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?? Chill. I’m just joking. We’ve hung out a few times, he’s cool. That’s it. You know me. No relationships going on over here.

Me

*raises a skeptic brow

Taylor

I love it when you talk dirty to me

Me

Really? My eyebrows do it for you?

Taylor

??????

Me

You’re insane.

Taylor

Love you too.

I smile to myself as I slip my phone back into my extra tiny bag, straighten myself out in the mirror, and head back out.

Looking around the crowded room, it shouldn't be difficult to find Miles, I seem to have some kind of magnetic attraction to him. But I might be too focused on finding him and less focused on what's right in front of me. I get knocked back when I accidentally bump into a man who I don't recognize. His hand quickly grabs ahold of my elbow so I don't go down.

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” I say, my cheeks heating in embarrassment.

“No. No.” His hand moves to my shoulder as he searches my eyes, likely wondering if I’ve had too much to drink and need to be put in a cab. I run a hand down my dress and shake the nerves away.He grabs two glasses of champagne from a tray nearby, and hands one to me. “My fault, I should watch where I’m standing.”

I take the glass and smile at this man who is clearly trying to make me feel better.

“I’m Steven,'' he says with a handsome smile. “And I know for a fact I haven't met you before because I would have remembered you.” His handsome smile looks a little more creepy now.

For the second time in five minutes, I’m having to force myself to be polite. The worst thing I could do is be rude to someone who is important to Miles. I never want to make him look bad, so I paint a smile on my face and make small talk.

Steven is hammering on about his multi-million dollar company that he supposedly built all on his own, while I struggle to look engaged and search for Miles. I’m about to excuse myself when I feel a familiar heat burning into my neck. Discreetly, I dip my chin to my shoulder and peek behind me. I’m not surprised at all to find Miles leaning against the bar staring me down. We lock eyes in a familiar way and it takes me a minute to register that someone is saying my name.

I quickly turn my head back toward Steven. “I’m sorry. What?”

“I said, what do you do?”

“Um, well, I’m actually between jobs right now. I used to work for an investment banking company, but it didn’t work out, and now I’m just looking for the right fit for me.”

I’m waiting for the right moment to excuse myself when Steven puts his hand on my lower back. His cologne overwhelms me—he smells like insect repellent and not a natural one either. The pressure on my back tightens when he pulls me into him, and aslimy smirk spreads across his face. “Well, if I had any sense I would take you outside to finish this conversation.”

“If you had any sense you would take your hands off my wife.”

Miles’s deep voice is rough behind me, I can feel his hard body pressed flush to my back and I fall into it with instant relief.

Steven takes a step back, tilting his head up to look at Miles and he extends his hand. “Miles Cameron, haven't seen you at one of these events in a while. So long, in fact, I guess I wasn't aware you weremarried.”

Miles leaves Steven’s hand outstretched. He wraps one hand around my waist and the other rests on my bare shoulder. The weight of it seeps all the way down to the bottom of my stomach and it’s a good thing he left him hanging. I have no doubt that would have been a bone-crushing handshake.

Steven thankfully takes the hint. “Okay, well this has been wonderful,” he snips before turning on his heels and charging off.