“All you think about is sex.”
She shrugged. “It’s not as if you were saving yourself for marriage. Given the chance, you’d have taken care of the deed long ago.”
I couldn’t deny the truth of her words. Growing up, all I ever wanted was to escape New York, so I spent all my energy focused on school. Then, when I wanted to date, a bunch of cockblockers—aka my brothers—and their men surrounded me whenever someone remotely interesting was in the vicinity.
After moving to Vegas, I had to learn to separate the authentic men from the ones looking for a good time. In the end, it had become too much work, and my clubs and garden management had taken over my life.
Damn. Thinking about the last few years, I really was boring as hell.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” Akari probed, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Instead of answering her, I shot back my drink. “Tell me when he’s here.”
“Here,” was the word spoken into my ear as a firm hand settled on the nape of my neck and then traced down my spine through the open back of my dress.
Goosebumps prickled my skin, and my breath immediately grew a bit shallow.
The smug amusement on Akari’s face told me she’d let Simon get this close to me just to see my reaction to him.
Bitch.
“So, you must be the infamous asshole.” Akari offered her hand to Simon.
“Among other things. I’m also Nyx’s fiancé.”
“I heard.”
“And you are?”
“I’m the best friend. Akari Ota.”
Simon studied her for a moment. “As in Travis Ota’s baby sister?”
I couldn’t help but smirk inside. He’d stepped in a pile of shit by saying that. Akari held a legendary name in the nightclub industry with her unique ideas and aesthetics. It was the reason Hagen had sought her out as a partner with this club. He wanted an edge on the competition no one else in Vegas had.
And thanks to my cousin’s need to have the best working with him, I’d met the woman who turned out to be my kindred spirit and best friend.
Akari clenched her teeth. “As in Akari Ota, managing partner of Kato Kosmos and sixteen other establishments across the world.”
“Now I can see why you’re Nyx’s friend. Similar personalities.”
“Word of advice when dealing with women like Nyx and me.”
“What is that?”
“Don’t piss us off. Especially by thinking we want to be known by our family connections instead of as individuals. It makes some of us want to slice things off and others of us trigger happy.”
“Good to know.” His fingers curved around my exposed waist, making it almost impossible to breathe. “Is there a place my betrothed and I can speak in private? I have a response to her statement from earlier in the evening.”
“My office. Nyx knows the way.”
The idea of being in a room alone with him scared the shit out of me. My body seemed to betray me at every turn, and who knew what would happen if we were behind a closed door.
Hell, already my libido hummed in anticipation.
Traitorous bitch.
“Let’s talk, Nyx.” The command in his voice had my throat drying up and a pulse of need shooting deep into my core.