Page 29 of Lines We Cross
“Don’t look now, but the Nickel Heads have officially arrived,” Ava said loudly, cutting off Kadee’s incessant romantic matchmaking.
Kadee and I swung our heads to the door, seeing Heath, Jase, Max, and Ryder looking around for a spot.
“Pretty sure I said don’t look now. Is that what you heard?” Ava asked the other ladies at the table who snickered at us, but they too, were looking at the gorgeous cluster of men like any self-respecting warm-blooded female would.
Max made eye contact before I could look away. His hand lifted and he waved. I waved back and quickly spun toward the table.
“Oh, crap.”
Kadee elbowed me. “Just friends, huh?”
A few seconds later, a warm hand landed on my low back, the touch sending goose bumps up and down my arms.
“Hey, Rae,” Max whispered in my ear from behind, shooting a ripple of pleasure down my spine.
“Ladies,” Heath rumbled, his gaze lingering on Kadee before moving to the stage where Lacey was just climbing onto a stool with her guitar.
Whoops, hollers, and whistles filled the air as everyone ended conversations to give their focus to Lacey. She smiled shyly behind the microphone, her long wavy hair picking up the overhead lights and shining like a multicolored aura around her. Our girl had an obsession with pastel hair dye, looking like a muted rainbow the entire time I’d known her.
“Thank you for being here. I hope you’re ready to rock out to some country, Nickel Bay.” Her soft, throaty voice came through the speakers and had us all on the edge of our seats had we had any. I’d seen her sing more times than I could count, but each time was magic.
“Holy—” Jase muttered, cut off by the first strum of her guitar. He stared at her with an intensity that made my stomach squirm. Uh-oh, looked like Lacey had taken down another warm-blooded male.
Lacey started with a slow song, the words digging into your heart and ripping it out of your chest. This was one of her new ones, and as much as I wanted to focus on it, Max pressed up against me, the crowd having pushed us together. The hand that had been on my back, slid further down, landing and staying on my hip. His other hand joined in and lay on my other hip. No one could see his quasi-embrace, but I could feel it—good heavens, could I feel it—and I couldn’t focus on anything else.
The next song was more upbeat, leading into a rousing boot stomper. Max moved behind me in rhythm with the music, the hands on my hips causing me to move too. Before I knew what was happening, we were dancing together. I couldn’t see his face, but that was just fine as mine was on fire. What was he doing? This didn’t feel like two friends dancing together. I’d danced with men I was legitimately dating and it hadn’t felt like my skin was electrified from the inside out.
Lacey moved into another slow song, a beautiful one about a love so pure it became the troubled soul’s cure. Jay appeared in my field of vision, staring at me intently.
“Skylar?” His handsome face was pinched. Couldn’t say I blamed him. We’d had a date planned for tonight and I’d texted him this morning saying something had come up. And it had. Girls’ night out came up.
I stepped forward, wanting to explain. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I’d decided I had no interest in dating him. I didn’t want him to think I was here with Max because I wasn’t. I mean, Max was here, but I’d come with the girls.
“Let’s dance, Jay.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the dance floor, getting a glimpse of Max’s stormy face over Jay’s shoulder.
“What’s the deal, Skylar?” Jay pulled me up against his chest, his arm a bit too tight around my waist for my liking.
I tried to lean back a bit. “The girls wanted to come see Lacey sing, so I had to cancel on you.”
“Sweetheart, we could have just come together.” He flashed a smile, leaning in closer like he intended to kiss me.
I reared back and knocked heads with the person behind me.
“Watch it!” a female voice shouted at me over the music.
Jay’s eyebrows nearly came together to form one line. Poor guy couldn’t figure out I wasn’t interested. I’d have to be a bit more clear. I put my hands on his chest and tried to get some more room between us.
“Listen, Jay. I really—”
I didn’t get anything else out before Jay was ripped away from me and my nose was pressed against Max’s back.
“I’m cutting in,” Max said, the rumble of his words vibrating through my skull.
He whirled around, and with his hands on my waist, moved us across the dance floor. I couldn’t see past his broad shoulders to gauge Jay’s reaction. All I knew was my own reaction of equal parts shock and pleasure.
“What are you doing?” I breathed. It was entirely too hot in this bar for so many people to be crushed together.
Max dipped his head down so his lips brushed the shell of my ear. “Getting you away from that loser. I thought I made my point clear, Gingersnap.”
