Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

While Tara stepped out to take a call, Nicholas finally had a moment to speak.

"Dylan, you're on your own," he said, shaking his head.

Jackson nodded, looking just as resigned. "Anyone who gets mixed up with Tara comes out worse for wear."

Jackson was about to keep going when he caught sight of a mark on Dylan's collarbone. He couldn't resist leaned in, tugged Dylan's collar aside, acting like a total weirdo.

After his own recent fling with Kaitlyn, Jackson knew exactly what those marks

were.

He tried to hold it together for a few seconds, then blurted out, "What, did you do this to yourself?"

Dylan had been zoning out. The question brought him back. He shot Jackson a look-expression unreadable.

"Let go."

Jackson let go, making a clicking sound with his tongue. "Wow. So this is how far you'll go to get Tara off your case? Hate to break it to you, but she didn't even seem to care."

Jackson thought Dylan would just go quiet again, but Dylan said, "Clara did it." "Wait, what?" Nicholas practically spat out his drink, thinking he must've misheard.

It was already wild enough that Dylan had married Clara-but now Clara kissed him? Kissed?!

Why would Dylan let her? And why just say it like it was no big deal?

Since when was being kissed by Clara something you'd mention like it was an achievement?

to recover, just nodding. “Well,

eyelashes lowered,

You like Clara's looks, don't you? Honestly, she's kind of dangerous. And have you seen her

was

I say something wrong? Look, I've never really liked her type. No way I'd fall for her tricks. I just never thought you

was just a

holidays. Isn't Scarlette back from her trip? I heard she's been working a lot with that Morgan guy. Someone

He stood up and headed out of the

the second he closed the door behind him,

up and flashed him a smile.

nodded, half-suspecting she'd been eavesdropping, but there was no

it to the top of the social ladder on

smiled again. "Let's catch up another time. Oh, and

the door

got into his car-a

really knew what she'd been doing all those years abroad. If it weren't for the occasional viral video of her

her an instant online celebrity. Tons of rich clients were desperate for her to design their mansions. Getting on her waiting list was basically

had connections everywhere, here and

off about her that he couldn't

floored the gas, heading to

called her. No

picked up one call out of ten,

already frustrated, so he drove

at night, the campus