Page 90 of Deviant Reign (Knight's Ridge Empire 6)

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Ileave Stella and Calli still curling their hair and march toward the living room, where I know there’s plenty of alcohol that’s going to help me walk out of here with my head held high.

I’m asking for trouble, wearing this. So much fucking trouble. But even knowing that, I can’t stop myself.

His reaction is going to be worth it and then some.

Xander looks up from his phone and actually gives me a double take as his chin drops.

It would be funny if I weren’t slowly dying of mortification inside.

“Whoa, Emmie. You look… Shit. How the fuck am I meant to keep you out of trouble wearing that?”

His eyes run up and down the length of me in shock.

I should probably tell him to stop, remind him that he friend-zoned me a long time ago, and that I’m a married woman. But his eyes find mine and he gathers himself back together.

I can’t deny that his reaction does good things for my confidence, mind you.

I left my hair to air dry and then scrunched it with some wax to give it a messy look and added my standard black makeup before pulling on the… dress.

I must admit I was impressed when I looked in the mirror. But shit, I also feel like a fucking idiot.

I’m wearing the kind of outfit that Sloane and her bunch of bitches would wear to get the guys’ attention. I feel like a sell-out. Exactly the kind of girl I never wanted to be. Even if I do look hot doing it.

“You’re not meant to keep me out of trouble, X. Just keep me alive and in your sight at all times,” I remind him.

“Me and every other guy tonight,” he mutters.

“Wait, it gets better,” I admit as he takes a swig of beer.

The second I turn around and lift my hair, the beer sprays out of his mouth, covering the coffee table in front of him

“I think you’ve probably just made my job easy. You’re going to spend the night locked in a bedroom with the one man who’s allowed to go near you. Easiest babysitting job ever.”

Flipping him off, I march toward the liquor cabinet and pull out a bottle of vodka, sloshing a generous measure into one of the tumblers.

“We’ll see.”

“You left him with his balls about to explode, Em. He’s gonna fucking blow the second he sees you.”

“Can you make sure you record it if he does?” I ask seriously before knocking my shot back.

He’s still laughing at me when I walk across the room, grab my leather jacket from the back of the chair I threw it on and stuff my feet into my boots. I might have conceded to the dress, but there’s no way in hell they’re getting me in a pair of heels too.

“Right, let’s go,” I announce.

Xander looks down toward the bedrooms. “I thought we were all—”

“You thought wrong. We’ve got an Uber waiting outside.”

“Uh… right, okay.” He jumps up, shoves his phone into his pocket and stalks over.

I take a minute to look him over. He’s wearing a pair of dark black trousers and a fitted dark grey button-down shirt. His hair is styled, although still a total mess. He looks… “Hot.”

“Huh?” he asks, clearly not quite hearing me.

“Um… I said you look hot.”