Chapter 22
“Nanotech?” Lydia groaned. “Seriously?” She arched a brow at Jack as she set the bottle of Dom Pérignon she’d just emptied into her glass beside the two other empties in the middle of the table. “Did you learn nothing from Big Hero Six? ”
Jack giggled. He’d put away at least one of the empty bottles on his own. “Dude, if I could figure out how to get these little fuckers to fly, I’d lose my goddamn mind, but that’s not the point. My point is—”
Aspen missed whatever Jack’s point was because she was distracted by the feeling of Eve’s hand sliding along her thigh and soft lips brushing against her cheek. Her breath caught as Eve’s breath danced over her ear, the stream slow, warm, and purposeful in a way that told her Eve was doing it on purpose and knew exactly what it would do to her.
“I want to dance with you,” Eve murmured silkily.
Aspen gulped as Eve nuzzled closer to nip at her earlobe. Eve had been riding high on confidence and low on fucks ever since her run-in with her mother, but the hand that was now drifting dangerously high up her leg added an all-new dimension to things. Three more inches and Eve’s fingers would be on her clit right here in the middle of a crowded ballroom. She grabbed Eve’s wrist to trap her hand against her thigh, and turned to her with a pleading look that begged her to behave. When their eyes locked, her breath was stolen from her lungs by the impish delight that danced in Eve’s gaze.
Yeah, Eve knew exactly what she was doing, and she was enjoying the fuck out of herself while she did it.
“Goddamn, Eve. What are you doing to her over there?” Lydia hooted loudly. “Aspen looks like she’s two seconds from fucking you right here on the table!”
Eve’s eyes crinkled, and she stole a quick kiss before responding, “Who’s to say that I wouldn’t be the one fucking her?”
Heat bloomed low in Aspen’s belly, and she squeezed her legs together as a rush of wetness crashed between her thighs.
Jack snorted and held up his half-empty champagne flute in a toast. “Confidence looks good on you, Eve.”
Aspen licked her lips and nodded. He wasn’t wrong. It really, really did.
“Thanks.” Eve winked at him before turning back to Aspen with a sultry smile. “Dance with me?”
“I’d love to.” Aspen tugged Eve’s hand from between her legs and laced their fingers together as she stood. “We’re gonna go dance,” she told their friends as Eve led her toward the dance floor without a backward glance.
She heard Jack and Lydia scramble after them, but paid the pair no attention as Eve stopped them in an open pocket of space toward the inner third of the floor. She licked her lips as Eve shifted her grip, so their hands were clasped instead of interlocked as she tucked them between their chests and turned to face her.
Eve’s smile was soft as she asked, “Is this okay?”
“It’s perfect,” Aspen replied as she wrapped her free hand around Eve’s hip to pull her close. She kissed her softly as Eve’s left hand slid along her arm to cup her shoulder and complete their hold as they began to sway lightly with the music. She nuzzled Eve’s cheek, letting their breaths mingle against each other’s lips as she stared into her eyes that shone like blue sapphires in the light of the vintage crystal chandeliers overhead. Her heart pressed against the wall of her chest like it was trying to give itself to Eve, and she sighed, “You’re perfect,” as she angled her head to kiss Eve again.
Her stomach fluttered and flipped at the feeling of Eve’s hand sliding from her shoulder to the back of her neck to hold her close as Eve’s mouth opened beneath hers, inviting her to deepen the kiss. She stroked Eve’s chest with the backs of her fingers as she slid her tongue against Eve’s, delighting in the warmth of her skin as she matched her caress to the languid rhythm of their kiss. The world around them blurred as she surrendered to the electric, idle play of Eve’s fingers through her hair and the passion building between them.
They’d shared too many kisses to count over the last few days, but this one was her favorite so far, and her heart ached as she realized that, come tomorrow night, Eve would be gone and this magic they’d found would disappear with her. Everything had happened so fast and had felt so right that she’d never stopped to think about the fact that this wasn’t permanent.
But she wanted it to be.
God, she wanted it to be like she’d never wanted anything in her life.
