“Hi, Daniel.” I adopt the most submissive tone I can muster.
His head jerks up and he scans the crowd looking for the Royal brothers. When he doesn’t see them, he leans back, pulling the girl closer to his side, almost as if she’s a shield. “What do you want? I’m busy.”
I scuff the toe of my ballet slipper in the stamped concrete. “I wanted to apologize for the other night. I…I overreacted. You’re Daniel Delacorte and I’m…” I fight back my gag reflex, “…a trumped-up nobody.”
The girl shifts uncomfortably. “Um, I think I hear my sister calling for me.”
She slips out from under Daniel’s hand. When he protests, I jump in. “I just need Daniel for a minute and then he’s all yours.”
Daniel smirks. “Just a minute? I last a lot longer than that.”
The girl titters and runs away. I get it. It’s awkward as hell watching someone humiliating herself. The minute she’s out of earshot, Daniel’s careless smile turns into a glower. “What are you playing at?”
“I want another chance.” I lean forward so that my cleavage is on display for him. “I made a mistake. If you’d just told me what you wanted, I wouldn’t have overreacted.” God, I can’t believe I have to say this crap to him.
His eyes drop to my gaping neckline and he licks his lips like an awful pig. “The Royals didn’t seem really happy.”
“They were mad because I made a scene. They want me to shut up and stay out of sight.”
“Yet you’re here.”
“Their dad makes them bring me.”
He frowns. “So you want to get back at them? Is that it?”
“Honestly? Kind of,” I lie, because I think sticking it to the Royals might be something that will appeal to him. “I’m tired of those jerks forcing me to act like something I’m not.” I shrug. “I like to party and I like to have fun. I was trying to be all proper for their sake, but…that’s not who I am.”
Daniel looks intrigued.
“So let’s stop pretending. Whatever you want, I’m down for and not just me.” I point to some vague area behind me. “You know Valerie, right?” He nods, his gaze dropping back to my chest. “I told her about your friends, Zoe and Nadine. And she’s interested. We thought…” I trail off and brace my hand next to Daniel’s knee. I bring my lips close to his ear. “We thought we could show you what Astor Park girls can do. We’re both dancers, you know.”
“Yeah?” His eyes light up.
“And you can do whatever you want with us,” I tease.
He seems more than interested now. “Anything?”
“Anything…and everything. Feel free to bring your camera. You might want to keep mementos.”
“Where?” His hand slips between his legs. Ugh, is he feeling himself up right in front of me? I clamp my lips together so I don’t ralph all over his lap.
“The pool house. I picked the lock. Meet us there in five minutes.”
I waltz away without looking back. If I’ve misjudged Daniel, this isn’t going to work and I’ll have to eat crow to the Royal brothers. But I don’t think I’m wrong. Daniel Delacorte has an opportunity to degrade two “trumped-up nobodies” and take pictures of them that he can show to all his pervy buddies. No way is he passing up that golden opportunity.
As I let myself into the small structure, Valerie pops up from one of the two chairs that she and Savannah dragged away from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Like the Royals’ pool house, this one is nearly all glass so that the view from the house to the ocean is unobstructed, but there are shades and the two girls have drawn them all.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” I joke.
Valerie tosses me something, which I catch reflexively. A robe tie. “Thanks, we were going for minimalist. Savannah and I thought that it would display our artwork better if there weren’t any distractions. You okay with the sash?”
Thinking back to the yacht and Reed, I tell her, “That’ll work.” I wrap the length around my waist. “Where’s Savannah?”
“I’m in the bathroom,” she hisses out.
A sharp knock on the door signals Daniel’s arrival.
“Showtime,” I whisper and then open the door.
28
“I half thought you might be setting me up, but I just saw the Royals drinking. Reed looks ready to go balls deep into Abby tonight.” Daniel runs his eyes insolently over me and then shifts to Valerie. “And you, Val. I never suspected you were such a dirty girl. But maybe I should’ve guessed.”
Because you’re both low class and trashy, I finish for him silently.
Valerie’s mouth twists in a noticeable sneer. Since she isn’t doing a good job of pretending to be hot for Daniel, I hurry over to distract him.
“What do you want to do first?” I stroke a hand over his shoulders and steer him toward the table in the middle of the room. It must have been too heavy for Valerie and Savannah to move.
“How about the two of you go down on each other?” he suggests.