“I take offense to that!” I said I did, but I really didn’t. Girls love the bad boy. They all want to be the one to tamethem.
“If he were that bad,” Hannah said, “I’m sure my daddy would have tried to save him by now.” She smiled before taking the last sip of her drink and pushing the glass to the side. All I could think was that whoever her daddy was, he sure as shit wouldn’t want me aroundher.
Wham.The table wobbled when some drunk girl stumbled into it, catching herself on the edge with her hands. She blew the hair out of her face when she glanced up. “Noah Greyson!” She swatted the rest of the hair from her face. I had no clue who the hell she was. “I’m a huge fan,” sheslurred.
Meg groaned. “And now he’s got fans. Fuck mylife…”
“Appreciate that,” Isaid.
“God, you’re hot,” the drunk girl said, grabbing my arm and squeezing. “Look at thesemuscles!”
I pulled away from her hold and casually slipped my arm around Hannah’sshoulder.
Drunk Girl swayed on her feet. “You’ve got a…girlfriend?” She frowned and one eye slightly crossed. “Well, that’s a new load of shit.” The girl mean-mugged Hannah. “So, is what I hear true? Is he amazing inbed?”
“Oh,” Hannah cleared her throat. “Well, I mean”—she shifted uncomfortably in theseat.
This is too good.I took full advantage of the situation and cupped Hannah’s soft cheek, sweeping my thumb over her jaw before I slowly dragged it across her bottom lip. There was a slight hitch in her breath. A pause in the rising of her chest— all the cues I needed to know I had her. I leaned in and the soft scent of amber and lilacs lifted from her hair. I could have gotten drunk on thatgirl.
“Oh,” I whispered, my gaze dropping to her lips, “she never knows what’s coming.”God, I want to kissher.
Hannah pulled away from my hold, grabbing her empty glass so fast it nearly toppled over. “Uh-huh,” she said, biting on the straw before sucking in nothing but air. “He’s full ofsurprises.”
The drunk girl nearly went cross-eyed, and for a moment I thought she might fall face first onto the table. Instead, she just sighed and stumbledoff.
“Alright, this…” Meg stood and knocked my arm away from Hannah’sshoulders.
“Meg,” Hannahsighed.
“You…” she grabbed my shoulders and, surprisingly, managed to drag me to my feet. “Gottago.”
“Well, I’m playing tonight so…” I shrugged out of her hold. “Should I give Trev a call and tell him you need someone to occupy yourtime?”
“Cute.” Meg smirked. “There are plenty of women who look to be right up your alley waiting at the stage. Go pick out one of Sodom and Gomorrah’s whores to throw your lines at.” She shooed me off with herhand.
“Meg!” Hannah said, that time with a slightgrowl.
“Jesus,” I huffed. “You’re annoying, you know that?” I glared at Meg, and she flipped me thebird.
“It was nice to meet you, Noah,” Hannah said with a smile, and I swear, that was the prettiest smile I had everseen.
“You too.” I winked, and Meg tossed her hands in theair.
I went back to the stage, grabbed my guitar, and strummed out the notes to the next cover song: “Take Your Time,” before I cleared my throat in the mic. “This one’s for the pretty girl. The one that’s evidently too good forme.”
A few girls in the crowd booed. And Hannah? She fought a smile while I sang that song to her because I wanted nothing more than to take that pretty girl’stime.
8
Hannah
Meg drunkenly hit at the car stereo, changing the station until “Blank Space” came on. “This is my theme song,” she slurred. It was true, she sucked at relationships. She rolled down her window and stuck her hand out, waving it through the air like some teenager while I barreled down the dark, two-lanehighway.
The rush of the wind through the window drowned out most of the music, but it was fine. I was lost in thoughts of Noah, of how his gaze pinned me to the spot while he sang. How it sent this electric buzz crackling over myskin.
I tried to ignore him, I did, but I couldn’t. The way he held himself, so certain, but somehow still unsure, got to me. There was something in his soft, blue eyes and dimples that made his bad boy persona seem like a façade. Something about him that was enough to keep him on mymind.
“He’s cute,” I said, absentmindedly drumming my fingers along to the beat of thesong.
