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“Will you just excuse us for one second?” I gripped Tamara’s arm so that she wouldn’t be able to protest on the spot. I yanked her up and pulled her out of the booth as casually as I could without drawing attention to ourselves. “We’re just going to the ladies room for a minute. Will you wait right here for us to get back?”
“Absolutely,” the guys said as a unit. Their eyes were still locked on mine with intense expressions on their handsome faces.
I pulled Tamara across the room. The electronic beats of the music sent an excited vibration through the entire night club. Everyone was dancing in unison, arms in the air, bodies moving to the intoxicating sounds. My adrenaline was pumping as vigorously as the beats themselves, a mirror image of something spectacular.
I stopped as soon as we slid out of eyesight, turning the corner. I stood against the wall near the women’s bathroom, but we didn’t go in.
“What are we doing exactly?” Tamara looked confused but agreeable. A little amused, even.
“I don’t know.” I brushed my hair off my cheek and adjusted the spaghetti strap of my dress. I laughed. “I just…should I take those guys up on their offer?”
“To dance?” Tamara raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Why not? They certainly are cute.”
“But three of them?” Part of me was hesitant, but the other, slightly more audacious side of me was progressive and curious.
I wasn’t normally daring, but my inhibitions might as well have been tossed into the ocean breeze after a couple of drinks under my belt. I was entranced by a sudden, euphoric sensation, as if I could conquer the world and no one would stand in my way.
Tamara laughed, shifting her weight as she propped herself up against the wall with the side of her shoulder. “I’m the one who told you to live a little bit and explore your options.”
“That’s true.” I contemplated her statement.
“Why don’t you just let them buy you a drink and dance with them for a few sets of songs,” she suggested. “It’s just all harmless flirting, anyway. It’s not like you have to go home with them if you don’t want to.”
What if I wanted to? That simple question blazed through my thoughts.
I left that idea tucked away in the privacy of my mind, but my heart thudded in my chest. I didn’t know what had gotten into me tonight, but I was running in the direction of my heart and that was all that mattered to me in the end. Tamara was right. What was a little harmless flirting, anyway?
It was just a dance. Or three.
I took a deep breath. A glazed boost of excitement oozed through me, a warm sensation like stepping into a hot Jacuzzi one leg at a time. Who could deny themselves embracing that kind of pleasure? Certainly not me.
“Alright, thanks for the sanity-check. Come on,” I grinned, pulling Tamara along. “Let’s go back to the table.”
Ethan, Caleb and Worth were all standing in the same spot as I had left them, making small chit-chat with Andrea and Brice. I appreciated their efforts. At least I knew that they were the sociable types.
“I took the liberty of buying you a drink.” Ethan beamed as he handed me a glass of translucent liquid.
“What is it?” I glanced at the drink and then back at Ethan.
“Vodka water. So, you get to enjoy the effects of the alcoholic beverage, but at the same time, it keeps you hydrated.”
Brice cleared his throat. “I watched him order it.”
Ah. I gave Brice a grateful smile, glad he was watching out for me. Ethan didn’t seem offended either at the implied distrust. He just watched me expectantly.
“Wow,” I said, taking a hesitant sip. “It tastes just like water. You can barely even taste the vodka.”
Ethan winked. “That’s the whole point.”
“Thank you.” I raised my glass. “To new beginnings.” I had no idea why that phrase had erupted from my mouth, but it felt right for the moment.
Everyone raised their glasses to chime together. “To new beginnings.”
Ethan leaned in and gave me a deep stare through electric green eyes. “Now, how about that dance?”
Chapter 10 - Ethan
I held my hand out to Geneva, pulling her up from the booth seat. The sultry blonde with the piercing blue eyes was capturing my heart and robbing the air from my lungs. Chemistry swirled around us as we pushed our way through sweaty, sexy moving bodies to the middle of the dance floor.
