“Bryce! Get over it.”
“No body shots, Devon, promise me.” His tone possessive.
“Promise. What are you doing tonight?”
“Not too much, maybe a few drinks and a bar down the road. Text me when you get back to your room. And be careful.”
“Okay you too.”
“Always.” He hangs up and I stare at the phone. We really need to have a talk about his etiquette.
“Show
er’s all yours. Hurry up!” Quinn comes out, with a trail of steam following her. She inspects the outfit I laid on the bed and nods her head in approval, then waves her hand at me to hurry.
When we’re both dressed and Quinn has found out where to meet everyone, we head downstairs. Several heads turn to stare as we wait for a cab, but none of them remotely compare to Bryce. For the hundredth time since leaving Colorado, I realize, I’m screwed.
When we get to the club, it’s packed. People line the streets waiting for entry and the outdoor bar is crowded with bodies everywhere. Quinn asks the bouncer if our names are on the VIP list since our friends came earlier. He nods and lets us in, pointing to sectioned area, not even asking for our ID’s.
We join a group of people we know in the roped area. A waitress brings us our drinks and it’s clear we’re the most sober of the group. I decline when invited for body shots, avoiding Quinn’s hard stare.
A few of us head to the dance floor where bodies close in on us, gyrating to the beat of the music. I don’t turn around when a guy grabs me from behind and starts grinding lightly. It’s not seductive in any way, just a friendly dance. One song leads into the next and Quinn joins me dancing on my front.
The guy behind me moves away and Quinn stops moving all together. Her eyes grow wide and she shakes her head, indicating I turn around. When I do, my heart stops. Bryce is standing behind me with his arms crossed, looking ready to kill.
I ignore his fury and squeal, hopping into his arms. He stumbles back slightly, but catches me and lifts me up his body. My legs wrap around his waist and I bury my face in his neck.
“Is it really you?”
“I better be the only guy you greet this way,” he hisses.
Leaning back, I cup his cheeks and kiss him lightly, then rest my forehead against his. “You are.”
“You realize I want to punch the dickhead that was grinding on your ass, right?”
“You have turned into a total caveman!” Quinn swats his arm.
“Yep, complete and utter overprotective ape. Don’t like seeing some douche with an obvious hard-on rubbing on my girl.”
“Well, how would you feel to know, anyone standing behind Devon right now can practically see her whole ass the way you’re holding her?”
I unlatch my legs and scrambled to get down, adjusting my dress. Heat fills Bryce’s eyes as Quinn burst into laughter. She bends over holding her stomach, which makes me giggle too. He looks between us like we’re crazy then tugs us both off the dance floor to our sectioned area. The booths are mostly empty but the tables are set up with champagne chilling.
“Okay, I’m long overdue for a proper greeting.” Quinn stretches her arms and Bryce hugs her tight, kissing her briefly on the cheek.
“It’s been a long time, Quinn. Good to see you.”
“You too. When did you become so hot?”
“Quinn!” Heat creeps up my cheeks.
“Seriously, he’s fucking built. Tell me, Bryce, do you have a six-pack, or an eight pack?”
I cringe from humiliation and slink into the booth.
“I’ll let Devon answer that for you.” He winks and sits close, pulling me into his lap.
“No way! She can’t be a proper wingman, wrapped up in your arms. It just doesn’t work.” She shakes her finger at us, clearly not approving of our embrace.