“No. It’s okay. I am an adult. I can be in the same room with that jerk,” I say, forcing a smile. “I won’t let him ruin tonight for either of us.”
Jill hugs me.
“Well, once that piece of shit sees how incredible you look tonight, he’ll be eating his heart out. And the fact that you have a super hot billionaire on your arm doesn’t hurt either, huh?” she says as she flashes me a wink. “Talk about winning the breakup.”
I can’t help but chuckle.
“Jillybean, you are a hot mess,” I tell her as I grab her hands. “Thanks for the heads up. I will be just fine. Now go mingle.”
She gives my hands a final squeeze and walks off into the crowd. Before I even have time to scan the room for Mika, he’s already reached me. He leans in and kisses my temple.
“Everything all right, Sweet Pea?” he asks as he hands me a glass of champagne.
“Everything is perfect.”
He looks at me intently, and I know that he’s not convinced.
“She’s still not thrilled with me, is she?”
I place my free hand on his hard chest, look up at him, and smile.
“She will get over it. Besides, I am more than thrilled with you. And if you play your cards right, I will show you just how thrilled I am a little later tonight.”
I watch his lips curl into that smile that makes me weak in the knees.
“Oh, Sweet Pea, rest assured that I will be the one showing you just how thrilled I am with you.”
“Seriously guys, you two need to take several cold showers,” Mikaela says with humor in her voice. “Don’t you two know that we are in public? The way you look at each other is borderline indecent!”
I burst out laughing.
“Shut up, Mik,” Mika grumbles. “Go mingle.”
She injects herself between us, wrapping an arm around each of us.
“I am mingling. I am exactly where I wanna be right now,” she replies with a smirk. “Two of my very favorite people.”
I do believe that Mikaela just wants to hang out with her brother, and maybe even get to know me a little better. But a bigger part of me believes that she thoroughly enjoys getting under his skin, and honestly, it’s fun to watch.
“I need to use the little girl’s room,” Mikaela says as she links her arm with mine. “Will you join me, sis?”
I almost choke on the sip of champagne I have just swallowed, much to the very apparent amusement of the Kingsley siblings. Mikaela leads me to the ladies’ room and is still chuckling loudly when we reach it.
“You are easily rattled. I must remember that.”
I have no retort since I am admittedly still a little rattled, so I just give up and join in on her laughter. We are still giggling up a storm when we walk into the bathroom, and there are several women already in there. As soon as they notice us walk in, the room gets quiet for a moment. When I tell you that you could hear a pin drop at this moment in time, believe me, I am not even exaggerating. I swear every head turns to look at the two of us. A very attractive redhead in a dress that looks to be poured onto her gives me a hostile glance. I look over at Mikaela, and her eyebrow raises up. Mikaela freezes in place, which as first throws me off because in my mind, this is the most confident woman I have ever met. My protective instinct flare up immediately.
“Good evening, ladies,” I say as cheerfully as I can muster up.
A little more silence.
“Well, alrighty then.”
I grab Mikaela’s hand and pull her farther into the bathroom. I smile brightly and look around at the faces staring at us.
“Please, allow me to answer all your questions,” I take a step closer toward the now wary-looking females. “Yes, these are real,” I say as I point to my chest, referring to a gossip article that Jill had found hilarious last week. “No, Mikaela isn’t brain damaged. In fact, she is probably sharper than me, and I have an IQ of 142, which is not too shabby.” I take another step closer. “Yes, Mika Kingsley is most certainly off the market—for good, if I have anything to say about it.” I look over at Mikaela. “Oh, wait. I totally do,” I add, chuckling. “And finally, no, Mikaela and I don’t secretly hate each other. I actually adore the crap out of her. Now, have I answered all your questions? Can we now move on like classy adult females and enjoy a nice evening at the opening of my very best friend?”
I look around at the stunned faces. The redhead stares at me, mouth slightly ajar. I lock eyes with her, urging her to respond. She does, nodding slowly.
