you needs is him sniffing around, messing with your head again. You know he brought his new girlfriend in to me for some ink? He got me to cover up her ex’s name. Possessive much?”
My mouth went dry and I suddenly felt ill.
Music came from outside.
“Dane’s making a coffee table for me in his workshop,” Eves said, squeezing my hand and thankfully changing the subject.
You knew he had a girlfriend. It changed nothing. There was no reason for what Trix said to hurt. I was over it, I was moving on.
Sure you are.
“Come on, I’m in the mood to dance.” Trix pulled me to my feet.
Drinks in hand, Trix herded us outside to a small bonfire already going in the middle of the yard. Dane did that a lot. He liked to sit out there with Eves in the evening. Eves ran into the garage, where Dane wrapped her in his arms, one hand dropping to her butt to give it a squeeze as he planted a hot and heavy kiss on her.
“Hey! This is girls’ night, no sucking face!” Addie called out.
“Yeah, put it away! Stop rubbing your love under our noses!” Trix called. “Some of us are single, you know!”
“Rubbing your love under our noses?” Quinn screwed up her face as she made the rounds topping off our glasses again.
Addie snickered.
I wasn’t going to let Grifter ruin my night. I was with my girls. I refused to think about him. I tipped my head back and finished my drink.
I already felt much better.
Eves shoved her drink at Dane, making him try it, and we all cracked up when he scrunched his face and shuddered in disgust. She grabbed his phone from his back pocket, tapped a few buttons, and the music pumping from his speaker changed. He shook his head, but his lips were twitching, gaze locked on her butt as Eves danced back to us.
“I’m making more drinks,” Quinn said and headed back inside.
Eves started dancing full out and we all joined her, laughing and singing and moving around the fire.
Quinn made another awesome cocktail. This time something with bourbon and peach and it was delicious. I had three of those and felt even better. Nope, not thinking of a certain biker at all. I was heading into drunk territory and it felt good. I felt good. I really should do this more often.
It was cold outside, but we only felt hot and sweaty from all the dancing.
Eves was as drunk as me and tore her top off and tossed it aside. Doing a shimmy in her bra.
We all yelled and tore our tops off as well and danced around the fire like a coven of witches casting a spell. We looked like wild women, hair sticking out, sweaty with flushed faces, dancing and laughing our asses off.
A loud rumbling vibrated around the yard, louder than the music, and I glanced over to the garage.
I almost tripped over my feet.
Jesse. He was here.
Still sitting on his bike, his gaze moved to us…to me, and he smiled wide. It was breathtaking.
He climbed off his bike and walked over to Dane.
Stop looking at him. Look the hell away, Lila.
Dane handed him a beer and they stayed by the door, watching us, both grinning. Goddammit, why did Jesse have to be so sexy? Why couldn’t he have come back with a paunch and a wart on the end of his nose? It wasn’t fair.
Then I remembered all the things he’d said to me earlier that day, the not so nice things. The way he’d thrown me away like I was nothing. And let’s not forget his gorgeous new girlfriend.
I scowled, looking him right in the eyes and letting him see what I thought of the way he’d treated me, and turned my back on him.
Why would the universe be so cruel and put such a pretty face on such a man-pig?
Well, as far as I was concerned he wasn’t here. He didn’t exist.
I grabbed my drink and swallowed it down. I would not let him ruin my night with my friends. Trixie grabbed my hand and spun me, laughing as we circled the fire. God, there was nothing like dancing. I wasn’t even good at it, but it was my favorite release.
We drank more, swaying and spinning and surrendering to the rhythm surrounding us.
But my gaze kept sliding to Jesse without my say-so. I could feel his stare on me as if it were caressing my curves, heating my skin