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She was pretty sure her heart was going to beat out of her chest. “I have a car.”
The entire row stood with them and the young girl behind her clapped. “Damn, girl.”
“You definitely weren’t worth these seats,” Daniel said snidely.
Vance took her hand. “No, asshole, she’s worth the whole section. You’re a dick.”
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in her chest. She grabbed her bag as Vance urged her across the row to the aisle.
His friend Jed slapped him on the back, and the rest of his friends ribbed him, even as they made way for both of them to leave. She braved a look at the jumbo screen, but the Kiss Cam had lost interest once they’d done the deed. He didn’t let go of her hand the entire way up the stairs.
Breathless and a little worried she’d done something completely irrational, she clutched his wrist with her other hand. He stopped at the top and drew her into the hallway. People were rushing back from the bathrooms and eateries as the announcer called for the next half to start.
The doors to escape were right there. Dusk had come and gone while they were watching the game. Was she honestly going to leave with a perfect stranger?
“Wait.”
Vance stopped, but he didn’t let her hand go. “Second thoughts, Goldie?”
“Don’t remember my name?”
He tipped his head and white teeth flashed from his jet black beard. “I’ll never forget your name, Presley.” His smile faded as he let her hand go. “If you are, that’s okay.”
She shook her head before she could really think about it. “Okay, well maybe a little. But only because I don’t even know your last name.”
“And you’ve never gone off with a stranger at a club?”
She slung her bag over her shoulder. “Sorry, I haven’t. Though I’m guessing you have.”
“I’m no saint, Goldie. In fact, a few years ago I was the one your mama probably warned you not to go out with. But that’s in my past. Until today. Some gorgeous blond looked at me with her rainy day blue eyes and I got a little crazy.”
No one had ever said that about her. She was the good girl that took her responsibilities seriously. Apprenticing under her father before the state even allowed her to work. It was who she was. She didn’t go off with strangers.
God, she was tired of that Presley.
She wanted to be Goldie, the girl that would go off with the man with the honey-colored eyes and—she swallowed—a tattoo that peeked out from underneath the collar of his V-neck T-shirt.
She shook her hair over her shoulder and lifted her chin. “I want to be the girl a guy goes crazy for.”
“Well, how about that.” He held out his hand again. “You already are.”
Don’t think. Just go. For once in your life just go.
She put her hand back in his and let him pull her along again. Out the doors into the cool night air. She crowded into him with a chatter of teeth. Her super short shorts and capped sleeve T-shirt had been a great idea when it was climbing toward ninety. She hadn’t remembered to bring a jacket with her for after the game.
He looked down at her. “Cold?”
“A little.”
He unbuttoned his green linen shirt and shrugged out of it. He held it out for her, but she was too busy gaping at the full sleeve tattoo on his right arm. It ended mid-forearm then skipped to another pattern of an intricate sun with rays that became crowns. It all had a Celtic flavor in unrelieved black over his tanned skin. A very tanned and muscular arm.
The kind of muscles that couldn’t possibly belong to a regular guy.
“More second thoughts?”
More like she wanted to peel back the form fitting cotton T-shirt he was wearing and find out how far the tattoo went up. She swallowed and hoped her tongue wasn’t hanging out. “No. I’m an artist and that tattoo is way too intriguing.”
“Well, if we keep getting crazier, maybe you’ll see the rest of it.”
