Perfect Enemies

32

“Hey, Val!” she called warmly when she spotted me. Rey was so generous that I should have known she wouldn’t begrudge me an off night. Yet her forgiving soul somehow made me feel even worse. “We’re going to head up to the after-party. It should be pretty cool, so I wanted to make sure you got a chance to go up if you wanted.” “Definitely! Let me tell Kane.” She turned to talk to her date, who nodded, his eyes cutting over to me. He placed his hand at the small of her back, and I cringed inwardly. Once we reached the elevators, I encouraged the couple to head upstairs while I waited for Gio. When my date showed up, he was carrying my duffel that he’d retrieved from his car. I’d completely forgotten about it. “Thanks so much for getting that.” I held out my hand for my bag. “Nah, I got it.” He reached past me and pressed the elevator call button. “That’s sweet of you.” The words caught in my throat as they squeezed past a ball of emotion. I might have seemed heartless to some, but I did have an empathetic side. I just tried to keep it in check more than other people might, but sometimes, the pesky emotions got past my barriers. “Hey, G. I’ve had a great time tonight, but I just … I feel like I need to tell you. Well, I’m not sure exactly what.” I wrung my hands together, my cheeks flaming with embarrassment, and stared at the marble veins webbing across the stone floor. Gio stepped closer and bumped my shoulder. “S’okay, Val. I’ve seen the way you and Kane stare at each other. I’m just glad I got a chance, that’s all.” Tears burned the back of my eyes. “You deserve someone who’ll give you so much more than a chance.” Reaching over, he wrapped his hand behind my neck to pull me in gently and place a kiss on my forehead. “You too, gorgeous.” My breath caught. I had to wipe my eye before a treacherous tear fell. “Let’s go up and finish this night off with some fun. Okay?” He smiled softly, giving me a glimpse of the maturity lurking behind the humor. Had I seen that side of him before Kane showed up, the last few weeks might have played out very differently. But that was not what happened, and there was only one man on my mind. I nodded, slipping my hand in his. The comfortable silence between us on the ride up was a welcome relief. I was able to breathe deeply since I first set out on my conquest to distract myself with Gio. Giving him false hope when I wasn’t fully invested in a relationship hadn’t been worth the hurt I might have caused. I was enormously relieved that the charade was over. The suite door was open when we reached the top floor. Upbeat party music wafted into the hallway. The guys who had hosted the party hadn’t invited all that many people, so I hadn’t expected a raging kegger, but there were still fewer people scattered in the main living area than I’d expected. Most were on the extensive patio either at the railing or in the large hot tub with a column of steam wafting up into the night. Chloe stood with Reyna near the sliding glass door in her swimsuit with a towel wrapped around her. “Hey, ladies. How’s the hot tub, Chloe?” “Good, you need to get your suit on. I’d stay and chat, but I gotta run to the bathroom before I freeze to death.” She scurried back to what I assumed were the bedrooms. “What happened to Kane?” I asked Reyna as I glanced around again. “He went back down to get my bag from his car. You must have just missed him at the elevator.” I hadn’t thought about how he’d take Rey to the dance, but his motorcycle wouldn’t have worked. “What’s he driving?” “Some black car. I didn’t really pay attention, but I think it was a Lexus. Why?” “Just curious. Probably his dad’s. I know this may sound creeper-ish, but do you think you could remember the plates when he takes you home?” Reyna studied me. “Whyyy? What exactly is going on between you two?” “I’m just curious about something. It’s nothing, really.” I didn’t want to freak her out that I had a paranoid suspicion her date was hiding something, but the plates to his car could prove useful. “How has your night been?” She was still suspicious, but she let me change the subject. “It’s been very … interesting. You?” “Same.” I didn’t want to go into detail about why my night was so unusual, so I didn’t press her for details of her own. “Okay, I’m going to change. Get your suit on and come out when he gets back.” A few minutes later, I was lowering myself into the muscle-melting heat of the hot tub. “Oh my God, that feels amazing.” My head dropped back, and my eyes drifted closed. “Right?” Chloe chimed in. “And it’s huge. We could probably fit ten people in here.” Besides Chloe and I, there were four others in the bubbling water. We all turned to see who was joining us when the sliding door opened. Gio grinned, carrying two cups in his hands. “Here you go, Val. Got us some drinks.” He handed me a cup and set the other one down. “And now, since I forgot my suit, it’s naked time.” Chloe and I burst out laughing while the other girl shrieked. Gio performed a hilarious striptease, leaving his boxers on before joining us in the water. I wasn’t sure if he would have actually gone through with the full monty, but the other guys present insisted he kept his junk to himself. We were all laughing and talking over one another when the door opened again. “Hey, Rey. Come sit by me,” I called over. Reyna grinned, hesitantly dropping her towel and hurrying into the tub. “Oh, it’s hot.” “That’s the idea, silly. Is Kane coming? There’s room for one more.” I tried to sound casual, but judging by the side-eye Reyna shot my way, she wasn’t fooled. “He said he didn’t want to get in. Bryson showed up and told Kane to just wear his boxers if he forgot a suit, but Kane said he wasn’t interested.” She shrugged. Unable to resist, I peered to the side at the living room window. Kane’s eyes were already on me. He sipped amber liquid from a clear glass, the colorful liquid bringing out the light in his eyes. Bryson and two girls stood nearby talking animatedly, but Kane hardly paid any attention. I motioned for him to come get in. He refused with a curt shake of his head. My attention was startled away from Kane when someone flicked water up at my face. “Hey!” I shrieked in protest. Gio grinned unapologetically. “More than a chance, right, Val?” I fought the smile spreading across my face. “Oh, you’ve asked for it now.” I flicked my hand, sending a spray of water at him. Unwilling to be outdone, I started to send a second splash when he grabbed my wrist and yanked me against his chest.