I wake up to the sound of birds chirping.

They're not muffled through the wall or window. Nope. They're close, loud, fresh.

My eyes slowly pry open in time to see the beautiful array of colors streaking through the sky. Blue, pink, orange.

It's sunrise.

I smile at my favorite scene before turning my head slightly to looks at my other favorite scene.

Harry.

His eyes are already open. He's slowly drinking me in. A breathtaking smile adorns his face and his eyes look considerably lighter.

"Good morning, beautiful," he rasps. I tilt my head up and kiss him lightly, a stark contrast to last night. He smiles against my lips. "I could get used to that."

I wrap my arms around him and snuggle in his neck. "I cannot believe you threw my bra down there." It was my favorite bra too.

He chuckles and tightens his arms around my body. "I'm sorry, I just got too into the moment."

Now that's an understatement.

His fingers trace circles on my bare skin while I breathe him in. My fingers line his abs, drawing out each distinct pack.

We're wrapped up in a blanket, protecting our naked bodies from the harsh outdoor wind. I'm so glad he brought it because I was exhausted last night, so I know I wouldn't have survived the walk back to the car. And as warm as Harry makes me, it's getting really cold outside.

A swirl of ink catches my eye. I prop myself up and lightly trace the left side of his chest, right above his heart. Consequently, I can feel his rapid heartbeats under my hand. The tattoo itself is a picture of a half-sun emerging from waves of water.

A sunrise.

"Is this new?"

He nods. "I got it for you."

He knows. He knows it's my favorite color and he got it for me. Right above his heart.

And he got it for me. Even when we weren't talking, he still held me close to his heart. I'm permanently marked on his body. I am his, forever. The thought of it drives me mad. He loves me that much.

I lean down and plant a soft kiss on top of it.

His breathing picks up. I smile at him as I continue to trace the simple art with my finger. His head falls back as he steadies his breath. It's still mind-boggling to know I have this effect on someone. Like, it's absolutely insane.

My eyes dance over the rest of his tattoos, very aware that he's looking at me do so. There are a few new ones scattered around. One in particular catches my eye. It's a sunflower on his right bicep. I can't help but wonder what the meaning behind it is.

"A sunflower?" I ask, tilting my head. "Isn't that a bit girly?"

"It has a lot of meaning," he grumbles, not appreciating his masculinity being questioned. I pout, kissing the tattoo anyway. His muscles tighten.

"Whatever you say, flower boy," I smirk. He groans and uses his other arm to cover his eyes. I find the gesture adorable. It's always so fun to see the confident, mighty Harry get shy. God knows he could use more of it.

Eventually, I lay back on his shoulder and pull up the blanket so I'm covered up. He wraps his arm around me once again like it's instinct. I stare up at the bright sky and watch the birds flutter around in their flocks.

I can't believe I had sex with Harry last night. It had been a few weeks since we decided to be a "thing," but when it comes to taking it slow, we are–like, snail speed. We haven't even declared each other boyfriend/girlfriend but I'm not sure if that's a given. I guess having sex was inevitable and most couples my age do it around the third date. Apparently that's a staple of adulthood or something? I don't know but I'm glad I got over my intimidation and just sent it. After all, Harry's been with so many girls in between. What if I wasn't all he remembered me being? I was a little nervous, hence why I held back.

"Oh my god!" I abruptly sit up and turn to Harry with a panicked expression. "We didn't use a condom."

His brows furrow as he slowly sits up. He stares at me like I'm mad. "I thought you were on the pill?" He then brushes it off. "No matter, we can just get you a plan B."

"I am on the pill," I say. "Babies aren't the problem. The problem is that you couldn't keep it in your pants and had to have an excessive amount of sex with hundreds of girls!"

Still confused, he cocks his head. "I thought we went over this already. If you're upset-"

"No!" I cut him off before we can go down that route. I've already come to terms with his past and can't be mad at him about that. I mean, I truly have no right. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm with him now. "Condoms do more than prevent babies, Harry. STDs? I don't know how many girls you've done with it but I know chlamydia spreads around California like the flu."

