Grounded (Up in the Air #3)(89)

At one point Tristan ran his hand through his hair, then pointedly checked his watch, which looked familiar. "Are you about done harassing me, pretty boy?" he asked.

James cursed, then held out his hand. "Give me my watch back," he said. 

Tristan waved the watch at him. "It's almost my birthday. Can't we just call it even?"

James shook his head, grinning. "I don't like you that much."

Tristan was handing it back to him when his expression became arrested, his eyes moving to look at something behind us. Something raw moved behind those golden depths that seemed impossibly sad for the charismatic man.

I glanced behind us.

Danika approached. She was looking at us, not at Tristan, but she seemed different than I'd ever seen her, more stiff, her limp more pronounced. If I hadn't known these two had a history, I would have quickly caught on by the way they changed when in each other's vicinity.

She wore a long silver gown that hugged her perfect figure like a glove. Her straight, blue-black hair was parted down the middle and hanging down her back. The severe and simple style brought out the elegance of her face, the rosebud lips, the high-cheekbones, and those stunning, pale-gray eyes.

Danika strode directly to me, bestowing a kiss on my cheek. She was unsmiling but polite down to her toes. "So lovely to see you again, Bianca."

She nodded to James, who introduced her to Stephan and Javier.

"Hello, Danika," Tristan said softly, after all of the introductions had been made.

She nodded in his general direction, but didn't look at him. "Hello, Tristan."

"It's great to see you," he told her. "You look exquisite, as always."

She smiled tightly. "Sure," she said.

A man approached her from behind, wrapping a hand around her waist and smiling warmly. He was about my height, with medium brown hair and a light build. He was handsome, in a nondescript kind of way, but I thought that he complimented Danika well. They made an elegant couple.

She touched his shoulder lightly. "Everyone, this is Andrew."

"Her boyfriend," Andrew added.

She gave us another tight smile, then introduced the group to him.

I snuck one glance at Tristan, but the way he was looking at Danika was so blatant and raw that I quickly looked away. Being around the two of them felt like overhearing a couple's worst fight. It felt like we should all excuse ourselves and leave them alone to sort things out, Andrew included.

Danika and Andrew quickly made their excuses and moved on.

Tristan quickly followed suit. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go punch something now, so that I don't give in to the urge to punch someone." With that telling remark, he strode away.

"I take it there's beef between Tristan and Andrew?" I made it a question.

James shrugged. "I don't know that they've ever met before. I think it's just the beef that Tristan would have with any man that Danika might date. He's been in love with her since I met him. For five years, at least. Poor bastard."





CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Mr. Distraught





James stayed glued to my side almost constantly for an entire week. If I wasn't working a flight, he was there, and I couldn't say I minded it a bit, though I began to suspect the reason.

He was terrified that I would watch the video of him and Jolene. He hadn't asked me not to watch the thing, but he knew me well enough to suspect that I would want to view what was out there for the world to see.

And so I didn't find myself alone for nearly a week after the sex tape's release. James had worked plenty in that week, but only when I was working, or when I had someone keeping me company. Lana took me shopping; Stephan sat with me while I painted. Marnie and Judith flew to New York to spend the afternoon with me. Danika dropped in for an afternoon to observe my current projects. I had a constant barrage of friends to keep me company if James had to work and I didn't, and I didn't think for a second that any of it was a coincidence.



       
         
       
        

I was in the New York apartment, painting, when it dawned on me that I was actually alone.

I glanced at the computer in my studio but just continued to paint. But once the thought occurred, I found it difficult to focus on anything else. I knew I'd have to watch it eventually, and it seemed for the best to just get it over with. It seemed like the whole world must have watched that video by now, and he was my devoted lover, so why shouldn't I get to see it?

I was sitting at the computer and searching for it online before I could give it much more thought. I typed 'James Cavendish sex tape' into the search engine. It was that easy.