“Awesome,” I simply reply.
I take a few more steps forward, open a stall door, and hold it open for Mikaela, who is grinning widely at me. She steps past me into the stall, and I shut the door. As I make my way over to the mirrors and sinks, conversations start back up, and I make a point to ignore the awkward looks. I reapply some of the lip stain Mikaela gave me earlier this evening and wait for her to be done. She joins me moments later, washing her hands and touching up her makeup. When the last of the women has filed out of the bathroom, our eyes meet in the mirror. We both burst out laughing.
“You were incredible!” Mikaela shouts out. “I am in total awe of you. I totally get why my brother is so crazy about you.”
We turn and face each other.
“Seriously Rae, I don’t know what the hell that was. I never freeze up like that. I just wasn’t ready for any of those catty bitches right now, and you totally had my back.”
I school my features to be as serious as I can muster up.
“What are sisters for?”
Mikaela’s eyes widen for a moment before we both burst out laughing again. Several women enter the bathroom, and this time, we kind of deserve the weird looks we are getting. We make our way to the exit, and Mikaela holds the door open for me. I walk past her, and as I turn to thank her, I walk straight into a hard body. It takes me several moments to recover. When I do, I look up and open my mouth to apologize.
“Oh gosh, I—” my words die on my lips when I see him.
His lips curl into a grin.
“Well hello there, Inamorata.”
Crap on a cracker. Freaking Austin Camden. Of course.
I am not as prepared for this as I imagined I was just a little bit ago. I blink a couple of times, as if that is somehow going to help me gather my wits.
“You look incredible, Rae. But then again, you always do.”
Bile rises in my throat, but as much as I want to walk away from this person as fast as I can, my feet seem to be frozen solid to the ground. His hands are firmly clasped around my elbows, and it dawns on me that I have yet to make any movement to correct that situation.
Why does he have to show up right here and now?
“Rae…I just want to talk. I messed up. I am a complete tool. Please just hear me out.”
I shake my head profusely and take a step backward. Every ounce of pain this man has inflicted on me creeps to the surface, every single insecurity he has birthed within me at full attention.
“You don’t get to touch me ever again,” I hiss as I tug myself free from his hold. “In fact, just stay the hell away from me.”
The intensity of my tone surprises even myself, and Austin looks confused for a moment, but he releases me immediately. Mikaela steps forward and pulls me behind her.
“You heard her. Scram.”
She folds her arms and stands in front of me protectively.
Austin raises his eyebrow, seemingly amused by Mikaela’s choice of words and her display of protection.
He chuckles.
“Scram?”
Mikaela tips her head ever so slightly.
“Yes, scram. Obviously, you have some sort of comprehension of the English language. Get. Lost.”
When Austin doesn’t budge, Mikaela lifts her arm into the air and makes some kind of hand motion. Mere seconds later, it turns out to be a signal to security because Clark, who has been part of our security team for the last few months, interjects almost immedia
tely. I didn’t even see him, nor was I aware of the fact that he was at this event. Stupid, of course. Ever since I nearly got choked to death by that psychotic stalker, Jasper, the security for Mikaela and myself has been constant and relentless. But as always, after I repeatedly complained about being followed, Mika and I compromised. He assured me that I wouldn’t be aware of the people securing my safety, and I promised in return to let them secure my safety so that Mika can keep his damn sanity. What can I say? The man is a little overprotective when it comes to Mikaela and me.
I need to have one of those damn signals, too, I think to myself.
“Everything all right here, Ms. Kingsley? Ms. Ray?” Clark inquires.
“Perfectly fine,” Mikaela says sweetly. “Would you mind taking Ms. Ray to my brother, please? I will follow in a moment.”
My head snaps up. Mikaela simply nods at me. Clark gives Austin the once-over before he nods and places his hand on my elbow.
“Of course. Please allow me to escort you, Ms. Ray.”
