gripped Shelly’s arm tight like they were watching a great movie, and then they both froze as he dipped his head in retreat.
“Very well,” he turned as though to walk away. But before he took a step, he looked over his shoulder and told Rachel, “By the way, I think I am exactly your type.”
With that, he walked through the crowd and out of the club.
***
Shelly watched Rachel blink twice, and then she seemed to pull herself out of some kind of moment.
Well, hell, Shelly thought, that’s how I felt when Josh was all up in my space. Mesmerized, intoxicated, hot, and bothered.
But Rachel had said no and had clearly shown that she was not interested. As Shelly looked across the club at the auburn-haired man, she had to wonder just what was so appealing about that guy over Mr. Incredible.
Lena took that opportunity to reach over and grab their shots. Handing one to Shelly, they both passed on the licking and sucking and went straight to downing the fiery liquid. As it burned a hot liquid trail down her throat into her tummy, Shelly felt a giddy buzz come over her.
“One more dance?” she asked Lena and Rachel.
Lena had a pinched expression on her face from the shot, and Rachel was now laughing at her.
“Sure, one more dance, and then in a cab to head home,” Rachel told them both.
Shelly followed them out onto the floor, thinking to herself with a giggle, Yes, Miss Rachel.
***
Josh woke up to a loud knock on the front door.
Rolling over, he looked at the clock and saw it had just turned 1:45 a.m. He was going to ignore it until the knock happened again, and this time Mutley sat up, barking.
Great. Now, I have to get it.
Getting out of bed, he grabbed a T-shirt and walked toward the obnoxious knocking. When he got there, he opened the door and found Shelly standing on his doorstep in an electric-blue skintight tube dress. She had a jacket dangling from her fingers, her hair was a mess, and she smelled like a bottle of tequila.
“What are you doing here, Shelly?”
She wobbled a little, so Josh reached out his hand and grasped her shoulder to steady her. She smiled up at him, her face lighting up, but her bleary, bloodshot, sad eyes detracted from it.
“I can’t get you out of my head,” she slurred. “I lost your number...the...the way you told me to, but I re..rem..remembered how to get to your house.”
Fantastic, Josh thought as she swayed again.
“Shelly, where were you tonight?”
She moved a step closer and looked up at him. “You were so easy to fall for.”
Josh shook his head. Shit. Not like this. Of course he wanted to hear this, but not now, not when she was drunk.
He was about to say something when suddenly she swayed in the opposite direction.
“I be okay, Josh,” she told him in the worst English imaginable. “Josh?”
“Yes, Shelly?” he asked patiently.
“Can I come inside?”
This was so not what he wanted right now and definitely not how he had wanted to show her his place.
“I’m going to drive you home, Shelly,” he told her.
“Why?” she whined, frowning.
“Because you and I are over, remember? We just had a fling?”
“Fling schming,” she told him with a goofy grin. “You’re sexy.”
That’s it. Josh reached back, grabbing his wallet and keys off of the small side table, shoved his bare feet into some sneakers by the entrance, and then moved toward her, shutting the door behind him.
Swinging her up into his arms, he carried her to the truck and opened the passenger-side door. He slid her inside and closed it with a firm hand. Walking around to his side, he saw her looking out the window at him with a sappy look.
Boy is she toasted, Josh thought. She’s going to hate herself in the morning.
Getting in the truck, he started it and made his way to her place. She took that opportunity to start talking.
“I wished you were with me tonight.”
Josh took a deep breath and asked, “Where were you?”
“Whipped.”
“Huh?” he asked, thinking he had misheard.
“At Whipped. With Super Domme.”
Josh was beyond confused and suddenly worried some guy had been harassing her—or maybe she had been harassing some guy. In that outfit, any guy would welcome it.
“Josh?”
He turned to look at her. She was leaning against the truck’s seat with her head back and her face turned, her eyes focusing on him.
“I really did fall for you under my tree.”
Josh grimaced and felt his