Page 8 of Lila

“Fucker. Fine. Now, leave me to my drink. I see at least three women staring at you. Go find your next conquest.”

“Don’t hate the playa,” he chuckles as he glances between the women whose eyes he caught. “Come on, Hark. I need a wingman.”

“Doubtful. But whatever,” Harkin sighs as he follows his brother across the dance floor to a group of women.

Better him than me. I don’t think I’d make a good wingman these days. Having a child changes you. Or it should. And in my case, it did. I matured ten years the day Ann told me we were having a baby. Sure, my sex life has taken a hit since then, but it’s mostly by choice. I have certain standards for the women I sleep with. The first is that they don’t live in Silver Springs, which is why I haven’t gotten laid in years. I don’t go out of Silver Springs and anyone I meet here lives here. The second is that they know it’s just for one night. I don’t do attachments. Gray deserves better than me bringing a string of women who don’t stick around into his life.

I raise my bottle to my mouth, only to find it empty. Sighing, I turn around to get the bartender’s attention. Instead of finding Rose, my eyes connect with a beautiful stranger across the bar. Her wild brown curls hang past her shoulders and I have the sudden urge to tangle my fingers in them. I’ve never seen her before, trust me, I’d remember a face like that, maybe I’ll get lucky and she’s just visiting. Even if she’s not, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist the pull I feel toward her.

Determined to shoot my shot, I stand and turn in her direction. I never make it to my destination, though. Instead, I’m accosted by two of my men.

“Come on, Boss! You’ve been moping at the bar long enough! Jett sent us to quote ‘drag your ass onto the dance floor’,” Wells shouts over the music.

“I’m not moping, you idiot. I was about to-” I start but he’s not paying me any attention as he drags me further and further away from the gorgeous brunette at the bar.

That fucker and his ability to find loopholes in everything. He saidhewouldn’t drag me to the dance floor. He just got someone else to do it for him. And at the most inopportune time.

Chapter 7

Lila

Bythetimeweget to the club, there’s already a crowd on the dance floor and we have to push our way to the bar to get drinks. Despite how busy the place is, it doesn’t take long for a curvy woman with reddish brown hair to greet us.

“Hey, Lav! What can I get you tonight?” she asks with a smile.

“What’s up, Rose? It’s busy tonight!” Lav yells over the crowd.

“It’s always this busy on Fridays. You normally come on Thursdays,” she chuckles.

“Now I know why!” she teases. “Rose, this is my best friend, Lila. She just moved to town.”

“I didn’tmove,” I correct. “I’m simply visiting for an indeterminable amount of time.”

“Yeah, not the same thing at all,” Lav rolls her eyes, and the bartender, Rose laughs.

“Shut up, or you’ll be buying my drinks tonight.”

“Honey, in that dress, you’ll have every man in this club buying your drinks,” Rose says.

I feel the blush spreading across my face and chest. “Thank you,” I murmur shyly.

Lav cackles and orders us both a drink I’ve never heard of. I tune them out as they talk about the latest Silver Springs happenings while Rose makes our drinks. Instead letting my eyes roam the crowd. There are a lot of people here tonight. I wonder if it’s just because it’s Friday or if there’s some kind of party that we’re crashing. As I scan the bar, my eyes connect with a pair of aquamarine ones and I can’t look away.

Holy shit.I’ve never seen eyes like that before. They’re so mesmerizing I could stay lost in them all night. But it’s not just his eyes. He has close-cropped brown hair and his strong jawline is covered by a 5 o’clock shadow. Even from across the bar, he gives off an air of authority and I have to stifle a groan as my mind helpfully supplies me with images of him leaning over me with his strong body, bossing me around. I never thought I would like that kind of thing, but looking at him, I’d be more than willing to give it a shot if that’s what he’s into.

He’s wearing a white button-up with the top two buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up to show off his porn-worthy forearms. He licks his lips before setting down his drink and my heart races as I prepare for him to come over. But just as he steps in my direction, he’s intercepted and two guys drag him off to the dance floor and I lose sight of him.Well, damn.

“That was quick,” Lav laughs, breaking into my thoughts.

“What was?” I ask, my mind still on the sexy-as-sin man who was so close to talking to me.

“I saw the way you were looking at that guy. No way are you leaving here alone.”

“I may have found someone with potential but he disappeared in the crowd so I’ll likely never see him again,” I grumble.

“Don’t count him out. If it’s meant to be it’ll be,” Lav says with a grin.

Meant to be?I thought we were looking for a hook-up, not a “meant to be”.

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