The three of us pile in the back of Jack’s G-Wagon and he pulls away from the police-lined streets.
“Is everybody okay?” Tyler turns in the passenger seat to look us over.
“Yeah. We’re fine,” Grace answers. “What’s going on?”
“There was a fight,” Tyler says. “Couple of guys got into it and then their friends jumped in. Turned into a brawl in a hurry.”
“How did you find out what was going on before us?” Ev sits forward, staring between her brother and Jack. “And how did you get here so quickly?”
Tyler glances at Jack, who says nothing, before replying, “Jack heard it from a friend.”
“A friend?” Everly’s voice is full of suspicion.
“I know the guy that runs the place.” He keeps driving while Grace, Ev, and I relax into the back seat.
My heartbeat slows, but I’m still antsy. So is Grace, if the death grip she has on her seat belt is any indication.
“Are you okay?” I ask Everly quietly.
“Yeah,” she says, not at all convincing, then lets out a long breath. “Yeah. That was nuts. I’m totally sober now and going to be home before midnight.”
“You got drunk at Club Midnight?” Jack asks, glaring back from the rearview mirror.
“Tipsy.”
“How? You’re underage.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sneaky. It was only a few shots.”
Jack curses under his breath.
Tyler turns around again and before he can say anything, Everly holds up her hand. “Don’t say it.”
“What?” her brother asks defensively, fighting a smile.
“If you’re about to scold me for underage drinking or tell me I should have let you throw me a party and this wouldn’t have happened—”
“That’s not what I was going to say at all.” The expression on his face is full of sincerity. “I’m sure I would have tried to sneak drinks at the club when I was twenty too.”
Jack pulls into a gas station and parks in front of the storefront. “Be right back.”
“I’m sorry your night got ruined, Ev,” Tyler says. “That majorly sucks. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Her shoulders relax. “Thanks for coming to get us. Were you really asleep?”
“Yeah, I passed out early.”
“You’re the oldest twenty-five-year-old I know,” Ev teases him. “I should have invited Piper to come out with us.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Jack returns with a tray of to-go coffees in one hand and a brown paper bag tucked under the other. He opens the back and sets it all inside, except the coffees, which he passes up to us.
“What’s this for?” Ev asks him.
“It’ll help you sober up. Try not to spill it all over my back seat.”
“God. Just when I think you’re being nice, you ruin it by opening your mouth.” Ev takes the coffee with a huff.
He shuts the back without another word, but then two seconds later, he opens Everly’s door and tosses a sweatshirt at her. “And put that on. I can’t focus with your teeth chattering in my ear.”
She opens her mouth to talk back, but the door closes again.
Tyler clears his throat and hides a laugh. “Like I was saying, I feel bad your night out got ruined and I know it isn’t what you wanted, but as soon as Piper heard, she called everyone and they’re waiting back at our house to help make it up to you.”
“At your place?”
He nods.
“Define everyone,” Grace says.
“The team and anyone else in her contacts she could get a hold of for a last-minute party.”
No one says anything else. Everly looks at me and I shrug. Grace does the same.
Ty sounds sincere when he says, “If you’re not up for it, then we’ll take you home. Your call. I just want to make sure you have the best birthday possible.”
I think it’s sweet, but keep that to myself. I can’t pretend to know what it’s like to have a famous brother that you feel overshadowed by.
“Yeah, fine, let’s do it.” Everly sets the coffee between her legs and pulls on Jack’s sweatshirt. “But no hovering around me and acting all protective. I’m twenty now. I can take care of myself.”
Jack snorts from the driver’s seat and Tyler shoots him a glare before saying, “Deal.”
Tyler and Piper’s house is filled with people when we get there. There are even balloons and streamers hung up. Piper comes running forward to greet us at the door. She pulls Everly into a hug and then steps back to look the three of us over. “I’m so glad no one was hurt.”
“How did you get so many people here this fast?” Everly asks, cocking her head to the side and giving her sister-in-law an endearing smile.
“All I had to do was ask. Everyone adores you and were more than happy to come help you celebrate.”
“You threatened them, didn’t you?” Everly smirks and raises one brow.
“Little bit.” She grins. “Come on. There’s cake.”
Everly and Grace know everyone already, so I feel a little like the odd man out as we walk around the party. They introduce me and everyone is nice, but it isn’t until I spot Ash in the kitchen that I feel my lips pull into a real smile.
He walks over, two beers stacked in one hand—one on top of the other. He’s changed into jeans and a white sweater since I saw him earlier. His hair is down and tucked behind one ear.
“You’re alive.” His gaze travels down the length of me, holding on my legs for a fraction longer than necessary before slowly dragging up. “And I’m dead. I suddenly understand why there was a brawl at the club.”
My insides light up even if I want to roll my eyes at him a little. “Wow. That was bad even for you.”
