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I turned him around and pushed him toward the bar. “Let’s do both.”

He reached behind his back and wove his fingers through mine in that classic club train that always felt different when the right boy did it. Butterflies fluttered low in my belly.

While we waited for the bartender to make the drinks we ordered, we clinked our shot glasses together, licked the salt, tossed the tequila back, and bit our limes.

The guy next to us drummed his fingers on the bar top, agitated. He leaned over to the bartender. “Hey man, where are all the bears? This place was advertised to a certain demographic—there’s even a bear in the logo—but from what I can tell, it’s twinks all the way down.”

The twink bartender just scowled at him. “Everyone is welcome here, friend.”

His use of “friend” to express the opposite? Savage. My inner drama demon was bouncing.

Bear Guy turned to the man next to him, but spoke loud enough for people down the bar to hear. “Should have called it the Savannah if you wanted to avoid false advertising, my guy.”

“Is there a problem here?” a manager interjected.

“Yeah, I paid a babysitter for the weekend and drove in from Jersey just to come here, and what do I find? No. Fucking. Bears!”

Will waved his hand around his face and body, flexing his biceps, and mouthed What do you call this? I laughed out loud, surprised he knew what the guy was talking about. An Otter, I mouthed back.

His eyebrows shot up. “What did you just call me?”

“I said ‘an Otter,’ it’s a gay man who is muscular and masculine, but leaner and less hairy than a Bear. What did you think I said?”

“I thought you called me an ‘un-bear.’” His eyes crinkled, and he shook his head, laughing at himself. “Hasan has the Badass Beard to be a Badass Bear, and here I am… fucking Bread.”

I giggled and let my eyes wander over his body appreciatively. I wasn’t trying to hide it. He really wasn’t very hairy, unlike Has. Where had that Hassi Bear snuck off to?

“How long do you think it would take Hasan to de-bear?” I asked, suddenly curious. “I bet it’s a solid two-hour waxing appointment.”

“Have you seen his back?” Will grinned at me. “I’m more interested in how long it would take him to fully re-bear after. You know, return to his original form.”

“Including the facial hair or body hair only?”

The bartender cut in. “Two fingers Jack. Margarita on the rocks. No fucking bears,” handing the drinks over the bar with a cheeky smile. Will returned it and dropped a couple of bills on the bar top.

“I appreciate it, man. Keep the change and have a great night,” he said earnestly, and I realized I genuinely liked him. I would want to be friends with him even if he weren’t Hasan’s roommate.

Linking our fingers again and checking over my shoulder to make sure he was ready to follow, I led the way to the dance floor.

I could say this about gay bars: If you were a woman not trying to get laid, they were a fucking blast. But Will Hawkins was really doing it for me tonight. Weaving through the throngs of writhing bodies on the main floor, he had this adorable Wholesome Dad at Gay Bar Casually Turns Down Multiple Offers from Interested Men: “I’m Just Here with My Son” vibe, and I was very into it.

I found a spot on the dance floor and spun around, placing his hand on my lower back and mine around his neck. In the most obvious display of sexual interest, I bit my lip and stroked the nape of his neck, pressing my tits against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat, and I watched his eyes shift from confused to dangerous. Play with me.

His hand slipped down to the top of my ass and pulled my hips against his roughly. He bent his head until his jaw touched my cheek. His voice was gravel in my ear. “What are you trying to pull, Louisa?”

You. I’m trying to pull you, Will.

I exhaled slowly. “Hmm. My dance teacher always told me to do whatever feels good for my body.” I was aiming for unaffected, but didn’t quite carry it. His warm breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine.

“Let me guess…” I felt him smile against me. “Tap?”

He thinks he’s hilarious.

“Jazz, actually,” I sniffed, my nose in the air. I had to bite my cheek and flare my nostrils to keep from breaking character.

“Mmmmm,” came from deep in his throat.

I wanted him to hum like that while I rode his face. I wanted him to chase me down and make me pee my pants from laughing so hard. I just wanted him.