The Hazards of a One Night Stand (Hazards #2)(21)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“Nah, they light up the same way during sex.”

I took in a sharp breath. “It happened once, Colt. You’re not an expert on how I am during sex.”

“On that note, we’re leaving.” Juliet tugged on Claire’s arm and walked away. She was in so much trouble.

I turned to follow, but Colt put a hand on my shoulder. “Afraid to talk to me alone?”

I shook my head.

“You sure?”

“Why would I be afraid?” I crossed my arms.

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re afraid you can’t control yourself around me.”

I cough-laughed. “Ah, no. That’s not an issue.”

“Oh?”

“Are we really going to do this?”

“Do what?”

“Play this game.” I dropped my arms to my sides. “I’d like to stay friends with you.”

“Stay friends?”

“Yeah. I don’t want us to end up hating each other.”

“I could never hate you, but I promise you we’re already a hell of a lot more than friends. I have some amazing memories to prove it.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek before I could react. “Have fun, pumpkin.” He walked off into the crowd.

“Grrrr.”

“Doing all right, hun?” Cara put a hand on my shoulder. She had her blonde curls tied up for once. She usually wore her hair down.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I downed the rest of my drink.

“Where’s your date?”

“I’m not sure. I needed some air.”

She laughed. “You complain about being single, yet you can’t handle a date for a night?”

“I just like my independence.”

“He had a good time at dinner, by the way.” She sipped her drink.

“Oh yeah?” I looked down at my empty glass. I hoped my fake ID worked just as well this year, because I wasn’t hunting Tanner down just to get another drink.

“He’s smitten.”

“Smitten, huh? I haven’t heard that word lately.”

“What word should I use?”

“Maybe just he’s into me?”

“I like smitten.”

“Of course you do.”

“Dare I ask what you’re implying?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Nothing my English major love.”

“Being an English major somehow defines my vocabulary choices?”

“No, but it makes you nerdy about words.” I set my glass down on a table.

“Whatever that means.”

“Hey, ladies.” Aaron joined us.

“Hey.”

“Has Tanner found you?”

“Was he looking for me?”

“Why does that surprise you? A guy’s supposed to look for his date. Cara was supposed to be going to the bathroom, not sure how she got lost.”

“I didn’t get lost.” She put a hand on her hip. “I found Mallory.”

“I was kidding, babe.” He kissed her, and she smiled up at him with that sickeningly sweet smile she only gave him.

“I’ll catch you guys later.” I half waved, but before I could leave, Tanner found us.

“Why hello there.” He grinned.

“Hey.”

“You finished your drink.” He gestured to my empty hand.

“Great observation.”

“Want another of the same?”

I figured it couldn’t hurt. Besides, it meant I didn’t have to take a chance with my ID. “Sure.”

“You’re coming with me.”

“Am I?”

“You’re not wandering off on me again.”

“Are you trying to buy my company through drinks, Tanner?”

“No. I already got the promise of another date. I’m just saving myself the time of hunting you down.”

“You don’t like the hunt?” I needed to stay friendly, even if his clinginess was annoying me.

“I do, but I like the catch better.” He ran his fingers over my cheek. “And I’ve already caught you.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Oh yeah? Are you going to run off on me again? Maybe go flirt with your ex, for what the third time tonight?” Tanner let his jealous side show, and it wasn’t pretty.

“He’s not my ex,” I snapped.

“Calm down. It was a joke.”

“Oh. Yeah. Right.”

“I think you need that drink.” He led me over to the bar.

“A mojito, and a Jack and Coke,” Tanner ordered.

“IDs,” the female bartender said automatically.

Tanner turned to me nervously.

I fished mine out of my wallet. “Here.”

The bartender studied the ID before returning it and looking over at Tanner’s. After returning his, she made our drinks.

I waited until we were out of the bartender’s ear shot to turn to him. “In the future, don’t look at me that way when I’m getting carded.”

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I just wasn’t sure if you had one.”

“That’s probably something to ask before you drag me over to the bar with you.”

“I’m not used to dating younger girls.”

“Have you ever?”

“Dated a younger girl?”

“Yeah.” I turned my glass in my hand.

“Nope. I’ve always been with girls my age, I guess.”

I thought of Jana. “Oh.”

“Was that high school boyfriend of yours older?”

“Yeah, by a year.” Sometimes I wondered if his age was why I was so excited to date Jack in the first place. There was something exciting about dating someone older, and at least in theory, more mature than guys my age, even if it was just a year.

“I still can’t believe he was your only boyfriend.” Tanner sipped his drink but kept his eyes trained on my face.

“Why not?”

“You’re hot and confident. That usually means a lot of dating.” Tanner’s voice sounded a little off, but he couldn’t have been drunk yet.

“Not always.”

He laughed. “See, there’s the confidence. Some girls would be all ‘I’m not hot.’”

“I’m not one of those girls.” It’s not that I had amazing self-confidence, but I certainly wasn’t going to let a guy like Tanner see an ounce of self-doubt come from me.

“I get that.”

“If I asked you to get out of here, would you get the wrong impression?” He studied my face.