I stopped laughing. Boone. I had kind of forgotten about him after Grady’s party. Boone with his floppy hair and his laid-back vibe. Boone could be fun. And then West’s face skittered through my mind, and I got butterflies. I frowned and tried thinking about Boone with his skateboarder’s body again. No tingles. I remembered West crowding me against my Jeep. Goose bumps.

Well, maybe I just hadn’t given Boone enough of a chance yet. Besides, I didn’t think I’d be in over my head with him. He didn’t strike me as particularly… deep. I could already tell West was going to be trouble for me. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for something that strong. I needed something lighter, easier. I needed a Boone.

“To Anchor!” I yelled through my open window, flinging my arm out to feel the sticky humidity blowing through my fingers.

Theo grinned and shook his head. “You guys are going to be crazy tonight, aren’t you? Just text me if you find another way home.”

When we pulled up to Anchor, the parking lot was almost full. Theo found an unopened bottle of water on his floorboards and made me and Rue each drink half, trying to pace us for the night ahead. Rue rubbed some pink lipstick across her lips that matched her hair and straightened her white eyelet dress. She was playing up the whole I-may-look-innocent-but-trust-me-I’m-not thing. I bet she wasn’t even wearing underwear, knowing her. I was buzzed enough I didn’t care anymore. I halfheartedly smoothed my dress down as I climbed out of the car. It was soft and short and red, and Rue had made my eyes all dark and smoky and lent me some crazy heels. I felt sultry, and that was good enough for me.

Theo shook his head at me as I stumbled over the crushed oysters in the parking lot. “Sadie, do you at least have your phone with you, so you can call me if you need me?”

I waved my phone at his face. “Yes, sir.” I did a mock salute and smashed the phone into my forehead and dissolved into giggles.

Theo sighed. “I swear, the only reason you guys invite me along is so you have a babysitter.”

Rue snorted. “We don’t need a babysitter. We just take pity on you and your love life. You should be thanking us for dragging your preppy ass out here for some action.”

Theo glared at her. “I don’t need help.”

“Of course not,” she mocked.

“Shut up.”

“Oh, Theo, you know we love you!” She kissed him on the cheek, leaving behind her pink lipstick.

“Aargh,” he muttered, rubbing at his cheek. “I feel sorry for whatever guy picks you up for the night. Does he know what he’s in for?”

She winked. “Not yet.” Rue linked her arm with mine, and we sashayed into the club.

I looked around. Jason, the bald, stubbly bartender was working again tonight. I was pretty proud of myself for remembering his name. Maybe I wasn’t as wasted as I thought I was. “Let’s get drinks!” I yelled at Rue, trying to be heard over the loud music, and she nodded. We wedged ourselves into a small open spot on the bar. Rue got a mojito, and I debated between a rum and Coke and a margarita. I decided on the rum and Coke.

I was just taking my first sip when a warm hand ran up my back and rested on my shoulder. It was Boone. I swallowed fast. Damn, he got here quick. Or maybe he’d been here waiting? He was wearing a surf company tee and cargos, and a beanie over his floppy hair. And I kind of liked it. It looked cute on him. I set my drink down and grabbed his hand. “Let’s dance!”

He made an after you gesture with his arms, and I led us out onto the dance floor, ready to shake it. Boone was a pretty good dancer. His moves were a little awkward at times, but it was counteracted by his complete lack of concern over it. I laughed and moved with him through three songs before Rue and Theo joined us. Katy Perry came over the speakers, and Rue grabbed me. She loved Katy. She loved every girl power anthem for that matter. So when the chorus started, Rue and I ignored all the guys around us and got our groove on, dancing dirty with each other, which, of course, attracted that many more guys. Somehow in the mix, Boone disappeared. But that was okay, because there was Rue and a bunch of other guys, and we were all just dancing, twisting, and swaying to the beat.

I lost track of time as I stayed on the floor, my hips in constant motion. My buzz was wearing off, but I didn’t want to leave the dance floor. Rue drifted away at some point, tucked tight to a dark-haired guy with a full sleeve of tattoos on display. Taking her place, a guy with a sexy British accent and nerdy-chic glasses scooted over to me and complimented me over the music, and we started working it together, totally getting into it. By our second song, we had a feel for each other’s rhythm and were really starting to rock. I was beginning to think I had found my lucky guy for the night. Especially if he planned on whispering to me with that amazing accent of his.

