Idrop my head back with laughter. My cheeks ache from how long I’ve been smiling. I don’t want this night to end.
“You better quit laughing at me,” Knox grumbles in my ear. He pushes me into a spin before pulling me back into his hard chest. My hand lands on his firm pec as I stare into his handsome face. He’s not as bad a dancer as he made it out to seem. He does have a hard time keeping the rhythm, but he makes up for it with sheer determination.
“Or what?” I grin at him.
He opens his mouth but closes it a half-second later. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll think of something.”
“You’ll let me know when you decide?”
He rolls his eyes at my cheek. When the song ends, we head off the dance floor to meet up with our friends. Kylie and Gwen are talking while Emmett and Grayson stare longingly at them. I raise my eyebrows at Knox, nodding toward the besotted guys. He just shrugs, obviously knowing nothing about how his friends feel.
Men. Why do they never ask their friends questions?
I’m not as close to Kylie as I am to Gwen and Gia. Kylie is a few years older than us, so we didn’t go to school together. She also lives in Seattle now with her husband. I’ve never met him. I don’t think he comes with her when she flies home.
“Farrah! We need your input on this,” Gwen says.
Kylie jumps in before Gwen can explain. “I asked Gwen if there was one genre of romance that’s more popular than the others.”
“I’m trying to convince Kylie to read it.”
“You don’t read romance books?” I ask in shock. “They’re seriously the best.”
“What’s the big deal about them? Aren’t they just written porn?”
The three of us glare at Emmett like he’s an asshole. His eyes widen as he slowly raises his hands in surrender. “I swear I did not mean that to be offensive. I’m genuinely curious.”
Knox snorts, breaking the tension, and we all dissolve into giggles.
“Gwen, you should start since you’re writing it,” I say.
“That does not make me an expert by any means.”
“You’re still much better at explaining it than I am. All I usually say is how romantic they are.”
She grins at me before launching into why people enjoy reading romance. “It’s not just about the sex. I think for a lot of people, it’s a safe way to experience love and intimacy without the dangers of putting yourself out there. For some women, dating can feel too risky. The guy you go out with could end up being the one who hurts you, but reading romance gives us a guaranteed happily ever after without the side of psycho killer.”
“Although some of us don’t mind a psycho killer character as long as he’s murdering others for her,” I tease.
Gwen laughs while the rest of the group looks at us like we’re crazy.
“Are there really characters who are murderers?” Grayson asks.
“Yes. That’s called dark romance. There are many, many genres of romance. That’s the beauty of it. There’s literally something for everyone.”
“What about sci-fi?” Emmett asks.
“That’s a big one,” I respond. “There are tons of romances that are set on alien planets or futuristic worlds. Some of those come with some fun attachments.” My entire face flames as the words come out of my mouth. I can’t believe I just said that out loud.
Knox raises an eyebrow at me. “Attachments?”
Thankfully, Gia and Holt come back to the table with drinks in hand. “Got another round for everyone,” Gia says as she places the glasses on the table. “What are we talking about?”
“Funattachmentsin sci-fi romances, though we haven’t gotten into what those are exactly,” Grayson responds.
“Then I got here just in time,” Gia grins. She launches into an explanation of the many variations of peens when it comes to alien characters. The guys and Kylie listen raptly while Gwen and I laugh at their shocked expressions.
The whole conversation gets derailed as the guys continue to grill us about the more outlandish romances. It’s a ridiculous conversation, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. I love that they’re not scoffing at our interests, and while they’re making fun of it a little bit, it’s all in good fun. Not a single one of these guys has made any of us feel bad for what we like to read.