While I usually don’t like any of this security crap, right now I am incredibly grateful for Mika’s team of babysitters, as I often begrudgingly refer to them as.
“Thank you, Clark,” I tell him genuinely.
Although I allow him to lead me to Mika, my curiosity takes over after several steps, and I stop walking and turn to look. Mikaela’s arms are still folded across her chest, and she seems to be telling Austin quite animatedly to take a hike. I watch him nod and turn on his heel. Mikaela watches him walk away, and I see the irritation on her face as easily as I detect it on her brother’s face. Though they are twins and very different people who wear very different public masks, I do recognize the slip of said mask in both Kingsley siblings. Just as my protective side arose in the bathroom mere minutes ago, Mikaela’s protectiveness is evident right now. Our gazes meet from across the room. I told the truth earlier in the bathroom when I confronted those women and said I adore Mikaela. We have become quite close over the past few months, and I didn’t think I could love her more. But right now, I know I was wrong about that. I mouth the words “thank you” to her, and she winks at me and smiles. She starts to make her way toward me, but she gets stopped by a couple of her close friends, Becky and Sasha. Knowing that she is in good hands, I turn back and note that Clark is patiently waiting beside me. I scan the room for Mika, and my stomach drops when I see him not too far from me, talking to the redhead from the bathroom. His back is turned to me, and she is facing me, so she can clearly see me coming. I watch her intently as a sly smile spreads across her face. She moves closer to Mika, now stepping into his personal space, and attempts to slide her hands around his neck. The glee that spreads through me when I watch him grab her wrists to stop her is hard to describe. She blinks rapidly several times, and I watch her admittedly beautiful facial features scrunch up. She looks somewhere between disgruntled and confused. I increase my pace, and when I reach the two of them, I hear the last sentence that he sneers at her.
“You’re embarrassing yourself, Layla. Just because we fucked a couple of times doesn’t mean you can stake a claim on me.”
The color drains from her already pale face, her eyes widen, and her bottom lip trembles ever so slightly.
“Throwing yourself at men who are clearly attending an event with their significant other is hardly attractive. In fact, I personally find it pathetic.” He pauses for what I think is dramatic effect and leans in a little closer. “Even if I was interested in a cheap fuck—and believe me, I am most certainly not—it would not be with you. You weren’t as memorable as you were convenient. Remember that next time you decide to try and throw yourself at me.”
As much as my intent initially was to gloat, that was harsh. I almost feel sorry for her, but then she pulls free from his grasp and raises a hand to slap him. I close the distance between us and grab her hand before it makes contact with Mika’s face.
“Walk away, Layla. He might not be able to hit you, but I have no problem hitting you back for him. Now walk away, or I will have you escorted out of here, and I think that we all would like to avoid the embarrassment.”
Her bright green eyes are blazing at me. She seems to consider my words for a moment. The hurt that painted her face just moments ago is quickly replaced with a malicious glare. She lets out an almost maniacal chuckle.
“Oh sweetie, don’t think you’re the first one he’s used that silver tongue on. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that he will be your happily ever after. He’s incapable of anything remotely close to love or being a decent human being for that matter. He’ll be done with you soon enough, and he’ll spit you out as fast as he chewed you, mark my words,” she hisses.
Before either of us can reply, she turns on her heel and storms off. I watch her disappear into the crowd before turning to face Mika. The coldness in his eyes as he watches her stalk away from us is foreign to me. His facial features soften as we meet each other’s gaze, and I feel more at ease when I see the renewed brightness in his eyes that were cold and distant only moments ago. But still, I feel conflicted. Although I am obviously beyond pleased that he wasn’t interested in what she was offering, the cold and ruthless way he chose to respond to her advances is a side of him I have not seen before. I am not sure how I will respond when I am on the receiving end of that kind of coldness.
“Raeva,” he breathes.
“What was that Mika?” I say, unable to keep my voice from trembling.