He bursts out laughing, pulling me into a hug. The vibrations from his chest momentarily soothe my panic. I instinctively wrap my arms around him, even though I'm confused as to how he thinks STDs are funny.

They're not. Especially if you've gotten them before.

I didn't get one from sex but I did get mono once in college from kissing strangers. It was not fun. Probably the worst experience of my life.

"I think I'd notice if I had an STDs," he says lightheartedly, as if I didn't just call him a manwhore. I guess we both are settled with the reality of it all.

"But–"

"And I wore a condom with everyone. I'm not that careless. You don't know how many girls could've lied about being on birth control just so I could potentially be their child's father."

"Thank god you have some common sense." I let out a sigh of relief. "So then why didn't you wear one last night?"

"Well, when you so nicely asked me to cum inside, I couldn't just disobey," he smirks. A wicked gleam flashes in his eyes, no doubt recalling my sex-driven side last night.

Instead of being embarrassed about it, I pat his cheek and smile. "Good boy."

He mutters something along the lines of 'I'm not a dog' before checking his watch. "Fuck, we should get going soon."

"Five more minutes," I snuggle deeper into his chest. Surprise, surprise, I don't have work today so I'm free. As long as Harry doesn't have anything to do, I don't mind laying here outside. He chuckles and pulls me closer.

We sit in a thoughtful silence, watching the birds chirp and the city come alive.

"El?"

I hum in response.

"You don't regret last night, do you?" His voice is hesitant and vulnerable. I peer at him through my lashes and realize he's genuinely nervous about my answer.

"Why would you think that?" I frown, stroking my hand down his chest. His muscles tense under my hand. In fact, it distracts him so much that he grabs my wrist and stops me.

"It's just that last time we had sex, you basically hated me afterward."

Ah, yes. I remember that day.

"Well, I was angry at myself for cheating," I admit, looking up at him. "I think I needed someone else to blame for my guilt."

He kisses my hand. "So we're okay? You're not planning on running to another continent, are you?"

"Ha ha," I sarcastically laugh. "We're good."

"Good." He kisses my forehead before releasing me from his grip. "We should get going now. I think the ants are biting me more than you did last night."

After smacking his arm for that comment, he helps me up. I keep the blanket wrapped around my naked frame while he finds our clothes sprawled around.

He lifts up my sweater from last night and frowns. "El? We have a problem."

I look over to see where my white sweater once was. Now it has a huge stain on it and I don't think that's dirt...

Ew.

That's why you don't have sex in the forest folks.

I scrunch up my face in disgust. "I am not wearing that." So I have no bra and no shirt. Fun.

"Well you're not walking back half-naked," he frowns as I hoist my underwear up.

I bounce around, trying to get my legs into my skinny jeans. "It's fine, you said there's no one here for miles."

He helps me and I quickly grab onto his arm for support so I can put these stupid pants on. Once that's done, I basically collapse on to the blanket.

Remember when Harry said he wouldn't let me feel my legs? Well, I barely do. And the soreness... it hurts like a bitch. I'm surprised I managed to get half-dressed.

"What's wrong?" Harry frowns, kneeling in front of me. He quickly realizes the answer and smirks. "Your stamina has gone down."

"Shut up," I mumble. "It's been years since I had sex. Give me a break. And it doesn't help that you fucking rammed into me like a bulldozer."

"Oh? But weren't you the one screaming 'harder, Harry!' Or was that me?"

Oops! He has me there. "Okay well you should've used your brain and realized I'm fragile," I hiss, getting defensive because he's right.

"Fragile, sure," he mumbles before reaching around and pulling up his jeans. He grabs his t-shirt and hands it to me. "Put this on."

"But then you won't have a shirt!" I say as I grab it from him and pull it over my head.

"Yes, well, we live in a sexist world where men can go shirtless," he chuckles before kissing my forehead. "Good girl, now let's go."

