Page 71

An hour passes quickly, and I realize I’m drunk, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Patterson keeps cracking jokes, and I can’t stop laughing.
My eyes scan the room, and I nearly stop breathing when I spot Billie at the bar. She’s leaning into the guy next to her, smiling, whispering something in his ear. My jaw tightens as I try to get a better look at who she’s with.
“Did you hear me?” Nick asks, following my gaze.
I turn to him, and he tilts his head, as if he knew she’d be here. He must have heard it from Harper. Cocky bastard.
“Who’s she with?” I ask, my voice dropping.
I take in the generic guy in a tailored suit. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. With that description, it could be anyone.
Nick shrugs. “Is that Prince Louis?”
“Not sure,” I tell him.
I can’t tear my eyes away from her. She’s absolutely mesmerizing with her dark hair and light eyes. It doesn’t help that she’s right in my line of sight.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell my brother after slamming back another shot.
“Choose your moves wisely,” he warns as I stand.
“Shut the hell up. I’m officially off script, thanks to you,” I reply.
I stride across the room like I own the place. As I turn my head to steal another glance at Billie, she catches my gaze. Her plump lips part, and she doesn’t look away. I shoot her a smirk and raise an eyebrow, the booze from the last hour swirling in my head.
I see you, Ice Queen.
She sees me too.
By the look on her face, I can tell I’m the last person she expected to see here. I can’t blame her—my presence here is definitely unusual.
The guy turns to glance at her, and I confirm it’s Prince Louis.
I immediately stop walking and glare at her. She leans in, whispers something in his ear, and I head toward the hallway that leads to the restrooms.
“What the fuck?” I whisper.What the actual fuck?
I move down the hallway and step into the bathroom to take a piss. My bladder is ready to burst after I drank for the past hour. Once I wash my hands, I stroll down the dimly lit corridor, where flickering lanterns cast a warm glow.
When I glance up, our eyes lock. She struts toward me like this is her runway. With one tall black high heel in front of the other,her gaze fixed on me. The black mesh minidress leaves nothing to the imagination.
Damn, she’s absolutely enchanting.
With flared nostrils, she glares at me. “Are you stalking me?”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, please don’t flatter yourself, princess. You’re the verylastperson on this planet I want to see right now.”
It’s not a lie. Being this close to her and smelling her sweet perfume is pure fucking torture. It always is.
“Your mouth says one thing, but your eyes say another,” she replies smugly.
“Really? Tell me what my eyes are saying,” I mutter, briefly falling into the abyss with her.
I swallow hard and step back, knowing it’s for the best. But she quickly grabs my hand, pulling me back to her.
“We were talking.”
Electricity crackles between us as she looks up at me.