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My core tightens. He’s taunted me all week. Turnabout is fair play. “I’m starting to think you can’t finish the job.”
He squeezes my hip and smirks. “Come along, wife.”
Irritation sweeps through me. I glare at him and move to catch up but slow my steps when I realize he’s trying tomake me mad. Mace is possibly the strangest man I’ve ever met.
I’m way out of my element. Rose stole me away as soon as we got inside, and Mace wandered off with Crue and Remy. Emmie and Analise recently moved to New York City, and they already have more friends than I ever had. My social anxiety is struggling with the crowd, but they slip away from their friends and join me and Rose.
“Hey there, birthday girls,” Rose says, grinning at them.
Analise beams. “This is the best party ever.”
Emmie is a little quieter than her twin, but she’s definitely an extrovert. She’s practically glowing from all the attention they’ve been getting tonight. Even still, sometimes extroverts need a break. “I need a drink and a breather,” she admits.
“The guys are in the kitchen,” Rose says, leading us in that direction, but Dare materializes like a bandit and sweeps her into his arms, kissing her like it’s the last thing he’ll ever do. Analise and Emmie groan and turn toward me.
“They do that all the time,” Emmie mutters.
“Just pretend like they’re not here,” I tell her. “They’ll either leave to go have sex, or Rose will remind him that there are other people in the room.”
“I love my brother, but the PDA is a little excessive,” Analise says with a sigh. “We need drinks.” She glances at me and Emmie. “Coming?”
“Absolutely.” The twins set off first, and I trail after them, leaving the dining room and most of the partygoers behind. Analise and Emmie always make sure to includeme, and it’s nice to be around people who actually care what you have to say and loop you in the conversation.
“—and she said that I was the one being immature!” Crue, looking chipper as ever, like he hadn’t had his ass kicked by Mace not so long ago, is in the middle of recounting his latest disaster of a relationship.
Remy lifts an unimpressed eyebrow. “Imagine that.”
Analise chuckles, drawing his attention. His gaze quickly flits down her body before drifting away. The giant bodyguard definitely has a hard-on for Dare’s little sister, but that’ll never happen. Dare is unhinged and super protective.
We join the guys in the kitchen, taking seats at the bar. Analise passes out three flutes full of champagne.
“So, Crue’s life is a disaster, as usual,” I say, taking a sip. Sweet effervescence bursts across my tongue.
“Hey, I enjoy my life. It’s the ladies who can’t hang.”
I hum. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Mace laughs, and I avoid looking at him. It’s hard to keep the blush from my face when his attention falls on me. The man has had his face buried against my pussy, for fuck’s sake.
Our eyes connect for a millisecond and my heart tumbles over itself.Get it together, Cassia. You have the power. You have the vagina. Make him beg to fuck you.
Wrenching my focus away, I make a point to ignore him and gaze at Crue. “God, Crue, your muscles lookso big. Have you been working out?”
Crue glances at me, flicks a nervous gaze to Mace, and takes a step away. “I’m not taking that bait,” he says, shaking his head.
Mace grins at me.
I narrow my eyes. Fucker. Analise and Emmie carry aconversation, and I do my best to pretend like Mace doesn’t exist until he drops into the seat beside me. His arm brushes against mine. My core clenches as memories rush through my mind. I lean away and side-eye him, hating the spike of nerves in my chest.
He smirks at me. “You’re avoiding me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Why?” he asks.
“I’m not avoiding you,” I tell him, voice tight.
“You are.” He takes a sip of whiskey. “Still mad that I won’t fuck you?” he says low enough for only me to hear.