Chapter 5
FIVE
SHOCK BURST IN her stomach, opening her mouth, dropping the straw from her lips. No man had ever said something so daring. Not about her, and definitely not in company.
And her reaction was new too. Her inner thighs tingled, a rousing heat jolted up through her core. This was good, it was… Who was this guy?
Okay, yes, it was a ruse for Damon’s benefit.
Intellectually, she knew that. Uh huh. Yeah.
Yet her body squeezed backward, following its instinctive need to get closer.
Something primal in her liked Bastian’s direct words and the conjured possibilities.
At that point, she was a passenger to her body’s awakening.
A man as charming and attentive as Bastian could never be enamored with her for real. Tonight was simply a chance to dream. She’d take it.
Fizz of desire aside, it was no hardship to see Damon at such a loss either. Ha! Take that!
Damon scoffed. “I can’t believe—”
“I’ve heard a whisper,” Adara sang, appearing behind Damon, beaming at the group. “It’s great to see everyone getting along.” Adara pinched Damon’s cheek much to Damon’s chagrin. Ah, what a cutie-cutiepie. “And it looks like that whisper is true.”
Adara didn’t disguise her open appraisal of Bastian.
“Bastian Hunt,” he said.
Again, he reached around her body to offer a hand.
Though Adara gave it a loose shake, her narrowed eyes weren’t so sure. “Yes, I heard that,” her sister said. “But what are you to our Harper?”
“The whole world,” he proclaimed. With a nudge, she cast a smile in his direction. “No point lying to them, Sweet.”
“Your significance is shrinking by the second,” Harper teased, enjoying the theme of their banter.
“No, it’s not,” he murmured on her scalp, though the others must’ve heard it.
Was that for show or could he sense her bubbling hormones? Please embarrassment, take a vacation.
She laughed and nudged him again, which tightened his embrace just as Carnell came to join them.
“This is Carnell,” Harper said to Bastian who shook the man’s hand. “He’s the hopeless puppy marrying Adara.”
“After you plan the big day,” Adara said to her, cozying into her fiancé.
“I am not a wedding planner,” Harper said. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”
“You organize parties and stuff,” Adara said. “You wouldn’t help out your own sister?”
“I’ll help you as much as a sister can, but not to the detriment of my business.”
Her sister filled in some blanks for the three men. “She’s freaking out about this big launch event thing next month.”
She sighed. “I am not freaking out,” she enunciated every word.
Not that her sister was listening. “She was up at four thirty this morning working. Four thirty! What on earth would possess anyone—”
“It’s always office hours somewhere on the planet,” Bastian said.
“Thank you,” Harper said to him while glaring at her sister. Though she didn’t do much, or any, international business. “Someone finally gets it.”
“Like peas in a pod,” Adara said.
Much as she loved her sister, they couldn’t be more different. “We can’t all be happy in Mani-Pedi World.”
She and her sister teased each other about their life choices. Only teased. Adara played up to the pampered princess persona, but the truth was, she cared, she listened, Adara had a good heart. Though she didn’t always know what to do with it.
“Yes, I am entirely shallow,” Adara said without shame. “But, please note, this is my engagement party, proving that I, at least, get something out of my superficial life. I got my guy. You work, sweat, and break your back. Why? To get more work. It’s senseless.”
Her ex couldn’t resist the urge to get in on the action. “Harpy’s always been a workaholic.”
“I am not a workaholic. What is this? Attack Harper hour? Is this one of your planned party games?”
“You know we’re only teasing,” Adara said, wearing a smile that faded when she side-eyed Damon. “You’ll stop when you find the right man.”
“Will I?” Harper asked appreciating the veiled insult Adara sent Damon’s way.
Charissa pushed through Carnell and Adara to once again put her hand in Damon’s elbow, asserting her ownership. Yeah, she could have him. Good luck. Charissa had a right to be insecure about the relationship given the way it had started. What was it? Once a cheater, always a cheater.
