Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
I don’t hesitate, for nothing more than my loyalty to him. “I’d be a fool not to bet on Lex, wouldn’t I?”
Stefan rolls his eyes playfully. “You’re clearly delusional.”
I laugh and Reid leans in, lowering his voice. “Just between us, if you’re looking for a sure bet… I wouldn’t count me out.”
Lex snorts. “In your dreams, mate.”
“Hey, I’m just saying,” Reid says with a grin. “Don’t be surprised if you see my name at the top of the leaderboard.”
For the first time tonight, I feel at ease, enjoying this event more with every passing moment.
Lex claps the men on the back. “If you’ll excuse us, I promised the lady a drink.”
They all nod their farewells and wishes to see me again, and it sounds so heartfelt that I think maybe I could be a part of this world.
Lex turns to me as we walk through the crowd, his voice low and full of affection. “Having fun?”
“Surprisingly, yes. You’ve got quite the group of friends here.”
Lex shrugs, his arm brushing mine. “They’re all right, I guess. But none of them look as good as you do tonight.”
My cheeks warm at the compliment and I’m about to respond in kind since he looks devastatingly gorgeous when Spencer Montgomery appears. He leans in, gives me a peck on the cheek in greeting and puts a hand on Lex’s shoulder. “If you don’t mind, I’ve got some potential sponsors that I want you to meet.” He looks at me apologetically. “I’ll have him back before you know it.”
“No worries at all,” I assure them and nod at the bar. “I’ll just grab myself a drink and people watch.”
Lex looks a little undecided and I can tell he’s worried about leaving me alone, not that I can’t handle myself, but he knows this entire event is out of my comfort zone. I give him a confident smile. “Go wow the sponsors.”
He nods and promises, “I won’t be long and I’ll meet you back here.”
I watch as they melt into the crowd and then I slip into an opening at the bar. Three tenders work efficiently and I wait until one of them acknowledges me with a chin lift.
I glance around and take in the über-rich, the upper echelons of sport racing society. The room is filled with people I’ve only ever seen on TV or in magazines, and I once again spot the crown prince standing near the center of the room, surrounded by an entourage.
I’m about to pull out my phone and text Maeve to see where she is when I feel someone step beside me. I glance up, expecting to see Lex, but instead, it’s Ronan.
There’s no helping my body’s visceral reaction and for as much as I have liked the other drivers, the fact is, his presence immediately puts me on edge. The way he leans in close makes my skin crawl.
“Looking good, Posey,” he says, his voice low and slick. “Lex sure knows how to pick ’em.”
I’m shocked he would make such a statement because as far as I know, Lex hasn’t told anyone about our relationship. But I could be wrong, so I just play it casual.
I force a smile, trying to keep things polite without encouraging interaction. “Thank you.”
He leans in a little closer, and bile rises. “I’ve got to say… it’s a shame he’s keeping you all to himself.”
Before I can respond, he brushes a fingertip down my bare arm, and I jerk away, my heart pounding. I try to laugh it off, but there’s nothing funny about the way he’s looking at me.
“You all right?” he asks, his tone almost mocking. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Fighting against a slight surge of panic, I stammer, “I’m fine. I… I just need to find Lex.”
“He’s busy,” he replies smoothly. “Trying to dazzle new sponsors. But I’m glad to keep you company.”
The words alone would seem innocuous but he says them with such a lecherous leer, I know exactly what type of company he means. Rage boils within and the fear recedes as I remember I’m in a public place and he can’t do a damn thing to me other than try for intimidation.
I decide to throw it back on him. “How could you do that to your friend?” I demand.
Ronan’s chin pulls inward as his eyebrows rise. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you clearly know there’s something going on between me and Lex, and yet here you are, hitting on me.”
His mouth sags for a moment, clearly shocked that I’d go on the attack. But then Ronan proves just how scary he truly is. “I think you’re a little full of yourself, Posey. You’re definitely not my type and I still don’t understand what Lex sees in you.”
“Good,” I sneer. “Then how about you stay away from me because if you don’t, I’ll tell Lex what you’re doing.”