Page 5 of Alpha Jax

She shakes her head, holding it out to me. “That’s all you, girl. I can’t stand tequila. Tony’s bringing me a drink.”

I chuckle, taking the second shot from Kyla’s hand and tossing it back. I love tequila- it’s basically the only alcohol I drink. Ideally in shot form, so I can keep my hands free when I hit the dance floor, and chilled so that it goes down smooth.

“Thanks,” I say, shifting both shot glasses to one hand and pointing at an empty high-top table with the other. “Should we snag that spot before someone else does?”

Kyla nods her agreement, wordlessly grabbing me by the elbow and leading me in the direction of the vacant table. We make it there to stake our claim right before another group descends upon it. A minute later, Tony finds us, his hands full of drinks. He sets them down on the table- one for himself, one for Kyla, and two more shots for me.

“Ky said you like chilled tequila?” he asks as he slides the shot glasses in my direction.

I nod, offering him a smile. “Thanks Tony.”

Four shots in quick succession will definitely give me the buzz I’m chasing before I get out on that dance floor. I make quick work of taking down the two that Tony brought over, sliding the empties onto the table in front of me.

The three of us chat for a while, Tony disappearing periodically to fetch more drinks. Apparently it’s ladies’ night and the drinks are free, but I’m still trying to keep a count on the tequila shots. I’m up to seven when Kyla leans in, grinning devilishly.

“That hottie by the bar hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you since we got here.” She waggles her eyebrows and flickers her gaze in his direction.

I follow it, trying to discern who she’s talking about amid the sea of people, when my eyes meet another pair. I can’t tell what color they are from where I’m standing, but holy hell those eyes areintense, and my heart stutters a little when I realize how devastatingly gorgeous the man is that they belong to. I don’t know how I didn’t notice him before- he’s easily the best looking guy I’ve seen in here all night. He’s got dark blonde hair, tousled and a little wavy and styled in that way that somehow looks messy and nonchalant but perfect at the same time. His square jaw is stubbled with a five o’clock shadow that adds a rugged appeal, and his body-damn, hisbody. It’s absolutelyjacked. He’s casual in a t-shirt and jeans, but I don’t miss how the sleeves of his tee strain against his thick biceps, the front of it taut across his broad chest.

And Kyla’s right- he’s looking right at me.

My cheeks heat, my heart rate increasing as I turn away from him and back to Kyla. “Who is he?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen him before!” she replies excitedly, glancing his way again. “Must not be from around here… but he’s gorgeous, right?!”

Normally I’d laugh or roll my eyes or tease her for being so swoony, but she’s right- the guy is a fucking god, dripping in sex appeal. Just looking his way is twisting up my insides, making me feel all breathless and hot and bothered. After everything with Clay, my libido seemed to go into hiding, but it’s nice to see now that it’s alive and well. This man has me thinking dirty, dirty things.

“You gonna go talk to him?” Kyla presses, elbowing me in the ribs.

I purse my lips, considering. I’m not sure how to play this- while I’m not above making the first move, I feel like this guy is a hunter. “Why don’t we hit the dance floor?” I suggest with a wink.

Kyla doesn’t have to respond in the affirmative- that grin spreading across her face and the determined gleam in her eye tell me everything I need to know. She takes my hand, mumbling to Tony that we’ll be back and threading through the crowd to the center of the packed dance floor.

I start to sway my hips to the music, casting a casual glance back in sexy guy’s direction only for our eyes to meet again.

He’sstillwatching me.

I tear my eyes away, refusing to give him another look.Hecan come tome. I start dancing, arms above my head, hips swiveling, long hair swaying behind me like an extension of my body.

And then he does.

I feel fingertips skimming my hip, feel his presence looming behind me. Before I even turn around, I know it’s him- it’s like he’s radiating dominant energy. I allow my body to melt back into his, meeting every hard line of his chest and torso as I finally peek up at him over my shoulder.

Blue. That’s what color his eyes are. They’re a light greyish-blue, his irises darker around the outer edges. Beautiful, like him.

We don’t exchange words- we just dance. His hands cruise down my waist, gripping my hips firmly, holding me against him as we move to the music. I grind my ass against the hard bulge straining the front of his jeans, arching my back and reaching up behind me to trail my fingers along the column of his neck, the exposed skin feeling almost electric beneath my touch. The attraction between us is thick; palpable. He skims the fingertips of one hand up my belly, over my breast, to my throat. Then he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning my face sideways to meet his over my shoulder, his lips capturing mine.

It feels like a current of energy slams through me, stars exploding behind my eyelids. It’s a simple kiss, but it rocks my world off its axis. My knees buckle, my pulse races- I don’t try to make sense of it, I just know I wantmore. I deepen the kiss, lips parting, tongue dipping into his mouth and twining with his own. All the while, I’m still moving my body against his, dancing as flames of desire coil deep in my belly.

I spin around without breaking the kiss, looping my arms around his neck and holding on for dear life as he continues to devour me. I’m completely lost in the sensation by the time he breaks it, dipping his head beside mine so his lips hover next to my ear.

“Wanna get out of here?” he rasps, and the deep tenor of his voice sends a fresh flood of heat to my core. For the first time since he walked over, I blink my eyes open and actually get a good look at the guy up close, and I’m not disappointed.

Yes please!

Before I can fully think it over, I’m nodding my head in the affirmative. This is what I came here for, right? Something to make me forget about Clay. Someoneto make me forget.

His lips curl into a heart-stopping smile. “Your place or mine?”

---