Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Jackson made his way over, casually telling the bartender to send a few bottles of good wine to the table.

But before he even got close, he saw a group of guys exchange a look, then head straight for Kaitlyn.noveldrama

He wasn't the only one with his eye on her tonight.

Jackson gritted his teeth. Of course she'd attract attention-wasn't she basically asking for it, coming to a bar like this alone? He couldn't help but think back to the first time they'd met. Things had clicked right away, and they'd barely made it through introductions before ending up in bed together. After that, their hookups just kept happening, both of them happy with the arrangement. Now she'd apparently decided she was done with him and was out here shopping for a new fling.

Jackson frowned, hanging back to watch instead of going over.

The guys practically oozed confidence as they sat down beside Kaitlyn, showing off like peacocks.

"Hey there, gorgeous. Here by yourself? Mind if we buy you a drink?"

Kaitlyn barely glanced up, still tapping away on her tablet. She'd come out hoping to relax with a drink, but work had followed her anyway-her studio had called with a last-minute emergency. The two models she'd signed, Seth and Eli, had vanished off the face of the earth, leaving her in a tough spot with Clara, especially since Kaitlyn had recommended them herself.

She hadn't been able to reach Clara either, so now she was scrolling through profiles, hoping to find someone who could step in. So far, no luck. She'd been sitting here for ages and hadn't seen a single decent candidate.

Without bothering to look up, she said, "If you're going to flirt, at least check yourself in the mirror first."

The guys' faces darkened, obviously not used to getting shot down.

"Ouch, that's cold. People say we're some of the best-looking guys around."

Kaitlyn smirked, finally lifting her head to give them a once-over. "Who says that? A bunch of blind patients at the eye clinic?"

Her words were savage, and she didn't even try to keep her voice down. The people nearby burst out laughing, making it even worse for the guys.

Their confidence fizzled out in an instant.

"No need to be so mean," one of them muttered.

Kaitlyn just kept scrolling, totally unbothered. "I can recommend a few good plastic surgeons, if you need them."

"You-!"

The guys looked ready to lose it, but the crowd was already laughing at them. "Give it up, guys. She's clearly not interested."

"Yeah, flirting's supposed to be a two-way street, you know."

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They realized if they kept pushing, they'd just make themselves look worse. Plenty of guys in here would love a chance to swoop in and play hero for a pretty girl anyway.

And Kaitlyn really was gorgeous-dressed so classy in a bar like this, she stood

out in all the best ways.

Faces red, the guys shot her one last look.

"You'll regret this," one of them muttered.

Kaitlyn acted like she didn't hear a thing, eyes never leaving her tablet.

A moment later, someone slid into the seat beside her.

She frowned, about to snap, but stopped short when she saw Jackson.

He raised his glass, voice light and teasing "Wow, Kaitlyn, your standards must be sky-high. When you picked me, was it just because of my face?"

In showbiz, looks were everything.

If she hadn't liked his face, they never would have ended up in bed together.

Kaitlyn looked away, wondering how he even knew she was here. This wasn't some fancy, members-only place. Jackson was always picky about his surroundings-even the hotels he took her to were

top-of-the-line. Why was honovi

slúmming it tonight?

She didn't say a word, just put her tablet away and stood up to leave.

Jackson followed right behind her. As they walked down the hallway, he suddenly caught her by the wrist and trapped her between his arm and the wall.