She whimpered into Eve’s mouth as she looped her arm tighter around Eve’s waist and poured her heart into the kiss, desperate to convey without words that she didn’t want to lose her.
That she didn’t want this to end.
But this wasn’t the time or the place for those confessions, so she let the press of her lips and the swirl of her tongue avow the wishes and hopes and promises she held in her heart instead.
She was dizzy from the sheer perfection of it all when Eve broke away with a low, trembling groan, and she held her close as Eve pressed her forehead to her cheek as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Aspen,” Eve whimpered, her voice high and breathless and wrecked in a way that made Aspen think that maybe, just maybe they were on the same page.
Before she could respond, though, Jack and Lydia twirled past with a laughing, “Get a room!” and she sighed as she turned her head to drop a chaste kiss to Eve’s forehead. “Sorry, I got carried away.”
Eve huffed a little laugh. “Don’t you dare apologize for kissing me like that.” She pulled back to look up at her with a dazzling smile. “That was…everything.”
“It really was,” Aspen whispered as she touched their foreheads together. She stroked the soft skin over Eve’s heart and sighed. Later, she’d broach the idea of them maybe trying to build a future together, but for now she’d make do with enjoying the time they had left. She nuzzled Eve’s cheek and used her hold on Eve’s waist to guide her into a slow, easy spin before settling into a loose box step.
They’d danced just enough earlier for her to know that while Eve might not be comfortable letting loose in a club, she had a superb command of the ballroom disciplines, and she smiled when Eve’s hand drifted back to her shoulder as she took the lead.
“Are you going to put me through my paces again?” she teased as their steps became crisper and Eve led her into a spin.
Eve’s eyes sparkled with laughter as she whipped them into another spin, this one tighter and faster than the last. “Are you telling me that you don’t like it?”
“Mm, definitely not. You can put me through my paces anytime you—” Aspen broke off as they crashed into somebody.
“Oh my god,” Eve stammered. “I’m so sor—”
Aspen arched a confused brow to see what it was that had caused Eve’s apology to die off, and rolled her eyes when she saw that the people they’d hit were Jack and Lydia. “Why are you guys just standing there?”
“Darling.” Eve gently took Aspen’s chin to turn her head toward the far side of the dance floor. “Look.”
Aspen’s eyes widened when she finally saw what had grabbed everyone else’s attention. Kit had two hands on Sadie Andrews’ ass and was kissing her like she had every intent of taking her right where they stood. “Oh wow.” She cleared her throat and stole a glance at Lydia to see how she was handling this development. She didn’t think the pair would extend their fun beyond the weekend, but still…
Her concern was unwarranted though, as Lydia laughed and smacked Jack in the stomach hard enough that he doubled-over with a grunt. “Told you she’d go for one of us.”
Aspen shook her head. “One of who?”
“Me or Kit,” Lydia answered in a voice dripping with duh .
“I’d’ve thrown my hat into the ring if needed,” Jack added, rubbing his stomach and scowling playfully at Lydia as he straightened, “but we figured we’d start with the people who actually enjoy fucking women.”
Aspen blinked at them. “Why in the hell…?”
Lydia laughed. “She didn’t look too happy with the douche when he came storming back to their table after his little run-in with you by the bar before Ms. White Knight, here, jumped to your rescue.”
While Aspen wanted to know how that spiraled into Kit making out with Sadie, she couldn’t resist interjecting, “Eve didn’t need rescuing. She handled her mother masterfully all on her own.”
“Mm, and now you want her to handle you masterfully,” Lydia drawled, winking at Eve, “but that’s beside the point.”
Aspen blushed, and was glad she was saved from having to respond when Eve chuckled, “God, I’d forgotten how incorrigible you are when you’ve had champagne.”
“Anyway,” Jack picked up the tale, “so Lyds made a comment that blondie just needed a good fuck to remind her that she could do better than the douche. And then her and Kit kinda made a bet to see who could tempt her first.”
“I almost had her,” Lydia pouted. “But the douche interrupted before I could seal the deal.”