“Your father wants to speak to you, Harper,” Charissa declared.
Damon bristled. Where was his attitude coming from? That answer would have to wait. Her father would too. She so wasn’t in the mood for family judgment… more family judgment.
“I bet he does,” Carnell murmured.
Meaning…?
“Where’s Mom?” she asked her sister.
Adara sighed. “With Carnell’s parents.”
“Trouble?”
“Only in so far as they’re already arguing about our marriage.” Adara swallowed down some of her pink drink.
“The wedding?”
“No, the marriage,” Adara corrected her. “They’re picking out locations for where we should live. Dad wants to build something for us.”
“That’s generous,” Damon said.
“It’s only to keep us close. We’ll end up in a backyard pool house.”
“Still generous.”
“Yeah.” Adara didn’t have much patience for Damon. Served him right. “Like you’d have been happy living on their doorstep if you married Ha—oh…”
Without Bastian at her side, that would’ve reignited the mortification. With him there, meh, who cared? Man, she really owed this guy. Maybe she could pay him to be her full-time ego float.
“It’s okay,” Harper said. “The cat’s out the bag.”
“You told Bastian?” her sister asked.
That she’d been cheated on and cast aside? Yes, she had. Though if she hadn’t that question would’ve dropped her right in it.
Bastian soothed her sister. “It came up in early conversation.”
Early was right.
Adara’s blush faded as she addressed Bastian. “He’s a bastard but she’s my best friend. Talk about a rock and a hard place. I’m surprised you haven’t hit him in the face… Harper did.”
“Too many witnesses,” Bastian said, jovial.
At least, she thought so until Damon straightened up.
Wow, whatever expression Bastian wore, it could turn a guy to stone.
“Your father wants to speak to you, Harper,” Charissa said again, a parrot stuck on repeat.
“Dad wants to speak to me about you two moving in.”
Her relationship with her father was tenuous at best. It had never exactly been robust, but since she’d refused his offer of a job at his firm in favor of going out on her own, yeah, most of the time she was dead to him.
As highlighted by his affront that she’d rejected Damon and his cheating, choosing self-respect over her father’s legacy. Oh, she was such a disappointment.
“Or about your new boyfriend,” Adara said. “Is he your boyfriend?”
Everyone’s curiosity about the stranger was justified; she hadn’t mentioned being involved. In her defense, she wasn’t involved until less than an hour ago.
Instead of perpetuating the lie, she joked. “He’s a gigolo.” Harper stroked the hand he had around her. “I just hired him for the night.”
She still held a drink, Bastian apparently didn’t have one because both of his hands were on her.
Adara’s lips curled in a tease. “Leave me his card.”
“Excuse me?” Carnell asked, quickly placated by the kiss Adara pressed to his cheek before wiping away the gloss she’d left.
“You’ve kept quiet about this, sister,” Adara said, giving Bastian another look over. “He’s expensive.”
“Only the best quality.”
“She was kidding about the gigolo thing,” Damon said.
Trust Damon to explain something everyone understood.
“Doesn’t make him any less expensive,” Adara said. “Men like him want to take a woman to the opera and the ballet.” Damon and Carnell snickered. “Not exactly Harper’s style.”
“We’re only using each other for sex,” Harper said, quietening the snickers in an instant.
Adara grinned. “Then have at it,” she said. “You deserve a break. You haven’t had the best of luck with men.”
“Passive-aggressive doesn’t suit you, Adara,” Damon said.
Pinning him under an icy glare, Adara snarled, “Would you like me to hit you? I have no problem being direct.”
“Everyone knows that,” Damon said, kindling his confidence. “That’s how you worked through every man in ScoSo management before settling on this sap.”
Adara was bold but delicate and didn’t deserve that.
“Take that back, you asshole!” Harper jerked out of Bastian’s grasp. “Apologize!”
“Everyone calm down,” Carnell said.