“I thought it was clever. Maybe you just didn’t get it the first time. You’re so hot, you caused a bar fight.” He grins proudly. God, he’s too much.
“It was a club.”
“Same difference.” He holds up the beer in his hand. “Want something to drink?”
“Uhhh. Yeah.”
He tips his head and motions for me to follow him farther into the kitchen. Soda and liquor bottles line the counter, along with snacks and a cake.
Ash grabs a cup, flips it into the air with a wink, and then pours several different types of alcohol and mixers into it before handing it over.
“What is it?”
“A little of this and a little of that. It’s good. Trust me. I’m great at mixing drinks.”
I take a tentative sip and then cough. Holy mother of… “I think my throat is on fire. That’s terrible.”
Like he doesn’t believe me, he takes the cup from me and drinks. His face is impassive for a few moments and then he nods. “You’re right. It’s terrible.”
“I think I’ll stick with beer.” Laughing, I take the unopened beer he was carrying and pop the top.
I turn and glance around for Everly and Grace. They’re in a conversation with a few women I recognize as Wildcat players’ wives, so I stay put with Ash in the kitchen.
He leans back against the counter. “Did you have fun tonight? You know, before shit went down.”
“Yeah, I did actually.”
“You seem surprised.”
“No. I mean yes, but it’s not what you think. Everly and Grace are great and hanging with them is always fun. I just forgot how much I missed having friends to do stuff like that with.” I’m a little embarrassed to have admitted that out loud, but Ash doesn’t laugh or make me feel like a loser for being a friendless twenty-two-year-old. “And I feel really bad the night got cut short. Everly would have closed that place down on the dance floor.”
“I’ll bet.” Ash’s eyes sparkle with happiness. He picks up his beer and the mixed drink he made me. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
Ash opens a door to a stairwell and then leads me down to the basement. What I assume was a living room has been cleared out and the furniture is pushed to one side. No one else is down here, but music is playing from speakers hanging on the wall and the lights are dimmed.
“What do you think?” Ash asks, raising his hands out to his sides. “As good as Club Midnight?”
“Not bad,” I say, smiling at the thoughtfulness. I don’t know if it was his or Piper’s idea, but I love that they made a space for Everly to keep dancing the night away. “It’s missing all the cute boys, but close enough.”
He narrows his gaze playfully. Freaking hell, he’s hot even when he’s not smiling. He’s the hottest guy in every room and that would have been true at Club Midnight too. He knows it too, even if he acts all offended by my comment.
He sets both of his drinks on top of a bookshelf, then takes mine and does the same.
“But they don’t have my sick dance moves.” His long, strong fingers take hold of my hand and he tugs me into the center of the room.
When he lets go, my skin tingles. Ash is all smiles as he starts dancing in front of me.
I don’t join in and it just makes him dance bigger and wilder. He steps closer and takes my hands again, forcing me to sway to the beat.
I finally crack a smile and that just eggs him on more.
“You’re as bad of a dancer as you are a drink maker,” I say.
Does that deter him? Absolutely not. He lifts our joined hands and makes me do a twirl. Then he does one of those moves where he brings me in close with an arm wrapped around me and then uncoils and stretches to send me spinning out with our arms outstretched.
“That is not how we were dancing.”
“No?” His stare holds on my mouth and then he steps back and sweeps a hand in front of him. “Show me how it’s done then.”
I hesitate, but backing down feels like admitting that I care what he thinks of me.
I move just a little at first. Hips swaying, arms flowing at my sides. Ash falls into step with me, closing some of the distance between us as he dances in front of me.
He doesn’t touch me, but he’s so close that I can feel him all around me. Ash is a good dancer when he’s not trying to get a laugh, which I guess shouldn’t come as any surprise. He doesn’t break out any amazing skills; he’s just intuitive and playful. He makes funny faces like he’s really into it, nodding his head as he sings along with the chorus. Even acting silly, though, he never takes his eyes off me.
The song ends and we both come to a stop. Tipping my head back, I glance up at him. The next song has a slower beat. I’m about to step back and suggest we go back upstairs when he holds his hand out to me. “One more song?”
I place my hand in his and he tugs me closer. My chest brushes up against his and then long fingers caress my hip, sending a shot of warmth zipping through me. The three of us shooed away any guys who tried to get all up on us at the club. Despite our joking about it, tonight wasn’t about dancing with cute boys. But if Ash had been there, maybe it would have been.
There’s something about him that puts me at ease and makes my heart feel like it’s going to explode all at once.
Every brush of contact makes me dizzy and warm. My pulse races. If he can hear how fast my heart is beating, he doesn’t comment on it. I should stop this. There are so many reasons why it’s a terrible idea, but I’m tired of pushing people away. Everything in me craves more of this—more fun, more connection, more heart flutters.
“We didn’t dance like this,” I say, a little breathless. Do not fall for this man. Do not fall for this man.
“No?”
I shake my head.
“Their loss.”
