Page 94 of Collision
“Don’t.” It’s a warning.
Xavier glances back to Mik, who’s now introducing the stranger as Alex, and then back to me.
“Not my place to comment.” He nods tightly and my shoulders sag. “But you are in deep shit when he finds out.”
I watch as Mik smiles tightly at something Ash said and note the clipped tone she uses when she answers. I hate the way his eyes run over her and I swallow the burn of jealousy in my throat.
“Yeah. I know.”
Mikaela
Whoever had the idea to tell Ben to wear all black is officially my favourite person. The striking darkness makes his eyes seem bluer than ever before and as I stop in front of the four men, all gathered by a small section of tables, my heart is in my throat.
You can do this, Mik. Just don’t look at him too much.
I can speak to them and not melt into a puddle of desire while he looks at me as if he wants to rip me from the room and devour me here and now.What I can’t do though is look at him again because,Lord give me strength, he is phenomenal and he is smiling at me like I’m the only person in the room.
“Evening boys.” That voice - the huskiness of it - is not mine. Is it? I steal a quick glance in Ben’s direction and gulp. Bad idea. Very,verybad idea. His gaze penetrates my skin and sets my blood on fire and I can feel my cheeks burning. I turn to my brother quickly, plastering on a smile as he grins at me - completely unaware of my wayward thoughts. “Jamie, the place looks better than I imagined.”
When Jamie breaks our hug, I can’t stop myself from looking to Ben and I see he’s whispering with Xavier. I try to block them out.
“This is Alex. Alex this is my brother Jamie, his friend Asher, and those two are Ben and Xavier.” That sounded normal. Kind of. Maybe.
Alex grins.
Asher runs his eyes over me again as he licks his lips and I hold back the urge to roll my eyes.
“Mik. My God am I glad you’re back in town. It was getting boring without you.” He smirks and I smile tightly at him.
“Now, now Asher. I may have been away but I’m very up to date in your antics. Life seemed anything but boring in my absence. How is Gemma? Still burning her way through your wardrobe or…?”
His grin only widens. “I didn’t know you were keeping track of my dalliances, Miss Wilcox.”
No, Asher. This is not flirtation.
“But you and I both know, none of my situations hold my attention quite as much as the mysterious Mikaela who disappeared on us all.”
Gag.
“How silly that I had your attention when I haven’t been in the State for years. Gotta get yourself a life at some point, Ashy.” I roll my eyes and Jamie snorts as Ben and Xavier turn back to the conversation.
I chance another glance at Ben and blush when Xavier catches my eye with a raise of his eyebrow.
What just happened between the two of them?
“You look lovely tonight, Mik.” Xavier steps forwards to place a quick kiss on my cheek, his hand resting safely on the middle of my spine. “Some of us would say so if we weren’t choking on our tongues.” His whisper is conspiratorial and when he looks at Ben my cheeks burn.
“Thank you.” I try to smile warmly as I glance at the group around me. “You guys don’t scrub up too badly yourselves.”
Jamie laughs and Max shuffles awkwardly beside me.
“We’re going to do a little lap.” I offer us an out of the very tense silence that is rolling off of Ben, and Max nods enthusiastically. “But we’ll see you in a bit?”
Jamie nods as he pulls his phone out of his breast pocket and turns to face the petite party planner standing in the corner, also staring at her phone screen with a little smile. The very same party planner whose name and number were programmed into his phone long before he’d even considered throwing this party.
I step forwards and place my hand on his arm. “She’s pretty.” I laugh when he blushes. “I’m assuming you’ll introduce her as something other thanworkat some point?”
He rolls his eyes as he places a kiss to my forehead.