Page 62 of Hold Me Until Morning

“Down boy.”

I turned to find Ryder grinning from where he sat like a tatted king on his stool. Dude was the smuggest asshole I knew.

“No clue what you’re talking about.”

Disbelieved laughter rolled from Ezra, and he sat forward and propped his elbows on the table. He took a pull of his beer as he eyed me. “Seems clear who it was that knocked you down a peg or two. Tell me you didn’t already try to hook up with her?”

Caleb turned his attention to the dance floor where the girls had gotten in line with about half the other people in the bar.

This was Paisely and Dakota’s favorite thing.

Line dancing.

Letting go.

Giggling as they moved through the choreographed moves and tossing every single care aside.

They’d taught Savannah since she’d come into our group last fall, and she was keeping up just fine. But it was the woman stuck between Paisley and Dakota who stole my damned breath.

The sight of that glittering silver beacon out there running straight to my dick.

Every movement she made was smooth.

Sexy as fuck.

Hips and shoulders rolling, each shimmy and twist roiling with rhythm and seduction.

It was her face that got me, though. The way she was laughing with the rest of the girls, easy and without all the restraint that’d been radiating from her when she’d first stumbled upon the table.

Like she’d realized in an instant that she fit. That she meshed, like she’d always belonged.

I liked it.

Fuck, I liked it.

Too bad she was the last fucking woman on earth I should be catching feelings for. I shouldn’t—not with anyone.

But with her?

Unease rippled my spirit, slithering through that ugly place inside me that whispered of every mistake I had made.

Every sin I’d committed.

“You don’t actually think he didn’t try to hook up with her, do you?” The razzing came from Caleb. “Dude probably tried to climb straight through her window.”

If he only knew…

Ezra chuckled, half his attention on us and the other on his girl. “She’s probably already had security bars installed.”

“Haha, fucking hysterical, assholes. Besides…” I shrugged like this was no different than any other woman I’d been interested in for a night. “I didn’t know she had a connection to Paisley. No biggie. I’ll find someone else to keep me occupied.”

Ryder’s gaze narrowed. “Yet you just promised Paisley you weren’t going home with anyone tonight. Wonder why that is? Seems like a whole one-eighty coming from you.”

I went for indifference. “Work was brutal this week. I’m pretty wiped, if I’m being honest.”

“Code for he’s having trouble getting it up.” Caleb flashed his straight, white teeth.

Chuckling, I shook my head. “This coming from the oldest of our crew. Wouldn’t be rubbing that in too deep, brother. You don’t know when that’s going to come around and bite you in the ass.”

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