Regardless of his words, he sits there and stares at me in his clothes. His eyes lustfully drink in my appearance. I can't help but roll my eyes. Harry's shirt kink is something I'll never understand. Nonetheless, I appreciate it considering I love to steal his clothes. At least now he can't get mad at me for it.

As he pulls me up, I wince in pain. "Harry, I don't think I'll be able to walk back. You really did a number on me."

He rolls his eyes. "Come on, it wasn't even that bad."

"You say that because you're the one who has a dick," I grumble. "Seriously, it hurts like a bitch."

Before I know it, he sweeps me off my feet and carries me bridal style. I yelp in shock before wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Harry! What're you doing?"

"You said you couldn't walk. I'll carry you then."

"But," I pause and look at all the blankets we left on the floor, "what about all this stuff? How are we going to carry it back?"

"Relax, I'm sure the animals will appreciate it. Or maybe the next couple that comes out here to do the nasty," he smirks before starting the way back to his car.

I sigh in defeat. I have no other arguments. After all, I'm the one who said I couldn't walk. No complaints from me.

I let his muscular arms carry me back up the forest path. My eyes wander around his tan chest, watching his tattoos and muscles flex with every step. I'd be lying if I said the view wasn't worth it.

And he knows I'm checking him out. He has that stupid smug smile on his face.

When we get to his car, he quickly sets me into the passenger seat before getting into the driver's side. I think he doesn't want to risk the paparazzi seeing us like this for my sake. After all, no one knows we're together beside a select few people.

On the ride home, he tells me about all the shit he has to do today. I internally pout because I wanted to spend the day with him but I'm not about to be one of those clingy girlfriends so I stay silent. Harry, being the amazing guy he is, senses my off mood and puts his hand on my thigh as he drives.

And just like that, I feel better.

Too soon, we pull into my apartment complex. I blow out a deep breath as I stare at my building. Harry's offer from yesterday echoes in my mind.

Move in with him? It's way too soon. I can't, not yet. We haven't even defined our relationship yet.

I thank him with a swift kiss and crawl out of the car before my mind runs with overthinking. That's for the shower.

When I stumble in, Laine's sitting on the couch with a bottle of Whiskey. I want to judge him considering it's seven in the morning, but he takes one good look at my appearance and knowingly smirks.

