SWNOVELS Chapter 17
The four-hour long ceremony goes by smoothly.
Nova delivers a sharp-witted and motivating speech effortlessly. A thunderous applaud ringing in the crowd along with his friends’ catcalls.
But was I able to focus on any of it? Nope.
Because his parting words left me squirming and my body a distracting hot mess. Making denial my best friend, I ignored the dampness in my panties throughout those tortuous hours.
“Is there something going on between you and Malcolm?” I casually ask Miya.
She laughs awkwardly. “Umm… No. Why would you even ask that?”
“Because we’re in his bedroom.” I wave my finger in a circle as I stand in the middle of his room. The man is a neat freak. I also point out, “And you seem quite familiar with it.”
After the ceremony ended, Teresa doted over her son, taking countless pictures and even forcing Nova and I to take one together. While making me painfully realize that both our mothers are not so different because they’re the only ones seemingly happy about our families’ twisted arrangement.
If that wasn’t enough, I then had to endure lunch with his whole family.
I was happy when Miya and I sneaked out with some random excuse.
Except, the second we stepped inside the apartment while the boys are out, Miya went straight down the hall and unlocked Malcolm’s room, walking inside as if she belonged there. Hell, she even knew where the light switch was in the dark.
Now she is surveying through his massive walk-in closet. Again, the ease and familiarity with which she moves and searches through his things tells me she’s lying about nothing going on between them.
It makes me second-guess my secret plan of seducing him tonight.
I have my flaws but sleeping with a man that my friend has feelings for, who as promised wormed her way into my life, isn’t one of them.
“He’s nothing but my cousin’s annoying friend, Rosalie,” she replies more firmly.
“So, you wouldn’t be upset if he slept with another girl?”
She pauses to fully face me. “Like who?”
As I remain quiet, understanding dawns on her pretty features.
“Oh,” she mumbles. “But you have Nova.”
It is my turn to laugh. “I wouldn’t let him touch me with a ten-foot pole.”
“You really hate him, huh?”
“How can I not, Miya?” I reply in a somber tone. “I always imagined falling in love with a man I chose, not someone forced to be with me, let alone marry. How would you feel if your parents showed up with a random man and said this is the one you have to spend the rest of your life with? Would you accept your fate? Could you really fall for him and not wonder if there was someone else out there for you?”
She shakes her head and whispers, “No. I could never.”
“Even if by some miracle we did, I will always question if it’s real or because he had no choice.”
A faraway look crosses her eyes and she looks away. When she faces me again, her expression doesn’t give anything away. “Do you like Malcolm?”
“He’s attractive,” I reply with a shrug.
“I don’t care if you two hook up, Rosalie. Honestly, there’s nothing between us except maybe mutual dislike. He’s hot and single. So go for it. Just don’t let Nova find out.”
My intentions are the exact opposite. Though I don’t tell her that. “What are we looking for here, exactly?”
“The code.”
“The code?”
“For entering the party,” she explains, back to her chirpy self. Walking over to his organized desk in the corner, she checks the drawer. “Malcolm is handling the security tonight. He must have written down the code somewhere. Aha!”
I curiously watch her yank open a black envelope. She must have found the secret code because a wide excited grin tilts her mouth. However, my attention locks on what’s hiding underneath.
A distorted matte black mask.
Intrigued, I grab it and feel the texture against my palm. An unexpected dark thrill shoots down my spine at the thought of a man wearing it while he takes me with no holds barred.
No names. No expectations.
Just the raw and animalistic need to fuck and taste pleasure.
“Oh, this must be Malcolm’s mask,” says Miya, running a single finger down the middle. “Creepy. I don’t understand the fascination with masks, honestly.”
“It’s freeing,” I whisper. Wearing the mask over my face, I gaze at her. “The freedom to be whoever we want, to let our demons run free.” Backing her until Malcolm’s bed hits her legs, I crowd her and graze my finger along her arm. She shivers when I wrap my hand around her soft neck. “It’s the chance to escape and bring our darkest fantasies to life without the fear of consequences. Because we’ll never get caught.”
Her throat moves as she swallows while her gaze is unfocused.
Both of us break apart when we wear the front door open and slam shut.
“Fuck!” she curses. “They’re back.”
Miya quickly grabs the mask and puts it in the drawer along with the envelope in the same way we found them. I’m quite impressed. Meanwhile, I think of an excuse as to why we’re in Malcolm’s bedroom, when I catch the sight of my slippers peeking from underneath the bed. I padded out barefoot when I left his bed this morning after he let me spend the night alone.
I reach them just in time as both Malcolm and Nova appear in the doorway. Immediately, their gazes suspiciously move between Miya and I. Miya acts as though she’s casually lingering near Malcolm’s desk and doesn’t bother with any explanation.
“Any specific reason you’re both in my room uninvited?” demands Malcolm in his cold tone.
Nova leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed, waiting for an answer. Still clad in today’s clothes, sans the suit jacket and tie. His arms bulge against the confines of his dress shirt folded up to his elbows.
Since when did arms become so sexy?
“I forget these this morning,” I reply, nudging at the slippers.
“And both of you were needed to carry them?” mocks Nova.
“So she followed me in here. Big deal.” Flicking my chin at Miya, I say, “Let’s go.”
“Not so fast.”
Nova’s voice halts me.
“Why?”
“I think we ought to check you first.” Smirking, he utters, “Just as a precaution.”
“Do I look like a thief to you?”
“You stole my phone this morning.”
I glare at his audacity, wanting to wipe the stupid grin from his wicked face.
“Stop being an arse, Nova,” scolds Miya.
“No need,” I tell her before meeting Nova’s gaze. “You want to pat me down? Fine.” Slowing walking up to him while he watches the sway of my hips and runs his tongue between his teeth like a predator. He straightens in anticipation. But instead of stopping before him, I twist toward Malcolm at the last moment, who has been quietly observing us. “Malcolm, would you do the honors?”
The smirk falls from Nova’s smug face. He warns, “Rose.”
“What?” I feign innocence. “It’s Malcolm’s room. He should check if I took something.”
“Stop playing with fire, trouble.”
I raise one eyebrow at Malcolm and taunt, “Don’t tell me you’re scared of Nova?”
I have both of them cornered and they know it. Malcolm shakes his head once but the challenge lurks in his vivid eyes. They glance briefly over my head before he shifts closer and raises his hands to meet my hips.
A second before they can make contact, I’m yanked toward a familiar hard body, seething with unleashed rage. Nova’s arm circles my waist as he drags me down the hallway toward his bedroom.
I’m too happy in my little victory to curse at him for manhandling me yet again. However, two things become strikingly clear.
Nova is extremely jealous of Malcolm.
While his friend isn’t afraid to go up against him.
Exactly what I need for executing my devious plan, killing two birds—my virginity and destroying Nova’s ego—with one stone.