Page 15

He didn’t sound good, at least not right then. “You wanna stop?”

“Nah.” He bent down and kissed her forehead, then threw his free arm into the air and jumped right back in with everybody else.

Nicole lost the beat completely. Before she could find it again, Drew had both her hands and was bouncing with her through the chorus, grinning as they made up steps that had absolutely nothing to do with the music. Nearby, Ryan spun Bailey hard enough to almost take out a lamp. Drew leaned down to sing the next verse straight to Nicole, his face inches from hers, and she shouted it right back, laughing through half the words.

And Drew could really sing. He had that rough Kurt Cobain rasp, gritty and half-shouted, but he never once went off-key. One more thing about him she hadn’t been ready for.

Song after song bled together—some rock, some country, some hip-hop. Whenever one of the rowdier guys came barreling too close to Nicole, Drew shifted between them, one hand firm at her waist as he steered her out of the way. And every time the crowd knocked them apart, he found her hand and pulled her back.

Eventually, the DJ slowed it down with something low and hypnotic. Drew reached for her, and Nicole went to him without wasting a second pretending she didn’t want him to. They were still in the middle of a packed party, with bodies brushing past them and God only knew who was watching, but for once, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. He was broad and solid, his heartbeat steady under her ear while hers wouldn’t settle down for anything. The heat coming off him soaked right through her bodysuit. Up close, he smelled like fresh laundry with a faint trace of cologne—clean, warm, and so good it went straight to her head.

“Having fun?” Drew asked.

Nicole let her eyes drift closed. “Yes,” she breathed.

Drew eased back just enough to look at her, but he kept her close.

His gaze fell to her mouth, and hers dropped to his. His lips were full and slightly parted, so soft-looking she wanted to find out for herself. He leaned in slowly, then stopped just short of kissing her.

His mouth was inches from hers, and Nicole was done waiting. She grabbed the front of his shirt, rose onto her toes, and kissed him. His lips were softer than she’d imagined, but there was nothing soft about the way she kissed him.

Drew went still for half a heartbeat. Then he groaned, cradled her jaw in one hand, and gave it right back, his thumb sweeping across her cheek.

God, she wanted this, more than she’d let herself admit until now.

Then his tongue was in her mouth, licking deep in long, possessive strokes. Heat pulsed between her thighs as he tilted her head exactly where he wanted it and devoured her. One hand slid into her hair and tightened while the other gripped her waist, his fingers digging in, trying to pull her closer even though there was nowhere left to go.

She moaned softly into his mouth. The filthier he kissed her, the weaker her knees got. She could feel him growing hard against her stomach, and knowing how badly he wanted her only made her kiss him deeper.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting. His forehead rested against hers, his breath ragged and hot against her lips.

“Fuck, Nicole,” he rasped.

“Yeah.” It was the only word her brain could manage.

His eyes dropped to her mouth again. Nicole had barely started leaning in when someone tugged on her arm.

“Babe’s done,” Bailey said, nodding toward Ryan.

He was slumped against the wall, wearing the dopiest smile Nicole had ever seen on him.

“We gotta go before Drew has to carry him to your car.”

Nicole shot her a worried look. “He doesn’t look so good.”

Ryan pushed himself away from the wall, swayed once, then gave them a confident nod that fooled nobody. “I’m good.”

“Sure you are.” Bailey caught his arm and steered him toward the door.

Getting him through the thinning crowd took a minute. Once they made it outside, the cool night air felt good against Nicole’s sweaty skin. Her hair was probably wrecked and her lip gloss was long gone, but her mouth still tingled from Drew’s kisses. His fingers slid between hers as they headed toward her car, with Bailey and Ryan trailing behind them. Ryan had one arm draped over Bailey’s shoulders and kept telling her how much he loved her.

Nicole unlocked the BMW. Bailey opened the passenger door and pulled the front seat forward while Ryan folded himself into the back. The second he made it inside, he poured himself across the seat, leaving one leg hanging through the open door.

“I swear before Jesus . . .” Nicole looked at Bailey. “Your boyfriend pukes back there, you’re both walking home.”

“He’ll be fine.” Bailey winced. “Probably.”