Asking for Trouble by Tessa Bailey

told you that this ”—she gestured back and forth between them—“isn’t going to happen. Even you can agree it’s a bad idea. If for no other reason, we need to knock it off for Daniel and Story’s sake. It’s bad enough we can’t stand each other. If we add sex to the equation, it’ll make things twice as messy.”
    “Our friends have nothing to do with this and you know it.” He leaned in and sniffed— sniffed! —her neck. “Why don’t you admit the real problem? You don’t think you can make it through the night without jumping my bones.”
    When his tongue flicked out to taste the sensitive skin of her neck, she involuntarily tipped her head to the side to grant him access, which he immediately took advantage of, kissing and rubbing his lips over her damp flesh. “N-no. You can rest easy. I want no part of your bones. I’m just not so sure any more about embarrassing my parents.”
    Brent stilled his mouth’s movements. “That embarrassment being me, right?”
    “That’s not—” Hayden cut herself off, reminding herself she didn’t owe him apologies or explanations. “That’s right. Color me shocked that you managed to show up looking halfway decent. I thought you might ditch the suit and show up in a bolo tie.”
    “I’d thought about wearing my Spider-Man costume, but it’s at the cleaners.”
    With a snort, Hayden pulled away to search her phone for the private security code Stuart had texted her earlier, then punched it into the elevator’s keypad. Brent stayed silent until the doors opened to reveal the foyer of Stuart’s palatial penthouse, soft music and candlelight drifting toward them. Farther inside, she heard laughter and the clinking of glasses. The appetizing scent of a surely delicious dinner greeted them.
    She would have rather been anywhere else at that moment.
    Hayden started a little when Brent took her hand. He smiled tightly and led her out of the elevator. “Let the fireworks begin.”
    “Brent—”
    “Hayden, is that you?” Her mother’s voice rang out from the living room. “Dear, you’re right on time to hear Stuart talk about his new investor for the com—” Her mother broke off as she and Brent rounded the corner, her eyes going wide as silver dollars. Hayden tried not to fidget as six other pairs of eyes, including her father’s and Stuart’s, landed on them. As always, her mother recovered quickly. “Well, well. Who is this?”
    Drawing on years of practicing social niceties, Hayden smiled and drew Brent forward. She might feel like hurling, but no one else had to know. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Brent. My date for this evening.”
    She watched her mother’s nails dig into the white leather couch. Beside her, Brent let out a low whistle and she squeezed his hand to shut him up. “Date? You didn’t mention you were bringing a date.”
    Hayden started to respond, but her father, who had been eyeing Brent speculatively, spoke up first. “Oh, uh, darling. This is all my fault. Hayden phoned me earlier at the office and told me.” He turned to Stuart with a contrite look that deserved an award. “She asked me to call and let you know, but I got tied up on a conference call. My apologies. I trust there’s room for one more?”
    Stuart, who until now had been watching the proceedings with poorly veiled disappointment, rose and started toward them. “Sure, why not? Hayden, you look beautiful as always,” he said, kissing her cheek. When he lingered, Brent cleared his throat, drawing Stuart’s attention. He held out his hand. “Stuart Nevin, nice to meet you.”
    Eyeing each other, they shook hands. “Brent Mason. Likewise.”
    If her stomach wasn’t tied up in knots, Hayden might have laughed at the physical differences between the two men. Brent towered over Stuart, his giant hand all but swallowing the other man’s smooth, elegant one as they shook longer than the introduction warranted. Stuart pulled back first, running his hand