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“Just making sure. Have a good night,” I say as I hand Cash his drink and pull him to an empty table nearby.
“So, Cash Creed. Your accent tells me you’re not from around here,” I note, making small talk, taking this guy in, and mostly making sure he’s not a creep. Coming with a group of friends who look respectable and who are regulars is a pretty good sign.
“Nope. From Texas.”
“What brings you here?”
“Grandfather’s funeral,” he replies, his eyes piercing mine.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry,” I say, seriously feeling bad. Wow, way to go Sage. You are rusty.
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.” He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink, his eyes still piercing into mine.
“So are you in town for long?” I ask, trying to recover.
“For the summer, actually. I’ve got some things to help with. How about you?”
“This is home for me.”
“Good to know,” he says, still studying me. I’ve met a lot of guys, but there’s something about this one. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Part of it is in the way he looks at me when I’m talking. It’s like he’s drinking me in, those eyes staring but not in a creepy kind of way. In a way that makes me flutter in all the right ways.
He takes a sip of his drink and we endure some more necessary small talk before he finally leads me to the dance floor. “Oh, sorry,” he says, when the song switches from a slow song to a fast one just as we’re getting ready to dance.
“For what? I’m not much for slow anyway,” I reply, smirking as I start dancing wildly to the upbeat song.
Cash joins right in, his body next to mine, the heat from him melding into me. It feels good to connect physically with someone. God, I’ve forgotten how good it feels. Harper’s right. Those marketing reports can wait. In the middle of the song, he smoothly spins me around so I’m facing him, pressing me up against him. This isn’t his first rodeo, either. His smooth moves, his swagger tells me he’s not a stranger to a life of fun.
“Girlfriend back home?” I ask, studying his eyes. I might be all about no strings attached, but I like to make sure the guys I’m with really don’t have any attachments. I have my boundaries.
“No. Boyfriend?”
“No. And if I did, I guess he wasn’t really making me happy if I’m here with you like this,” I reply.
At this, he leans down and takes my lips with his, hard and fast. The kiss momentarily stuns me because I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s been a while since I’ve met a guy who can match me for being forward. Usually, I’m the dominant one in the relationship.
Still, as his lips move expertly on mine, I drink it in, the sounds of the club fading into the background. All I know is that his lips are on mine and it feels freaking amazing, his hands on the small of my back with just the right amount of pressure. His hands wander up the back of my white jacket, a tank top still shielding my skin from his hands.
I’ve never wanted to lose my shirt so much. I’ve never cursed myself so much for wearing so many layers.
“Will you get a room, brother? Jesus, we’ve been in the club for what, twenty minutes, and you’re already causing a scene?” another voice with a deep drawl says, snapping me out of it. A man in a cowboy hat stands in the middle of the dance floor now, the redhead on his arm. He looks like he could be Cash’s more rugged twin. Must be his brother.
“This is my brother, Levi,” Cash confirms. “My older, bossy, protective brother. Cock block much, bro?”
Levi shakes his head. “Nice to meet you. Be careful with this one,” Levi says to me, pointing toward his brother. “He’s a little rough with the heart.”
“I can handle it, but thanks for the warning,” I reply, still shaken from the kiss.
“Come on, killjoy. Cash is a big boy. Let these two have their fun,” the redhead says, winking at me. I smile as Cash leans in. “Do you want to take this somewhere else?”
“Forward much?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Some gorgeous woman told me it’s the best way,” he says. I look back at Harper and give her a quick nod. She’s playing on her phone but looks up to see me. I give her the nod, which is our signal that all is well. She gives me a thumbs-up to let me know she’s leaving before I follow Cash out of the bar.
“Your place or mine?” he asks.
“Yours,” I say. It’s one of my unwritten rules. It might be a little riskier, but I’m a girl who likes to live on the edge. And to me, the risk of accidentally misreading a serial killer is less of a risk than letting a guy into my space, my real life. The Sage of the club is part persona, part wall protecting me from others knowing the real Sage Everling. I prefer to keep it that way.
“Well, I just moved in, so there isn’t much furniture,” he murmurs, pushing a strand of hair out of my face.
“Is there a bed?” I ask.
“Yeah, there’s a bed. Although, I must say, I’ve been told I work my best magic in nontraditional settings.”
“You’ll just have to prove it to me,” I reply, excitement rising as I follow him down the sidewalk toward a night of all kinds of excitement.
