Fall From Grace by Christine Zolendz Page A

home!” I walked away.
    He threw his arm around my neck and walked with me.  “I think I need a night of watching you entertain me with your regretful behavior and your irreversible decisions.”
    “Then we definitely need to call Lea to tell her and Conner to meet us at Boozer’s,” I said.
    Shane looked down into my eyes.  He was so close to me like this that it was hard to think straight.  His whole body vibrated with sex appeal, or maybe that was me.  Either way, I didn’t want to have any sexy thoughts about me and New York City’s Most Popular Man-whore and I wanted my best friend with me.
    He must have read something on my face. “Grace, are you afraid of being alone with me?”  He eyes widened and he took his arm off my shoulders.  “Grace, I get it.  You aren’t interested in anything with me.  I’m not going to try anything, I promise.”   He looked around and back to my eyes, running his hand through his hair. He took his phone out of his pocket.  “I’ll tell them to meet us there.”
    Boozer’s was crowded for a weeknight, as Shane and I meandered our way to the bar.
    Shane introduced me to Ryan, the bartender, and told him whatever I wanted was limitless and he was paying.  I eyed him suspiciously and took off my coat.  When he saw me with my coat off, his mouth dropped open and he froze.  His eyes smoldered, giving me a slow long once over from my eyes to my toes and back up again.  He sucked his breath in, but said nothing.  He looked awestruck, and I had no doubt that if I were any other girl in the world other than me, that look would have made me let him take me home.
    “What would you like, Grace?” Shane asked me.  I hesitated.  I wanted to say to be someone else, at least just for tonight; but I couldn’t.  I still had to find someone, someone who I’d been half a person without.  “Tequila, please,” I whispered.
    Shane tore his eyes off me, “Ryan, the woman wants Tequila.  Line up the shot glasses, salt and limes, sir,” and he turned back to me with a wicked smile, “And let the regretful behavior begin!”
    Everything was placed on the bar in front of me.
    My eyes never left Shane’s as I slowly licked the back of my hand, salted it and licked it again.  Lifting the shot, I tilted my head back and emptied the glass, and then sucked on the lime.
    “My God,” he whispered.
    I narrowed my eyes at him, “Why am I drinking alone?”  I could feel a heat burn inside me.
    A sexy playful smile crept across his face, “Oh, don’t worry, Grace, you’re not alone,” he said, as he slowly licked the back of his salted hand and devoured his drink.
    I wanted to ask him if he could do that to me next.  Please, Lea, get here fast before I do something I will regret.
    “Holy Shots!” Lea screamed when she and Conner walked up to us, eyeing all the Tequila that was lined up.  Oh, thank you God, she’s here!
    “Lea!” I yelled, and hugged her tight.  When I pulled her away, I said, “That, my friend, will be the last time that you will ever talk me into going on a date!”
    Lea held up her finger, about to make a point and I grabbed it with my mouth and bit her.  “Ouch!”
    “Last time, Lea.  It’s my messed up life and if I want to waste it, I will!”  I ended the sentence with another shot that Shane had handed to me; his fingers brushing mine.  My breath caught, his eyes noticed, and my cheeks flushed with heat.  Crap!
    Lea grabbed a shot off the bar, “Come on, Conner.  Worst thing to do is let a friend drink alone, looks like I’ll be taking off again tomorrow!” She emptied her glass.
    Four shots in, Shane grabbed my hand and nodded toward the dance floor.  I smiled back; butterflies bursting in my stomach.  I motioned for Lea and Conner to follow us.
    Shane spun me around, facing me away from him, and grabbed hold of my waist.  His fingers dug into the material of my shirt, pulling me closer to him. His touch made me lose my train