Page 40 of Wrapped in Red

Chapter Twelve

Ezra

Ileaned into CC’sside as we approached the red carpet. I could do this. I could put on a smile; I could dazzle his friends and coworkers. This was important to him. He wouldn’t have invited me if he didn’t want me here, right? CC squeezed my waist, and when I looked up into his dark, warm eyes, I relaxed. He hadn’t stopped touching me the entire limo ride to the Music City Center. One hand on my thigh, the other around my shoulders, and he kept telling me how beautiful I was. How good I smelled. How happy he was that I was here with him.

I had a feeling someone was getting lucky tonight.

“You’re the most beautiful person here tonight, Ezra,” CC murmured as he stopped to stare at me. “I can’t...I can’t believe you’re mine.”

I flushed at his words. I wasn’t sure why I kept getting nervous and shy around him when he said things like that. CC had always been good for my ego, but things were different now.

“Have you looked at yourself, baby?” I reached up to straighten his bowtie with trembling fingers.

“Carson fucking Carey!” We both turned to see who was calling his name, and my tongue nearly rolled out of my mouth when I saw Killian Hampton striding toward us.

Killian was sex on two legs. I’d had the biggest crush on him in high school. I mean, who hadn’t? As he got closer, I saw those blue eyes land on me.

“CC?”

I wanted to bury my head in his chest, hide in his pocket, and hope the lead singer of Mulligan Downtown didn’t try to talk to me. Because, no, I wasn’t shy when it came to meeting new people, but I might be scared to meet the one person I wanted to run away and join the circus with when I was a kid. Or whatever. My tongue was currently stuck to the roof of my mouth, which was better than hanging out while I panted like a dog. Or tried to hump his leg.

“Carson, introduce me to your pretty little friend.” Killian smirked at me. “Babe, come here.” He held out his hand to the tall dirty-blond man behind him.

“Kill, what are you—oh hey, Carson.” Matthias Fuller, Killian’s fiancé and the man who was the reason Killian came out as bisexual.

Apparently, they had a very tumultuous past but were super happy and in love now. Seventeen-year-old me would have loved to have known his hero was bisexual. Not jealous at all of Matthias. Nope, not me. I had my own sexy-as-hell boyfriend, thank you very much.

CC wrapped an arm around me. “This is my Ezra Bardo.”

My Ezra Bardot.Did he just call me his Ezra?Swoon.I might just die now. Honestly, that was romantic as hell. I beamed up at him before I looked back at Killian and Matthias.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Weren’t you dating Noel?” Killian blurted.

“Killian, manners.” Matthias poked his side. “Sorry, he left those at home tonight.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Matthias.”

I swallowed the bile in my throat as I took his outreached hand. “Oh, I know who you both are.”

“I’m sorry, but what happened—did you just pinch me?” Killian glared at his fiancé.

CC tugged me closer. “We broke up.”

“You’re being rude, Killian, stop it. Look at how cute they are. Leave it alone,” Matthias hissed before he flashed those hazel eyes at me. Damn, I could see what the attraction was. He was hot.

“We should get moving before they start without us,” CC suggested.

I suddenly felt like this was a bad idea as more drivers arrived with their dates. Maybe people wouldn’t be so accepting of me. I could just be sitting home on my couch watching as I normally did and live tweeting. I could still be a supportive boyfriend that way.