Page 30 of Tiebreaker

The girl in the mirror isn't a coffee barista anymore, and she's not even someone who has a master's degree that will probably never get used because the student was too insecure to chase her dreams so much so that she's even forgotten what her dreams are in the first place.

No, I look… I swallow hard.

The black lace hugs my curves.

And I look sexy. Dangerous even, my hair swinging and shiny below my chin.

“Okay I think,” I say.

“Can I look? Kai’s pulling back the curtain before I can tell him to stop and he steps inside.

I stare up at him, wondering what kind of grief is hiding behind his eyes. Did he really OD? Did his brother? For a moment I want to ask him about his brother, if it’s really true, and tell him I’m sorry if it is.

Then he decides to ruin it by speaking. He takes one look at me and lets out a little whistle.

“Holy,” he says. “I think you shouldn't go to dinner with Everett.”

“Uh, what, why?” I ask, standing there feeling uncomfortable. He’s so close, and he’s looking at me like he wants to pull me into him…

He gives me a serious look.

“Because there's no way that he's ever gonna let me get near you again if you show up looking like this,” he says, sounding amused. “And then I’ll have to throw him off his balcony.”

I stare at him for a long moment, not sure how to answer that.

Everett hates me. He only wants to use me for my tiebreaker vote.

“You shouldn’t talk about killing people like it’s no big deal,” I mumble, lacking anything else smart to say.

I'm not even sure that Kai’s being nice to me because he's a nice guy or if he's just trying to get into my pants or if he's just trying to get my help with their company. I don’t even think he really cares about the company.

I honestly don't know.

He shakes his head.

“Call him and cancel,” he says. It's a demand. His words are so strong and expectant, like he knows I’ll obey… our eyes meet and hold. And then I’m back in the green room, his body pressing into mine. The heat of his hard form against me.

He smirks, standing there. It’s a look that irritates me, getting under my skin.

“I’m going to get dressed now,” I say and I press my hand on his chest, giving him a gentle shove. “Give me some privacy, please.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Oh?” A smug look appears on his face. “It's not like I haven't seen it all,” he teases. I inhale shakily and glare at him.

“Youhaven’t,” I point out. He grins, all boyish naughtiness, a heated smolder in his eyes that promises to do me in if he stays in my orbit much longer.

“Whatever you need, princess,” he says, and he ducks out of the change room, laughing under his breath.

I grumble to myself and yank the dress off a little rougher than I should, kicking away the very expensive high heeled shoes.

Who does he think he is? Telling me what I can do and who I can see.

He doesn't have any right. A few minutes… makingtimewith me at the backstage of a private event doesn't mean I owe him anything. In fact, he owes me. I inhale, feeling the strength flow into me with the oxygen. I’m about ready to tell him exactly how, and how frequently he can go fuck himself.

I emerge from the changing room like a boiling thundercloud and he takes one look at my face before smiling at the girl at the cash.

“Ring up that pretty necklace,” he says casually, “and the dress and the shoes.”

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