Only One Touch (Only One #4) - Natasha Madison Page 0,42

for Layla. “Where is your better half?”

“I’m right here,” she says from beside him. “You look fabulous,” she says, looking at my outfit. “I love this skirt.” She then looks at Miller. “Where is my phone?”

“In my pocket,” he says, looking at her, “and you aren’t getting it until Monday.”

“Miller Adams, I will,” she says, and I laugh.

“I’m going to go get a fresh drink,” I say. “Do you want one?” I ask Layla, and she smiles and nods her head. I walk to the bar and place my empty glass down on the wooden bar.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asks.

“Whatever she has is on me,” Ryder says from beside me, and I laugh, and so does he. “It’s actually all on Nico.”

“Well, in that case,” I say, “I’ll have two glasses of wine.” Ryder just looks at me. “One is for Layla.”

He leans one hand on the bar. “Tell me, Becca, why haven’t we spent more time together?” I look at him and throw my head back and laugh.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say because I don’t mix business with pleasure,” I say, trying not to tell him that the other reason that I won’t go out with him is because I have never thought of him in that way.

“How about we bend the rules for once?” he says, and then he leans in closer. “Take a chance, Becca,” he says.

“What’s going on over here?” I feel a hand on my back. This time my whole body lights up from his touch.

“I’m trying to convince Becca to bend the rules and let me take her out,” Ryder says, and I look over at Nico.

“Is that so?” he says.

“It is so,” I say as the bartender sets the two glasses of wine on the bar for me. “Thank you so much.” I step forward to grab the two glasses, and my back still feels the heat from where his hand was. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, Layla looks like she needs a drink.”

“Let me help you,” Nico says, grabbing a glass from me. “Lead the way.”

Chapter 18

Nico

Walking into the holiday party, I shake Manning’s hand and then Miller’s, who’s standing next to him. I do a sweep of the room and see her right away.

She’s standing at the bar with Ryder, who is leaning into her. I don’t even bother with the conversation going on in front of me. I walk over to her. I texted her last night, and she never got back to me. I don’t know why the fuck it bothered me, but it did. I checked my phone a ridiculous amount of times while I was at dinner, and to be honest, I have no idea what was even going on.

I was gone for four days without talking to her or seeing her, and the minute that I saw her, I missed her more than I cared to admit.

“What’s going on over here?” I put my hand on the base of her back. Her body has a slight shiver.

I look at Becca and then Ryder. “I’m trying to convince Becca to bend the rules and let me take her out.” Ryder smirks and then looks over at me. The only thing I can see in my head is me throat punching him.

“Is that so?” It is the only thing I can muster up to say, putting my hands in my pockets before I throat punch him accidentally.

“It is so,” Becca says right before the bartender sets two glasses of wine on the bar. “Thank you so much. If you gentlemen will excuse me, Layla looks like she needs a drink.”

“Let me help you.” I grab a glass from her, and she just looks at me. “Lead the way.”

She walks past me, and I smell her soft citrus smell, and my cock stirs for her. “Here you are,” Becca says, handing the glass to Layla.

“Thank you,” she says, and they click glasses. I put my hands in my pockets before I reach out for her. It’s not the time for me to do anything rash.

“There you are,” Lizzie says, coming to me. She looks at everyone and says hello. “Hello, everyone. It’s time for pictures.”

“It’s my favorite time of the night,” Manning says, and I laugh at him as he follows Lizzie. I look over at Becca, who just looks at me as I follow Lizzie.

I walk over to where Lizzie is, and my eyes fly back to see Becca