I smirk and take the shot from the woman, my vision getting a little blurry as I put the empty glass down. "I think I'm having a good time on vacation. That's what we're supposed to be doing. It's going to be a matter of days before we need to go home."
"It is." She snatches another shot from me before I have the chance to throw it back. "If you keep carrying on the way you are, you're not going to make it until tomorrow, though."
"Hey, that was mine." I try to snag the shot, but she takes it.
"I have something that could be yours," a man purrs, coming up beside me, fingers skimming my waist as he holds out a cup.
Téa smacks the cup into the sand, beer sloshing all over my feet. "Not happening. Go find someone else to fuck with."
He rolls his eyes and leaves.
She turns to me, putting her hands on my shoulders and trying to hold me still.
All I want to do is dance. Dance and forget about the bodyguards, the fight with Aiden, and the hell that's going to be waiting for me when I get back home.
And I know there's going to be hell when I get home.
Jade's been blowing up my phone, telling me that I need to talk to Aiden.
I love my twin more than anything else in this life, but I hate it when she tries to get in the middle of fights and convince me to smooth everything over.
I've spent my entire life being the one to smooth everything over, and I'm tired of it.
I glance around, my mind a little hazy until I spot him. Noah Rinaldo.
My stomach drops to my feet, a sour taste rising in the back of my throat. "Noah's here."
Téa's eyebrows pull together, a thin line forming between them. "What are you talking about?"
"He was right there." I grab her and turn her to the spot I just saw him, pointing, but he's no longer there. "I swear, I saw him."
"It might have just been someone who looks like him."
"He's been trying to kill my family for as long as I can remember. I think I'd know what he looks like."
The thought of potentially seeing him there on the beach is enough to sober me up immediately. Even though I'm sure my blood is more tequila than hemoglobin, I'm still clear enough to know that I saw him standing there.
Téa turns back around, looking at me with concern shining in her eyes. "I know you think you saw him, but why would he follow you to Miami? That seems a little far to go with all the shit going on in New York, don't you think?"
I shake my head, the world around me spinning a little. "No, he was right there. I'm telling you, Téa. I wouldn't be making this up. Not even a little bit. He was right there, and he was looking at me. He's got a blue ball cap on."
She looks around again, worry etching into her features. "I think you're just wound a little tight. I don't even seeanyoneI recognize from the Rinaldos. Maybe the tequila is doing your head in just a little, and we should go sit down in the shade."
Rolling my eyes, I push away from her. "Fine, if you don't believe me, then I'm going to go out there and have some fun."
Though she tries to call after me, I'm already stomping through the sand. At least, that's the intention before a man with nearly black eyes and dark brown hair steps into my path, his jawline looking like it was cut from stone.
"Would you like to dance?" His tone is smooth as butter, his smile warm and friendly.
Nothing about him suggests he's a danger. Not the easy posture with his hands loose at his sides, or the friendliness in his eyes.
"Sure." I grin and hold out my hand, determined to show Téa that I'm going to have a good time if she thinks nothing is really going on.
He's older than me, by a lot, which is another bonus. As the sun strikes him just right, the thin lines at the corners of his eyes stand out, sparse gray hairs at his temples shining bright.
The man in front of me is exactly the kind of man I should stay away from. Friendly, older, and sure to disappoint the family.
So, I turn and press my back to him, my ass fitting to his crotch as his hands find my hips.
