Page 24

On our way to the dance floor, I lean in to him, “What does the one finger mean?”

He laughs and growls. “It’s a promise I intend to keep, but you just made it a whole lot harder.”

Even though I don’t know what that means, I’m getting swept away. One night of lowering my guard can’t hurt, that much.

I put my hands on his biceps. His face lights up as I squeeze them, although I was not expecting them to be unyielding. I love a good arm. I bite my lip and say to him, “To adventure!” And then I throw my arm straight up in the air and lead him to the dance floor.

We’re grinding immediately and falling into old habits. He’s behind me, and I can feel him. He pulls my arm up behind his head, and I try to clutch his hair like I used to. There’s nothing there, really, but he gets the point. And then his face is buried in my neck, nipping and kissing. We got here super fast, but it’s always been fast with Tony. I used to be impulsive and a touch hedonistic, and Tony was the height of it for me. I wanted him all the time in all the ways. Sweet and tender, rough and sexy, and it never mattered where we were or who was around. We were almost always in constant contact. He used to study with me on his lap, or sometimes we just linked pinkies under a table. I’ve never connected like that again.

“I can’t help it.” That is all I can hear in my ear. My body is light, but my skin is on fire. We keep dancing, and I don’t dare turn around, or he’ll stop. And if he stops, he might remember I hurt him.

His erection is digging into my back, and I want to climb up on it. He’s bulkier and muscled and so fucking gorgeous. He flips me around and pulls me to him. I bite my lip and he brushes his thumb over it. Then he pulls my hair back, and as the club thumps to a Cardi B remix, we sway as if we’re hearing a different sound.

“Fuck it.” His eyes light up, and he leans in and brushes his lips across my cheek, then holds me as close as possible. The tension is broken by my confusion. I thought I’d wrap my legs around him, and then he’d carry me out of here to the closest semi-private flat surface. I could use that. He kisses the top of my head, and we continue to sway in a slow circle in our own spotlight. I don’t mean to, but I melt into him. I’m protected and connected. That shit doesn’t happen in my everyday life. It’s the escape I need, not the one I thought I wanted. I cling to his shirt and let go of everything weighing me down.

Then he’s in my ear and whispers my name. “Makenzie. My Makenzie. Why? Where did you go the moment you left my side? How are you here with me now? You’re a dream and I don’t deserve this moment, but I’m going to take it anyway.”

His breath creates a series of chills down my back and arms. The rumble of his deep voice touches all parts of me. I have to get away from this because it’s too much of what I’ll never have.

He’ll jet off tomorrow, and I’ll still be alone in the desert.

tony

Iwant to fuck this woman into tomorrow and for the next month. No one has ever felt totally right since her. It’s only now, as we dance, I realize everyone else was just playing house. All the wives and girlfriends were merely square pegs in round holes. I don’t know if we can pick up where we were. I’m a different person now, but would it be a mistake to try?

Besides my heart, which gives itself up pretty regularly, it could be a five million dollar slip-up. I hold her closer, slowly dancing amid chaos and electronica to stop me from taking her right here. I only get one shot at being with her this year. If I fail four hours into the bet, these assholes will never let me live it down. Technically, I wouldn’t fail until I begged to see Mak tomorrow, the next day, and the one after that.

Her smile is wistful, and full of melancholy, and I feel all of that with her. As well as the intense pain of the hole in my heart I’ve tried filling with wives and fiancées is because this one left me.

We stroll to the table, but she sits in the vacant seat near Maggie. Colt’s still staring at Maggie, and she’s oblivious to the power she still holds over him. I guess Mak has it, too.

I’m flanked by Hayden and Dax. My brother slaps my knee, and I turn my head to his. “Easiest money. She’s right there, the girl that got away. I know you.”

“Fuck you. It’s just nice to see her.”

Hayden leans over. “Man, look at you. She looks fantastic and can’t stop staring at you. It’s the same hungry look and feel from Paris. You walked in that door twelve years ago and you both jumped to life.”

“That was a pretty powerful door.” I nudge Hayden, and he grins and closes his eyes. I’m sure he’s thinking of his girl in Paris.

“It was. But, dude, you’re screwed. Now, if you don’t want to wait to run after her, you can slide me the mil right now.” I punch him in the arm.

Dax leans forward, puts his drink down, and walks away, nodding to the others, then jerks his head a little, indicating I should follow him.

“Be right back.” I say it to everyone, but mostly so she knows I’m coming back. When I squeeze her knee, and she covers my hand with hers. And zing right to the crotch. My dick and balls just woke up to be part of the conversation. They’re saying, “Her. We want her.” Settle down, junk. We’ll get to it.

Dax stops abruptly near a way too trendy restaurant. “She fucking flattened you.” I might have taken the breakup badly, but that was over a decade ago.

“It was a dance and a nibble. Be joyous. Wish me a happy birthday.” I try to tease my brother out of whatever he thinks he needs to say here.

“Happy birthday, she fucking flattened you.”

“I danced with her. I can totally handle seeing her, and I promise you I’m not going to marry her.”

His expression softens, and finally, I see my brother staring back at me. “We can call the bet off—”

“No, I can do this—”

Dax continues, “But you shouldn’t. You need to figure out how to be alone.” He puts his hand on my shoulder, and I shrug my brother off.