Page 60 of Tempting the President

I scribbled on my board and nearly shoved it in Bobby’s face.YOU SET ME UP LAST NIGHT.

“But you stayed so long, so the risk must have paid off.”

Grr.I hated it when Bobby acted so smug, and I hated it even more when she had reason to.

Beside her, Leandro said, “You are so wonderfully ungraceful in your victory,megaira.” His voice was mildly reproachful, but I wasn’t fooled. The way his blue eyes glittered with desire as his gaze rested on the queen, it was clear he found her attitude more attractive than a turn off.

Yuck.

Bobby must have caught the disgusted expression on my face because she was suddenly laughing. “You can look at me like that all you want, but I bet given a few weeks, you’d be even more sickeningly affectionate. It’s only to be expected when you have Kellion as a boyfriend—-” She paused when I started scribbling on my board.

HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND.

Bobby shrugged. “It’s only a matter of time.” Her tone became serious. “But you guys got to talk, right? Really talk?”

I gave her a small nod.

“And you get it now?”

HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS PARENTS.

Leandro’s lip curled when he read my answer. “Unfortunately, two of the shallowest individuals I have ever met in my life. I’ve always thought it a miracle that Kellion managed to stay sane the whole time he was with them.”

I nodded firmly, remembering what Kellion told me. I remembered another thing, not as important but something that had long confounded me.WHAT DOES TERATAKI MEAN?

Bobby shrugged. “My Greek still sucks.” She glanced at Leandro questioningly.

“Why do you ask?”

IT’S WHAT HE CALLS ME.

“Ah.” Leandro had always been described as aloof by the media, unlike his more easygoing cousin Derek, but right now, it was as if he was having great trouble keeping a straight face.

He said almost apologetically, “It means ‘little monster’, I’m afraid.”

I let out a silent gasp of outrage.That great big jerk!

Bobby burst into laughter. “Can I please call you that, too?”

Before I could answer, the door to the club burst open behind me, the door slamming so hard against the wall I almost expected to hear its hinges breaking and the door to crash towards the floor.

“Aria?”

I froze at the sound, knowing whom it belonged to. A second later, Kellion was kneeling in front of me, his face white while his gaze was wild and panicky. His hair was badly mussed, like he had come here straight from bed, and he had day-old stubble darkening his jaw. He was breathing hard, too, as if he had tried to beat the world’s record for getting here.

Gazing at him, I was torn between embarrassment and worry. It was hard looking at him in the eye, with the way my mind had suddenly started replaying X-rated scenes from last night. A part of me still couldn’t believe that we hadkissed.That he had touched mybreasts.

“Aria?”

The uneven tone had me blinking, my embarrassment receding in the face of my confusion.What’s wrong?My confusion deepened when I saw how Kellion had to swallow several times before he was able to speak. “Aria...” And then nothing.

I glanced back at the engaged couple with a questioning look, hoping they knew something I didn’t, but they appeared just as surprised as I was.

Kellion suddenly gripped my hands. “Aria...”

I cocked my head to the side.Yes?

“Were you really in my room last night?”