Sensing my unease, Jodie reaches over and squeezes my hand.
I glance over and regret it instantly, because her brow is furrowed and there’s concern darkening her eyes.
I get it. I don’t let anything or anyone usually affect me like this. But this is my fucking career. Literally the only thing I’ve ever really wanted since I was old enough to make a serious decision about the rest of my life. And if he fucks this up for me…
“What the fuck have you done?” Theo barks while Alex’s face lights up in delight at all the multicoloured decorations.
Emmie hops up and launches herself at Theo, I assume hoping to distract him from all the tacky decorations with her lips. To be fair to her, it works a treat, because the second she’s in his arms, his eyes slam shut and he loses himself in her.
“This is fucking epic,” Alex announces while Seb’s eyes are focused on his girl.
But, clearly still pissed, Stella ignores him and walks toward Alex instead.
“Happy birthday,” she says. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she reaches up on her toes and plants her lips on his.
“What the fuck?” Seb baulks, staring at his girl kissing one of his best friends with wide eyes.
“What? Just wishing Alex a happy birthday,” she says innocently, shooting Seb a scathing look.
“Baby,” he sighs. “I’m sorry, okay?”
“Not good enough,” she snaps, keeping herself tucked into Alex’s side while he grins like a Cheshire cat.
“Your loss is my gain, Papatonis. I’ve heard she’s killer in the sack.”
“Yeah, you’ve fucking heard it from me. Now get your dirty hands off my girl.”
Reaching out, Seb drags Stella away from a pouting Alex and backs her up against the wall. Pressing the length of his body to hers, he whispers something none of us can hear as he tries to make it up to her.
“Right, well,” Alex says, ignoring them and rubbing his hands together. “Who’s next to give the birthday boy some love?” He holds his arms out from his sides, offering himself up.
Toby walks farther into the room, rolling his eyes at his friend before pulling Jodie into his side, leaving me as the only one left.
“Looks like it’s you and me then, babycakes,” he teases, letting his eyes roam around my body. “And I must say you’re looking mouth-watering.”
Walking around the sofa, he jumps over the coffee table and wraps me up in his arms.
I laugh as he dips me low as if we’re in an old movie. I just catch the sound of approaching footsteps before his lips find mine in a chaste and innocent kiss.
But as a deep, angry growl rips through the air, I’m not sure it looks like that to the man who’s watching us.
“Oh fuck,” Alex mutters against my lips before he pulls me back up. “At least I can say I’m going to go out with a bang.”
The second I’m upright, he releases me and we both look at Nico.
His dark eyes hold a deadly warning as he glares at Alex before they turn on me.
There are so many emotions in his eyes that it’s impossible to decipher how he’s really feeling, but his anger comes across loud and clear. I just have no idea if that’s because of what he just witnessed and the fact that Alex has his hands and lips on me, or if it would have been there regardless of what he walked in on.
“Where are Calli and Daemon?” I ask, in the hope of breaking through the tension that has settled around the room.
“I’ll call them,” Stella says, shoving Seb aside and pulling her phone out of her back pocket.
“Drinks,” I announce, stepping around Alex and heading for the kitchen. Nico’s eyes burn into me the entire time, but he never says a word. Instead, he stands there silently brooding, lost in his own head.
8
NICO