Hot Holidays

CHAPTER 4: Ellie

CHAPTER 4: Ellie

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“Look at him.” Ellie slapped Alison’s arm. She was so irritated with Adrian. He’d sat here for hours, playing the drinking game with them and now he was flirting his way across the club. Okay, he was just walking back from the bathroom, but he may as well be flirting as he squeezed through the crowd with a sexy smile on his face.

“Look at what?” Alison stared in the direction Ellie was looking.

“Adrian, and that counts. He has to drink.” It was only fair. The man had no right to have an ass that every freaking woman in the bar noticed.

“What are you talking about?” asked Harker.

“Please. He’s being arrogant.” She looked at Alison for help. “Explain it to him.” She lifted her glass and sucked the last of the alcohol from the ice. “I thought you told that waitress to keep our drinks full?”

“I did.” Harker gave her a condescending look. “Until the two of you took it too far.”

“Too far,” she and Alison screeched at the same time.

She glanced at her friend and they both started laughing. Tonight was turning out to be a lot of fun, except for these two guys.

“Exactly.” Harker’s tone was dry and humorless. “Neither of you can handle your alcohol.”

“I can handle it just fine.” She waved her glass at the waitress.

“What can you handle?” Adrian sat.

Ellie was almost positive that he was closer to her than he had been before he went to the bathroom. There’s no way she’d missed the soft press of his leg against hers. It made her want to trail her fingernails up his thigh and over that lovely d**k of his. The damn man was driving her nuts—smelling good, making her laugh and being heart-stoppingly hot when he smiled at her.

She picked up the bottle of tequila and leaned closer to him, sloshing that beautiful, gold liquid-magic into the shot glass. She wanted the other women to know that he was hers even though he wasn’t. Men like him never belonged to a woman for long. They always cheated but...Oh, it was so lovely when all that alpha masculine focus was on her. Right now, she had his attention. She was drunk. He was sexy as sin and she was horny. She hadn’t had s*x since...that night with him. Her libido went into overdrive. She put the glass in front of him. “You, my friend, have to drink.”

“Why do I have to drink? I didn’t do anything arrogant.”

“You did too.” She slapped his arm. “You always do. Now, drink.”

“No.” He pushed the glass aside. “I’m not drinking until you tell me what I did.”

“Please, you know what you did.” Everything he did screamed arrogance and self-assurance.

“Help me out here,” he turned to Harker.

“I have no idea.” Harker frowned at both women with a sort of slightly amused disgust. “They’re wasted.”

“Yeah, they are,” said Adrian.

“We are not.” Alison grabbed Ellie’s hand. “She’s right about Adrian.” She poked Harker’s shoulder. “And you know it. You just don’t want to admit I’m right.”

“What exactly did Adrian do that was arrogant? Hell, he wasn’t even at the table,” said Harker.

“He...” Alison paused, turning toward Ellie. “He...What did he do?”

“He walked.” Ellie pushed the drink back toward him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Arrogantly?” asked Harker before turning to Adrian. “How does one do that?”

“I couldn’t tell you.” Adrian laughed but his eyes were on that girl. That young girl he’d been watching all night.

She was thin and pretty and looked like a teenager. It wouldn’t be long before Adrian excused himself and went to that girl’s side, forgetting Ellie completely.

“You’re such an ass.” She was done. She wasn’t going to sit here and be humiliated again. Her ex, Marc, had done enough of that on Christmas Eve. She pulled her phone from her purse.

“What are you doing?” Adrian grabbed her wrist.

“I’m going home.” She yanked her hand from his.

“Why? It’s not midnight yet.”

“What do you care. It’s not like I’m going to kiss you.”

“That’s mean,” said Adrian. “She drinks, not me.”

“I don’t care.” Right now, she wanted to go home and sleep. Her choice in men was getting worse. At least Marc had remained faithful while he was chasing her.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Harker.

“I haven’t a clue.” Adrian watched her like he would a bomb that was about to explode.

“Oh please, don’t act like you don’t know.” She scanned through her phone, looking for that damn Uber app but her fingers weren’t working too well.

“I’m not acting. I truly have no idea why you’re so pissed.”

“Do you think I didn’t see. I have eyes.” She pointed at her face.

“I see that.” He seemed to be trying not to laugh but the bastard should try harder because this wasn’t funny.

She turned and pointed. “Her.”

“What about her?” But he was no longer amused.

“I see you don’t like being caught. You guys never do.”

“Being caught doing what?” He seemed actually confused but she wasn’t falling for it.

“Don’t even try to tell me that you haven’t been checking her out all night.” She pointed again at the young woman, hating her and then hating herself for blaming the girl. It wasn’t the other woman’s fault that Adrian was a two-faced asshole.

“You have been watching her,” said Harker.

“I have.” Adrian grinned as he turned back toward Ellie. “And you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous. I just think it’s rude.” Her eyes went to Harker’s. “He has to drink twice for that.”