Page 52 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

“We’re just friends,” Mike added. “She has a sick sense of humor.”

“I didn’t think that was very funny,” Stacy said.

“So get a sense of humor,” Ellie said, turning to him. “I’ll get us a table.”

Ellie walked away, drawing every male eye in the place and when he turned back to Stacy, she was glaring at Ellie’s back.

“Sorry. She sometimes forgets her manners.”

Stacy lightened up and laughed, looking him over with appreciation. “There’s something different about you. I like it a lot.”

Mike couldn’t believe she leaned forward, her eyes lashes basically fluttering at him. “Of course, I’ve always thought you were hot, but your…friend’s joke made me uneasy.”

Mike glanced Ellie’s way, and noticed she looked annoyed.

Very, very annoyed.

Was she jealous?

Mike wanted to crow, but it was just a theory. A theory that needed to be tested.

Chapter Sixteen

A waitress had finally come to take Ellie’s drink order, but she had hardly touched the beer in front of her. She was too busy gritting her teeth painfully as she watched Mike fawn all over that silly blonde she’d scared off at Buck’s.

Come on, Mike. You can do so much better.

The woman, Stacy, tossed her hair back as she laughed. Ellie’s eyes narrowed as Stacy put her hand on his arm, and leaned up to whisper in his ear.

“Hey, sugar, what’s shaking?” a man asked above her.

She didn’t even bother looking up. “No.”

Ellie ignored the vile name he called her, and finally took a sip of her beer. One beer wouldn’t kill her. It was the hard stuff that sometimes hit her like a Mack truck.

The music died down as they announced the band taking the stage, but Ellie continued to watch Mike. Finally, he looked her way and grinned, as though he was pleased as fuck with himself, and she raised an eyebrow.

Oh, so he was trying to mess with her? She stood up and took off her jacket slowly, sliding the leather down first one arm and then the other. She saw his jaw tighten and she smiled as it fell back on the chair.

Straightening her off-the-shoulder blouse, she walked out to the middle of the dance floor and started swaying. With her hands over her head, she rocked her hips, her back to him. When she felt hands on her hips, at first she thought it might be Mike, but when she looked back, her gaze met a pair of green-gold eyes in a smooth shaven, handsome face.

Backing up into his hands, she maneuvered them so she was facing the bar once more and saw Mike scowling at them.

Not so fun to be teased, is it?

“God, I love the way you move,” the pretty boy said behind her. She closed her eyes to keep from rolling them, afraid Mike might see. “What’s your name?”

“Ellie.” She didn’t say more, hoping he’d take the hint that she just wanted to dance, not talk, but Loose Lips McGee wouldn’t shut up. Finally, the song ended and she broke away from his grasp.

“Thanks for the dance.”

“What’s your hurry? Let me buy you a drink.” She noticed his eyes were a little glazed and his speech was slow. Had he smoked a bowl before coming out tonight?

“Thanks, but I can buy my own.”

The guy didn’t take the hint and held on to her arm. “I thought we were having fun.”

“We did have fun.” Reaching up, she gripped his thumb on her arm, and bent it back until he yelped. “And now I want to go have a drink. Alone.”

---