Isla made sure Jude was on time and Rufus and Taylor arrived promptly at eight. Isla swung the door open, cutting Nadia off before she had a chance. Jude stayed back a few feet, but when she saw Hazel, she smiled. Rufus cleared his throat and greeted Jude and then Isla with kisses on the cheek, then said goodnight to Nadia right after. The four of them got into a limo. The guys sat at the back and the girls on the sides.

Taylor asked Jude, “Are you feeling better?”

She blushed. She couldn’t help it around him. “Yes. Much better. Thank you for asking.”

“You’re welcome.”

Rufus poured drinks, whiskey all around, then asked, “You girls ready to party?”

Isla responded, “Can’t wait. Right, Judith?”

“Yes, Isla.” Jude was starting to hate her cousin. She was too chipper for Jude’s good, too oblivious to what was happening right in front of her. Or was she? Jude looked at Isla, sitting blissfully unaware of the demons that haunted her every move and wondered what it must be like to live so frivolously. They had tolerated each other since her uncle died, but now she felt a stronger emotion.

Taylor watched Jude sitting in the seat ahead of him, her legs exposed to the thigh. Dirty thoughts were taking over as he looked at her skin and the shape of her legs. It had been months since they’d been together and he’d missed being between them, having her open for him. He’d missed her so much, but he ended that train of thought since it would only make him embarrassingly hard.

Eyeing her, he noticed she was wearing makeup and looked seductive. Her hair was styled but down, the way he liked it. Her red full lips were licked innocently, then her eyes met his and she quickly looked away again. He liked that she couldn’t stare back. Every other girl could. Their experience taught them that trick. Not Jude. Jude’s innocence pervaded her to the bone.

Taylor forced himself to look away, to look at anything but the woman in front of him. He was never good at charades and now he was forced to play some never-ending game of it. “Where are we going?”

Rufus laughed and hit Taylor’s leg. “Relax, man. We got all night. Boehler even said so.” Taylor didn’t like the way he said that. Rufus’s eyes locked on Jude like she was prey. Rufus glanced out the window. “Anyway, we’re here. Let’s go.”

Jude followed Isla and Taylor followed behind her. He wanted to touch her so badly that just the thought was making him harden. It had been too long since the last time they had been together at his place and after earlier in the day, when they were so close to that hotel room, he didn’t know how long he could take this torture. Tonight would be a true test of his willpower, indeed. He eyed her again, brazenly as they walked, while he could get away with it.

Rufus paraded them in front of a long line on the street and past the bouncer. They entered the club and were led by a hostess to a rounded booth that sat one level up from the dance floor. Rufus tipped her and allowed the girls to slide in first, then sat next to Jude, leaving Taylor standing at the end.

“Sit, my friend. We’re in for a long night.”

Taylor glared at him and then slid into the booth next to Isla. Bottles were brought to the table, mixers, and snacks. As they made cocktails, Isla leaned in front of Jude and said, “I want to dance. Let’s dance, Rufus.”

Jude turned to her left, leaned back and her eyes landed on the most handsome man she had ever seen. When Hazel smiled at her, her heart quickened, and she felt love embrace her.

“I don’t dance,” Rufus stated loudly. “Take Taylor.”

“No,” Taylor stated firmly. “But you should dance. Maybe Jude… ith wants to go.”

His slip caught her attention and she looked at him momentarily again before glancing Isla’s way. “I’ll dance with you.” It would beat sitting next to Rufus all night.

The girls slipped out and Isla led Jude by the hand to the packed dance floor.

As the men watched them, Rufus, as if he was truly interested, asked, “What’s going on, Barrett?”

“What do you mean?” He took a drink, not wanting to talk to him at all.

“You know what I mean.” His snake like eyes narrowed on Taylor. “Fucking in The Plaza in the middle of the day, all the bullshit over lunch, the casual, unaffected attitude that shows how affected you really are.” He finished half his drink before he finished speaking. “You’re banging the Boehler girl and for some reason you don’t want me to know about it. For some reason, you don’t want anyone to know. Why is that?”

“First of all, I’m not banging her. Secondly, you’re losing your edge. There’s nothing going on. You’ve misread everything you think you’ve seen.”

Evil flashed in his delirious eyes. “So you’re okay if I bang Boehler and you get the cousin?”

“Stop calling her Boehler.”

Rufus smirked. “What should I call someone I fuck and throw away? Judith?”

“A hooker. Judith isn’t a plaything to entertain you until you get bored. She’s a good girl.”

“I know. That’s why I have this insane desire to turn her into a bad girl.”

Shaking his head in disgust, he said, “You’re fucked in the head. Have you ever cared about anyone other than yourself?”

“No. You shouldn’t either. You’re a man, not a girl.”

“Fuck you.” Anger rose in Taylor’s chest, making him feel hot in the club. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and angled away from him.

The two men watched the women dance, arms up, arms down, swaying, turning, laughing. Rufus refilled his glass and said, “I’m going to fuck her, Barrett, unless you can give me a reason not to.”

“You fucked my girlfriend. There’s nothing I can say that would stop you from trying to fuck Judith. You have no boundaries. You never did, which is why we’re no longer friends.”

Rufus laughed loudly. Pointing his finger at Taylor, he said, “See? I knew there was a reason you came tonight. And considering you just said we’re not friends, that means you’re here for one of them. And my gut tells me it’s not the cousin.”

Taylor rubbed one of his temples. He sucked at lying, but would do anything to protect Jude. “Take her. You can have Judith.” The one thing he knew about Rufus for certain was that he didn’t want to be given anything. He’d happily pay for sex, but when it came to dating, it was all about the chase, the unattainable. Taylor just hoped he fell for his play and rejected his offer.

Eyeing his enemy, Rufus chuckled. “Since when do you give me anything?”

“That’s right. You prefer to take.”

“You’re damn right. Just like I fucking took Katherine. Had her begging for my cock. Had her begging to marry me.”

“You’re an asshole, Stevens.” Taylor stood up and started to leave.

“This asshole is gonna fuck your life over and over.”

Taylor stopped and turned around. “Why? Why are you after me? This can’t be about a girl when we were seventeen. That was a long fucking time ago.”

“I’m sick of your fucking face. I’m sick of the golden boy getting all the attention. I’m sick—”

“You’re sick?” Taylor slammed his palm down on the table. “You’re fucking sick? I’m sick. You win, Rufus. Don’t you see? I die in ten years and you get to live. You win, so this path of revenge you’re set on will end at my funeral.”

Rufus drank his drink, watching the girls dance. Taylor might be right, but he wouldn’t rub it in. He couldn’t. He had to protect what he and Jude had, but his insides twisted. Watching Jude out there with a smile on her face, life not burdening her, he wanted that for her always. But selfishly, he also wanted her. When he didn’t respond, Taylor walked away. He went down the steps in a hurry and crossed Jude’s path, making sure he caught her eye. When he disappeared down the hall, she told Isla, “I’ll be back. I’m gonna use the restroom.”