“No. I’m interested.”
Peter got to the point in a way I liked—a lot. I sipped some of my drink. “Thank you for the drink.”
“You said that already.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
Peter leaned his lips close to my ear, so close they almost touched my skin. “Did he hurt you—your husband?”
Was he particularly astute, or did every betrayed woman out on the town act the way I was, to the point where it was a cliché?
“Did he?” Peter repeated.
I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t want a commitment with this man. Only a night of delicious sex. “Yes, he hurt me,” I said, answering honestly. “But I’m out tonight because I want to forget all about that.”
“I can help you forget.”
From any other man, I would consider this conversation extremely forward. But perhaps Peter had known just by looking at me that I would welcome his advances.
That I needed him to make the first move.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I suppose you can.”
During our conversation, we’d been mildly moving our bodies to the music. Now, Peter wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. