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“Interesting,” Elizabeth said.

Adil was still trying to convince Carina to ride with us. “Come on. I have space. Think of how much time and money you’ll save. Cab fares on Saturday nights are crazy.”

“Adil’s right. The more, the merrier.” Yasmin gave Carina’s outfit an appreciative once-over. “Killer dress, by the way.”

I should contribute to the conversation, but I’d lost the ability to speak the second I laid eyes on Carina. It was highly inconvenient, considering I did not want her in the same car or, preferably, even in the same room. She was too dangerous.

She tried to demur, but Adil and his girlfriend eventually wore her down. The Andersons observed the exchange like granite-faced statues of judgment while Whitney hovered awkwardly on the side, and I…

Well, I was busy trying to figure out how the fuck I was going to survive this car ride with my sanity intact.

CHAPTER 30

CARINA

I was in hell.

For some people, hell meant fire and brimstone, but for me, it was the back seat of Adil’s very small, very expensive BMW. Yasmin couldn’t sit in the back because she got carsick, so I was squeezed into the rear with Noah and his date.

And by squeezed, I meant squeezed. “I have space,” my ass. Adil had lied. It was so cramped that Whitney and I were practically sitting on Noah’s lap at the same time. Half her body was draped over his left leg; half my body was pressed against his right. Every attempt to scoot farther away resulted in me rubbing against him in a horrifyingly provocative way.

We were only ten minutes into the drive, and I already wanted to die.

“I know I’ve said this, but it really is so great to meet you,” Whitney said.

My ears perked up with confusion. Meet him? Didn’t they already know each other?

“It’s great to meet you in person too,” Noah said, a little too quickly. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Her forehead wrinkled, but she was still ridiculously pretty. I sort of hated her, and I hated myself for hating her. “But we’ve only been⁠—”

“How’s your modeling going?” he interrupted. “You had a shoot for that…brand recently. Right?”

Of course she was a model. I should’ve guessed.

“I did! I had a shoot for vitamins a few weeks ago.” Whitney sounded surprised but pleased. “I can’t believe you know about that. How did you find out?”

Noah shifted. “You told me.”

There was a confused pause. “I did?”

“Yes. When we, uh, last talked.” He pivoted to asking about her summer plans, which prompted her to ramble on about the South of France and its various beach clubs.

I tried to tune out their conversation and the unwelcome little twist in my chest. Noah hadn’t looked at me once since we got into the car. My butt was planted firmly on his leg, but I might as well not exist. I’d felt pretty good about how I looked tonight, but now, I felt more invisible than an unnecessary piece of set dressing.

Meanwhile, Noah didn’t take his eyes off Whitney. Their conversation had moved on to her dog, and he appeared thoroughly engrossed in whatever she was saying.

I couldn’t claim to know what type of women he preferred or how he acted on dates, but I found it hard to believe Noah would be that interested in the grooming habits of a two-year-old Bichon Frisé named Champagne.

Something was off. They got along well enough, but there was a slight awkwardness to their interaction, like this was their first time really getting to know each other. That couldn’t be right though. Noah would never go on a date with someone he hadn’t thoroughly vetted. Maybe it was awkward because he liked her that much. It would explain why he was so fascinated by the origin of Champagne’s hand-knit booties.

I released a slow breath through my nostrils. Noah and Whitney were ignoring me, and Adil and Yasmin were lost in their own world up front. I needed a distraction, but my phone was in my clutch, which I’d accidentally wedged underneath me during the cram-three-adults-into-a-child-sized-back-seat confusion. I couldn’t retrieve it without rubbing myself all over Noah.

A tiny flame sparked to life at the thought. Cold air blasted through the vents, but his body heat scorched my skin. His thigh was strong and muscular beneath mine, and when Adil lurched to a stop at a red light, my core rubbed against his jeans.

A lightning bolt of pleasure streaked through me. My nipples tightened, and my skin flushed from head to toe.

Fuck. I held my breath, my pulse hammering. I could not be getting turned on just by sitting on his lap. He was on a date with another girl, for Christ’s sake. Even if he wasn’t…