I held my hair off my face with one hand as I spun in a circle and then dropped it low. As I came back up, a pair of hands grabbed my hips and pulled me back against a hard chest, dragging me away from the British hottie. Indignant, I grabbed the hands holding me and tried to remove them, but I stiffened when I recognized the bracelets — and my royal blue hair tie — on one of them. West. My breath hissed out.

Without turning around, I let my muscles relax, softening against him. He pressed his head to the side of mine, and his lips feathered over my ear. “Mind if I cut in?”

I should have said yes. I should wriggle back through the crowd until I found my British guy and stick with the tourist. Or figure out where the hell Boone escaped to. Either option was safer. Smarter.

Instead, I arched my back, letting my ass press against his front. His hands slipped down my hips and over the tops of my thighs before tracing a path back up to my waist as he moved us to the bass, our bodies sliding against each other, my hands still holding his wrists. The nerve endings where he’d stroked me shot to life, burning for more of his touch. I bit my lip and forced myself to release him and put a little more distance between us, trying to keep things light. The song changed, and the opening notes to Pitbull’s latest hit reverberated through the club. I loved this song. The beat was playful and flirty. It was just what I needed.

Spinning around to face him, I let the music move me. I raised my arms above my head and swiveled my hips, letting my hair fly around me in a wild tangle. I twisted and turned, and partway through the second chorus, I ran one hand down his neck, needing to feel the heat from his skin in that moment. His eyes darkened at the contact, and he hooked an arm around my back, forcing one knee between my legs and pulling me closer. My breath hitched as the feel went from fun to foreplay in an instant. He snugged us together from hip to thigh, and I allowed my hands to roam over his shoulders, not sure where to settle them.

Touching his forehead to mine, he did a slow, dirty grind against me with his hips, and my eyes drifted shut. I couldn’t help but compare this moment to the one with Theo a few weeks ago on my doorstep. Then, I’d felt nothing. But with West, even though we were pressed like sardines in the middle of the crowded bar, it wasn’t just a spark. It was the whole damn stick of dynamite. And every warning I’d ever heard about not playing with fire went right out the window.

With one hand, he brushed my hair away from my neck and then slid his lips down my exposed skin to where my shoulder started. I tilted my head to the side, giving him more room as he blazed a path back up to just below my ear, nibbling gently. Taking a shaky breath, I leaned back and looked at him. His lust-filled eyes locked with mine, and his mouth tipped up on one side. The little patterns he was drawing with his thumbs on the small of my back were robbing me of rational thought. Licking my lips, I leaned closer to his ear. “Wanna get out of here?” I asked, just loud enough for him to hear before catching his earlobe between my teeth.

Without saying a word, he grabbed my hand and headed straight for the door.

We got to his truck and he yanked the door open, the metal creaking in protest. He tossed me up on the seat and then stepped between my legs, wrapping his strong arms around me. My heart pounded beneath my ribs, and I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging impatiently. Groaning, he pressed his lips to mine in a hot open-mouthed kiss. There was nothing tentative or gentle about it. His mouth branded me as his fingers tangled in my hair, and I hooked my legs around his waist, digging into him with my heels. He nipped at my lips in response.

“You want to play rough, huh?” His voice was ragged.

I kissed my way up his jawline. “I just want to play. Naked.”

After one last taste, he drew away and then jogged around the front of the cab to hop inside. As he pulled out of the lot, steering with one hand, he used the other to slide me to the middle of the bench seat, and I rubbed my palm down his thigh. He brought my hand back up and farther into his lap, and I let my hand hover above his crotch, rubbing him with just one finger, up and down, as he drove. “Any nicknames I need to know about before we get started?” I teased.

He slanted me a glance, his mouth curving up. “For my cock? No. But I might be open to suggestions later.”

He grabbed my hand and stroked himself with it once, then twice, before raising it to his mouth and sucking one of my fingers all the way to the knuckle, biting the tip before releasing it. I closed my eyes and tried to remember if the condoms were in the nightstand or if they were in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Now was not the time to be searching, and the bar was less than a mile from the cottage.