Free Tied for Two by Lyla Sinclair Page A

friends instead of merely acquaintances. The scent of his expensive cologne wafted over me. I wondered how much of my attraction to him was because I needed to prove I could be wanted by this kind of man. How could I be sure with all my childhood issues? I glanced at Alexis to see if she reacted to the kiss, but she was busy pouring wine, seemingly disinterested in what Eric was doing.
    “I have to go back down for a few minutes and finish the food,” Eric said. “Alexis can entertain you.”
    Alexis handed him a glass of wine. He thanked her and took it with him downstairs. I wished he’d invited me down to help him.
    “Sit here with me,” Alexis said. She folded herself gracefully onto the padded bench that ran along the side of the yacht, and rested one arm on the ledge behind her.
    I sat down a foot away from her, and she handed me a glass of wine. I wasn’t normally a big drinker, but I had the adolescent feeling that if I didn’t take it, I wouldn’t be one of the cool kids. It was childish to bend to peer-pressure at twenty-three, yet I felt a need to impress Alexis and Eric with my non-existent worldliness.
    I knew my need to please and impress others stemmed from being the only poor
    scholarship kid in a high school full of “richies.” I was rarely invited to their parties and events, and when I was, I felt too subconscious to go. I never had the right clothes like they did—never even knew what the right clothes were—and never knew what to say.
    “To new friends,” Alexis said, jarring me out of my memories. She clinked her glass against mine.
    We each took a sip and I decided this might not be a bad way to calm my nerves. I took a good-sized swig, then noticed Alexis watching me curiously. I put my glass down on the ledge behind me.
    “It’s okay. We have plenty,” she said. Her voice and mannerisms were so smooth. I wished I could be more like that.
    “Um…thanks,” I said. I always felt so jittery around people I didn’t know well. I picked the glass up and finished it off.
    Alexis smiled like I’d pleased her in some way, then she stood and refilled my glass. When she sat down this time, I noticed her body was nearly touching mine.
    “So, are you co-hosting the party tonight?” I wanted to know what was going on between her and Eric before I made a fool out of myself.
    “I guess I am,” she said.
    “Did you and Eric each invite people you knew? Split the guest list?”
    “Well, we were pretty much in agreement about who to invite,” she said.
    “People you know from work?” I asked. I wondered if it would make me look bad if my boss knew I attended a party full of employees from our major competition.
    Just then, Eric came through the door with a plate of bacon-wrapped shrimp. “I hope you’re not a vegetarian or something,” he said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just didn’t think of it ahead of time.”
    “No, this looks great.” I picked up one of the toothpicks and pulled the shrimp off with my teeth. I washed it down with more wine.
    Now I remembered why I didn’t drink very often. Less than two glasses of wine and my tongue already felt numb. At least I was calmer. I relaxed against the side of the yacht.
    Eric pulled up a deck chair. It was positioned in a way so I couldn’t be sure if he was trying to get closer to me or Alexis.
    They both watched as I finished the second glass of wine. Even tipsy, I was uncomfortable being the center of their attention.
    I looked around. “When are the other guests arriving?” I asked.
    “You didn’t tell her?” Eric asked Alexis.
    “It hadn’t come up yet,” she answered.
    They looked at each other as if waiting for the other to speak. “Tell me what?” I asked.
    “There are no other guests,” Eric said. “We wanted to get to know you better.”
    For a moment, I was flattered that handsome, suave Eric wanted to know little ol’ me better…until my fuzzy brain realized he said “we.” Did