Every brush of contact makes me dizzy and warm. My pulse races. If he can hear how fast my heart is beating, he doesn’t comment on it. I should stop this. There are so many reasons why it’s a terrible idea, but I’m tired of pushing people away. Everything in me craves more of this—more fun, more connection, more heart flutters.
“We didn’t dance like this,” I say, a little breathless. Do not fall for this man. Do not fall for this man.
“No?”
I shake my head.
“Their loss.”
18
OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM
ASH
The sound of feet coming down the stairs barely registers, but Bridget can’t get away from me fast enough when she glances up to see Everly and Grace at the bottom of the stairs looking at us.
“What do you think of your dance floor?” I ask Everly, pushing the last few minutes dancing with Bridget out of my mind for the moment and smoothing over the awkwardness that she’s obviously feeling. I don’t know why. We were just dancing, but the why isn’t important. I don’t ever want to be responsible for making her feel anything but good.
“This is incredible.” Everly walks out to join us. Grace is right behind her with three shot glasses in her hand. She gives one to Bridget, then Everly.
“What is it?” Bridget asks.
“Tequila.”
She scrunches up her face.
“If it’s the stuff Jack brought then don’t worry. It’s good tequila.”
“Good and tequila don’t belong in the same sentence.”
I lean over and whisper, “Can’t be worse than the concoction I made.”
“True,” she says with a little laugh.
“You’re not going to give me a lecture about underage drinking?” Everly asks as she brings the shot to her lips.
“Would it do any good?”
Her smile widens. “No.”
“To Everly. Happy birthday!” Grace lifts her glass.
“Happy birthday!” Bridget reluctantly pushes hers into the air.
Ev clinks her shot glass against the other two girls’ and then all three of them toss back the tequila.
Bridget only drinks about half of hers, grimacing as she holds the glass away from her. I take it from her and swallow the rest.
She watches me like she’s waiting for me to make a face. “I don’t know how you took that so easily.”
“Lots of practice,” I say as Grace and Everly start dancing together. Bridget sticks by me.
“What’s your favorite kind of shot?” I ask her.
“I don’t know…a lemon drop.”
“So sweet drinks?”
“Only in shots. I don’t like super sweet cocktails. You?”
“Tequila?”
She laughs. “Figures.”
“I don’t have a go-to shot, I guess. I usually stick to beer, sometimes whiskey, sometimes wine. Basically, whatever is available.”
“So, you’re easy?”
Her teasing me is so unexpected that my brows shoot up in surprise. That just makes her smile widen. Fuck, she’s gorgeous.
The dress she’s wearing hugs her curves and shows off long legs and toned arms. And that hair. I’m a total goner for her hair. All those blonde curls framing her face and hanging down her back.
“Ash?” she asks, snapping me out of a haze I didn’t realize I was in. She laughs again.
“Sorry, what?”
“I said I’m sorry about Gabe.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” I bite down on my back molars at the thought of her asshole ex. He came by practice this week with Jim to introduce himself but otherwise I’ve been able to avoid him. His threat still hangs over my head, though.
Even so, he’s the last thing I want to think about right now.
“I texted him and let him know that nothing was going on between us, then I blocked him.”
“I’m sure it’ll all be fine,” I tell her.
“Okay.” She smiles again, then Everly comes over and takes her arm and pulls her over where Grace is dancing. A few more people have come downstairs and join them.
Nothing going on between us. Accurate, but I still don’t like the sound of it.
Jack comes to stand next to me, holding a half-empty bottle of water in hand. A lot of the party has moved downstairs since that’s where the birthday girl has stayed. Some of our teammates are making asses of themselves on the makeshift dance floor, others are sitting around. It’s been a long week and partying wasn’t on most people’s agenda for the weekend. We have three days before our next game, then a short break for the holiday. After that it’s madness until the end of the season.