THE CONTRACT (The Chosen Series #2)

WANNA PLAY

I reach behind and pull up the zipper of my leather skirt, the fitted material emphasizing my tiny waist and wide hips. Kim Kardashian, who?

"Honey, I'm home!" Ava shouts from the lower level, the distinct slam of the front door vibrating through the floorboards, followed closely by the sounds of her moving up the stairs. "Damn, someone's on the prowl," she notes, stepping into the room and giving me a once-over, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You want some?" I purr, giving her a little twirl and cocking out my hip. "And what makes you think I'm looking for something?"

"Hmmm, let me think, short skirt, tight black top, stockings, and your lucky Louis Vuitton ankle boots. All you need is your red lipstick, and then the 'I'm open for business' outfit is complete," Ava chuckles, crossing her arms over her chest, the action emphasizing her slightly larger, slightly fuller pregnancy breasts.

With a smirk mirrored back at my BFF, I take in her outfit. It's almost a matching color scheme and style to mine, except if we were to swap my skirt for jeans and my 6-inch boots for Doc Martins, we'd be twinning. Retrieving the predicted lipstick from my matching clutch, I stride toward the small mirror over the dresser. Applying my first coat, I smack my lips together to blend the color. "Let's just say I'm not actively looking for anything, but I'm certainly not opposed to catching someone's eye."

"You wouldn't be going to all this effort for a certain someone, would you?" Ava asks, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"I wouldn't know who you're talking about," I deflect, applying another coat of lipstick and inwardly cringing as I await her response.

"You know I wouldn't mind if you did hook up with..."

"How about we don't go there," I interject, cutting her off before she can finish her thought. Ava may have been absorbed in her own epic love saga with the mountain, but my friend is nothing if not perceptive when it comes to me. I'm surprised that I've been able to keep Alexei off her radar. But when the dust settled, and she was able to focus on the world outside of her bedroom, Ava was on me, like a leech to blood, asking questions about another specific mountain man. Fido...

It didn't take me long to divulge everything, every sordid detail, including the almost fuck, much to my shame. After confiding in her, Ava simply laughed, her tone devoid of hurt, and assured me she had sensed something between us and had no issue if I chose to pursue something with him.

You could call me vindictive, but I can't shake off the memory of how easily he dismissed me. Like I was some dirty little secret to be hidden away in the shadows. Well, if that's how he sees me, then that's exactly how I'll play it: a forbidden, tantalizing temptation that he won't be able to resist. And when I see him again, oh, will I make him squirm.

I know I'm still a bit bitter, and Ava picks up on it with a smirk as she heads for the door. Her hips sway, and she tosses her curly hair to the side. "Oh, did I forget to mention that we're all having Christmas lunch at the Ranch?" She laughs as she leaves the room. "And he'll be there."

"Bitch!" I shout after her as she cackles down the stairs.

"You know it," she shouts back.

Trailing after her, my head spinning with a mixture of anger, fear, and, dare I say it, anticipation at the knowledge she just dropped at my feet. I grumble as I stomp down the stairs, immediately running through the outfits I brought with me, trying to think of what I could wear to mess with him.

When I reach the lower level, I pause, several ideas coming to mind before I realize that we're missing someone or something. Seeing the expression on my face, Ava sighs. "Isla decided to stay at the treehouse."