“No, Jen, I’m not ruining your night just because I have a little headache. Please don’t worry about me; I’ve already called a cab.”
Something about Emily’s voice is off. She’s not known for fibbing, but I have a feeling there’s something more going on with her than she's letting on.
When my gaze strays back to the dance floor, I see the cute blond I was dancing with standing frozen, waiting for my return. His eagerness makes me torn. I don’t know whether to force the truth from Emily now or let it wait until morning.
Emily makes the decision for me. “Go on, babe, have fun. I’ll call you tomorrow, and you can give me all the details.”
Stealing my chance to protest, she wraps me up in a firm hug.
“Are you sure?” My words are brimming with concern. I know how stubborn Emily is. If she sets her mind to something, she won’t let anything deter her, so even if I begged and pleaded for her to stay, she wouldn’t, but this still feels wrong.
“I’m sure. Now go.”
Confident I’m reading her wrong, I give her another big hug before returning to my dance partner. I’m sure tomorrow she’ll tell me what’s wrong. Until then, I get to enjoy dancing with a much younger and more attractive version of Patrick Swayze.
“Is everything alright?” the blond asks upon my return.
I halfheartedly shrug. “Yeah, my friend isn’t feeling well, so she’s going home.”
He glances past my shoulder to Emily and Nicole before returning his eyes to mine. “Did you want me to give you a ride home?”
I try to mask my disappointment that he wants to take me home. My attempts are fruitless. I'm beyond disappointed.
Spotting my sullen expression, he smiles. “Not right now, I meant I can take you home later.”
“Oh.” A huge grin adorns my face. I love dancing in general, but when you dance with a guy who has moves like his, it’s an entirely new experience. “Thanks for the offer, but I brought my car. Maybe next time?”
I cringe. I just insinuated there’d be a second date, with this not even being a date.
He assesses my face for the hundredth time the past twenty minutes before slowly breathing out, “Maybe.”
As mortified by his response as I was mine, he spins me on my heels, plasters himself to my back, then swings his hips. Nerves take flight in my stomach when one of his hands spreads across my stomach. His firm hold secures me to his body, while his other hand explores mine. When his rough fingertips glide past my budded nipple, a breathless moan parts my lips. Our dancing becomes more provocative with every minute that ticks by, stepping over our previous PG rating.
My heart beats in an unnatural rhythm when I gaze up at him. His dark blue eyes are glancing down at me, full to the brim with lust. After returning my eyes front and center, I snap them shut. The darkness enhances the sexual sparks firing between us.
Not even two seconds later, my fantasy bubble is burst by an annoying cough. When I pop open my eyes, they’re met with the sneer of a beautiful brunette. I peer at her, stunned by her fury.
Recognizing I’m clueless about what has made her angry, she shifts her narrowed eyes to my dance partner. Utterly oblivious to her deadly rays, he continues grinding his erection against my ass.
She cocks out her right hip, her nostrils flaring. “Seriously?”
I nudge him in the ribs, stopping his grind mid-pump. When he stiffens, I crank my neck back. Anger boils my blood when I see the guilt marring his face.
I’ve just been played—again!
Stepping out of his embrace, I stand next to the furiously angry woman, signaling to her I was unaware he was on a date. Women need to stand united against the players of the world.
When my dance partner’s gaze bounces between the pretty brunette and me, and he has the gall to smile, I snap. “Do you mind?” I gesture my head to the bottle of beer my new friend is clasping.
A smirk curls on her lips. “Not at all.”
After accepting the frosted bottle, I saunter to the arrogant jerk with my hips swinging provocatively. He stops watching their healthy roll when I balance on my tippy toes so I can pour the beer over his head. He doesn’t move out of the flow of the freezing cold liquid. He just stands there smirking, while his face and shirt accept the brunt of his punishment.
Once the bottle is empty, I spin on my heels and briskly walk away. I didn’t consider how much trouble I could get in when I put my plan into action. I was angry, so I ran with the first notion that crossed my mind.
It was a silly thing for me to do.
The first person I see during my frantic flee is Nicole. Her wide eyes reveal my theatrics weren’t done on the down low. “Time to go.”
