“Over there,” Stevi says from beside me, pointing to the left of the dance floor where JJ and Levi are waving at us. Weaving our way through the crowd, we get to their table where they already have a couple empty pitchers and two full ones waiting.
“I see the fun has already started,” Stevi says, nodding at the empty pitchers.
“The girls said they needed liquid courage before attempting to learn how to line dance,” JJ says, shaking his head while looking over to the dance floor.
“Where is your better half?” I ask.
“Somewhere on the dance floor with Lacey and Hannah,” he answers.
“So we finally get to meet your new roommate?” I ask, looking at Levi.
“Yes—and again, she’s off limits,” he says, giving me and Stevi a look.
“Why, are you keeping her for yourself?” Stevi asks with a laugh.
“No, she’s a second sister to me. She’s just been through a lot lately and doesn’t need any love-em-and-leave types like you two bugging her.”
“Hey, the ladies love a little love-em-and-leave-em action,” Stevi says with a mischievous glint in his eye.
I hear them continue to bicker while I look around trying to spot Lacey, Ellie, and the mysterious Hannah. She must be something for Levi to be so uptight about her. His sister is a doctor who works in some of the poorest, most remote, dangerous parts of the world. She’s worked in some pretty sketchy areas, and he’s never been so worked up about her well-being like he is about Hannah’s. Maybe he does have a little thing for her and just doesn’t want to admit it.
After a few minutes of scanning the room, the song changes to “Cadillac Ranch” by the Nitty Gritty Band—a classic. I finally spot Ellie’s red hair by the far-right corner by the bar, almost directly in front of us. Beside her I see Lacey attempting to clumsily follow the moves; shaking my head, I smile at their attempt at line dancing.
Bringing my clear cup up for a drink of beer, I pause halfway as I spot the girl on Ellie’s other side. I can’t get a good look at her face—the dance makes them turn away from me. All I have is the sight of long blond curls hanging down her back, almost all the way down to her ass. It looks so soft, my hand twitches with a desire to run my fingers through it.
Run my fingers through her hair?Since when do you think about running your fingers through a girl’s hair?I take a long gulp of beer trying to shake those thoughts right out of my head.
Keeping my eyes in the general direction of the blonde, I get small glimpses of her as people dance and move around her, yet I never get a good look of her face.
Finally, they move to face us, and the blonde throws her head back laughing as Lacey gets mixed up in her steps as they’re changing directions. Once I see her face, I’m struck. Even though she’s all the way across the crowded bar, it’s like I can see all her features in focus and the rest fades around her.
“Fuck,” I whisper. “Fading around her,” I mumble with a shake of my head. Clearly, I’ve been watching too many movies with Sadie.
She’s stunning. Like drop-dead-gorgeous stunning. Even from far away, I can tell she’s a natural blonde, with a wide, easy smile. I can’t tell what color her eyes are. What I can say is I want her eyes on me, and me alone. A wave of possessiveness rolls through me, yet I don’t even know who she is.
Looking away, I take a long pull of my beer hoping it will distract me. No such luck. My gaze easily makes its way back to her once the song ends, and I see her make her way to the bar flanked by Lacey and Ellie.So that must be Hannah, I think to myself. Of course, she would be Hannah. Levi is gonna have my ass when I ask her out.
“Looks like the girls are getting lit tonight,” I hear Stevi say beside me. As JJ and Levi turn to see where Stevi is pointing at the bar.
Laughing, JJ answers, “Drunk Ellie is fun Ellie. It’s Lacey I’m worried about. The girl cannot hold her liquor,” he says with a smile as he watches her and the two others take a shot of tequila.
“Just like her big brother,” I interject.
“It was one time.Onetime. Am I ever going to hear the end of that?” JJ answers, with an eye roll. At last year's cabin get together, the usually straight-laced, never-over-doing-it captain of ours finally let loose. You name it, the guy did it. He streaked. He skinny-dipped. Took way too many shots. Even found a funnel somewhere and made everyone take a turn. To say he was not feeling well the next morning would be an understatement. I swear he puked for the following three days.
“Never,” Levi says matter-of-factly, looking him dead in the eye as he takes a drink of beer.
“Okay there, Kitty,” JJ answers back with a smirk looking at me.
“And that right there is why you will never hear the end of it,” I answer right back.
“Oooo Kitty has claws tonight,” Stevie sings, clearly already feeling the beers he’s been downing since we’ve arrived. So much for taking it easy tonight.
Before anyone can retort, the girls slide up to our tables. Jesus Christ, she’s even more gorgeous up close. Her blonde hair frames the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Too stunned to say anything, I just stand there and take her in. Letting my eyes slowly trail down her body, I catch on that full bottom lip of hers, then the soft dip of her cleavage, finally landing on her mile long legs that would look great wrapped around me.
Say something you idiot. Since when does a pretty girl leave you speechless? You’ve seen plenty of pretty girls.She’s looking at me, she definitely thinks I’m a creep. Why can’t I say anything?
Dumbfounded as to why this girl has me speechless, I just keep stealing glances at her. She’s so short; even from a few feet away I can tell the top of her head would barely hit the middle of my chest. Her chest on the other hand looks like a perfecthandful. Looking away so nobody catches my gaze lingering on her, I refill my drink.
