Kai spots me walking toward her and smiles before she realizes what she’s doing. She immediately stops. And starts walking away.
Dammit.
I retrieve drinks for Liesel and myself, only just returning to her side when Milo enters.
The room stops, staring at him.
“Thank you all for joining me. We are going to have one incredible night. Enjoy yourselves.”
Everyone applauds him, like he’s a fucking rock star or something.
Liesel resumes her flirting with me, by wrapping my arm around her waist and leaning into my chest.
Milo notices and starts approaching us, until Kai laughs loudly at something a gentleman next to her said. She hadn’t been talking to the man until Milo entered. But I recognize him. He’s Abel Frost. Wealthy, powerful, and handsome. Only third behind myself and Milo in wealth and good-looks.
I shake my head. Of course, she found the best looking man here to make Milo and me jealous.
I move to take a step toward her, but Liesel grabs my tie, stopping me. I’m not sure if it was intentional or if she is just continuing her flirting.
Milo abruptly turns in her direction instead of ours when he hears her infectious laugh. Every man in the room turns toward her like she’s a siren calling their names.
“Shit, we have to do something,” I say to Liesel.
“Just give him a moment to talk to her. He’ll get bored soon enough, and then we will have our chance.”
I shake my head. “You don’t understand. She’s a thief.”
“Well, I could have guessed that. She’s horrible.”
“No, I mean she’s stolen dozen of times to survive growing up. When we first met, she stole my watch without me noticing. She has a gift for pickpocketing. If she gets even a second with him privately, she’ll steal the ring before I have a chance at taking it.”
“Shit,” Liesel says back.
“That’s not helpful. We need to do something, now.”
I try to think, but I can’t. Not as he nears my woman.
“I have an idea,” Liesel says as Kai smiles at Milo.
Fuck.
“Fine, whatever. Just do it now.”
“I’ll be happy to.”
She grabs my face and pulls me into a kiss. I haven’t kissed this woman in over a year, but she kisses me like we were making out yesterday. I close my eyes, trying to make the kiss feel real, but all I can focus on is Kai.
And how wrong this feels.
&
nbsp; We start moving, stumbling through the crowd. How the hell will this help?
And then we crash into someone.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. Sometimes I just let the passion get the best of me,” Liesel says.
That’s when I realize who we stumbled into—Milo and Kai.