“You don’t need to put your hand in your pocket when you’re with us, Summer.” The man with caring eyes, who must be Clay, grins over at me. “Even though you don’t have any pockets.” He runs a hand over his dark brown hair that’s barely long enough to tug on.
Hayden sips his beer quietly when he sits. “So is this where you guys hang out. Is this the height of entertainment in Heartville?” I look back at the beautiful woman singing to the crowd, tapping my foot because the tune is catchy.
“We’re at this very table every Friday night.” Levi looks across at Hayden. I can tell by his searching eyes that he senses his icy mood too. “Ryder and Shane will be here soon. They’re good fun.”
“And are they handsome as well?” I titter. “I mean, Heartville must have something in that liquor.” It was meant as a joke, but Hayden doesn’t respond. Instead, he whacks his bottle on the coaster.
“Hayden, why don’t you show the lady how to dance?” Levi widens his eyes, lifting his shoulders slightly like he’s apologizing for something.
Hayden glowers back at him, then at me. “I’m not dancing tonight.”
“Are you always, Mr. Sensible?” I ask indignantly. Perhaps it’s an age thing - he’s older than me and has responsibilities. “I guess you’re too old to have fun?”
With a quick swipe, I snag another tequila. Hayden ignores my taunt. “Levi, will you show me how people dance in this part of the world?” I ask politely, being ever so nice to his friends, to tease out a reaction from Hayden.
There’s a brief moment where tumbleweeds would happily wisp on by if the bar wasn’t so full. “Sure thing, sweets,” Levi finally agrees.
I stand, grab a shot and down it in one gulp, then another. Levi has the biggest set of muscles I’ve ever had the pleasure of latching onto as he escorts me to an open space on the small dance floor.
Tequila buzzes through my veins, and the sultry harmony wraps around me as we dance. I sway freely, raising my hands to the roof and noticing Levi’s hands fall to my waist. Had I seen him to begin with, I’m sure I would’ve fancied him. He’s got that bad boy aura with tattoos and roughness. Only I met Hayden, and he’s roped my interest, then tied it tightly with a knot of infatuation. Now I’m obsessed with finding out if his rugged exterior matches his personality. I mean, the way he looks at me, it’s like he’s fighting with himself to behave. If I'm honest, the game turns me on more than the guys who throw themselves at me for status, and the hope of marrying my money.
In a blink, Hayden taps my dance partner’s shoulder. Levi steps aside, and Hayden slides an arm to my hip, jerking me into him, hard. “You wanna dance… You dance with me,” he orders.
A spotlight brightens his features, and those vivid green eyes of his burn with a hotness that ignites miniature tremors over my skin. I stretch up, craning my neck to meet his face. “This could get tricky. You are being all bossy and protective when I’m trying to have fun.” I raise my voice, so he hears me over the music.
Liquor spikes his breath, and I wonder how many drinks he’s had - if he’ll show me how he really feels behind that steely manly composure of his. Featherlight fingertips drift down my forearm until they weave with my own. My hands lift high. He spins me around once, crashing our bodies together. On impact, I’m certain I feel his erection ram into my side. Whether it was or not, I shiver with anticipation. The singer hits the chorus, and my smile reaches insanity. It aches my bronzed cheeks and helps me to forget all about the party in Belfast that I’m missing tonight. I’d be happy to relinquish all control to Hayden. It’s just a feeling I get, like he wants me to.
His lips descend to the shell of my ear, and his voice lowers. “Do you want to dance with me, Summer?” The heat of his breath tickles and teases. My scalp prickles, our fingers are still joined, his body right there. “Or would you rather I let you dance with someone else?”
As I swallow in a gulp, I gaze into his questioning eyes and smile shyly. He makes it out like I need to get his permission to dance with another man - I like it. It’s unfathomable how he has the power to make me crave his authority and stir up so many jitters. I love it and feel intimidated all at the same time. “Perhaps if you stop with the caveman act…” His hand floats to my nape, and he maneuvers my face, locking my gaze with his. “Yes, Hayden. I’d like to dance with you all night.”
“Then hold on, honey.” He winks, and my legs go fuzzy.
It’s not the dancing that thrills me, but the fact I’m rubbing against him. My skin is on fire. Rough hands caress. He leans in, and then leaves, all in a rhythm that has me in a frenzy. He’s different now, less intense, more relaxed. A wide smile opens his lips to show the whitest teeth, and his eyes crease at the corners. Every time the incredible smile graces his mouth, my heart lifts up to meet it with a lustful wish. I’m lost in the sensation of his energy as he guides me backward into the crowd briefly, only to slam me back into his pelvis. Right in this moment, I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else other than here, in his arms. I have his attention; I have his smile, but what I want most of all are his lips. Those perfect lips that he moistens when I gaze up at him.
Free from his arms, I tug at the elastic wrapping my ponytail, sliding it free and shaking out my hair. The strands cascade down my back, and I casually rake my fingers through the straight lengths. Hayden stills, watching me closely with eyes focused and feral. His chest rises and falls, jaw ticking, hands fisting. He rotates, not to dance, but to walk away, leaving me alone on the dance floor.
I traipse up behind him, missing Levi’s whisper, but noting his eyes roll. “And you’re gonna listen to him,” I hear Clay mutter as I join the table. “When the hell do you listen to anyone?”
A guy I’ve yet to meet eyes me over his beer. He’s just as tall as Hayden, but his stare is cobalt blue. “Who’s this?” he asks Hayden, with a perplexed brow scrunch like I’ve dropped out of a spaceship onto the dance floor.
“My cleaner.” Hayden tips his head back and glugs more beer. “The kid Sawyer lined up from Northern Ireland.” He glances over his shoulder at me, eyes distant. “Summer, this is my other buddy, Shane.”
I crack a wide smile. “Hey, Shane. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a kid.”
“Aw, man, that accent is pretty darn sexy. It’s hard to believe a woman like you is related to old man Sawyer,” he teases.
I like him; he seems good fun. Not in a dirty way, more like the joker of the group who’d have me giggling all night. “Oh, we’re related all right, I’m just as stubborn, if not a tad grouchier in the morning,” I quip.
Shane tosses me a cheeky grin. “I don’t believe that for a second. You’re too pretty to be all twisted and moody like that old man.” A subtle wink makes me grin. “Why ain’t you sitting down, Hayden? Come on, buddy, you can’t leave. I’ve only just got here.”
I look up at him, softly squeezing his forearm. “Hayden, are you tired? Shall I find another dance partner?” Now I’m just teasing him, provoking a reaction.
He angles his head around. “I’ve had too much liquor. We’re leaving.”
“Why are you leaving, guys?” My arms cross, and I peer around him to find Levi and Clay.
“We ain’t.” Clay shrugs.
