Page 63 of Merciless King

Lulu grinned. “I was just about to.”

“It’s just a few quiet drinks, good food, good music, a laugh,” Sunny said.

“We’d love for you to come,” Steph added, joining us. “My last big night before this little one arrives.” Her hand went to her belly. “Tomas will be out, so no guys.” Her smile had softened.

Lulu had obviously filled them in as well, and I was grateful for it. I thought about the call I’d gotten from Van today. He hadn’t left a message. I’d wanted to answer so badly, but I couldn’t bring myself to. The thought of talking to him and pretending I didn’t miss him, that I didn’t want to be with him, was something I couldn’t pull off, not yet. I wasn’t sure I ever could.

“What do you say?” Lulu asked.

Today had been nerve-racking, but I’d forced myself to do it, and once I got there, I’d loved every moment. I liked these women so much. A girls’ night sounded perfect.

“I’d love to,” I said.

15

London

Steph and Tomas’s home was beautiful and big.

I’d been here before of course, for our dance classes. But we’d never had time for the full tour. Stephanie had shown us around the gorgeous brownstone when I’d arrived. I’d never been in a house like it. We spent a lot of time in the nursery that was nearly finished, admiring all the beautiful things she and Tomas had bought. It was absolutely gorgeous. All the rooms were.

I noticed there were a lot of pictures of Steph scattered around the house. Willa noticed as well.

Stephanie caught her looking at one and she blushed. “I’m honestly not that conceited.” She glanced at the one in the hall. “It’s Tomas. He…ah, doesn’t like when we’re apart so…” She waved us into the next room, not finishing. Not needing to.

He couldn’t bear to be apart from her, not even for a minute.

Like every day for the last two weeks, Van had invaded my mind and settled in. I’d hoped some distance would make it easier, that things would go back to the way they were. Well, not exactly like they’d been before. I wasn’t in love with an ideal, a fantasy, anymore. I was in love with the real thing. The sexy, protective, at times bossy man himself. Now I knew exactly how amazing it was to be with him.

I’d stupidly thought having that time with him would make it easier to move on, that I would be satisfied with the memories. I’d been wrong. Totally and completely.

Having a man like Van touch you, kiss you, make love to you, make you feel like the most precious thing in his world—no memory could sustain or satisfy you after that.

The memory of his strong arms around me at night didn’t keep me warm, didn’t make me feel safe and cared for.

I missed the way his eyes would dance with humor when he was about to tease me, the way he’d tuck my hair behind my ear—the way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

No, nothing beat the reality of him.

And I missed him. All of him. Everything.

But there was nothing to be done about it.

I was still trying to get him out of my head a couple of hours later. I finished my drink and glanced around the room. We were set up in what looked like a formal dining room, only Steph had pushed back the table so it was against the wall and it was covered in food and drinks. There was a big rug to one side, and a seating area where chairs and an elegant-looking couch were set up.

There was also a mini disco ball.

“Orgasm?” Ruby called over the music that Willa had just turned up. Ruby was holding up a shot glass.

This was my third shot, in between various other cocktails, and I was feeling…good. Really good. “Sure.” I took it from Ruby and we grinned at each other before downing them at the same time.

“I love this song!” Sunny said and grabbed both mine and Ruby’s hands, pulling us into the middle of the floor.

Lulu and Willa were already dancing. Steph as well, looking cute in a pink top that hugged her baby bump—well, it was a lot more than a bump at this point. Willa and Lulu both had sitters since the guys were working, which meant everyone was in the mood to cut loose.

The next two hours passed in a blur of dancing and laughing so hard my sides hurt. Several shots later, the exotic dance moves became the focus of the dance floor. I was extremely tipsy and felt more than confident to join in even though I’d only had three sessions with these girls, two of whom had at one time danced professionally at Raul’s strip club.

Steph had a pole set up in the middle of the room, the kind that wasn’t permanent and you could move to whatever room you wanted. This one usually lived in their gym. I shimmied over to it when Willa finished.