Page 58 of Jaked

"What?"

"You look beautiful."

I made a scoffing sound. "Don't bother lying. You already told me what you think."

"I told you what I thought of the dress, not what I thought of you."

I stared at him, pummeled by my own conflicting emotions. There was something in his voice that I'd never heard before. And he had just called me beautiful.

I should have been thrilled. At the very least, I should have thanked him. It would've been the polite thing to do. Except I wasn't feeling polite. So instead, I withdrew my hand and starting trudging in my high heels toward the entryway.

Inside the elevator, neither one of us spoke. There were so many things I wanted to ask him, but what was the point? Now wasn't the time, and it definitely wasn't the place. In just a couple minutes, we'd be a threesome. Me. Jake. And Bianca.

A bitter sound escaped my lips.

A threesome.

Bianca had mentioned doing things for Jake. Sexual things – or at least that was the implication. Was a threesome one of those things?

One by one, other sex acts drifted through my mind. Starring Jake. I slid another sideways glance in his direction. He stood, facing the elevator doors, with his hands loose, but his jaw set. I'd seen that stance before, countless times – usually before a fight.

He was itching for one. I could tell.

Outside the building, the car was waiting. Henry, who'd been standing at the ready, opened the rear door with a smooth, practiced motion. Inside the back seat, Bianca was waiting, all long legs and high heels.

She leaned across the seat to give Jake a dazzling smile, along with a barely decent view of her cleavage.

"There you are," she gushed. "I was almost getting worried."

Jake didn't return the smile. "Bianca," he said in a cold, flat voice.

Looking at Bianca, my stomach sank. Just as I'd feared, she looked amazing in a little black dress that somehow managed to look sophisticatedandsexy. As for me, I looked neither. Jake turned to me. "Want the window seat?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Sure. I guess." If nothing else, it might come in handy if I decided to throw myself into traffic. Jake lowered his head and climbed into the back seat, claiming the spot beside Bianca, who reached out to give his knee a friendly squeeze.

I climbed in behind him and pretended to be invisible. When Henry pulled away from the curb, Bianca turned to give Jake a sunny smile. "Isn't this exciting?" she said.

"What?" Jake said.

"Oh come on," she said. "Don't be coy. You're fabulous at this sort of thing." She leaned toward him. "So, how do I look?"

Jake's voice was flat. "Nice dress."

"Oh come on," she said with a sultry pout. "It's more than nice."

"You're right," he said. "Now take it off."