Releasing my chin, he remains in front of me. He’s bent over to be level with me.
There’s a dare in his eyes, a thrill in this little game we’ve begun. Raising my chin, losing the fight over my pride, I lean in closer to him this time and brush my lips against his.
“Men like you bore me,” I purr, breathing in the scent of wine and leather. “Always the same: cocky, arrogant, and a little fucking pathetic.”
I walk around him, satisfied with having the last word, and leave him alone on the balcony.
When I find my way back to the party, Collins stands outside the door. I can read the irritation in his body language, meaning he must’ve noticed Brenner disappeared when I did.
He turns to me before I reach him and his eyes trace my body, looking for any hint of foul play. Snatching his hand in mine, I drag him toward the door. I’d noticed a gazebo on the grounds outside and head in that direction.
Using my pussy as a distraction came sooner than I wanted, but I need to get Collins out of here before Brenner comes from the same direction I just did. Even though nothing happened, Collins still has a very rational insecurity about his best friend.
Or whatever the fuck they are.
“Mila, wait,” Collins protests, but I don’t stop.
I push him out of the front door before I catch Brenner out of the corner of my eye, watching us with amusement. The door closes behind. Lacing my fingers through Collins’s, I smile at him, and his expression goes soft, allowing me to guide him to the gazebo.
We climb the stairs, and I turn to him; a mask of doubt and insecurity settles on my face to enhance my words. Lowering my head as if I’m cowering in shame.
“Bastian, can I ask you something?” The softness in my voice surprising even me.
He steps into me and raises my chin so he can look into my eyes. The boldness takes me off guard, and I fight back the urge to push him away as bile rises in my throat.
“Answer me first,” he volleys.
I dip my chin in agreement, knowing what is coming. Timid and awkward aren’t the only things that make up who Bastian Collins is. And when his grip on my chin tightens, I realize it won’t take long to peel back every layer, even the ones he keeps buried.
“Where did you go?”
“There was a balcony on the second floor, and I went upstairs to find it and took a few moments to myself,” I say, internally cursing myself for explaining my actions to someone who isn’t my fucking father.
“Was Liam there?” Collins’s eyes bounce between mine. I pull my chin from his grip and take a step back.
This man is not stupid, and simple manipulation won’t work on him. Even so, I gape at him as if appalled by his question.
“No.”
I’m confident Brenner will back my lie, even if it doesn’t benefit his conquest.
“I wanted to be alone because I’m unsure why you invited me here.”
Collins’s eyebrows pinch together, not expecting me to question his intentions. I watch the mistrust and skepticism leave his face as he steps into me. He tucks a curl behind my ear and places a hand behind my lower back. Maybe he’s as easy to manipulate as I first thought.
“You seem more interested in keeping me away from Liam than anything else. He is a part of your life, isn’t he? From the conversation we had, you mentioned your friendship since childhood. If I wanted him, don’t you think I’d have taken that chance already?”
I’m met with a look of guilt and regret. Collins has every right to be wary of his best friend, but having those two at each other’s throats won’t do me any favors. I’m already tiptoeing around what little sanity I have left from just two encounters with the men together.
Collins leans in and kisses my forehead. I shudder in response, hoping he takes it as something other than repulsion.
“I’m not used to this,” he admits. “Someone into me, choosing me over Liam. It’s always been easy for him, and he seems like he’d be more your type, and that weighs on me. You’ll get bored and take him up on his offer.”
Having both Brenner and Collins tell me what my type of man I’m into is grating on my fucking nerves. I huff out a laugh because neither is wrong, but neither knows how untouchable Brenner is.
“He’s exactly like the guys I used to date,” I smile. “You caught my eye the second I walked into the bar that night. The way you held yourself. Standoffish, yes. But you seem like a genuine man, Bastian. A nice guy, and a guy a girl like me deserves.”
Before I could get a read on him, Collins pulls me in for a kiss. He starts slowly before becoming more needy and rough. A roughness I wasn’t expecting. He pulls back and stares at me a few moments before speaking again.