ek," Kate said, smirkin

s-he's single again and

dmire her work. "But don't worry. I to

e had gone heavy on the smoky eye and bold red lip, and I had to adm

al crap. You remember Josh, right? The guy who thought it was totally fine to share every deta

trips over his own ego, falls down a mountain, and

d applying a shimmery eyeshadow to h

nning. "Now, let's finish th

hrough the floor and up into my bones. The club was everything I neede

sic, dragging me toward the bar. The bass thumped through m

ing them down on the counter with a grin. "Bottoms up, babe. Tonigh

, and threw it back. The burn was sharp and immediate, warming me from the

more like it," Kate said, grinning as she ha

to hear each other. Kate leaned in close, her breath warm against my ear. "S

Wasted, definitely. I'm not i

raising her glass. "To for

loosening our inhibitions and making everything funnier than it should have been. We laughed

looking, but his confidence was off-putting. "Hey," he said, leaning in way too

yebrow, unimp

y lack of enthusiasm. "Uh, I was wo

id, turning back t

ing rejected. "Come on, don't be lik

trying to enjoy my night. So, unless you're planni

he walked away. Kate burst out laughing, nearly spil

I said, shrugging.

her arm around my sho

through. The music was louder here, the bass thumping in my chest like a secon

at felt like forever, I wasn't thinking about work, or Tomford, or the mess

of eyes on me, intense and unwavering. I turne

s tailored to perfection, the fabric hugging his broad shoulders and tapered waist. He held a glass of whisky in one hand; the amber l

appeared, leaving just the two of us. He raised his glass in a silent toast, his lips curving into a smirk as he too

something that pulled me in even as my instincts screamed at me to run

asked, following my gaze. "I don't know," I said, my voice barel

s direction. "Well, he's definitely y

s away from him. "Not tonight.

glanced in his direction, he was there, his gaze intense and unyielding. It was unsettling, b

nced. Our eyes met again, and this time, I didn't look away. He raised his glass once more, his smirk wid

g in my chest. Who was this guy? An

fident. He started walking toward me, his eyes locked on mine like a predator stalking its

ing up inside me. I didn't know what was about to happen