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“He’s a pain in the ass, isn’t he?” Ian offered, still sipping the same cocktail he’d ordered earlier. I gave him a hard look.
I wrinkled my nose at them both. “Don’t you work for him? Isn’t there some kind of rule about bashing your boss?”
“He would never try to enforce that, considering the shitty situations he gets us into.”
I grunted, making Ian’s smile deepen, showing off that adorable flash of dimples against his smooth fair skin. He was too cute. Those red curls and wide blue eyes would probably get him any girl in the room if he tried. Never mind the impressive play of muscles under his casual white V-neck tee. “You’ll get used to him. He’s not usually so…” Ian gestured at the grinding pair on the dance floor.
This time I did laugh. “You know I was hired to undo thisexactlook. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short time with him as a client is that right here, this is what Liam Macklen is.” I gesture to where Elle danced against his body, another new woman joining them both from behind.
Ian’s handsome face never wavered, but he did pause to run a hand through his auburn curls, mussing them slightly. “Make sure to do your research, Miss Grove. You might be surprised by what you find.”
My brows lowered and I opened my mouth to ask what he meant when Sasha—delightful, independent Sasha—plopped down a flight of four shots. Without hesitation, I snagged one and slung it back before offering it to the men across from me.
“Do your worst,” I said to the alcohol in front of me.
Ian waved me off, followed by a regretful-looking Tommy. Soon, they moved off to chat with another friend. Leaving me with three shots, staring scornfully at my client as he slithered his way across the floor, smiling for selfies, his hands sliding across his companion’s bodies. Someone, probably his new best friend Elle, had opened his collar even lower, and the lights from above splashed across the exposed flesh, turning him vibrant shades of red, blue, green.
He was attractive in any shade. I couldn’t help but admire the way he moved, his body flowing powerfully around his partners’. I bit my lip, my body heating as I tried to drag my eyes away from his form.
Ugh. I was ready to go home. Eyeing the next shot in the row, I picked it up and let my tongue slip out for a taste. Lemon drop. A guilty pleasure. I went ahead and took the shot, quickly swallowing the harsh liquor. It went down easier than I remembered from college. It only took a few more songs before I gave in and took the another. Because at this point, if Liam was going to stay up all night ruining his reputation, then at least I was first in line to witness and remedy.
After this next shot.
The night had gone too long, and my head was fuzzy with the dull beats of the DJ and the now empty shots that stared back at me from the middle of the table. Sasha had dropped a diet soda off a bit ago, and I sipped on it, gnawing my straw as I watched Liam Macklen have the night of his life.
Before I knew what I was doing, my legs were carrying me down to the dance floor. Sliding between Liam and his current companion, I pressed close to him, my hands bold and sure against his sides.
Liam’s eyes were dark, the pupils blown wide as he allowed me to press him back, my hand dangerously close to the open part of his shirt. I wanted to believe that it was his heartbeat pounding under my fingers, but I couldn't be sure it wasn’t just the bass rippling up our bodies.
His hand slowly rose up, coming to rest just above my hipbone, barely touching me. My lips quirked. He was probably afraid I was about to attack him.
I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do, but I knew I wasn’t letting my client crash out of this place tonight with one of these girls on his arm.
He was going home safe with me.
Well, notwithme, but with me in a sense that I’d make sure he didn’t do anything stupid before I had him safely locked back up in his tower. But he didn’t know that. Which was why when Liam suddenly tugged me forward, pressing our bodies together, I actually sighed in bliss. My heels brought my body up against his, and I could feel the sway and movement of his pelvis against me as he wound his arms around me.
Desire—sharp, low and incredibly dangerous—swept through my body, and while I went to push him away, my hands on his forearms weren’t cooperating. His bare skin there tingled and burned my palms.
I looked up to find those eyes watching me, so serious. Ever so slowly, he leaned in, brushing his mouth across the shell of my ear and making my thighs clench together. “What are you doing, Ashlyn?”
My mind was still fuzzy, but his words set off a resounding wave of panic.
What was I doing? This was my client. I was touching him, dancing against him like I had any kind of right to do so.
He was a project, one I was failing badly at.
“I’m scaring away your harem,” I whispered back.
He pulled back sharply, his eyes narrowed again. He didn’t believe me. Ifhedidn’t, there was no way his father would. Behind us, all around us, time slowed, the music changed, and a wonderful, horrible idea took root.
I gave him a light push, his arms dropping as he gave me an odd look. Turning around, I faced the crowd, the smiling and in some cases jealous looks that had been coming my way since I stepped up against him. Forcing a grin to my lips, I slapped my hands together above my head then proceeded to launch myself into the only idea my mind could come up with.
It was the Macarena.God bless you, Pleasant Bridge Elementary, for teaching this to me in fifth grade, because I needed something embarrassing and I needed it right now.
Surprisingly, I got all the way through the first phase of the Macarena before I felt Liam’s hand on my shoulder, the warmth bleeding into my skin.
I didn’t dare look at him for fear that I'd either burst into laughter or tears. People skittered away from us, giving odd, wide-eyed looks at Liam and me as we suddenly became pariahs on the dance floor.