Typically, Damon was unapologetic. “Just stating facts.”
Shit, she wanted to hit him again so bad. “What is your problem?”
“I have no problem.” Damon shrugged. “It’s true. Who’s going to deny it?”
“Your father wants to speak with you, Harper,” Charissa said, apparently having nothing else to contribute.
Carnell’s arm went around Adara as she tucked her face in at his chest. Oh, God, she’d be crying in a minute.
“You’re a snake,” Harper hissed at Damon. “There was absolutely no need for you to talk like that. What exactly did you think—”
“Come on, Harpy, you’re the Contrast Sisters,” Damon said with the nerve to actually smile. “The slut and the prude.”
He always had the worst sense of humor.
“Damon,” Charissa chastised, which was at least some proof she had a mind of her own.
Not that Damon heard her.
His arrogance might not be surprising, but it did disgust her.
“Never more of a man than when you’re stepping on those around you to get up top. Do you feel good?” Harper asked. “Do you feel better about being less than slime? We’ll all feel better when we remember what a jerk you are, but for you… repulsive is for life.”
Carnell took Adara away. Good. Everyone should be far away from him. Her included. She strode off, unable to be near her bastard of an ex for another second. The jerk had ruined Adara’s night, her very important night.
Storming away was needlessly dramatic, especially when, uh, she didn’t have anywhere to go. Still with her, Bastian must’ve sensed her lack of direction. He captured her hand and used her momentum to sweep her around into his arms on the dance floor again.
Burying her face in his jacket, her composure needed a minute.
“That guy’s a piece of work,” Bastian said. “You’re still not over that? You’ve got some taste in men, Sweet.”
“Don’t goad me,” she mumbled, pressing her face against him. “I feel awful… dirty and violated that he ever touched me. My dad brought him into our lives, but… I’m disgusted with myself.”
“Did you really hit him?” Somehow the way she moved against him relayed confirmation. “Good. How did you restrain yourself? He deserves so much more than one hit.” She managed to sob out a laugh. “Are you crying?”
Resting her palms on him, she couldn’t bring herself to lift her head yet. Being there was nice, in his embrace, nestled in close, hands on his chest, either side of her face. Was it too much to ask to exist in this safe place for a while longer?
Crying wasn’t the right descriptor, maybe on the inside. Everything was such a mess. Her life was such a mess.
“I won’t ruin your suit,” she said, easing back to curl her fingers around his tie. “I promise.”
“Screw the suit, Sweet,” he said, squeezing her.
Oh, it felt good. No man ever held her this way. Should they be so familiar so soon? It didn’t feel wrong. Maybe it should.
“It’s a nice suit.”
“I have plenty of them. Do you want me to hit him? We can pay off the witnesses.”
Another laugh bled from her lips. This guy had some talent.
“Bastian…” she whispered as he stroked her hair.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for tonight,” she said, hazarding a glance up to his concern.
Far from sight, his dimple was hidden somewhere behind his frown. Already she missed it. Weird.
“You’re upset. You shouldn’t thank me when—”
“I’d forgotten…”
Damon crashing unwelcome into her life again had distracted her from the truth that should’ve saved her from embarrassment.
“Forgotten what?”
“Who he really was. I’m grateful to Charissa for saving me from that. If it hadn’t been for tonight… for you, for this… thank you.”
“Then my work is done,” he said, skimming the tip of his index finger down to her cheekbone.
“I suppose it is,” she whispered.
Singledom was just fine with her if a man like Damon was the alternative.
Bastian flashed his dimple. There it was. Her smile quickly followed. She wasn’t ready to leave his arms and settled close. The dance gave her cover to enjoy the man sharing their secret.
They’d never cross paths again. Eventually the music would fade, just as Bastian would from her life. For a short time, they’d belonged to each other. Bastian might not realize it, but he’d given her a gift she wouldn’t forget for the rest of her life.