Aspen smiled and rubbed Eve’s hip. “I love that you just call him ‘the douche’.”
Lydia grinned and tipped an imaginary hat before glancing back at Kit. “Damn,” she whistled. “I think Sadie might mount our girl right there and give everyone a show.”
“Or…not,” Jack giggled, pointing at Nolan, who was storming furiously toward the women.
“Oh shit,” Aspen muttered.
“Oh shit!” Lydia cackled.
“Oh shit,” Eve whispered.
“Shit, Kit!” Jack yelled. “Abort! Abort! Drop the hottie and run!”
Aspen snorted. “God, you’re really just as big of a dork as you were in school, aren’t you?” She rolled her eyes at the one finger salute Jack flashed her as he bounded off to run interference, and dropped a kiss to Eve’s cheek. “He can’t fight for shit. I should probably go help him out.”
“If you think I’m missing this, you’re out of your mind.” Lydia hooked her arm through Eve’s and hiked her chin imperiously. “We’re coming with you.”
Aspen wanted to argue—she had a feeling an audience would only upset Nolan more, and after the way he’d acted when she met him, she didn’t trust him to restrain his outrage to shouting—but they didn’t have time, so she just nodded and tugged on Eve’s hand that was still tucked into hers. “Right. Let’s go, then.”
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Nolan demanded as he closed-in on the women, who were still enthusiastically lost in each other. His booming voice carried easily over the string quartet, and what seemed like the entirety of the ballroom stopped and turned to see what was happening.
Despite his volume, it still took Kit and Sadie a few more seconds to break apart, and Aspen shook her head as she watched Kit wipe her mouth with the back of her hand as she squared up to face him. It was a classic Kit move—bold, in-your-face, and utterly without shame—and even though she was still a good twenty feet away, Aspen swore she could see the vein bulging in Nolan’s forehead.
She could clearly see the way his fists clenched at his sides, though, and she threw a silent I’m sorry at Eve as she tugged her hand away to run to help Kit and Sadie.
Nolan reached the pair at about the same time she did, and he threw an absolutely disgusted look at her. “Of course you’re here.”
“Just trying to help keep things civil,” Aspen said in her best customer service voice as she put herself a half-step in front of Kit and Sadie. She arched a brow at Sadie. “Are you okay?”
“Stay out of this!” Nolan reached out to shove at Aspen’s shoulder, but she rolled away from the jab.
“I don’t recommend you try that again,” Aspen warned. She shot Eve and Lydia a look that begged them to stand back before turning her attention back to Nolan. She could handle him, but she’d rather not have to worry about either of them getting caught in the crossfire. “Listen, man,” she said, trying to deescalate the situation before it got even more out of hand, “just take a breath and chill, okay? We’ll talk it out like adults.”
“What’s there to talk about? She had her hands all over my girlfriend!”
“Not actually his girlfriend,” Sadie corrected. “I broke up with you on Wednesday, remember? When you were freaking out about Eve bringing a plus-one?” When he just stared at her, she elaborated, “When I told you I’d play along for the weekend to not mess things up or make things awkward.” She threw an apologetic look at Eve. “I didn’t know you two were together when we hooked up, and I’m totally not about that bullshit. I’m so sorry.”
Eve smiled and waved off the apology. “I appreciate it. But it’s fine. I’m in a much better place.”
Aspen bit the inside of her cheek when Sadie smirked and waggled her eyebrows. “Yeah, you are.”
“What? The fuck? Sadie?!” Nolan blew up. “You’re not gay!”
“I’m not a lesbian,” Sadie replied breezily, “but I am pan.”
“What does that even mean?!”
“It means she doesn’t care what’s in someone’s pants,” Kit supplied with a decidedly unhelpful smirk. “Which, let’s be real”—her smirk widened as she threw an even more unhelpful glance toward Nolan’s crotch—“is probably a good thing for you.”
Kit was too busy taunting Nolan to see the way his fist tightened, but Aspen saw it clear as day, and her pulse raced as she jumped in front of Kit and caught his fist in her hand.
“Oh, shit!” Jack crowed.
