The Game Begins
Celeste met Adrian's gaze head-on, her pulse hammering as his grip on her wrist tightened—not painfully, but possessively.
"Let go, Adrian." Her voice was even, but her heart was racing.
His gray eyes darkened. "Are you done playing?"
She raised a brow. "Playing? Oh, sweetheart, I'm just getting started."
Mia, ever the troublemaker, clapped her hands. "Ooooh, this is getting good."
Adrian ignored her. His focus was solely on Celeste. "You're making a scene."
She laughed, tilting her head. "That's kind of the point."
The bar was still buzzing from her little announcement, but the air between them was charged, crackling like a live wire.
Josh, the bartender, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, so... are we taking that shot or...?"
Adrian's eyes snapped to Josh like he had just remembered he existed. "No. She's done drinking."
Celeste gasped. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are?"
Adrian stepped closer, his scent—woodsy with a hint of something expensive—invading her senses. "Your husband."
"Soon-to-be ex-husband," she shot back, trying to ignore the way her skin tingled from his nearness.
His jaw clenched. "Keep telling yourself that."
She wanted to scream. Why are you like this? How could you ignore me for years, brush me off like I was nothing, and then act possessive now?
It wasn't fair.
Mia, sensing the rising tension, took a sip of her drink and leaned in. "So, uh, what's the plan here? Are we throwing hands? Flirting? Making out in a corner?"
Celeste choked. "Mia!"
Adrian exhaled sharply, his fingers flexing before he finally let go of her wrist. "Go ahead. Keep acting like this if it makes you feel better."
She crossed her arms. "Oh, I will."
His gaze flickered over her—her short dress, her freshly styled hair, the confidence in her stance that hadn't been there before.
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something else. But instead, he took a step back, his expression unreadable.
Ethan, who had been watching with barely contained amusement, clapped Adrian on the shoulder. "Alright, man, I think you've successfully made this more dramatic than necessary. Let's go."
Adrian hesitated, his eyes lingering on Celeste one last time before he turned on his heel and walked away.
Celeste exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Mia whistled. "Well, that was something."
Celeste groaned, rubbing her temples. "I need another drink."
Josh, still standing there, awkwardly holding the tequila bottle, coughed. "Uh... so, shot?"
She sighed. "Yeah. Make it a double."
But even as she tossed back another shot, the warmth in her chest wasn't just from the alcohol.
It was from the way Adrian Sinclair had looked at her.
And damn it, she hated that it still made her stomach flip.