“Is that an offer?” Sipping his drink and feigning nonchalance, his strong hand remains on my leg. “Because I’ve watched you all day. I’ve watched you move in that dress. You’ve paraded your ass around in front of me for ten hours already, and I don’t forget the barbeque at Oz’s place. I got busy that night, but I still watched your ass in those jeans. I’ve been thinking about you for months, Dee.” His lips pull up into a wolfish grin. “I could fuck you now, show you I’m not…cute.”
Sitting back to hide my nerves, I shake my head. “You’re bluffing…” I’m not a shy woman. I’m rarely ever rattled. I don’t scare easily, but my heart pounds faster the longer he stares. “You’re mad I called you cute, so now you’re bluffing.”
“You scared of saying yes?” His brow lifts in dare. “Scared I’ll yank the offer as soon as you show your hand?”
Yes.
“No. I’m just not sure I’m willing to be the one to take your virginity. It’s a big responsibility. Your mom might call me and scream about sullying her boy.”
“Sullying.” With a light scoff, he shakes his head. “You literally have no clue about my life or my family. You don’t even know if I have a mom. You don’t know anything, but you sure know how to judge people.”
I bring a shaking hand up to cup his cheek. “You blush. That’s like…” I shake my head. “I’d feel bad.”
Snatching my hand and leaning in close, his lips come to my ear. “Meet me in the closet. On your nine, fifty feet away. I’ll show you what I’ve got, then tomorrow, you’ll text‘I was wrong. I wanna suck your dick some more.’”
My throat goes desert dry. My lips, smothered in expensive and luscious lipstick, come between my teeth. My heart pounds against his so hard, I know he can feel it. I know he feels the electricity in the air. “You won’t get attached? You won’t get pregnant and try to trap me in a loveless marriage?”
Chuckling, his hand comes back to my leg and rides indecently high. “I promise. You seem scared; I thought you were fun and wild, Dee. I thought you never got scared…”
“Alright.” I nod and breathe through my near panic attack. “Fine. Meet you there in five minutes.”
Pulling back and grinning like the Cheshire cat, he winks and pushes his soda away on the table. Standing, he runs the tips of calloused fingers along the top of my spine until goosebumps break out on my skin right down to my toes. “See you soon, Dee.”
“My name’s Andi, by the way. You may call me Andrea.”
“Nah.” Stopping, he turns back as Oz and Lindsi’s dance comes to an end. “Dee’s cute. It makes you seem far less devious than you are.”
I narrow my eyes. I’m fairly certain he just insulted me, but it was so subtle, I can’t even be sure. Stupid cops and their stupid sneakiness.
Glancing around the room as Oz dips his bride and his teenaged step-son glowers from the edge of the dancefloor, I chug the last of my champagne and take a deep breath.
Riley Cruz is either going to blow my mind, or he’ll blow his load before I pull up my dress.
It’s like a game of lucky-dip. Which will I get?
Please, God, let it be the first one.
Standing and patting my designer gown down with shaking hands, I nervously push my hair back and pretend my world isn’t spinning. Times have changed since the nineteen-fifties. Women are allowed to hook up with random men, and we’re not shamed for having casual relationships. I came here expecting to spend time withsomeonein the broom closet, but I absolutely didn’t expect it would be Riley-the-blusher-Cruz.
Stepping around the long bridal table and down from the platform amid fairy lights and beautiful flowers, I step onto the parquet dancefloor and try to cut straight across and save time, but as soon as my designer heels touch the smooth floor, I’m swept up into Oz’s arms and spun in the opposite direction.
Stretching my neck to keep Riley in my sight, I find Benny has taken his mom for a spin around the dancefloor, which has freed up Oz’s arms.
“Raincheck?” I attempt to push him back. “I’ll be back. I was just in the middle of s–”
“I’m a cop, Andi.” Oz pulls me close and envelops me with the musky scent of a satisfied man. “And even though I’m kinda blinded by my wife’s beauty tonight, I still know what you’re about to do.”
Busted, with a grin, I stop fighting his hold and go with it instead. “You think you’re so clever, Deputy?”
“Now, normally I’d be giving the guy a talking to. You know, ‘she’s family. You break her heart, I’ll break your face’ sorta thing.”
I giggle when Oz spins me out and twirls me twice; this Latin man knows how to lead a lady in a dance. “That’s sweet of you, Oz. We’re family now, and since Linds and I don’t have much, I appreciate the sentiment. I’ll be sure to add you to my Christmas card list.”
Pursing his lips, he looks down at me through whiskey colored eyes. “You didn’t let me finish. I wouldnormallysay something like that, but I get the feeling in this whole Andi versus Riley world domination thing you’ve got going on, you’re gonna be the heartbreaker.”
I grin.
I don’t deny it.