Judging by the echoing murmur that rippled through the room, he summed up this latest development perfectly.
“Step off, man,” Aspen warned as she squeezed his fist.
“Fuck you.” Nolan tried to pry his hand away, but he looked like he was going to take another swing, so Aspen didn’t let go. The vein in his forehead bulged as he struggled against her grip. “Let me go.”
Aspen twisted his hand and shoved it back toward him, showing him that she was very much in charge. “Not until you’re ready to act like a goddamn adult.”
“Which will be now,” Killian Morrison said as he clapped a commanding hand on the back of Nolan’s neck.
Nolan deflated immediately. “Killian—” he started to argue, but broke off at the withering look Eve’s father gave him.
Aspen straightened as Eve’s father turned his attention to her. He’d undoubtedly gotten an earful from his wife about everything that had happened with Eve earlier, but you wouldn’t have known it by the small, impressed smile he gave her.
“You may release him, Ms. Collier-West,” Killian said. He held out his left hand and crooked two fingers in a come-hither motion that brought a burly security guard in a black suit closer. “This gala is for the partners and guests of Morrison and Young, and after that little display, I can assure you that Mr. McCarthy is neither.”
Aspen waited for the security guard to get close enough to intervene before releasing Nolan, who spun on Killian with a perfectly flabbergasted, “What?”
“You’re fired, Nolan.” Killian shook his head. “I’ve put up with a lot from you because you are incredibly talented at skewing contracts to our clients’ favor, but you just drew on a woman.” He tsked softly. “And that is something I will never condone.”
“You’re seriously going to fire me because of this dyke?”
“Hey, we resemble that comment,” Kit muttered.
Aspen couldn’t help it, she snorted. She held up a hand in a yeah, I know, not helping kind of way when Killian glanced at her. Assured that the security guy had Nolan under control, she moved out of the line of fire and back to Eve’s side. Away from the center of the action, she was more aware of the chatter that was happening around them in hushed tones, and she glanced at Eve to see how she was faring as she took her hand.
After everything that had happened with her mother earlier, this was a lot , but her concern was unnecessary. Eve was glaring at Nolan like she wanted to kick him in the dick. Which, honestly, was fair. She wouldn’t have minded doing that, herself.
“Get him out of here,” Killian told the security guard, who was only too happy to comply.
The entire ballroom watched with rapt fascination as Nolan was dragged bodily away.
“Well, that was exciting,” Jack giggled.
Killian rolled his eyes. “Ms. Hawthorne, are you all right?”
“Oh, yeah.” Kit grinned and cocked a couple of finger guns at him. “Totally cool.”
“And you?” Killian turned to Sadie.
“I’m fine,” Sadie said. “Aspen interceded before he could do anything.”
“Good.”
“Am I fired as well?” Sadie asked. “Because, if I am, I’d really appreciate being able to stay and work this room to see if I can’t land another position.”
“Hell, I’ll give you a job,” Kit said. “Our legal team is always looking for people who know their way around a contract.”
Killian chuckled. “That won’t be necessary, Ms. Hawthorne. Ms. Andrews is still very much a member of Morrison and Young.”
Kit shrugged and dragged rakish hand through her hair. “Ah, well, can’t blame a girl for trying.”
Killian nodded in a way that said he quite agreed before glancing at the crowd around them that had yet to fully disperse. His expression tightened, and he shook his head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to our guests.”
“He is not happy,” Eve noted, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice as they all watched him walk away.
“Not at all,” Sadie confirmed. She smiled at Eve. “I really am sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Eve assured her as she leaned into Aspen’s side. “I’m honestly so much happier with Aspen.”
Aspen’s heart fluttered at the way Eve’s free hand settled low on her stomach as she smiled up at her, and she couldn’t resist dipping her head to kiss her softly. “I’m so glad.” She sighed happily as she nuzzled Eve’s cheek. “Now, what do you say we get back to our dance?”
“I think…” Eve’s voice trailed off as she kissed Aspen sweetly. She stroked Aspen’s hip and murmured, “I think that sounds like a great idea.”