All I can do is run into the shower and wash away the evidence of my sinful night.

~~~

The next day is spent busy in the office. I chill at my desk, looking through emails.

The good thing about Daffodil is that she's a dignified woman. As her PR manager, I don't really have to pry her out of any scandals or reputation disasters. The most I do is upkeep her social media and schedule her for various interviews when the time comes. Other than that, she has her shit handled.

Being her assistant is a different story considering she's so damn demanding, but I'll let it slide.

Right now, she's in her studio space filming a video. I can hear little bits of when she's snapping at Danny, who's filming it all. After all, he is also her cameraman.

Sighing, I focus back on my computer monitor.

Email from fan.

Email from big company that's debuting her newest project.

Email from potential collab artist.

Raising my brows, I skim over the sender's information. It's been a while since we've collabed with other YouTubers. Yes, Daffodil produces a video every week without fail, but that's by herself. It feels like this entire summer we focused more on side gigs. Now that summer - and the fashion season - is dying down, it's time to get back into our old routine.

I click on his channel. The youtuber himself is a young man. He doesn't have a large following, especially compared to Daff's usual. She usually doesn't collab with people who have less than a million. You know her, always striving for the best. This boy seems to have maybe half of that.

I debate on deleting the email knowing Daff would never go for it, but as I skim over the message I soften. According to him, he wants to experiment in makeup but he doesn't know where to start. He also wants to show his viewers that makeup isn't only feminine and that everyone can wear it if they want. He says he's scared of everyone's opinions and wants to start with a collab so his viewers can ease into his new look.

Damn it, I'm a big softie for stories like that.

Biting my lip, I flag his email. Normally if something's worthy of Daff, I'll send it to her personal email. If not, it gets deleted. I know if I send this to her right now, it'll go straight into the trash. I need to ease her into this somehow.

It'll be tough but I might be able to do it.

My eyes skim over his newest video. As I'm scrolling through the comments to see his viewers' feedback, I bite the cap of my pen.

The door to the office opens. I don't think much of it considering she's not expecting any visitors right now. For all I know, it's Danny coming in and out.

The sound of footsteps pass my desk, fade away slightly, then backtrack. I look up, fully expecting Danny to be staring at me. Instead, I'm met with a mop of blond hair.

"Alexander?" I ask, completely appalled. What's he doing here?

He grins, looking down at me. "Hello, gorgeous."

Ever since I've been with Harry, we haven't gone out much. And where Harry is, Alex is too. So it only makes sense I haven't seen the young CEO.

So what's this young CEO doing at Daffodil's office?

"Long time no see," he says charmingly. His icy blue eyes twinkle under the fluorescent light.

"Yeah," I agree, nodding slightly with a polite smile. "What brings you here?"

"Ah, just had some business with the big boss," he says vaguely. Ugh. Couldn't he be more specific? He just keeps his annoyingly bright smile on his face. "Anyway, a few friends and I are going out tonight. Why don't you join us?"

"Oh, I–"

"Come on, what else do you have going on?"

I purse my lips. I was going to sleep tonight but I really don't want to sound lame in front of him. I'm not really sure why... I think it has to do with the powerful vibe around him.

Or maybe I just hate disappointing people.

"Don't say no," he winks. "I've been dying to see your beautiful face again."

"Flattery," I laugh. "Alright, fine. I'll go with you."

"Perfect." His smile causes crinkles around his eyes. "I'll pick you up at your place then." He looks over toward Daff's studio. "Any chance...?"

"You can wait in her office, I'll let her know you're here," I smile and watch him go straight there. As I slowly approach Daff and Danny, I suck in a deep breath, mustering all my courage. I'm not really sure if Alexander counts as an "important person" to Daff but he's stinking rich so it couldn't hurt to try.

When I walk into the open space, Daff's sitting at her vanity. Much to my luck, it looks like she hasn't started her routine yet. She's still sorting out her table as Danny's fiddling with the camera settings.

"Daff?" I say meekly like I'm trying not to upset her. When her annoyed eyes raise up to meet mine, I gulp. "You have a visitor–"

"Send them away," she huffs before going back to her organizing.

"It's Alexander Walker," I quickly add. Her eyes flash, no longer looking at anything in particular. It seems like she already knows who he is. Figuring it's okay to continue, I do. "He's waiting in your office. Should I send him away?"

"No," she says quickly, standing up. She smoothes out her dress pants and fixes her chestnut hair. "I'll just go meet with him now."

Before we can process anything, her heels clack all the way to her office. The door shuts behind her, not allowing her secrets to flow out.

Danny and I gape at each other.

"Did she just..."

"...go meet with someone without makeup? Yes," I finish off. She never does that. "Do you think she didn't realize?" It's a possibility, but I also feel like she's hyper-aware of when she's bare-faced. It just has to do with being a beauty guru.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him shrug. "That was weird."

"Totally," I gawk at the seat she was just sitting in. Now it's empty in a flash.

What the hell was that all about?

~~~

Alexander pops up at the front of my building on the dot. I'm already waiting outside so I practically run to his car. He quietly laughs when I slide in and use his AC vents to heat up my hands.

"You look stunning," he says.

"Thanks," I murmur. "I, uh, don't have many nice dresses anymore. I basically ditched my whole wardrobe when I came here. Even when I go out for business, I usually dress more professionally so the clients don't get the wrong hint."

He glances over at me one last time before starting the drive. "Well if you're hanging around me, you're definitely going to need to go shopping."

My eyes widen. Holy shit! It never occurred to me that this would be a date. I just thought we were hanging out.

But the more I think about it, I recall his words from weeks ago. When I thought Harry and I were doomed, I told him I was single and ready to mingle. He said he'd start "winning me over." Does he still mean that? Or is he just flirting casually?

Probably the latter. He is a playboy after all.

