enjoying having me in his arms a little too much. “Tomorrow it’ll be official.”
“That’s a little unorthodox,” I replied.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tell him yourself.” He smiled knowingly, his fingers tightening around my waist.
“Are you implying something?”
Gabe raised his eyebrows but failed to hide his amusement. “No, not at all. Though I would like to pick up where we left off.”
“Oh, the part where I said no and slammed the door in your face?”
“You liked it, Josie,” he murmured. “Don’t deny it.”
“You just keep it to yourself,” I hissed. “It’s never going to happen again. Not in a million years.”
“So you didn’t tell the Hayes Twins about our little tongue wrestle,” he mused, raising his eyebrows. “Interesting.”
“You’re so arrogant it makes me sick.” I attempted to put a little more distance between us, but he just held me tighter. “It’s a real shame, you know.”
He chuckled under his breath. “Nothing shameful about it, love. I know what I want, and I go after it. Can you say the same?”
He had me there. I had a tough exterior, but underneath the shell, I was soft and gooey. It hadn’t taken much for me to fall apart and run away when Dean rejected me. A little heartbreak had never stopped me before, so why now?
This time is different , a little voice in the back of my mind whispered.
“What do you want, Josie?” Gabe asked, lowering his lips to my ear. “Find your deepest, darkest desire and make it come true. No fear.”
Glancing over his shoulder, my gaze slammed into Dean’s, and I sucked in a sharp breath. He looked pissed. Actually, he looked more than pissed. His lips were tight, the vein in his forehead practically throbbing. If we were talking about deep and dark desires, then what I wanted was for Dean Hayes to—
“I can help you find out,” Gabe murmured, his words bringing me right out of my lusty thoughts and back into the present where I was currently in the arms of a slimeball.
“You can’t help me find anything,” I snapped, trying to pull away from him.
“Can I cut in?”
We glanced to the side as Dean appeared out of nowhere. His stormy gaze was locked on mine, and he never once acknowledged Gabe as he shoved his arm between us and claimed me for his own.
The whole motion had caveman written all over it. He was seriously a hair’s breadth from clubbing me over the head as his left hand slipped around my waist and his right held onto mine. His shoulders were tense as he jerked me against his body and began moving us back and forth to the delicate music filtering around us. Talk about a stark contrast.
“Sure thing, man,” Gabe declared, holding his hands up in defeat. As he backed off, he gave me one last wink, and then he was gone.
“Dean, look…” I began, attempting to explain why I was consorting with the enemy.
“What did O’Connell say to you?” he asked, looking displeased.
“He told me he spoke to Lincoln earlier,” I said, leaving out about a million other things he’d mentioned. “He’s challenged him for the title.”
Dean didn’t look happy about that, either. “He told him in person? Tonight?”
“It’ll be official tomorrow,” I added.
“He had to dance with you to tell you that?”
“Let it go, Dean,” I replied.
He grunted, and his hand slipped lower on my back. I was beginning to become overly aware of our current embrace, and it had nothing to do with decorum in the slightest.
“You’re dancing,” I said, my eyes widening.
He smirked, tension bleeding from his shoulders, and he spun me around. “So?”
“I’m surprised. Like, genuinely surprised,” I said as he tightened his grip on my hand.
His lips pulled up in one corner. “That I’d make an effort?”
“Last time, you looked like you were in agony.”
“I was.”
I smiled, not knowing if I should run or let this play out.
“What changed?” I asked, choosing the latter.
His chest
“That’s a little unorthodox,” I replied.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tell him yourself.” He smiled knowingly, his fingers tightening around my waist.
“Are you implying something?”
Gabe raised his eyebrows but failed to hide his amusement. “No, not at all. Though I would like to pick up where we left off.”
“Oh, the part where I said no and slammed the door in your face?”
“You liked it, Josie,” he murmured. “Don’t deny it.”
“You just keep it to yourself,” I hissed. “It’s never going to happen again. Not in a million years.”
“So you didn’t tell the Hayes Twins about our little tongue wrestle,” he mused, raising his eyebrows. “Interesting.”
“You’re so arrogant it makes me sick.” I attempted to put a little more distance between us, but he just held me tighter. “It’s a real shame, you know.”
He chuckled under his breath. “Nothing shameful about it, love. I know what I want, and I go after it. Can you say the same?”
He had me there. I had a tough exterior, but underneath the shell, I was soft and gooey. It hadn’t taken much for me to fall apart and run away when Dean rejected me. A little heartbreak had never stopped me before, so why now?
This time is different , a little voice in the back of my mind whispered.
“What do you want, Josie?” Gabe asked, lowering his lips to my ear. “Find your deepest, darkest desire and make it come true. No fear.”
Glancing over his shoulder, my gaze slammed into Dean’s, and I sucked in a sharp breath. He looked pissed. Actually, he looked more than pissed. His lips were tight, the vein in his forehead practically throbbing. If we were talking about deep and dark desires, then what I wanted was for Dean Hayes to—
“I can help you find out,” Gabe murmured, his words bringing me right out of my lusty thoughts and back into the present where I was currently in the arms of a slimeball.
“You can’t help me find anything,” I snapped, trying to pull away from him.
“Can I cut in?”
We glanced to the side as Dean appeared out of nowhere. His stormy gaze was locked on mine, and he never once acknowledged Gabe as he shoved his arm between us and claimed me for his own.
The whole motion had caveman written all over it. He was seriously a hair’s breadth from clubbing me over the head as his left hand slipped around my waist and his right held onto mine. His shoulders were tense as he jerked me against his body and began moving us back and forth to the delicate music filtering around us. Talk about a stark contrast.
“Sure thing, man,” Gabe declared, holding his hands up in defeat. As he backed off, he gave me one last wink, and then he was gone.
“Dean, look…” I began, attempting to explain why I was consorting with the enemy.
“What did O’Connell say to you?” he asked, looking displeased.
“He told me he spoke to Lincoln earlier,” I said, leaving out about a million other things he’d mentioned. “He’s challenged him for the title.”
Dean didn’t look happy about that, either. “He told him in person? Tonight?”
“It’ll be official tomorrow,” I added.
“He had to dance with you to tell you that?”
“Let it go, Dean,” I replied.
He grunted, and his hand slipped lower on my back. I was beginning to become overly aware of our current embrace, and it had nothing to do with decorum in the slightest.
“You’re dancing,” I said, my eyes widening.
He smirked, tension bleeding from his shoulders, and he spun me around. “So?”
“I’m surprised. Like, genuinely surprised,” I said as he tightened his grip on my hand.
His lips pulled up in one corner. “That I’d make an effort?”
“Last time, you looked like you were in agony.”
“I was.”
I smiled, not knowing if I should run or let this play out.
“What changed?” I asked, choosing the latter.
His chest
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