negative thoughts, I wiggled my hips and danced with her like old times. We’d probably only danced for a couple of songs, though, when Dallas joined us and Bree all but climbed him like a horny monkey.
Snickering at the panicked look on Dallas's face, I turned to leave the dance floor and give them some privacy, but found a dance partner of my own waiting behind me.
"Kodiak Jones," I purred with a wide grin as he reached out and grabbed my hips, tugging me closer to him as he moved to the music. "Trying to recreate the last time we danced together?"
His lips brushed my ear as he chuckled, his breath feathering my skin and sending shivers rolling through me. "Hopefully with a drastically better ending to the night this time."
I laughed, despite the weight of that night still weighing on my mind. But I was determined never to end up in that situation again. Even if all of Archer and the boys’ dirty little secrets got spilled before the night was over, I wouldn't put myself in that broken, vulnerable position that had made me such easy prey.
So I let myself dance with Kody, grinding my hips against him and losing myself in the moment. We danced together until sweat slicked my skin, and eventually I twirled around in Kody's arms to clasp his face between my hands.
"I'm done," I announced, smacking a quick kiss on his lips. "Take me home?"
A wide, predatory grin spread across his face. "I thought you'd never ask, babe." His head dipped and his lips met my neck. Then his teeth, and I moaned low in my throat. Fucking tease.
I looked around for Bree and Dallas, then gasped when I saw them drunkenly making out in the shadows across the dance floor. But then that explained a lot of the cagey way Bree had been acting every time I mentioned Dallas.
"Uh, should we..." I indicated to my two friends, but then realized Dallas was looking back at us anyway, despite the way Bree was sucking on his neck. So I did an awkward kind of gesture to tell him we were leaving, and his brow creased in a frown.
Kody wasn't hanging around for a silent conversation across the dance floor, though, so I blew a quick kiss toward Dallas and Bree—giving them my support—then let Kody lead me back to the table where Steele and Archer sat. They each had a crystal tumbler in their hand, but as neither of them looked even remotely drunk, I guessed the drinks were just for show.
Seeing Archer reminded me of why they'd been so willing to let me have a night out on the town, though, and I propped my hands on my hips with a stern glare.
"Did you do what you needed to do?" I asked him with a pointed look.
His brows rose slightly, and he rubbed at his stubbled cheek with his knuckles. "Yep," he replied, and I just barely held back a hard eye roll.
"And?" I prompted, seething with annoyance that he couldn't just front up the information all at once.
He took a moment to gaze up at me before answering, and there was a strange look in his eyes. "And nothing. It was a dead-end lead."
I scowled, folding my arms and debating whether he was actually telling the truth or not. But then, as impeccable as his poker face was, I'd have no way of working it out unless he was willing to tell me.
"Don't pull that face, Princess Danvers," he drawled, sitting forward in his chair, which brought him a hell of a lot closer to me. "I said we'd keep you alive, and we will. Leave it at that."
My frown deepened as I opened my mouth to bite back, tell him what I thought of his attitude, but he shifted forward, his hands clasping my waist. I gasped as he stood up, lifted me off my feet, and physically moved me out of his way before setting me back down.
"If you're done dry fucking Kody on the dance floor, we should go." There was a sneering edge in his voice, and the way his hands lingered on my waist told me something all too clearly.
Archer was jealous.
"Dry fucking? Yeah, I'm done with that," I snarked back with a smirk. "All bets are off for straight up fucking when I get him home, though. Like our clothes."
Archer's face darkened like a thundercloud, and my grin spread wider. I pushed up on my