But still, my stomach wrenches in guilt. I'm with Harry now. What am I supposed to tell Alex? We aren't exactly telling people we're together yet.

It's fine. Harry doesn't have to know about this. Really, it's no big deal.

And if I really feel guilty, I can tell him after the night's over.

I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just hanging out with a guy because I don't know how to say no. Plus, Alex is very persistent.

Oh, and he's Laine's boss. There's another reason why I have to be in good cahoots with him. Wouldn't want my roommate to get fired. He's just starting to pay rent again.

Stop convincing yourself. You're already in the damn car with him. What're you gonna do, jump out?

When we arrive at the club – shocker. I swear, all the elites spend their time in exclusive places – he swiftly tosses his keys to the valet. It's a complete power move that most people can't pull off without looking dumb.

I see why Alex and Harry hang out. They both ooze power and confidence.

It's sexy.

Alex puts a hand on the small of my back and begins leading me in. He simply nods at the bouncer and is given access. The funny thing is, I'm 99% sure no one actually knows who Alex is. He isn't a celebrity like many big-names here. But, he's attractive and confident, hence why everyone's starstruck by him.

Instead of leading me to presumably his private corner, he takes me to the bar. Eyes shining, he looks down at me. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't really drink," I say with a tight-lipped smile.

Instead of arguing, he gives me a boyish smile before turning to the bartender. "I'll have a glass of whiskey and a coke for the lady."

Nice.

The bartender prioritizes our order and quickly slides over two glasses of dark liquid. He hands me mine and holds his out. We clink glasses before taking a sip.

Soon enough, he leads me to wherever his friends are. We do have a private corner, no surprise there. His hand never leaves the small of my back.

"You have quite the circle," I mumble, looking around at the few scattered around. Mostly pretty girls. In fact, I recognize a few.

"Were you expecting hot guys?" he teases. Good. Teasing is good. That's friendly. "Hate to disappoint but I'm probably the most attractive one here."

"Cocky, are we?"

"You don't know the half of it," he winks. "Oh look, just who I wanted to see." He leads me over to...

Oh fuck. Fuck me.

I shouldn't be surprised. Didn't I just say where Harry is, Alex is bound to be too?

"Harry," Alex grins, greeting his friend.

Harry smiles back at him but it wavers when he sees Alex's arm around me. I can see the turmoil behind his evergreen eyes but he hides it well.

"Alexander," Harry nods back. To avoid the tension, I bring my glass to my lips.

"So, how's the crowd looking?" Alex looks around at all the girls before at Harry again. My stomach drops. He wants Harry to find a nightly conquest. "They're pretty tonight. A shame I brought a date tonight."

I nearly spit out my drink.

Date.

"Oh, how rude of me," Alex continues, oblivious to my freakout. "Harry, you remember Ellie, right? Of course you do. Sometimes I forget she works with you." When I look up at the blond, I see him smirking. There's a mischievous glint in his eye, like he's challenging Harry.

I'm confused.

When I had dinner with Alex, he said something about a guy that worked with me being in love with me. He was talking about Harry, right?

But based on Harry's expression, Alex knows nothing.

I'm so confused.

"Exactly, she works for me," Harry seethes. I sense a hidden conversation between the two and it makes me want to slip away.

So I do.

"I'm going to socialize," I smile up at Alex, who seems perfectly calm. He nods and releases his hold on me. I breathe a sigh of relief and keep my eyes on Harry, hoping he can see how apologetic I am.

I was going to tell him! Just after this night was over.

The familiar girls light up when they see me. I smile up at them, touched they remember a nobody like me. We quickly get to chatting. They ask me how my outsider life is treating me and I ask them about their extravagant lives. It's quite the balance.

"We should dance!" one of the girls squeal. The others shout their agreement - they're super drunk - and before I know it, I'm being dragged on to the dance floor.

I wish I didn't reject Alex's offer for a drink.

But honestly, as soon as we hit the floor, I find myself only surrounded by the girls. We have fun with each other. None of them dance with other guys. It's just our little girl group.

