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Goodbye, reality. Hello, holiday mode. Finally.

A gorgeous woman wearing nothing but a gold bikini top and a pair of hot pants walked through the crowd, holding a tray of shots over her shoulder. Bailey quickly caught her attention, dropped a note into a clear glass full of money, and she collected six shots: two for each of us. We took them there and then, unable to stop ourselves from laughing as the wince of alcohol turned into pure magic. Once we dropped the empty shot glasses back on the woman’s tray, she thanked us with a tip of her head and walked away.

I spun around with my arms in the air, swaying to the music, feeling the fabric of my little black dress rubbing against the sensitive, sunburnt parts of my hips, and that’s when I saw him.

Henry. Fucking. Cohen.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, wearing a short-sleeved white shirt that showed off his gloriously tanned skin, staring at me. A bottle of beer rested on the edge of his bottom lip, and his eyes burned with such intensity, it brought me to a complete stop.

My smile disappeared and my arms fell slowly until they hung limp at the side of my thighs.

We just stared at each other, so much being said without either of us saying a word.

I hate you. You hate me.

You disgust me. I disgust you.

But, damn, you look good. Do I look good too?

Your dark eyes raking over my body.

Those biceps stretching the fabric around your arm.

Your unkempt hair hanging perfectly over to one side.

Such a shame you’re a toxic arsehole, Henry.

He lowered his bottle of beer and sank his teeth into his bottom lip, dragging them back over it until it popped while he took me in from head to toe. It lasted only a matter of seconds,but that’s all it needed for my body to burn and for heat to rush to my cheeks.

Then I began to move again.

You’re the last thing I wantran through my mind on repeat, spurring me on, determined to make him choke on the sight of me now.

I closed my eyes again, feeling the music beat through my veins as I ran my fingertips over my thighs, my hips, my stomach, then the edges of my breasts. Tweet and Missy Elliott kept singing, the words suddenly hitting me, perfect for the moment as Missy talked about how she looked over to the side, saw something she liked, and how she felt so good, she had to touch herself. How she was eyeing her prize and coming out of her shell to get whatever the hell she wanted.

I didn’t care what that meant for tomorrow morning or even later that night. I lost myself in that one song, turning my body slowly, letting the alcohol flow through me as I pictured Henry’s intense gaze on every inch of my skin.

My breathing became laboured, and I was about to open my eyes and see if he was still looking at me when the song changed to something else, and I heard the delighted squeals of Bailey and Rhea.

I spun their way and looked up to find Andy wrapped around Bailey from behind, her head slung back to rest on his shoulder as the two of them whispered sweet nothings to one another. To the side stood Jace and Rhea, not as intimate as Andy and Bailey, but Rhea couldn’t hide the fact that she liked what she saw as she practically pressed herself against Jace, leaving only enough room for his bottle of beer to rest between their chests.

Just like that, the buzz and satisfaction from the entire night faded away, and I found myself alone again.

Until I heard a subtle clearing of someone’s throat from behind me.

Him.

Chapter Six

Henry

Irritation shone back at me from narrowed eyes, and I didn’t miss the subtle way Phoebe curled her hands into little fists that hung by her thighs. Her parted lips were swollen, and the apples of her cheeks were stained with the kind of red that made me want to sink my teeth into every part of her skin. To find out if she tasted as good as I imagined she would.

Fuck, she was gorgeous, the sumptuous little witch, and I despised her because of it.

This entire place was packed with women writhing around in barely any clothes, begging for attention, constantly on the lookout for their next victim, but Phoebe stood out without even trying.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one to notice.