The Hating Season (Seasons #2) - K.A.Linde Page 0,56

was late,” Gavin said with a laugh. “Poppy Arlington is as hot as they fucking come.”

My stomach turned over. Court was here with Poppy Arlington. The same woman he’d purposely avoided at Robert’s party. Who he’d sneered at because she was aggressive and desperate. What the fuck?

21

Court

Poppy Arlington might objectively be one of the hottest women on the Upper East Side. But she was also objectively one of the most annoying. And I already regretted bringing her to the reception.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Camden’s advice had been to find the hottest girl without baggage and give it a whirl. I’d debated inviting someone else, but Poppy had been the easiest choice, and I’d gone with that.

“Court,” she asked in that fake breathy voice she used, “are you sure you even want to go to the party?”

Her insinuation was clear. And it was even clearer as she leaned heavily against me.

“My own brother’s wedding reception? Yes, I’m sure I want to go inside,” I snapped.

She didn’t flinch back or anything. Just stared up at me with wide, dark eyes and blinked slow.

“We should leave early,” she said, her hand trailing to the front of my pants.

I grasped her wrist to halt her descent. “No.”

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout that probably worked on most other guys in the city, but I just ignored it. I was too busy scanning the room. I hadn’t seen English since Labor Day weekend. We’d texted, but it had been all work. Nothing to indicate that she’d thought about what I’d said. That she wanted to talk about it.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d made herself clear that night. This would end badly for us. And so, better to end it before that happened. Better to bring a date to the event and move on.

Move on. That was what Camden had said. As if I’d fallen for Anna English or something. Rather than just hate-fucked her on Robert’s bathroom sink. And then fucked her into oblivion the whole night. It was great sex. But that wasn’t reason enough to get attached to her. It wasn’t like good sex couldn’t be found elsewhere.

I just hadn’t gone looking.

Not since Jane.

I cleared her name from my mind. Move on. Move the fuck on, dude.

I clenched my jaw as I maneuvered Poppy through the crowd. Not paying attention to her incessant chatter as I sought out my real quarry.

And then I found her.

Just like that, she appeared at the edge of the crowd as others moved in to fill the space of Penn and Natalie’s first dance. She wore a sleek black dress that seductively hugged her. Nothing flashy like Poppy’s low-cut top, but the dress lured me in like a siren’s call. Her long blonde hair fanned out into loose waves over her shoulders. She looked powerful and tempting. And for a second, I forgot that I wasn’t here for her. Not in that way.

Move on already.

Our eyes met across the distance. Her jaw clenched. Something fierce passed across her face. Something I wasn’t sure I’d seen before. Anger, fear, disgust. It all passed through her in a split second and then disappeared just as fast. Then, she turned to the side and began to speak in earnest to Robert Dawson.

Was she here with him? He’d been interested in her. Not that many people would defy Camden, but it was possible.

“Can we dance?” Poppy asked, her voice a whine.

“Let’s get drinks instead,” I offered.

She grinned and flashed me a small, clear baggie in her purse. “Maybe something a little stronger.”

I put my hand out to obscure it from view. “Don’t just show that in public.”

“Why not? No one here is going to care,” she said dismissively.

I hadn’t put in all this fucking work just for a little bit of cocaine to bring down the evening. “You can do it if you want but not near me. Fuck.”

“Stop acting so self-righteous,” she said with an eye roll. “Since when have you turned down a bump?”

It’d been a long time. It had always been easier just to say yes. But English’s voice ran through my mind. Imagine what would happen to all the work we’d put in. What the fuck would be the point of me working for Kensington Corporation if I screwed it all up? I didn’t need a bump that bad.

“Just do it later,” I ground out. “Let’s have a drink instead.”

She shrugged a shoulder and followed me to the bar.