘temptations.’”I slip my hand over her ass for good measure and savor her surprised gasp.She glares at me, but I suspect it’s because she liked it, not because she didn’t.

“Someone is going to see us!”she warns, swatting me away.

I grin and shrug.“If they do, I’ll let you give me a very dramatic slap.The press will love it.”

She rolls her eyes.“You would too.”

“Par for the course, darling.A necessary evil when you have an entire stadium of women lusting after you.”

“Oh, please.So now you’re going to get all cocky?”

Her grin betrays her, and I have to kiss her.I feel her everywhere inside me, my body screaming for even the slightest drop of relief.I actually curse when I catch the shadow moving toward us, preventing our last chance to release before the brutal night of forced friendship.She sees it too and quickly pulls away.

“Not sure how much longer I can do this,” I warn quietly against her ear as we resume our friend stance.

“Neither am I,” she tosses back.“But we don’t have a choice unless you’re ready for the media explosion.”

I sigh.I’m so not.

I squint toward the shadow that begins to materialize into hints.It’s clearly a woman, but not Callie.Maybe Tess?She seems too tall for Tess, though.

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