A Guide to Being Just Friends(73)

“I think I should have offered you more than a drink before we left,” Ana said, her hand tightening on his arm. Her pink nails looked brighter against the black of his tux. What the hell was he doing in a tux in the California heat?

Trying to feel a spark for someone who won’t pull you into a rabbit hole of emotion. There had to be a happy in-between. Something in the middle of cordial arrangement and all-consuming lust. He hadn’t stopped wanting a partner—someone he could talk to, laugh with, rely on. But it needed to be someone who wouldn’t make him lose sight of his own goals, his own needs. What he needed was to fall for someone who wouldn’t rip him to shreds when they walked away. Saying yes to Ana wasn’t a reflex after finding out Hailey was still dating Seth. At least, he told himself it wasn’t. Getting pretty good at lying to yourself.

“Sorry. It’s been a while since I wore a tux.” He smiled at her. She was beautiful. She could have easily been one of the actresses or models that her company catered to. She fit in easily with them in her silk blue gown, her hair tucked into a clip that sparkled with real diamonds. She’s not Hailey. The thought sucker punched him.

Laughter floated around them like the candles in the pool. Lights were strung across it, people hovered in small groups. Tall tables with long white linens were artfully placed around the patio. Delicious food in tiny portions sat untouched because most people at these things didn’t want to be caught with their mouth full.

Ana turned to him so they were facing each other, very little space between them. In her heels, she was the same height so it was easy to see the heat in her gaze. Heat he didn’t feel anywhere other than the back of his neck because of this freaking tux.

“It’s been a long time since I helped a man out of one. But I’d be happy to try when we leave.”

Well. That was forward. He stared at her, willed himself to feel something for this woman. In his mind, as far as his heart and emotions were concerned, Ana was perfectly safe. He could fall into this relationship and not break when it was over. Not turn into an asshole like his father had after his mother had left. He’d be able to pick up and move on.

Yet, instead of jumping at the offer, which held no appeal for him—she isn’t Hailey—he stopped her hand from playing with his tie. Gripping it, he removed it from his chest, shaking his head.

“That’s not where this is going between us, Ana.”

Anger and color rose in her cheeks but he couldn’t lead her on. Wouldn’t.

“I need the restroom,” Wes said, stepping back. Weaving through the crowd, he headed for the house. The sprawling estate belonged to a beloved Hollywood starlet who had a niece trying very hard to follow in her aunt’s footsteps. Throwing this awards gala tonight had been a surefire way to gather some of the most well-known and up-and-coming stars in one place. Life was all about connections. In this setting, Wes felt zero. In this crowd, he was completely untethered.

Wes stepped through the oversized open French doors, the tux becoming more uncomfortable with every step.

He pulled his phone out, standing in a stark white hallway with a massive chandelier. He texted his brothers. They needed to find the connection between Vanderben and who he wanted to invest with. If they could find a connection to something that showed his hand, they could persuade Vanderben to sell. Maybe without throwing him a bunch of overpriced offers.

Voices tumbled around him; the scent of spices, herbs, and overwhelming perfumes assaulted him. He wanted to go home. He was tired of playing games and pretending the last six weeks hadn’t been a futile exercise in pretending he couldn’t still taste the sweetness of Hailey’s lips. That he hadn’t noticed the change in their rapport. That he didn’t hate it and spend his nights wishing things were easy with her again.

He turned back toward the terrace. Wes needed to find Ana and tell her he was leaving. That coming had been a mistake and nothing was going to happen between them. Not tonight, not ever.

Through a sea of well-dressed strangers, he saw her by the pool house. He weaved his way in and out of conversations, losing sight of her by the time he reached the edge of the pool. Irritation mounted as he walked forward, the voices and laughter seeming louder, more grating. He was about to text Ana and get out of there when his heart hitched in a way it only did for one face. One person. Like his wishing had brought her to him.

Before his brain, feet, and mouth could work in tandem, a tux-clad guy standing in front of Hailey gripped her arm, leaning into her, crowding her space.

Hailey.

Wes’s feet moved on their own, cutting a path as he watched her eyes widen. She said something Wes couldn’t hear, tried, unsuccessfully, to tug her arm free. Wes’s heart rate hit new heights.





32


This night could not get any worse. Hailey yanked her arm from Dorian’s grasp as Wes surged through the crowd toward them. What is he doing here?

“I mean it; this is pathetic, Hailey. What did you think would happen? I’d see you and want you back?”

She looked up into Dorian’s dark, angry eyes. Why had she ever thought he loved her? Cared about her? Wanted a future with her? The man she’d fallen for may never have existed.

She rubbed her arm where his fingers had pinched. “I know it’s hard to believe, given the size of your ego, but I’m not here for you. I’m working.”