Page 57 of The Wildest One

Touching her?

Tasting her?

Her hand landed on my biceps, holding it and then squeezing it. Fingers that stayed in that position until I pulled away.

“It’s good to see you.” I gave her a smile and shifted my focus to Ginger, extending my hand in her direction, recalling her being there the night I’d met Jolie at the bar in Boston and Jolie telling me stories that involved her. “We’ve never officially met, I don’t believe. I’m Beck. And you’re Ginger, I assume?”

She nodded with an intense amount of energy. “Oh my God, you know my name. Yes, hi! It’s so, so amazing to meet you!”

I chuckled.

Ginger’s gaze turned to Jolie at the same time I released her hand. “I’m going to give you guys a couple of minutes. I’ll be over there.” She pointed to the other side of the bar.

Jolie followed Ginger’s finger before her stare returned to me.

I couldn’t tell by her expression where her head was. I was sure she was shocked to see me—there was no way she could have known I’d be here. I’d just decided to come less than an hour ago, and I’d slipped in through the back, so if there were any paparazzi lingering around the front of the club, they wouldn’t see me.

If there was excitement, I didn’t see it on her face. If she was annoyed or feeling disgruntled, I didn’t see that either.

All I saw was this nervous energy rising across her and coming out of her fidgety body.

“What brings you to LA?”

Her arms crossed over her stomach, the movement causing her tits to lift, the tops popping out of her black dress. “Work.” Her throat moved as she swallowed.

“Ah, yes.” I finally took a drink. “That must be your life now? You’re graduated and employed by Dad?”

She nodded. “Things are quite different now compared to two years and nine months ago.”

“Two years and nine months,” I repeated, calculating how much time had passed and realizing she was correct. “I can’t believe that’s how long it’s been since I saw you.”

She rubbed underneath her lips. “I know.”

“Shit, that seems like forever.”

“Because it was.” Her hand left, and she smiled. “I didn’t even have to use a fake ID to get in here.”

I laughed. “Finally of legal age.” I took another sip, keeping my finger there to wipe off the wetness the bourbon had left behind. “That’s a good thing, too, since my guys can detect a fakeregardless of how good it is. Although, for you, they might have made an exception just because of how gorgeous you are.”

Her face turned as it became redder, but her eyes stayed on me. “What do you mean, your guys?”

“The bouncers outside work for my family and me. Everyone in here does. We own this place.” I crossed an arm and held the tumbler near my chest. “I think I must have told you that?”

“Musik.” Her hand went over her mouth. “You’re not going to even believe me, but I didn’t realize we were here—at Musik, I mean. Ginger arranged all the VIP stuff ahead of time, and I was on an important call with my dad when we arrived, completely distracted. I could have been landing on the moon for all I knew. She told me she was bringing me to one of the most popular clubs in LA, and I didn’t ask any questions.”

“If I had known you were coming, I would have had your entrance fees waived.”

“I didn’t even know I was coming.” Her eyes narrowed. “But if you had known …”

“Yeah, as in if you’d texted me.”

She let out a sound that was somewhat like a laugh. “We haven’t texted in a long time, Beck, and this isn’t the only trip I’ve made to LA that you didn’t know about.”

I hissed out some air. “Scandalous.”

“What are you even talking about? You’re the one who stopped messaging me. Not the other way around.”

I wanted to touch her. I wanted to put my fucking hands all over her.