“I’m really okay. I’m with the girls tonight, so?—”
“You might want to double-check that,” he says smugly, jerking his chin over my shoulder.
I take a moment before I turn around to look at my friends dancing with his. I don’t know who Sienna is dancing with, but she sure looks like she’s living her best life right now, with his giant hands resting low on her hips as she grinds back against him.
“You wouldn’t want to ruin the birthday girl’s night, would you?”
My hands curl into fists.
“You know, you are exactly the kind of man I thought you were,” I seethe.
“Hot and totally fuckable?”
“The cockiest jerk on the planet.”
“I have a special kind of hatred for fake people, sweetheart. What you see with me is exactly what you get.” He leans closer, and I attempt to take a step back, but he sees the move coming. Wrapping one thick arm around my back, he drags me forward so I’m pressed up against him and his lips are next to my ear. “And tonight, I want you.”
I pull back so I can look at him. “Well, we can’t always get what we want, can we?”
“I’m not sure about everyone else, but I always do. And right now, I’m taking you up to the VIP area.”
“Oh, no. I’m not going up there with?—”
“Bea, we’re going upstairs,” Sienna shouts, her voice slurred but happy. When I look up, I find her attached to a hockey player, a wide, excited smile on her lips.
“Yeah, Bea. We’re going upstairs,” Everett mimics before taking my hand and leading me toward the roped-off stairs.
Sure, there’s a part of me that wants to plant my feet into the ground and refuse point-blank to go with him. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t another part that’s more than happy to spend the rest of my night living the VIP life with a bunch of hot, wealthy hockey players.
Life could certainly be worse, right?
Leaving my common sense and my inhibitions on the bottom step, I allow Everett to lead me up to where the rest of the team and their inner circle are hanging out.
Rachel, Lessy, and Savvy follow us up the stairs, each attached to a different player.
Without their names branded across their backs, I have no idea who they are. I might have learned a lot tonight, but it’s only Everett I could pick out of a crowd, and I’m yet to decide if that’s a good thing or not.
I suspect the latter, but I’m happy to reserve full judgment for a little while at least.
“Would you like a drink?” he asks when we’re at the top of the stairs.
“Shots!” Sienna screams before racing to the bar.
“Seems like the queen has spoken,” Everett teases before bringing me to a stop beside my best friend.
He steps up behind me, his hand still on my hip as if he’s scared I might try running off.
Honestly, if my sensible side hadn’t already been drowned in alcohol, then I probably would. But I already know that in these heels, and with a professional athlete behind me, I’d stand no chance of getting away.
Although now that I think about it…maybe attempting to get away would be fun…
Something tells me he’d chase me.
Fuck knows why. I have no doubt that a man like Everett Donnelly could have any woman in this place he wanted.
So why does he want me?
My racing thoughts are shattered when a shot glass appears in front of me.