As much as I hate to admit it, Layla’s words have definitely hit their mark, and I know that he sees it in my eyes. Regret flashes in those irises of his, and I find myself wondering if he regrets talking to her like that or if he regrets me witnessing his display of callousness. Right now, it is all too much. I don’t want to deal with this bullshit. I am supposed to be here for Jillybean on her big night, but so far all I have been doing is dealing with unnecessary drama. My hands ball into fists at my sides as anger starts to simmer within me.
“Who is she to you Mika?” I demand, nostrils flaring while I try to outwardly keep my cool.
“Nobody. A mistake.”
“Hmmm, nobody huh? And apparently a mistake you made several times, which is pretty rich since you told me that there were never any repeat performances,” I bite out.
He looks at me, and I know that he is unsure on how to approach me. Why am I forgetting that Mika is new to this whole committed relationship thing? I know that he has been around the block many times; he’s never kept that from me. He’s not used to being held responsible, and I feel a pang of guilt. Great, now I am not sure if I’m mad at him for being a manwhore before we met or at me for allowing Austin to bring out every negative feeling I’ve ever felt about myself, causing me to be this freaking insecure. Not only that, I am running the risk of ruining my person’s big night by entertaining all of this crap.
“Please, Raeva, let’s not let her get what she was after to begin with,” he pleads.
That assessment surprises me and throws me off. Mika takes advantage of my momentary freeze and closes the distance between us. He takes my face into his hands and peers into my eyes.
“Sweet Pea, when will you learn? I don’t have to see you to know that you are near. Her demeanor changed the moment I felt you. She was obviously trying to get to you, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with that. I will always go for the jugular when someone comes for you, baby. Always.”
I sigh deeply as I melt into him. He gently pecks me on the lips before resting his forehead against mine.
“Are we okay?” he whispers.
“More than okay…I’m sorry, Mika. I shouldn’t have overreacted.”
He releases a breath, and his shoulders visibly relax. He leans in and is about to kiss me again when someone behind me clears their throat.
“Dear God, are the two of you gonna suck face all night, or are you actually going to come up for air and celebrate my very over the top and out of this world opening extravaganza?”
I turn at the sound of Jill’s voice, and when I see her smiling widely and holding three glasses of champagne, I know it is her version of a peace offering to Mika. He knows it too, and like the charmer that he is, he swoops right in. Jill leads us around, showing off her amazing spa and its amenities, and Mika hangs on her every word. The three of us are laughing and having a ball, and when Mikaela and her friends join us, the party really reaches lift off. Mikaela’s friends, Sasha and Becky, are a lot of fun, though I can see why they may be a little too much for Mika. They are both very nice, and it is quite obvious that they adore Mikaela, which of course endears them to me even more. The unfortunate run-ins from earlier are soon forgotten, and we are all laughing so hard that I can barely breathe. I look over at Mika, and he looks so happy right now, it is infectious. Our little group stays close together, and we are all chattering away when I see Sean stride toward us. Concern starts to flow through me when Sean’s expression remains stoic. I rarely see him not smile. Mika notices, too, and he’s immediately alert. The two of them seem to have a silent conversation. I look from Mika to Sean and back to Mika. I raise my eyebrow in silent query. When I see Mikaela’s head turn to the entrance, I follow her line of vision. Eric Hardwick storms through the door like a bat out of hell, and he does not look happy. He stops for a moment, locks eyes with Mikaela, and the two of them seem to have some kind of secret language because they are talking from across the room, and neither of them is using words.
“I’ll be right back,” Mika says as he places a kiss on my forehead.
The champagne has made me a little more sassy than usual.
“Yeah, um, nope. Think again. What is going on? This is not the 1950s where you can tell your little lady to hang back while the men talk. I am not stupid, Captain Caveman. What is going on?” I demand.
Mika presses his lips together and looks over to Eric, who has now almost made his way over here.
“Damn it, Mika, I am not a child. What the fuck is going on?” I snap.
Jill’s eyes widen at my outburst.
After Tomorrow (Kingsley series Book 2) Page 2