Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

Olivia

I speed-walked through the opulent lobby of The Plaza, my heels clicking against the marble floor in a rapid staccato. The scent of pine and cinnamon lingered in the air, which made sense because the hotel was still fully-decked for Christmas. I nodded a quick hello to the receptionists as I made a beeline for the elevators, my mind already formulating the perfect argument to convince Caroline to come for drinks.

"You'll have the rest of your life to spend with Griff," I muttered under my breath as I jabbed the elevator button. "But only a few more days with me."

The elevator dinged, and I stepped inside, rehearsing my plea as it ascended. I knew I was being selfish, but the thought of losing my work bestie and real-life best friend to an alien prince and a far-off planet was starting to feel all too real. I’d tried not to think about Caroline leaving in a few days, but the reality was impossible to ignore.

I liked my new colleague a lot, but that didn’t mean I was ready to say goodbye to Caroline. Especially not when I was going through my annual trauma about attending my mother’s party, as well as wondering if being a personal shopper was my true calling. All these crises meant one thing. I needed Caroline.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t thrilled for her. I was. I’d seen her suffer at the hands of less worthy guys, and I’d been the biggest cheerleader of her and Griff getting together. I just hadn’t known it would mean she would leave Earth so soon. I needed a few more days and a few more nights out before I could let her go.

As the doors slid open on Griff's floor, I strode purposefully down the hall, my well-practiced speech on the tip of my tongue. Reaching the open doorway of the suite, I blurted out, "This is your last chance!"

But the words died in my throat as a pair of startlingly blue eyes met mine. The man—no, the alien—who turned to face me was quite possibly the most stunning guy I'd ever laid eyes on. Griff was handsome, sure, but this guy? He was sex on legs, with a bad-boy smirk that hit me like a punch to the gut.

“My last chance?” he said, his voice a rich baritone that sent shivers down my spine.

I blinked, momentarily stunned into silence. "I, uh..."

He closed the distance between us and grabbed one of my hands in his. “I do not want to miss my last chance with you.”

I forgot how to breathe as I gaped at him. His hand sent heat buzzing up my arm and pulsing through my body, making all rational thought impossible.

Caroline's laughter broke the spell as she appeared at my side and pulled me away from the alien and into the room. "Liv! What are you doing here?”

I managed to close my mouth, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember why I was there.

“Perfect timing, Olivia.” Griff said. “I’d like you to meet Ruune, my cousin."

Right. The cousin. Griff had mentioned he was coming, but I hadn't expected him so soon. Or to be so…devastatingly handsome.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. "Welcome to New York,” I said, cringing internally at how breathless I sounded. "I'm Olivia, Caroline's friend."

Ruune's eyes sparkled with amusement as he took my hand again, bringing it to his lips for a kiss that lingered just a beat too long. "Charmed," he purred.

The heat that had shot up my arm now crept up my neck, as my usual confidence deserted me. What was wrong with me? I never got flustered around guys, no matter how attractive. But something about Ruune's intense gaze and cocky grin had me feeling like a schoolgirl with her first crush.

He’s a player, Liv, I reminded myself. Don’t let yourself be charmed by him.

I squared my shoulders and tried to regain some semblance of control. I was a player too, and there was no way I was going to let myself be bested. Not on my own turf.

I gave him my most charming smile and maybe batted my lashes at him. “I popped by to see if Caroline wanted to join me and my co-worker for drinks. But you're all welcome to come, of course."

“Co-worker?” Caroline asked.

“They haven’t replaced that awful Miranda yet, but they moved a woman over from bridal to help me.”

“That’s good.” Caroline smiled, but I could hear a hint of regret in her voice. “You can’t run the department solo.”

I bit back the urge to beg her to come back. She had a new life. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t beg her to come out tonight. “I’ll tell you all about it over cocktails.”

Griff put his arm around Caroline. “That sounds great, actually. Caroline has missed you all day, and Ruune just got here and should see more of the city."

"I give great tours.”

We all turned to see Pippa standing in the doorway, her eyes locked on Ruune like he was an ice cream cone about to start melting. My new coworker’s red hair fell in bouncy waves down her back, but she gave it a toss that I recognized as a practiced move.

"Sorry," she fluttered her eyes, her gaze not moving from Ruune. "The door was open, and I heard voices. I'm Pippa, Olivia's colleague."

Ruune gave her a small bow. "I'd love a tour from such a lovely guide."

A knot formed in my stomach as I watched Pippa sashay into the room and walk straight to Ruune. I'd just identified the problem with having a colleague who was as experienced a dater as I was. She knew what she was doing around guys, which meant she knew how to reel them in.

But what did I care? Griff’s cousin was a known player, and I had no intention of falling for him. He was here to have some fun, so what did I care if he had fun with Pippa? It wasn’t like there was any chance of him falling for me like Griff fell for Caroline. Not that I wanted that.

Then why did I get a sick feeling as I watched Pippa eye him?

"Great!" Caroline's cheerful voice jerked me from my internal turmoil. "Let's all go out and show Ruune a good time. Where were you thinking, Liv?"

I blinked, trying to focus. "Oh, um, there's this new martini bar that's supposed to have amazing holiday-themed cocktails. I thought it might be fun to check out."

"Sounds perfect," Griff said, wrapping an arm around Caroline's waist. "Just give us a few minutes to grab our coats."

As the couple disappeared into the bedroom, I found myself alone with Ruune and Pippa. I was usually the one making other people feel awkward, so this was an odd turnaround for me.

"So, Ruune," Pippa purred, sidling up to him. "Tell me all about your planet. I bet it's fascinating."

Ruune launched into a description of Valoria, but his eyes kept darting to me. I busied myself with my phone, pretending to check messages while my mind raced. If the guy was hoping for a save, he was on his own. If he was hoping for me to join in, he had the wrong idea. I didn’t share, and I didn’t need to fight anyone for a guy. There were too many hot guys in the city for that.

Not hot like this.

I almost groaned at myself. This was the last thing I needed this week. I was losing my best friend and mentally steeling myself for my mother’s relentless questions and judgment. I should not be worrying about a hot guy.

"Ready to go?" Caroline's voice snapped me back to reality. She and Griff had returned, bundled up against the New York winter.

"Absolutely."

As we filed out of the hotel room with Pippa sticking close to Ruune, I told myself this was a good thing. The last thing I needed was guy drama. And anyone could see that Ruune attracted drama wherever he went.

I smiled at the thought that, for once, I’d dodged a bad-boy bullet.