horrifically
embarrassing.
“ She's my best
friend,” I say almost accusingly, hoping it will snap them both
out of whatever is going on between them.
While there's no
change in Lucian's lecherous expression, Janice instantly catches the
hint that I think she's encroaching on my territory. She breaks
Lucian's gaze and looks at me, pointing downstairs and stuttering. “I
think I'm going to go take a look at those booths we missed and give
you guys some time alone.”
It's not what I'd
hoped she'd say. She was supposed to stand by my side and insist that
we were leaving, not abandon me with my demons. Before I have a
chance to argue though, she continues down the stairs, taking them
two at a time as if she can't wait to be away from us. Perhaps she's
afraid of the chemistry she was feeling with Lucian. I certainly was.
I sigh as I watch
her go, realizing that she has the car keys, and that I'm now stuck
with Lucian.
“ You look
nice,” he tells me, drawing my attention back to him.
It's the first time
since seeing him that I allow myself to appreciate what he's wearing,
tight leather pants and a mesh shirt. You can see his broad chest and
chiseled abs perfectly under the flimsy fabric. No wonder Janice was
nearly wetting herself over him. If I wasn't so put off by the way
that they acted together, I'd be turned on too. As it is, being with
him here like this is just awkward.
“ No, I don't,”
I insist.
I don't look as nice
as the girl who was on his lap, and I definitely don't look as nice
as Janice. If anything, I look like a complete amateur who picked up
a quick costume from a sex shop. And that's exactly what I am and
what I did.
“ You're always
so hard on yourself.” He presses his hand against the small of
my back and urges me down the stairs the rest of the way.
I think about
telling him that I know what looks good and what doesn't, but I
don't. I'm being bitchy enough as it is.
“ How long have
you been here?” he asks once we reach the bottom of the stairs.
“ Long enough
to see things I wish I hadn't.”
“ Amy, stop
it.” Discontent is etched across his perfect face. “You're
not even giving this a chance.”
I wrap my arms
around myself. It feels like nothing has gone right since I got here.
I don't want to give it a chance anymore.
“ Come here.
I'm going to show you around.” He hooks his arm in mine and
starts leading me across the dance floor.
Tension mounts in my
chest as I fear that he's actually going to want to stop and dance
with me. Thankfully, he doesn't though. We continue through the crowd
of happy participants and make our way to the vendors.
Lucian leads me past
most of the vendors and heads straight back to a far corner of the
room where there's a man suspended by hooks swinging around on a
small stage. We stop in front of it, and I cringe slightly as I see
how stretched the man's skin looks. That can't possibly be
comfortable.
“ Have you ever
seen anything like this before?” Lucian glances down at me. His
blue eyes are bright with amusement from my reaction.
“ This isn't
really my thing.” I gesture to the scene in front of us, shying
away from it a bit.
“ I didn't
think so, but I wanted you to see it anyway.” He wrinkles his
nose. “That's Armand Fiqueroa. He looks kind of intimidating,
but he's a really nice guy.”
Intimidating is an
understatement. The guy is covered in tattoos and piercings from head
to toe. He's bald and lanky with a menacing-looking face. I'd
probably be afraid of him in broad daylight.
“ Come on.”
Lucian nods for me to follow him.
We walk past the
crowd watching the suspension act and find a small booth in the
corner where people are painting each other with liquid latex. Lucian
pulls his wallet out of his pocket and hands the girl manning the
booth some money.
“ Two please,”
he tells her.
She gives him two
small bottles of liquid latex and two little paintbrushes and ushers
us back into an unoccupied corner of
embarrassing.
“ She's my best
friend,” I say almost accusingly, hoping it will snap them both
out of whatever is going on between them.
While there's no
change in Lucian's lecherous expression, Janice instantly catches the
hint that I think she's encroaching on my territory. She breaks
Lucian's gaze and looks at me, pointing downstairs and stuttering. “I
think I'm going to go take a look at those booths we missed and give
you guys some time alone.”
It's not what I'd
hoped she'd say. She was supposed to stand by my side and insist that
we were leaving, not abandon me with my demons. Before I have a
chance to argue though, she continues down the stairs, taking them
two at a time as if she can't wait to be away from us. Perhaps she's
afraid of the chemistry she was feeling with Lucian. I certainly was.
I sigh as I watch
her go, realizing that she has the car keys, and that I'm now stuck
with Lucian.
“ You look
nice,” he tells me, drawing my attention back to him.
It's the first time
since seeing him that I allow myself to appreciate what he's wearing,
tight leather pants and a mesh shirt. You can see his broad chest and
chiseled abs perfectly under the flimsy fabric. No wonder Janice was
nearly wetting herself over him. If I wasn't so put off by the way
that they acted together, I'd be turned on too. As it is, being with
him here like this is just awkward.
“ No, I don't,”
I insist.
I don't look as nice
as the girl who was on his lap, and I definitely don't look as nice
as Janice. If anything, I look like a complete amateur who picked up
a quick costume from a sex shop. And that's exactly what I am and
what I did.
“ You're always
so hard on yourself.” He presses his hand against the small of
my back and urges me down the stairs the rest of the way.
I think about
telling him that I know what looks good and what doesn't, but I
don't. I'm being bitchy enough as it is.
“ How long have
you been here?” he asks once we reach the bottom of the stairs.
“ Long enough
to see things I wish I hadn't.”
“ Amy, stop
it.” Discontent is etched across his perfect face. “You're
not even giving this a chance.”
I wrap my arms
around myself. It feels like nothing has gone right since I got here.
I don't want to give it a chance anymore.
“ Come here.
I'm going to show you around.” He hooks his arm in mine and
starts leading me across the dance floor.
Tension mounts in my
chest as I fear that he's actually going to want to stop and dance
with me. Thankfully, he doesn't though. We continue through the crowd
of happy participants and make our way to the vendors.
Lucian leads me past
most of the vendors and heads straight back to a far corner of the
room where there's a man suspended by hooks swinging around on a
small stage. We stop in front of it, and I cringe slightly as I see
how stretched the man's skin looks. That can't possibly be
comfortable.
“ Have you ever
seen anything like this before?” Lucian glances down at me. His
blue eyes are bright with amusement from my reaction.
“ This isn't
really my thing.” I gesture to the scene in front of us, shying
away from it a bit.
“ I didn't
think so, but I wanted you to see it anyway.” He wrinkles his
nose. “That's Armand Fiqueroa. He looks kind of intimidating,
but he's a really nice guy.”
Intimidating is an
understatement. The guy is covered in tattoos and piercings from head
to toe. He's bald and lanky with a menacing-looking face. I'd
probably be afraid of him in broad daylight.
“ Come on.”
Lucian nods for me to follow him.
We walk past the
crowd watching the suspension act and find a small booth in the
corner where people are painting each other with liquid latex. Lucian
pulls his wallet out of his pocket and hands the girl manning the
booth some money.
“ Two please,”
he tells her.
She gives him two
small bottles of liquid latex and two little paintbrushes and ushers
us back into an unoccupied corner of
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