Third Chances (Men Of Manhattan #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,47
eyeliner, and mascara before leaving the bathroom to find out what they were going to force me to wear tonight.
"No," I said when my eyes landed on a dress laid out on the bed.
Alina laughed. "The green matches your eyes. You're going to look so pretty."
"I already told Rob I wasn't sleeping with him. This will give him the completely wrong impression."
"Why did you tell him that?" Layla asked. "We could all see your chemistry."
"Chemistry? Yeah right," I said. "Guys like him didn't pay attention in school, they were too busy hitting on cheerleaders. He probably flunked chemistry."
Layla laughed. "I've heard that all the Hunters are geniuses. And I'm pretty sure Rob went to Harvard like all the rest of them."
"Most likely not from his grades but from his lineage."
"Harsh."
I paused in my onslaught. Why was I being like this? I was judging him again before I really knew him. He seemed smart. We easily held a conversation. Why was I trying to prove he wasn't a good guy? Because you like him, you idiot. Because he's leaving tomorrow. Because you can't afford to get attached.
"Sorry. I'm just...frustrated." There was the understatement of the year. Frustrated that all my friends had found their soul mates? Frustrated that I was falling behind? Frustrated that I couldn't have Rob? Because I wanted him. I really, really wanted him. But it went against every rule I had ever made for myself. I couldn't have him. Not the way that I wanted, which was the only way I knew how.
"You're just horny," Kristen said. "You need to tap that while you can. Rob Hunter is a catch."
"I don't do one night stands."
"Who says it only has to be one night?"
"He's leaving tomorrow. He's literally here for only one night. Thus, it's a one night stand."
"Then get his phone number."
"What, so I can text him and he can wait at least two days and then text back some generic message that just leads me on? No thank you."
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do. He's a player. I don't want to date a guy like that. I want something real. Like what you guys have."
"I'm just saying...if you date Rob Hunter, we'll all be the ones that are jealous of you. Do you know how hard it was for us to get into this resort? And Layla and Alina are famous. It should have been easy, but it wasn't. And Rob probably got in just like that." Kristen snapped her fingers. "He's got connections. And he's hot. Like almost as hot at James. Which means he's above a ten."
"I don't care about those things. Looks are fleeting. Money doesn't make you happy. I'm not looking for any of that."
"Mhm. Then why can't you keep your hands off each other?"
I sighed in exasperation. "I can keep my hands off him."
"Mhm. The hickey on your neck says otherwise."
"What?"
Layla laughed as I ran back into the bathroom. Sure enough, there was a hickey on the left side of my neck. And not just a little one, but one that was prominent enough to be almost impossible to cover with everything I was trying to put on it. Was I so turned on that I hadn't noticed him do that to my neck? Just picturing him kissing me behind that waterfall made me start to get wet. He could have done whatever he wanted to me. But he chose to brand me like some...hooker. That bastard.
I walked back out of the bathroom, trying to keep my head held high.
"Layla's right you know," Alina said. "You look happy when you're with him. And it was pretty clear that you couldn't keep your eyes off him."
I was trying to be discrete about that. Was I really that open of a book?
"What Kristen is trying to say is that you should give him a chance. Because he's been looking at you the same way you've been looking at him. Plus, it was really adorable that he showed up at that waterfall to surprise you. I don't think players put in that much effort."
I knew she was right. Yes, Rob had the dirty mouth of a sailor. But he was also sweet and thoughtful and protective of me for some reason. He had gotten all the bracelets off of me after all. Not that I'd go so far as to say he was a gentleman.
"You aren't really going to stand there and deny that you like him are you?" Kristen said.