Page 38 of On The Rocks

“I can do the stairs.” He lifted one foot.

I turned around, backing up the steps. “I know you can. You are the best drunk walker ever.”

He snorted.

I twisted to open the door and reached in for what I hoped was a light switch. It was a big one with a dimmer slider beside it. I clicked it on, and my breath backed up in my throat at what I found inside.

Not some big box of bachelor status chaos. Nope, it was thoughtful and gorgeous. The massive ceilings were utilized much like the taproom. Ornate rafters done in wrought iron framed out the boring flat ceiling.

Instead of sprayed black like in the taproom, these ones were white, showing off the iron work. But it was the huge window that stole all the oxygen in my lungs.

It was nearly the height of one wall and the darkness outside was like one big mirror.

I heard a fumbling outside, snapping me out of my trance. I rushed back out to find Griffin draped over the railing.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting some air.”

I sighed and dragged him up. “With a railing in your gut? I think not.”

He teetered a little, but that stupid smile was back on his face. “My hero.”

“Oh, brother.” I tucked myself under his arm again. “Let’s go, drunkie.”

We managed two stairs fairly easily. “I’m not as drunk as I was. Think the upside down helped.”

“If you say so. Just two more steps.”

“You’re really strong,” he said dreamily, as he stumbled up another step.

I gripped the other railing and tried to stabilize him, but finally, Mister-I-Never-Fall took us both out. I was able to swing us both around, so we didn’t end up following gravity back down to the ground.

The momentum tipped us toward the door instead, and I got the full effect of Griffin St. James against my body. Spicy aftershave was nothing on the full body press, especially when he knocked the breath out of me.

The force of it zipped through me, and I looked up at him.

He propped his hand on the door right above my head and his hips pinned my lower half. His jaw did that muscle twitch thing. The lollipop now gone, leaving only the hint of manufactured raspberry on his breath.

“Think you can get inside now?”

“Don’t want to.”

His hips shifted against me, and I resisted the urge to crawl up his stupid, hot body. It had been way too long since I’d been touched like this. Especially by anyone who felt this damn good.

And this wasdrunkGriffin. What would full faculties Griffin be like?

“Not gonna find out,” I whispered.

“How you taste?” he asked with a heavy-lidded smile.

“Nope.” I wriggled against him, and instead of getting him to move, there was one thing moonshine hadn’t handicapped. Damn.

He pushed away from the door—and me—and the space was enough to let me think again.

Too bad, he started teetering again.

I jammed my shoulder under his arm again and straightened him up. The only good thing about this whole thing was that he probably wouldn’t remember any of it the next day.

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