I keep my head down as I walk through the lobby and get into the car. I ride over with some of my friends. Everyone is laughing and giggling. I do my best to join in with them and let my worries go.
When we get to the club, someone buys drinks, and before I know it, it’s like old times. We dance and drink and have a good time. The band starts playing a slow song, and there's a peck on my shoulder. I turn and look, and there's a man standing next to us, looking at me expectantly. “Want to dance?”
I should say no. There's not one part of me that wants to dance with this man. I compare him to Austin, just like I've done to every other man these last seven years, and this guy doesn’t even hold a candle to the McCoy cowboy that has a starring role in all my dreams.
I open my mouth to say no when Austin sweeps in and stands between the guy and me.
“Dance with me.” He says it as a command and not a question. Speechless, I stare up at him. Where did he even comefrom? And even though I don't give him an answer, he grabs on to my hand and pulls me toward the dance floor. I can only imagine what Sadie and the other girls are all thinking. They all know Austin, and I'm sure nobody is as surprised as I am when he stops on the dance floor and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me against him.
I look up at him, searching his eyes. His cowboy hat offers a shadow, and it's hard to see what he is thinking. “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the bachelor party?”
His hands tighten at my waist, pulling me closer to him. “I wanted to be here.”
I look around the modern club and then back at him. It doesn't seem like his kind of thing. “Really? At The Wave? Is this the type of place you hang out at now?”
He smiles at that. “Honey, you know me better than that. If it doesn't have a jukebox or peanut shells on the floor, it's probably not my type of place.”
Being this close to him has my whole body tense and on high alert. When my breast grazes against his chest, I pull back a little, not wanting him to feel the evidence of my arousal. He has no clue what being this close to him does to me. A part of me wonders,What's he even doing and why is he doing this? Does he enjoy torturing me?
The song ends, and I can't get off the dance floor fast enough. I make my way across the bar and order a shot of tequila. Austin stops next to me, crowding me. The heat from his body affects me. And when the drink is set in front of me, I drink it fast, letting the cold liquid burn down my throat. “Another one,” I order. The bartender smiles and gives me a wink before pouring the shot and setting it in front of me. I hold it up to Austin, asking him if he wants some, and when he shakes his head side to side, I down it too and slam the glass onto the bar top in front of me. Austin pulls his wallet out and lays the bills out on the bar.
“I can pay for my own drinks,” I tell him.
He puts his hand on the money to keep it there. “I know you can, but I want to buy them for you.”
I put my hand on my hip and look up at him. I had a few drinks earlier, and these shots are already starting to affect me. “What are you even doing here, Austin? I mean, I'm serious.”
He looks almost guilty when he replies, “I showed up here in Florida at the hotel, and when Avery's dad found out I was here for the week, he invited me to the wedding.”
I cross my arms over my chest and wait for him to continue. “Okaaaay... So what are you doing in Florida?”
I hold my breath waiting for his answer. I swear if he tells me that he's here with a woman, I'm going to throw up right here on his cowboy boots.
He leans down and looks me straight into the eye. “I came for you.”
Chapter 5
Austin
"You came for me?" she squeaks.
She shakes her head in disbelief. "I need to get some air."
I nod and step back from her. I watch as she walks over to the table where her friends are at. She grabs her purse out of the booth, and I see her pointing to where I'm standing. All eyes go to me. I wait for the judgmental looks, but all I see are smiles on their faces.
When she walks back toward me, I hold my hand out for her. She grabs on to it, and I swear I want to pump my fist in the air right there. It's only a small thing, but it seems like such a big step for the two of us. I make my way through the crowded room, and people part as we walk by them. I get a lot of stares, but what Ruby said earlier is true: I really don’t fit in at a place like this.
When we get outside, I let her pull me to the side of the building. She stops. And I stop too. She stands in front of me, toe to toe. I breathe in her sweet vanilla scent. I swear it's like coming home again. Her hands start at my waist and climb to the swell of my chest. Her breaths are coming in and out in little pants.
I suck in a breath, loving the feel of her hands on me. Her eyes never leave mine. She’s wide-eyed, looking up at me. "If I kiss you, Austin, are you going to push me away again?"
"No, honey. I'd die about now to just have your lips on mine."
I don't know who moves first. It seems like we both do at the same time. She goes on her tip-toes, and I reach down, our lips mashing together like a union I've never felt before. My hands stroke up and down her back before moving to each of her ass cheeks and squeezing her there. It’s too much, too fast, but how can I resist?
She's on me as if she's climbing a ladder, and I lift her up into my arms as her legs wrap around my waist. This is so much more than a kiss. I should have known it would be like this. I should stop, but I can't. I've wanted her for seven long damn years. Her hips flex against mine, and my hard cock hits her right at her center. She pushes into me, gyrating her hips back and forth.
Our clothes are the only things stopping me from taking her right now. That thought, knowing that we're here at a club where anyone can see her, has me drawing back. I let her body slide down mine, and she's staring back at me with wide eyes and swollen lips. Her hands go to her mouth. "I want to go back to the hotel."
