arie's

ege. Not my kind of place, but tonight is for letting lo

rd against each other. Bright red and white laser lights illuminate the entir

whopping twenty-five grand to shut me up-half of what I should have earned in a year-I let out a throat-shaki

o cheer. My cheeks catch fire as he comes for me, sliding and faki

ully over my body. My sheer, thin-strapped top is to blame. Despite being already

Anne-Marie!" My girls k

ay in my steps, but I push my hair out of my face and look over my sh

, clapping when she starts t

ckless for one night. My eyes flick to the en

id tonight if you run away?" Beatr

ore she can. I down it in one go, then offer the empty glas

ted before you find

, watching her

her eyes frozen on whatever she's looki

spirit. I remain still, eyes darting from side to side as my skin tingles. "F

to my lips, savoring the terrible and spicy taste

slows fo

varsity jackets, leather, jeans, sneakers, boots-walk pas

letes when

cond shifts his eyes from my butt and meets my eyes with a toe-curling wink before walki

four

n my lungs. His jaw is sharp and carved to excellence. He blinks, dropping his eyes to my top before pursing his

atrice declares immedi

didn't hear. Thankfully, the music is awfully lou

s was a c

, finding something sweet on the table to

ooked at you?" Beatrice l

re still staring. They're not. They're all my type of men. All of them. It

y eyes drop to it to see that it'

ight, please.

reen lights up again as a text comes in. I snatch it up fro

you? When are

: {Busy at work. Sleeping

or the rest of the night. Just before I toss it into my pur

sts ear-splittingly

I meet Beatrice's widened gaze. This is one of my j

ame like a prayer, flying off the sofa as

drowns e

My eyes shift to the packed dance floor; my head whirs, wishing it were the ice rink, which I love so much, where I'd be figure skatin

f them begin chanting, clapping, and puff

e floor's gonna h

. I snap my fingers above my head and t

pping in my face. She starts to wriggl

and pour alcohol down my throat. I'm getting so wasted, they'd ha

ottle. But as I lift my eyes, sharp blue eyes capture my ent

way my hips, keeping

d have to do. My fingers slide into my hair, pushing it up as I go down in a slow squat. From across our boo

booth. We wriggle to the dance floor, joini

going to have

g from left to right, I slide my heels against the floor, faking a slow ska

erking, eyes on me. And she

no

with her. Same mov

I've shot and hit my target. She backs away slowly, holding my fingertips un

t, and rolling my hips. I mouth the lyrics of the

to get

his right arm bands around my waist from behind, fingers brushing my exposed skin. Citrus, cedar, sandalwood

eat, brushing my butt against him-denim against denim. His

me right, sending the fire in my s