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The yelling gets louder as the faint drum of the school song starts. I look at Quinn, who’s grinning like a loon. She grabs my hand and leads me directly to Jeremy and the rest of the cheerleaders. We all share a look and give a small chin lift.
This doesn’t happen often in bars or clubs, but it’s pretty common around campus, especially on game weekends. I get into position in front of Jeremy and lean into his ear.
“How much have you drank?”
“Not even one beer. We’ll go to shoulder on six.”
As soon as the beat hits the chant, we all jump in. The routine is pretty simple with a pattern of claps, arm pumps, and calling out the words. On count six, Jeremy lifts me easily to his shoulder, and the bar goes wild. The DJ keeps the momentum going with a few more spirited yells, but I freeze.
My pulse starts racing the second I sense him. Bryce is here. The scent of his cologne assaults me, and when I glance back, he’s standing behind Jeremy with his arms stretched.
Jeremy braces the back of my knees, and I fly into Bryce. He catches me easily and crushes me to his chest. My arms wrap around his shoulders, and I bury my face in his neck.
“You’re here!”
He lifts my head back and gives me his signature smug grin. “Seems so.”
I roll my eyes and seal my mouth to his, kissing him hard. His fingers fist my hair, tugging against my scalp. I moan into his mouth, tingles shooting through my whole body. Slowly, he moves back and kisses along my jawline to my ear.
“Babe, if you don’t stop, we’re going to give everyone a show. I’m not opposed to finding a dark corner or possibly another maintenance closet.”
“Stop what?” I flutter my eyelids and give him my most innocent voice. “I was only reacting to your surprise arrival.”
He chuckles and pecks me quickly then sets me down. “Walk in front of me and get us seated. I wasn’t kidding about finding a corner.” He flexes into my hip, and I feel the hard outline.
I get us to the booth, and he situates me onto his lap. Nate walks up with a bucket of beer and sets it on the table. He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and sits across from us.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“You’ve been talking about this celebration since Monday. We didn’t want to miss it,” Bryce responds.
“What about work tomorrow? I thought you couldn’t get here until Saturday.”
“We actually still have to work tomorrow, but it’s a special assignment.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re meeting with the ROTC program in the morning then making an appearance at a military recruiting event.”
Nate snickers under his breath. “Bryce pulled this out of his fucking ass, but I jumped on board. Wanted to be here to celebrate your big accomplishment.” He jerks his chin in approval.
“There’s something I need to tell you. We’re not alone—” Bryce is cut off by a voice that makes my skin crawl.
“You really are a cheerleader,” Liza says accusingly.
I stiffen, and Bryce’s arm snakes around my waist possessively. Nate raises one eyebrow at me, waiting for my reply.
“Yes, I am. How are you, Liza?”
“Great, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in a college bar. Forgot about all this shit.”
Right as the word ‘shit’ comes out of her mouth, Quinn and Crystal walk up. Then another woman I don’t recognize joins us at Liza’s side. She’s also very pretty but more in the ‘girl next door’ way. Suddenly, I become anxious, knowing Bryce is here with them. Quinn sums up the situation instantly and takes care of introductions.
The new girl’s name is Dani, and she’s also on the ship with Bryce. She gives me a warm smile, and I immediately relax. Unlike Liza, she is kind and non-threatening. She shakes my hand enthusiastically and congratulates me on my engagement. At her words, Liza rolls her eyes, which adds fuel to Quinn’s fire.
“So, Bryce, are you going to chill since the date’s been set?” she teases him.
“I’m not falling for it, Quinn. Not taking your bait tonight.” He drinks his beer and rests his head on my shoulder.
