The bartender chuckled. “She definitely has an admirer.” He winked at her this time. “But this one is yours.” He nodded in my direction then pointed down the bar.
I leaned over the edge and scanned the crowd. “Oh my God,” I muttered.
“What?” Fallon craned her neck in the direction I stared. “No fucking way. It’s that guy again.”
And sure enough, there stood Ryder, talking with some friends.
“I told you he wants to fuck you senseless.”
The bartender laughed as I smacked Fallon on the arm. The bar was too loud for anyone to really hear what she’d said, but I’ll be damned if Ryder didn’t look up right then. He gazed directly at me and I’m pretty sure my heart rate sputtered to a complete halt, jump-started, then raced wildly.
With his gaze locked on me, the corner of his mouth quirked up.
I smiled back and spun away, unable to think straight with him staring at me. My body flushed hot, maybe from the shot, more likely from Ryder.
“We’ll be back.” Fallon smiled at the bartender then dragged me to the dance floor. “You are not just going to stand there drooling over that guy. Time to see how interested he really is. Make him come to you.”
Would he? Did I want him to? Who was I kidding? Of course I wanted him to.
Though I couldn’t dance for shit, I did like to and with so many people smashed together on the small floor, who’d really even see?
As Fallon and I danced together, two guys approached; unfortunately neither was Ryder.
The taller of the two had his sights set on Fallon. He walked straight over and she didn’t hesitate accepting his advance. She pressed her chest against him and started doing some kind of crazy grinding thing.
Fingers slipped around my waist as his friend slithered up behind me. With a step forward, I put some space between us but he just moved closer. I broke free and spun away. Dancing with him wasn’t the issue, it was his hands all over me that I objected to. Trying to avoid his grasp, I smiled and danced around, but he seemed to think this was an invitation to press against my chest and grab my ass.
I pushed his arm down and stepped away. Dancing had lost its appeal and I turned to Fallon to tell her I was going to find a table. But the guy groped my waist again and I stumbled backward.
Fallon glared at the guy and reached for my hand as I righted myself. Her scowl faded, replaced by a slow grin.
“Get lost.” Ryder’s voice came from somewhere behind me, but before I could turn, a warm body pressed against my back.
I glanced over my shoulder as Ryder’s arm encircled me. He splayed his fingers over my stomach.
My former dance partner looked pissed and took a step toward us.
Ryder barely spared him a second glance as he said, “Don’t make me ask twice.”
“You heard the guy. Move it along.” Two guys appeared next to us. One I’d never met; the other looked vaguely familiar from Ryder’s party. He gave Fallon a good once-over then stared at the guy dancing with her.
The guy didn’t even hesitate before turning and walking away.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder with an overdone pout. “You scared off my dance partner.”
“Nah, replaced him for a better one. Name’s Luke.” He sidled up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “And you are?”
“Fallon,” she answered, staring up at him through her lashes.
“Hey,” Ryder whispered in my ear.
“Hey.” I attempted to maintain my cool, but who was I kidding? When it came to him I’d made it abundantly clear, I didn’t have one. What was the protocol after running from a guy…twice? Indifference?
Though embarrassment seemed more fitting, I went with casual disinterest.
He spun me around and pulled me to his chest. “I hope you didn’t mind the interruption but you looked like you weren’t having fun.”
And there went my indifference. His hardened body pressed into mine, reminding me of how very close I’d been to becoming completely undone with him. I forced words out of my mouth. “No. I wasn’t.”
“I’d planned to keep my distance tonight, but then that jackass wouldn’t leave you alone. It was about here,” he said, sliding his hand down my back and onto my butt, “when I thought it was time to jump in. Did it bother you?”
My brain, functioning on the primal level of need, stopped creating words. I managed a nod.
“Does it now?” he asked.
Hell no. He could leave his hand there all night without a single protest from me. Of course admitting that to him was another story. His green eyes locked onto mine and I couldn’t look away but didn’t want to answer either.