We ordered a couple of drinks from a harried-looking waitress, and Lawton turned to me. "Wanna dance?"
I looked around. "Shouldn't we wait until we have our drinks?"
"Why?" he said.
"So no one steals our table."
He laughed. "Baby, no one's gonna steal our table."
"How do you know?"
"Because I paid 'em an extra fifty to keep it free."
"Who's them?" I asked.
He pointed toward a beefy guy standing with arms crossed a few feet away. "Him."
"I didn't see you talking to him."
"I worked it out with my friend."
"The bouncer?"
"Yeah."
I vaguely recalled them sharing a greeting and a few hushed words, but mostly I remembered Lawton introducing me as his girl with a look of such pride that I practically melted.
"I don't want you to worry about anything tonight," Lawton said. He stood and reached for my hand. "Now c'mon. Ready?"
I looked up at him, a silhouette of absolute perfection. His body, his face, and the way he looked at me sent a jolt of electricity straight through me. Nearby, a couple of girls in slinky dresses whispered to each other and pointed. One of them licked her lips.
I stood. I was more than ready.
A few second later, we were moving against each other on the dance floor. I felt his hands on my hips and his gaze on my face. The song was slow, with a rhythmic beat that suggested sex on the beach under a full summer moon.
I moved closer, feeling our hips touch and then grind against each other as his hands moved slowly up my back. I moved my hands to his sides, feeling the sinewy muscles surrounding his stomach shift and contract in time with his movements.
I threw back my head and looked into his eyes. The floor was packed, but from the look on his face, there was nobody but us. I knew the feeling.
When the song ended, and a faster one took its place, we didn't change position. I leaned closer and rested my head against his chest. It felt so strong, so permanent, and so amazing that I knew I'd never want to leave. Not when the song ended, and not ever.
We stayed that way for a long time, oblivious to everything but each other as songs came and went, just like the dancers around us.
Finally, thirst got the better of me. I glanced through the gyrating bodies toward our table and saw our drinks sitting there, waiting. With a sigh, I pulled away and pointed toward the table. "Look. Drinks."
But he didn't look toward the table. His eyes looked thirsty, but not for the beer he'd ordered however long ago. "Yeah? Ready to sit down?"
When I nodded, he took my hand and led me to the table. I took a sip of my drink and choked as the fire burned down my throat.
He eyed me with concern. "What's wrong?"
I was still coughing. "I think they made it a double. Wait. Scratch that. Make that a triple."
He grinned. "Probably thought they were doing you a favor."
I laughed. "Maybe. But it's not exactly thirst-quenching, if you know what I mean."
"Want me get you a new one?"
