Part 14 (1/2)

The girls climbed onto their chairs while Paige pushed her a.s.s backward, folding herself over her thighs, then finally rolling onto her back and arching off the floor. She prowled toward her own chair and pulled herself into place accompanied by the kick of an electric keyboard.

When she spun around in the chair and snapped her legs open, she caught Mayson's stare once again and had to swallow back a moan. Mayson had her forearms propped on her knees, intently watching Paige. She didn't blink, smile, smirk, not a d.a.m.n thing.

That stare was so agonizing Paige had to look away. The drums rumbled as she and the girls stood beside the chairs, legs hiked onto the seats. As if summoned, her gaze found Mayson again.

Mayson was disguising her reaction very well, but Paige could read the heat in her eyes. She was turned on. It gave Paige a rush to know she could affect her. That she invoked any kind of s.e.xual response in her. She could eat her f.u.c.king heart out.

However, Paige found herself grinding harder, arching deeper, and dipping a little bit lower, all for Mayson's carnal stare. She was dancing for her and her alone, oblivious to the rest of the audience around her. Worse, Mayson never steered that intense gaze away.

She almost sighed with relief when the music came to a banging close.

f.u.c.k. That wasn't supposed to be hot. She wasn't supposed to be intrigued with that b.i.t.c.h. She didn't like her. Not even a little bit. So why was she still thinking about her, wondering what their date night would hold? Would Mayson treat her to some fancy, dark-lit restaurant? Take her to Paris on her private jet? Wasn't that what billionaires did? Do all they could to impress and prove they could hang their hat on the moon?

Paige stormed into her dressing room and yanked the cell phone off the makeup table in haste to check for messages from Vinden. She cheered when she found her new set of instructions. Tomorrow. Lingerie boutique on the corner of West and Palm. Midnight.

”Midnight? Who is she, Houdini?” Paige frowned. She knew the exact place. She'd prowled the windows and licked her lips at the satin fabric and delicate lacing. The place closed every night at ten. She was positive.

”I can be Houdini if you need me to be.”

Paige spun around to find Mayson and Sam standing in the doorway of her dressing room. She grumbled under her breath and searched for her robe. The last thing she wanted to do was show skin to a woman who had heated her with a stare.

”What are you doing in my dressing room?” Paige narrowed her eyes at Sam.

Sam blew Paige a kiss and pushed Mayson into the room. ”Behave!” She closed the door behind her.

Paige imagined all the tactful ways she could seek revenge on her best friend. All the tactful ways she would seek revenge. Sam hadn't heard the last of this.

”We have a date. Remember?”

”No, I didn't forget. But it doesn't start in my dressing room. Get out.”

That crooked smile swept across Mayson's mouth, and that f.u.c.king dimple appeared like a magician's trick. She started walking toward Paige.

Paige thought about taking a step back. Then thought better of it. She'd never been one to falter in the face of danger. Not even when she faced Mayson and her bullying posse. Mayson wouldn't dare invade her territory again. She had once. Never again.

With her heart sputtering, Paige lifted her chin.

Mayson continued her slow steps, closing the s.p.a.ce between them until they were nothing more than a breath apart. ”Think you could get dressed? It's hard to be a gentleman when you're half-naked.”

”Get out, Mayson.” Paige could hear the words, but not a single one sounded convincing.

Mayson fingered the candy necklace Paige refused to take off. With her gaze focused on Paige, she slowly lifted it with her index finger.

Paige held her breath, unsure if this was really happening. Yes, as a matter of fact, it was. Worse, heat was crawling through her insides like a slow-burning fuse.

When Mayson ducked, Paige held her breath. Mayson wouldn't. No way this woman was going to kiss her. f.u.c.k. Paige wanted her to. She wanted to feel Mayson's lips against her own.

Mayson bypa.s.sed her lips and bit off a piece of the candy.

Oh h.e.l.l no, she didn't!

Startled, Paige slapped her hand away, took several steps backward, and covered her precious gift. ”That does it! Get out!”

Mayson threw her a wink and checked her watch. ”Our date started six minutes ago. You're late.”

Paige ground her teeth, hating herself for wanting that kiss. Hating Mayson even more for teasing her with the thought of it. ”Get...out.”

”Don't keep me waiting.” With another casual inspection of Paige, Mayson started across the room. ”I have a present for you.”

Paige stood in immobilized confusion for several minutes. What the h.e.l.l was that? Where had that heated reaction come from? Had she seriously wanted Mayson f.u.c.king Montgomery to kiss her? To taste her?

Yes. Yes, she had.

It was confirmed. She was mentally disturbed.

Chapter Eleven.

As threatened, Mayson was waiting for Paige outside the nightclub. Her foot was kicked back on a light pole, her arms crossed in all her suave glory, and a black backpack was at her feet beside a brown paper bag. How did she do that? How did she look so edible in such a slouchy posture? She looked like she didn't have a care in the world. Or was that a pose?

Paige glanced along the sidewalk and spotted a group of women staring at Mayson, their flirtatious giggles like a cauldron of bubbles in the night. Ahh. So this was how she did it. Pretended not to notice the pretty ladies. Women wanted to be noticed. They wanted to be approached and courted and wowed. Especially by someone as fine as Mayson. Her natural swagger would lure them, and Mayson knew that fact.

Mayson glanced up and spotted Paige. If she had noticed the women, it didn't show on her expression.

That glorious smile lit her face as she reached inside the bag, and she pushed off the pole. She held out a six-pack of Corona like a peace offering. ”Truce?”

Paige glanced back at the women. Their smiles faltered. For some reason, it gave Paige a sick thrill. Mayson Montgomery, who was indeed a major catch, and one h.e.l.l of an eligible bachelor, had eyes for Paige and Paige alone at this second in time. Or at least that was the show she was putting on for their heated stares. Who in their right mind wouldn't want her?

Good thing that Paige wasn't in her right mind. She hadn't been in her right state of mind since a masked stranger crawled over her in a hotel room. Those women could have Mayson. Right now, as a matter of fact, if they asked nicely enough. h.e.l.l, they didn't even have to ask. Just take her a.s.s. Paige would rather be home, curled up, naked, in bed, with the new cell phone pressed against her ear to catch every s.e.xual command by Vinden.

Paige stopped in front of Mayson and plucked out one of the bottles, obvious that she wasn't going to beg out of this stupid date and a little let down that her gift was nothing more than cheap beer. Where was the Pinot Grigio or Dom Perignon?

”It's a start.” Paige took the beer.

Mayson lifted Paige's free hand to her mouth and placed a delicate kiss on the back. ”You look stunning, Paige. The sundress is perfect for our plans.”

Wow. Mayson was good. Not to mention she was making Paige feel like a prize under that heated stare. She was showing those women exactly what they were missing.

”What exactly are the plans?” Paige pulled her hand away though a bit slower than she normally would have.

”We're going to the beach.” Mayson smiled like walking on the beach was every woman's dream date. Sucked that she was right. Paige would rather stroll along the edge of the ocean than have a candlelit dinner any day of the week.

”Shall we begin, my lady?” Mayson asked, though the words sounded more like a plea than a request.

”That depends.”

”On what?”