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His fingers dig into my thigh, possessive and warm. “If you’re not waiting outside for me the second this thing’s over,” he murmurs, his voice like smoke and sex, “I’m coming in there and carrying you out. Over my shoulder. No matter who’s watching.”

My pulse jumps and I shake my head, pushing open the car door and making my way to The Salty Dog, official home of tonight’s girls’ night. There’s a rumble through the silence as West pulls away.

The party has already started without me. Skyler is halfway through a pink cocktail, perched on a barstool. Francie is surreptitiously trying to read a book on her phone, her lips moving as she reads.

Autumn’s rearranging a charcuterie board with military precision, muttering something about the cheese-to-cracker ratio.

Sadie is standing in front of the jukebox, flipping through the choices, her long red hair curled in soft waves as it tumbles down her back.

“Where is everybody?” I ask, looking around at how empty the most popular – and only – beach bar in town is.

“I closed for the night,” Skyler says, taking another sip of her cocktail. “It’s my bar and I’m in charge. And the kids are in the back sleeping, I couldn’t get a babysitter at this short notice and Hudson was desperate for a boys’ night.”

“Asher was too,” Francie says, putting her phone down to look at me. “They’re like little kids scared of missing out. Seriously.” She shakes her head.

“So Asher and Hudson are at the lighthouse?” I send a dirty glance over to Autumn, because what the hell? It was supposed to be just Parker and West, but now the whole gang is going.

Did Parker tell them anything? Oh God, if I was worried about West’s reaction before, now I’m in full panic mode.

“And Jesse,” Skyler adds. “And he picked up Bennett. Apparently, the two of them have bonded.”

Oh Sweet Baby Jesus.This is not good. “Autumn,” I say, keeping my voice as calm as I can without spontaneously combusting. “Can I have a word?”

She looks up from the charcuterie board and sighs, beckoning me over.

“Relax,” she murmurs when I stalk over to her. “Everything’s fine. Parker’s not going to tell them. He promised.” She picks up a cracker and loads it with Monterey Jack like she hasn’t just spiked my anxiety. “And if he’d asked Hudson and Asher to stay at home, don’t you think that would have looked more suspicious? They’re not idiots. They’d know something was up.”

I let out a long breath and grab a margarita from the tray. It tastes like tequila and shame. “I still don’t like it,” I mutter, mostly to myself.

“Don’t like what?” Francie asks from behind me. She’s appeared out of nowhere, her phone now in her pocket. “The charcuterie? Because honestly, Autumn’s gone full dictator over it. Those hormones really are a thing. Last week she cried because I wouldn’t write her a sex scene,” Francie continues, stealing a grape. “And it wasn’t justanyscene she wanted. It had to have a pregnant heroine, an ex-football hero, and him dressing up as a wolf and making her his omega.”

“His omega?” I repeat.

“It’s hot. You should read some omegaverse books.” Autumn glances at me. “Actually, don’t. You’re already oversexed enough.”

Um, hello? People aren’t supposed to know about that. I kick her softly in the shin and she frowns.

“What?” she snaps at me.

“I’m not oversexed, remember?” I say, through gritted teeth. “No sex over here at all.”

“What about that Bennett guy?” Sadie asks, walking over and grabbing a drink. She’s wearing the cutest outfit, cotton floral patterned shorts and a matching shirt, open over a tight tank. The blue of the pattern contrasts with her red hair. “I thought you two were a thing when you came into the bookstore together last week.”

“Me and Bennett?” I shake my head. “No, we’re definitely not a thing.”

“And she’s not a thing with West either,” Autumn adds.

The whole room goes silent. Francie gives me a strange look. Sadie takes a sip of her drink. Autumn shoves two more crackers in her mouth.

Then Skyler walks out of the apartment at the back of the bar where she’s been checking on the kids. “Everything is quiet,” she says, then she stops and looks at us all. “What’s going on?”

“Eden absolutely isn’t sleeping with anybody,” Sadie says, sounding amused at the whole situation. It must be her first experience with a Fitzgerald Girls’ Night. Otherwise she’d know it always descends into complete chaos.

“Okay, wow.” I lift my hands. “Can we please redirect the spotlight away from my lack of sex life?” I look at Sadie. “How about you? Is there somebody significant in your life?”

She lifts a brow. “Absolutely not. I prefer book boyfriends.”

“One day she’ll tell us what happened to her,” Skyler says, giving Sadie a grin. “And more importantly, who we need to beat up.”