“Wow, you really are keeping a lid on that ego so far,” she teased.
“I didn’t have some kind of otherworldly natural talent,” I said. “I just worked my ass off to get as good as I am, that’s all.”
“That’s more impressive, I think,” Grace said.
“How’s that?” I asked.
“If something comes easy to you, you don’t need to work as hard at it,” she said. “And hard work is impressive. It means you really care about something. You put the time in.” Grace looked up at me, her blue eyes soft. “You aren’t as cavalier as you pretend to be, you know that? You’re dedicated. That’s something to be proud of.”
I shifted uncomfortably. I was used to getting compliments, sure. I got my ego stroked all the time. But hearing it from Grace was different, for some reason. I knew she wasn’t saying it just to get on my good side. She didn’t want anything from me. She honestly meant it. And knowing that fact did something to my insides.
I straightened my back. “You really want my head to swell up, love?” I flashed her a cocky smile. “Better stop it with all that praise.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms. “You better savor it, because it’s the last time you’ll get it from me.”
I wanted to make a comment about her praising me after experiencing what I had to offer in the bedroom, but I bit my tongue. I took a quick glance at my phone. I groaned silently. We’d barely been here fifteen minutes.
This was going to be a long night.
Fifteen
Grace
When we first walked into the art gallery, Zain had put his hand on my back, and it hadn’t moved since. That hand hadn’t gone wandering, I’d give him that. But just the press of his palm and fingers against the curve of my spine sent my heart racing. I was able to hide it with snappy remarks, but as his heat burned into me through the thin fabric, every caress nearly sent me reeling.
If he had this much of an effect on me with such a simple touch, I imagined I’d fall apart under his hands once he finally got me naked.
He’d been good so far, but I could tell from the clench of his jaw he’d had to resist making a few sly comments here and there. I wondered how long he’d be able to hold out.
Meeting his friend and bandmate Kaylee had been a welcome distraction. She seemed like a really fun girl, full of energy. With her red hair, almost dark enough to be called auburn, and green eyes, she was exceptionally pretty.
For a brief moment I’d been worried how Zain would act around her, whether or not he would get flirty with her. But it seemed as if they really did have a brother-sister type relationship. She certainly loved to needle him as much as I did. I was already planning on taking her up on that coffee.
“How are you holding up?” I asked Zain after we’d been at the event for about twenty minutes. “Ready to crack?”
“Not even close,” he said, tightening his grip around my waist. “I promised I’d be good, didn’t I?”
“You’ve still got forty minutes left on the clock,” I reminded him. “I’d hate for you to strain yourself.”
“I’m going to last longer than forty minutes,” he promised. “Remember, I only get to be bad for as long as I’m good.” He lowered his voice and put his mouth next to my ear. “One hour is not nearly long enough for everything I’ve got planned for you.”
Heat trickled down my belly and between my legs. That shivery feeling returned, sending a thrill up my spine. But I couldn’t let him know the impact his words had on me.
“I think that almost counts as innuendo, don’t you?” I asked innocently. “Have you broken your promise already?”
“That wasn’t innuendo,” he said. “It was a statement of pure fact.”
“I’ll let you have this one, just because I’m nice,” I told him.
The truth was, I really did want to see just what he had in store for me tonight. Deliciously naughty thoughts kept filling my mind. It wasn’t like I was inexperienced. I’d had a serious boyfriend or two. But neither of them had been very imaginative.
I had a feeling that sex with Zain would be anything but boring.
We just had to get through the event first. Not for the first time, I half-regretted not dragging him back up to my apartment when I had the chance.
“Look over there,” Zain whispered in my ear as he pointed surreptitiously.
I followed his finger. He was pointing at a tall, handsome man standing next to an exact copy of himself.
