Page 3 of All Her Broken Pieces

Giving him a once-over, I take a sip of my drink. “I’m interested in making a connection,” I reply, lowering my eyelashes.

“They look pretty connected.” Alyx points at a couple a few booths over behind Ethan who are practically dry humping.

Ethan turns to look and then drops his head against his chest. “I don’t think that’s what she meant. What even is happening right now?”

“Well, when a man loves a woman…” Becka starts.

Alyx and I burst out laughing as Ethan’s head shoots up.

“I knew you were our people.” Alyx wipes tears from the corners of his eyes.

“So you did bump into me on purpose!” I accuse, as a grin forms on my lips.

“I really didn’t, but I’m glad I ran into you, and I’m pretty sure he’s glad I did too.” He winks at Ethan and then turns to Becka. “As a fellow wing-person, would you do me the honor of accompanying me on the dance floor so our friends can make a ‘better connection’?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Jesus, can you stop?” Ethan begs. Alyx is clearly the fuckboy while Ethan appears to have more of a quiet charm.

Alyx and Becka continue bantering as if we aren’t here. “I’ll dance with you if you keep your hands where I can see them and act as my buffer. I’m not here on the prowl.”

“It would be an honor,” Alyx says while extending his hand, though I swear I catch a hint of disappointment cross his face briefly. “Actually, you can be my wing-woman if you want.”

“I think this could be the start of a very entertaining friendship,” Becka tells him as they walk to the dance floor.

“Should I be worried about that? He’ll keep his hands to himself, right?” I ask Ethan.

“Yeah, he’s all flirt, but he’s a good guy. He understands that no means no and will brother her.”

“Brother her?”

“Act like a brother, watch out for her, not let anyone touch her.”

“Ah, so he friend-zoned himself, just like that?”

“Just like that. He’s honestly one of the best guys I know. His moms raised him to respect women. Trust me, they’d be mortified to know he knocked you over like that. It’s not a scam we run, I promise.”

“Mm-hmm. Is that why he left you so we could ‘make a connection’?” I ask, using finger quotes to emphasize my point.

Realization dawns on his face as he looks back at the couple sucking face a few booths over. “That’s not… What I mean is… Shit. I don’t want to assume…”

Laughing, I place my hand on his muscular forearm. “I’m just teasing you.”

“Sorry. I haven’t really been in a good headspace lately, and Alyx’s been begging me to come out for a while, but I’m not a fan of his aggressive meddling.” He laughs nervously. “Let’s try this again. So, Bridget, what brings you to a place like this tonight?” His gaze focused on me as the lighting casts a subtle glow on his features. He really is handsome.

“You’re so bad at this.” I lean back against the circular booth. “What if I’m just looking for the next shiny thing to distract me?” My words are light, casual, and deliberately vague as my hand runs up the corded muscle of his arm. There’s no point getting attached. I don’t let that happen.

His gaze meets mine, a subtle challenge lingering in his emerald eyes, and I can’t ignore the eager look I find there. “I can think of many ways I could…distract you.”

“How old are you?” I ask. Is he even old enough to ride this ride?

“Age is just a number.”

“Oh, I’m really good at numbers.”

Yeah, this is happening. I’ve read enough romance books to understand what’s going on here. This man has serious Golden Retriever vibes, like he’s eager to please. This pup may be just what I need tonight.

Ethan

“Do you wanna dance?” I ask as offer Bridget my hand. The heated look in her eyes as she takes it makes my cock twitch in my jeans. I’ve never gotten a semi from just a single look before. Damn. This girl may be trouble, but I’m here for it.

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