Page 31 of The One Night Dash
“Send me links,” she says. “Talk soon.”
I hang up with Elena and flop onto the bed, laptop open before I’ve even had a sip of coffee.
Chuckling, Koa heads to the bathroom as I start my search.
High-end red evening gown, spits out a hundred options in less than a second. Half of them look like costumes; the otherhalf like something my mother would’ve worn to a fundraiser. Not Noelle.
Koa plops down beside me, towel draped around his shoulders, hair damp from his shower. He peers at the screen like it’s a game tape. “Shopping for your girlfriend?”
I don’t even look up. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Make sure you don’t put her in the position to think she is then,” he says.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I snap.
“You’re combing through couture sites at seven thirty in the morning on an away trip, so …” He lets it hang there.
I click past another gown, this one with more sequins than fabric. “She deserves a dress she feels good in. That’s it.”
“Right. Because you just buy dresses that cost five figures for women who aren’t your girlfriend.”
I grit my teeth, scrolling faster. “You’re not helping.”
“Didn’t say I was.” He nudges me with his elbow. “But if you want my opinion?—”
“I don’t.”
“—she’d look incredible in?—”
“Red,” we both say at the same time.
I stop, finger hovering over the trackpad.
“Keep scrolling,” he says, smug now. “She’s a ten, Dash. Don’t half-ass it.”
I want to tell him to shut up, but the bastard’s right again. Noelle deserves better.
The suite door creaks open, and Alex Kilovac stumbles in, shirtless, hair sticking in a dozen directions, like he lost a fight with static. Behind him comes Lenox Faulker, chewing on a protein bar, his phone in his other hand like it’s glued there.
“Why are you two up so early?” I mutter, snapping the laptop half-shut.
Alex narrows his eyes, and then his mouth twists into a smirk. “Better question: why areyouup so early? Wait …” He steps closer. “Are you—” He leans over the bed. “Holy shit. Are you dress shopping?”
Lenox practically dives onto the mattress, peering over my shoulder. “Sterling’s looking at gowns?” He laughs so hard crumbs fly out of his mouth. “What is this—prom?”
Koa doesn’t help. He just grins and says, “Not prom. Wedding. He’s finding the perfect dress for Noelle Pembrooke.”
That shuts them both up, just long enough for Alex to let out a low whistle. “The book girl? The one you overlooked in college?”
“I didn’t overlook her. She introduced me to her best friend,” I snap, and they all just stare at me as realization hits.
“She did.” Koa chuckles.
Heat crawls up my neck, and I slam the laptop shut, but Koa flips it open again, scrolling to the gown we’d landed on.
Alex chuckles. “Damn. Pembrooke in red? That’s … yeah. That’s dangerous.”
Lenox smirks, folding his arms. “Better keep her close, Sterling, or the whole team’s gonna notice she’s wearing our color, try to put their number on her. You know how many guys dream about a girl who reads instead of scrolling all night for their next fix?”