I haven't experienced anything like this since college. Even then, we hardly stuck together. I'd be busy with Laine, Macy would be dancing with all the men she could get her hands on, and Sonia was more focused on drinking than boys.

I miss them. We still talk once in a while but we're all so busy. Sonia's going to med school and Macy's trying to make it big in the fashion world. They're the select few I didn't cut out of my life, which is good. I mean, they were there for me in my depressive episode. They witnessed it firsthand. Plus it's hard to distance yourself when you're living with them.

Honestly, I'm thankful to those girls. They were there for me during a tough time. They fought every time I pushed away - and believe me, I tried. I owe them a lot.

So I dance carelessly, letting myself have fun for once. Partying is all I knew, once upon a time. It's what I grew up with. I may have matured but I'm not that old. It doesn't hurt to let loose.

After four songs, my bladder's full. I yell at the girls, letting them know I'll be back. I don't specifically say the bathroom knowing damn well they'd want to come along. They're having so much fun and I'm pretty sure I can defend myself much better than their drunk butts.

Once I'm done Alex finds me again. "There you are! When you weren't dancing with the girls I got scared."

"Alexander, were you watching me?" I playfully gasp as he leads me back to the corner. I crane my neck to see most of the girls dispersed now, no longer dancing.

"Of course! Had to make sure no creep was handling you."

"Please," I snort. "The only creep I should worry about is you."

"So you worry about me," he winks, completely twisting my words. I open my mouth to argue but he sweeps me away before I can get a single word out.

We plop down on the plush couch and I weep from relief. My feet are killing me. I don't know how I used to dance in heels.

Jesus, maybe I am getting old.

"So," I turn to Alex with an innocent smile. "Any particular reason you were meeting with Daff today?" My curiosity's only piqued with her reaction to his name. The fact that she paused her filming and ran to him without makeup means he's important.

His lips form a thin line. "Business stuff."

"Right," I drawl, casting him a suspicious look. Why is he brushing this off? "But... what business does a construction CEO have with a makeup artist?"

He narrows his eyes at me, probably catching on to my prying. "Why does it concern you?"

I throw up my hands defensively. "I'm just saying... I'm her assistant,  you know. Next time you meet with her, I'd like an appointment."

His lips curl into a lazy grin. "If it gives me an excuse to talk to you, I don't see why not."

Damn, he's good!

"You're lucky you're charming," I flatly reply, dropping the topic altogether. Maybe I'm not meant to know. Besides, I can't be too nosy. I'm paid to work, not to snoop.

Plus Daffodil would do a number on me if she found out I was harassing clients.

He mutters something under his breath but I don't catch it.

Across the room, I meet Harry's eyes. He's with a group of men – thank God – but he isn't focused on the conversation. He's too busy glaring at the nonexistent distance between me and Alex. I subtly scoot away, just a little.

"I'm going to get another drink," I heave, unable to take Harry's intensity. The guilt is insanely adding on.

Alex looks worried. "Everything okay?"

"Peachy," I fake a smile. "Just really hot from all that dancing." And Harry, I mentally add. I fan my face for dramatic effect.

His brows knit together. "Do you want me to come with?"

No! God, no.

"If you do then I can't flirt with the bartender for free drinks," I wink before standing up and smoothing down my dress. He lets out a laugh.

I take that as my cue to leave and practically bolt out of there. When I get to the bar, I stand a few feet away as I debate what to get. On one hand, I could really do for some alcohol right now. On the other, I know I'm better than this. I don't really need it, I'm just looking for an escape.

But before I have the time to decide, a hand wraps around my wrist and begins dragging me. We thread through the groups until we're at the very end of a dark hallway.

Harry pushes me against the wall and cages me in. His eyes are hard as stone. "What are you doing here with that fucker?"

"I'm sorry! I was going to tell you but–"

"Tell me? No, you should've said no to him," he snaps.

"And tell him what?" I ask flatly. "We're not exactly telling people about us."

"You're mine," he growls. "Not his. Not anyone else's. Mine."

