Diamonds (All that Glitters #1)(34)

Then, he was gone. She glowered after his back and mulled over what he had said. Had he not even been part of the game? Why else had he told her coach that she had skipped practice to go out? He knew what he was trying to do. She wouldn’t let him sabotage her life. There was no way he could compete with her schemes.

Anyway, the fact that he could look at her with a straight face and say he didn’t want her or any part of her world was laughable. He stalked her like a predator after his prey. He played quarterback at Harmony. He wore two-thousand-dollar suit jackets. He clearly had a warped sense of vanity.

But if he was going to finally play her game, then she would be ready to take him down when the time came.

BRYNA STEPPED OUT of Gates’s limo and onto the red carpet leading into the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. She wore an Oscar de la Renta black-and-white dress and Chanel pearl heels with black tips.

Photographers lined the event, frequently stopping Gates for pictures, as reporters asked him questions. Once they reached the end of the line, he tightly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her away from the cameras. “You ready for this?”

“Of course. It’s going to be fun.”

“Thanks for coming with me.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she said with a wink.

His laugh was one of complete ease, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I’ve missed your crazy ass.”

“You just missed me keeping your crazy ass in line. Everyone else feeds into your impulsiveness.”

He gave her an are-you-f*cking-kidding-me look. “My impulsiveness? Weren’t you away at Christmas with some other guy? Not sure how much more impulsive you can get.”

“If this is you fishing again, it’s really not going to work,” Bryna told him.

“So, is it the same guy?”

“We’re not talking about this tonight. I’m here to get drunk with my friend and ring in the New Year. If you’re not providing that, maybe I’ll make new friends.”

He tugged her closer. “Babe, making friends isn’t your strong suit.”

“Whatever. Let’s just go get drinks.”

Gates took her hand and walked her through the crowd inside the connected darkened ballrooms. There were dozens of A-list celebrities at this event. Even though she was used to seeing stars who her father had worked with, the sheer quantity was enough to make her head turn.

Then, she saw someone that really did make her head turn.

She caught a glimpse of the back of his suit—a black Hugo Boss, if she had to guess, tailored to fit. It was the same dark brown hair she had run her fingers through this week. She craned her neck to see if she could see his face or profile, but Gates was moving her away from the man, and she never got a good look.

Her mind whirred to life. Was that Jude? Fuck!

He wasn’t supposed to be here. He’d said that he was going to be out of town on business. But didn’t I hear him say the exact same thing to his wife over Christmas?

She wanted to march back over there and see if it was him, but she didn’t want Gates to know she was doing it. Not to mention, if it really was Jude, she didn’t want him to see her with Gates. Even though she and Gates were just friends, Jude wouldn’t want to see her with another guy. And if he recognized Gates, then he might be able to piece together who she was…and how old she was. It was all one big headache.

She glanced over her shoulder and searched the crowd for the man. It couldn’t have been Jude. How many men in incredible suits with dark hair are here? She had Jude on the brain. After all, she was missing him tonight. She had been missing him since she kissed him good-bye and left his apartment.

It was probably a trick of her imagination. She wanted him here with her, so she had conjured him up out of thin air.

But still, she kept looking for him, even when a few hours had passed, and she realized that her hope was futile. Hope was just a dull ache in her chest from missing him.

Bryna and Gates danced the night away, talking and laughing like old times. It felt nice to unwind with him. She had been spending all her free time with Jude, and she hadn’t even realized that she missed hanging out with Gates until now.

“I’m having such a good time,” she said as they moved off the dance floor and into a corner of the ballroom.

The clock was counting down to midnight, and everyone was cheering around them.

“Me, too. Do you remember last year, we were doing this at a Harmony party? Now, we’re at Chateau Marmont.”

Bryna tossed her head back and laughed at the thought. She was giddy from the alcohol, and her head felt heavy. But the thought of being at a Harmony party only a year ago was somehow hysterical.

She stumbled forward, catching herself on Gates’s suit. When she righted herself, she rested her hand on his chest. He grabbed her arm and steadied her. Suddenly, she was lost in a sea of blue as he stared at her in a way she’d never seen before.

Then the crowd cheered for the New Year, and Gates was kissing her. His mouth was hot and familiar against hers. His fingers clung to the material of her dress and pressed herself against him. It only lasted a second before she ripped herself free of him and smacked him across the face.

“You said we were just friends!” she cried.

She stormed away from him. She couldn’t believe this. It was such a bad idea for her to be here with him. She didn’t know why she thought they could be friends. They obviously couldn’t. It was time to get out of here.