“Thanks, Marty. I wish I could say the same,” she retorted playfully, yet honestly.
He pretended that she’d shot him in the chest and stumbled backward dramatically. Between that and his breath, it was clear he’d had more than a few drinks.
“You’re not driving, are you?” She started to pull out her phone to call a ride for him.
“Nope,” he said proudly and pointed just past Jess. “He took my license after my last DUI.”
“Damn right I did.” Ethan’s deep voice sent a shudder down Jess’s spine. She felt him behind her, and his breath fanned her shoulder as he asked, “Is Lana picking you up?”
“Yes, sir, Officer Tight Ass.” Marty laughed at his bad joke.
Ethan ignored him and stepped beside her as he motioned to the back of the tavern. “We’re on the patio.”
“We’re?” she asked, breathlessly.
“Yep. Kade and Ali asked us both to dinner.”
“Oh,” she said flatly, even as her heart rate sped up. She’d been excited at the thought of flaunting her J-Lo booty and stilettos in front of him, but she’d assumed it would be in passing. Now, she was going to be having dinner with him.
“Shall we?” He offered her his arm.
She bit the inside of her cheek as she considered whether or not she should accept his assistance. Pro: it was an excuse to touch him. Con: it was an excuse to touch him.
Jess could count on one hand the number of times she and Ethan had had any kind of contact. The first time had scarred her for life. She’d had a dream that he was kissing her and woke up to his lips against hers. It took her several seconds before she realized that he wasn’t making out with her, he was resuscitating her. It was a stark reality to be faced with. She’d been in a fantasy, floating in a wonderful world where Ethan Steele was making out with her, and she’d woken up to find out that he’d been giving her mouth to mouth because he was afraid she was dying.
There’d been a few times after that. The most contact they’d had was when he’d “rescued” her from the lake on her eighteenth birthday. He’d felt that she was out too far. She was just pushing her boundaries and having some fun because she’d officially made it to adulthood.
She’d never forget the feeling of having his hard body pressed against hers as he swam them to the shore. The way his strong arms had wrapped around her. She’d never wanted him to let her go. How different it was later that same night when she was losing her virginity to Louis, and his touch just made her want to get the deed over with.
“I don’t bite.” Ethan’s voice snapped her out of her memories, and she hated the fact that he’d caught her hesitating.
“Well, that’s a damn shame.”
She saw a slight flare of his eyes, and for a moment she enjoyed having the upper hand. It was a position she was used to having in most areas of her life, but when it came to Ethan, it was hard-earned. As she wrapped her fingers around his arm, a tingle snaked from her palm, up her arm, and down her spine, stopping right in the core of her body. It lit her with arousal.
If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve sworn that he was supercharged. That he had an electrical current running through him that shocked her when she touched him.
Somehow she was able to walk on her jelly legs to the back of the restaurant. When he opened the patio door and held it for her, she dropped her hand from his arm as she walked past him. She thought maybe she was out of the arousal woods, but it turned out she was still in the thick of it. When she passed him, he placed his hand on her lower back, and a shudder ricocheted through her body.
Her eyes landed on Ali and Kade seated at a table overlooking the lake, and she beelined toward them.
“Hi! You look amazing!” Ali said as she stood and wrapped her arms around Jess’s neck.
“Thanks, so do you.”
Ali was incredibly stunning in the most naturally beautiful way. She rarely wore a drop of makeup, and always wore her long, light brown hair in a bun or beneath a baseball cap. Her wardrobe consisted mostly of cutoff shorts and tank tops, which was what she wore tonight.
As they all took their seats, the four of them fell into an easy conversation as they ordered and enjoyed their meal.
When they’d finished and the server had cleared their plates, Ali and Kade shared a look before Ali cleared her throat. “Okay, so the reason we asked you here is because we decided on a wedding date.”
“Wow. That was quick.” Jess was slightly surprised. Ali had never been the girl that talked about getting married. So much so that when Kade had recruited Jess to assist in his surprise proposal, her first thought was that she wasn’t sure if her friend would say yes.
Not because she didn’t think that Ali loved Kade. Ali had been in love with Kade McKnight since they were kids. She just wasn’t sure where her friend stood on the whole institution of marriage. She was the girl that played business owner, not bride. But, if the smile on her face tonight was any indication, she was all about it.
“You trying to lock her down before she comes to her senses?” Ethan teased.
Jess grinned.