Kenzie
“Is everything okay?” Reece asked me as we hurried back inside the building.
“Yes,” I lied, even though I appreciated my best friend’s concern. When Reece wasn’t convinced, I touched her arm softly. “I just needed some air.”
It wasn’t a lie, and public gatherings like this did tend to make me nervous. Reece knew I suffered with high anxiety, the panic attacks I’d had over the years worrying her more than once. It was clear Reece thought I was having another one. While my heart was still racing and I wished the floor would open up beneath me, I knew I would be fine.
“What did the hottie say to you?” came her next question.
“Nothing much,” I lied again. Hoping to convince my friend to drop this conversation, I looked to the doorway at the exact moment Jonas Courtland stepped back through it. He didn’t look at me which was for the best because I wasn’t quite sure how I would react.
“You’re full of shit, Kenzie,” Reece stated.
Turning back to her, I glared. “What’s wrong with you? And while you’re answering that, go ahead and tell me something else.”
Reece grinned. “Tell you what?”
“What the hell is up with all of these questions.”
“You saw Jonas and dropped your glass of champagne.” Reece paused for a minute, then giggled. “Hell, he’s hot enough to make me drop more than my glass, and you know how much I treasure my bubbly.”
“You’re incorrigible, Reece. Do you know that?”
I got a smirk in response. “Of course, but that’s never been debatable. And I’m asking you these questions because I’m wor—” Reece cut herself off when she covered her mouth with her palm. “You and Jonas. I saw the sparks between you both from the doorway.”
“You saw nothing of the sort,” I said, trying to sound convincing, to both myself and her.
“Uh-huh! I was about to drop my panties for him, but if you want him for yourself, then—"
“I don’t want anything to do with him anymore.”
“Anymore?” Reece caught my slip up, then stepped back and smirked. “When did you knock boots with him?”
I heaved out a deep breath before I pulled Reece away from where everyone was gathered. Jonas’s deep baritone of a voice echoed around us, and I had to force myself not to shiver when memories came rushing back of him whispering all sorts of naughty suggestions into my ear while he pushed inside of me. He’d been my first, and whether good or bad, most never forgotten theirs, and I was no exception. I had, however, forced those memories out of my mind for as long as I could. I’d been successful for the most part, until now. I grabbed my friend’s arm and pulled her into the lobby where I finally stopped.
“Fine, you win,” I told her, throwing my hands up in surrender. “You remember when I told you about my first time? Back during my senior year of high school?”
“Ahh, yes. The douchebag who tricked you into sleeping with him for clout?” she replied, obviously having forgotten none of that sordid tale.
“Yes! Jonas is—"
“Very excited to get to know you both,” came the voice from behind us. I nearly jumped out of my skin, not expecting Jonas to be quite finished with his speech already. I slowly turned around, a guilty expression on my face at having been caught talking about him.
Reece extended her hand out immediately. “My name’s Reece Bessemer, and I take it you two have met before.”
There was a certain question in her words, and unwilling to show Jonas how much his mere presence still affected me, I rolled my eyes at the man. “Unfortunately, Reece. This is the douche.”
My friend gasped, and Jonas growled. I found a bit of satisfaction in the sound, and I kept my head held high and smiled. “And, now you see why I’m bowing out of this competition. I’m done.”
Reece grabbed me before I could turn fully. While holding my arm in a death grip, she smiled sweetly at Jonas. “My friend and I just need a moment of privacy.”
My skin heated up as Jonas gave me another quick once-over. My nipples tightened, and my core clenched especially when he smirked knowingly at me. He likely remembered bedding me, which only infuriated me more. What should’ve been wonderful memories of my first time ended up being destroyed the second I saw the video of the two of us in bed together. Even now, I had no idea when he’d had the time to set up the camera, or whatever recording device he used. He’d been so good at deceiving me the entire time that in the end, I wasn’t surprised, so it didn’t matter.
Jonas reluctantly walked away, leaving us in peace. I barely had time to get out a sigh of relief when Reece shook me. “You’re definitely not dropping out.”
I frowned. “I have to. There’s no way I can suck up to him all week.”
While the very idea of staying terrified me, my traitorous body reacted differently. I was disgustingly aroused by the sight of him. If being shipped off to the psych ward after my last encounter with him wasn’t enough to convince me to stay away, knowing he still had an equally devastating effect on my equilibrium should’ve been. Jonas Courtland was a fuck boy—plain and simple.