Damn, I should be mad at him for being so damn possessive. I should remind him I'm my own person. I should tell him that I don't belong to anyone.

But I'm really loving this.

So much for being a feminist.

I take him by surprise by wrapping my arms around him and whisper in his ear, "I may have come here with him but I'm leaving with you."

He shudders. I smile.

When I pull back, the jealousy is replaced by lust. Figures. Harry is one horny motherfucker.

I teasingly trail my finger along his face. "None of this would happen if we just went public."

"If you weren't so stubborn and told your mum already, we would be," he retorts but his voice is breathy. His eyes harden again. "I swear, if he lays a hand on you, I'll kill him."

"And if I see any girls touching you, I'll kill you," I whisper in his ear, making sure my breath fans his neck.

He pulls slightly away from me. "Wait, me?!"

I lower my hand down to his stomach, enjoying the feeling of his muscles against the thin fabric. "Well, I can't blame the girls, can I?"

He tilts his head, amusement shining in his eyes. "Are you complimenting me?"

"Is it working?"

He pauses in thought, then nods. "Very much so. Shall we get out of here?"

"Already?" I pout. We haven't been out in so long. I'm actually enjoying tonight a little too much. It's cool to see Harry in his natural element. Like I mentioned before, the dominant power he has shows. A lot. And it's like a magnet, attracting me. Just seeing him with all these powerful people and knowing he has the upper hand is hot.

Confidence is key, people. Trust me, I know.

His jaw works. "You'd rather spend the night in the arms' of that fucker than in bed with me?" If I'm not wrong, he sounds a little hurt.

I reach up and cup his face. "Of course not, baby. I'd rather be here with you but we can't. At least we can make googley eyes across the club," I grin. He rolls his eyes but I feel the annoyance radiating off him in waves. I sneak a quick kiss on his cheek and wipe away the lipstick smudge with my thumb. "I'm sorry. I couldn't exactly tell him no. He's Laine's boss for fuck's sake. Plus, I didn't have a good excuse. I sure as hell didn't expect to see him."

He finally softens, cupping my cheek. "As long as you're leaving with me," he sighs. "But remember my warning. I wasn't kidding."

"Neither was I."

He chuckles and we reluctantly pull apart. "You go back, I'll catch up in a minute."

I nod and leave him behind.

When I go back to the room, Alex waves me over. He's with a large group of his friends. They all watch me with interest as I approach.

He frowns. "Where's your drink?"

Ah, fuck! I knew I was forgetting something.

"Bar was taking too long," I lie. He nods, believing me.

He then proceeds to introduce me to his friends. I give polite smiles, just as I was trained to do.

But truth is, there's only one guy I want to be with right now and he's glaring at us like I've just killed his family in front of him.

Oh, Harry.

After a bunch of introductions, I tune out. I should be making friends with these people considering they're business opportunities, but I can't seem to concentrate. Besides, tonight isn't about work.

When we're finally alone again, I turn to Alex. "I think I'm going to turn in."

"Are you sure? I can give you a ride," he quickly says.

I shake my head. "No, that's alright. Don't miss out. Besides, I think there are many other girls that you'd have a better night with."

He frowns. "What are you saying?"

"Just that you're totally allowed to give another girl a ride home," I say casually, hoping he takes the hint. It's the nicest way to say I'm not interested.

He slowly nods, comprehending my words. "Alright... Are you sure you don't want me to take you home? I'm the one who drove you here."

"Don't worry, I'm a grown girl," I beam at him. "I can handle myself."

He pulls me into a hug. I stiffen.

Alex, you're a dead man tonight.

"So I wasn't charming enough?" he whispers in my ear.

I laugh loudly. "Not quite."

He pulls away and smiles. "I'll try harder."

Or, you know, don't.

"Thanks for inviting me," I smile warmly. "It was a good time."

"I'm glad. You should get out more."

Nice to see we're thinking the same thing.

"I'll see you around," I force a smile. He nods in agreement before letting me go.

Fucking finally