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mouth tipped up, and she raised her eyebrows as she looked at me quizzically.
    “Isn’t that how one-night stands work, Boyd? I’m a big girl, you said so yourself. I don’t need to rehash the past. Those were your rules: one time and never again.” She pointed her index finger at me. “Honestly, there’s no need to talk about it. We’re both adults. I don’t feel uncomfortable around you because we slept together once.” She shrugged, dismissing me as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
    I was the one who made the rules, so why did I suddenly feel rejected?
    “Truth be told, all I’m concerned about is Ella. She has an important night this evening. I don’t want anyone to screw it up for her—not you, not your brother, not anyone. She’s worked too hard for this.”
    “Noted.” I smirked, which earned me a smile from her.
    “Okay, this is you. Do you want me to text you the address of the club or do you want to go together?” We stopped in front of my hotel, and I felt a sense of uneasiness growing in me. I didn’t want to say goodbye to her, even though I’d be seeing her later. I felt the sudden urge to take her up to my room, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. If I was going to break my golden rule, I was going to make sure to do so when we were in no rush whatsoever.

 
    BEING AROUND BOYD WAS UNNERVING. I tried to be cool, but he was so impossibly attractive. The guys I slept with were sometimes handsome, but he was the whole package. That face, that smirk…that body . I kept having flashbacks of the way he’d moved inside me that night. I was completely flustered.
    God. Luckily, he’d be leaving soon.
    Stop it. Stop thinking about him. I finished applying my makeup and chose an outfit for the evening: black skinny jeans, a lightweight chiffon blouse, booties, and a thin gold pendant necklace. I ruffled up my hair, applied one more layer of lipstick, and headed out.
    The more I didn’t want to be physically close to him, the more we were pushed toward each other. The place where Ella was about to play was freakishly tiny, a real hole in the wall. I was pretty sure they were about to reach capacity, and the showcase had just started.
    Ella and Lou weren’t there yet, and I could only imagine why. I smiled at the thought. Those two. In the meantime, I was trapped in this wormhole for who knew how long. Boyd and I were almost skin to skin without even trying. Being so close to him wasn’t helpful. I was engulfed in his smell and had to keep myself from trying to find an excuse to stroke his hard bicep. My whole body felt tingly around him, as if something were about to happen.
    It wasn’t. Although he had mentioned our night together, I thought Boyd was just trying to test me. Well, I wasn’t going to cave or beg for sex, no matter how tingly he made me with just a gaze. I had a reputation to defend: badass single female .
    It was going to be tough, but I just had to resist the urge to climb Boyd like a tree for the next few days. Pretty soon he would be out of my life. Problem solved.
    A moment later, I saw Lou and Ella making their way toward us.
    Lou introduced his girlfriend to his brother, and Boyd pulled Ella into a bear hug, lifting her off the floor. Showoff .
    “Nice to meet you,” he told her, kissing her on the cheek. I knew it was just friendly, but I felt a ping of jealousy and possessiveness.
    “Nice to meet you, Mr. Boyd-Building. Your reputation precedes you!” She flattered him, trying to get in his good graces. You’re trying too hard, girl . Boyd Rivers didn’t need more flattery. It was like adding sprinkles on an already perfectly good cupcake.
    Boyd placed an arm around her shoulders and then started saying something in her ear while looking at Lou. Apparently it was something funny, because Ella laughed and covered her mouth with her hands. Hendrick found us in the crowd and, after saying hi to all of us, told Ella it was time to go backstage.
    “Hey,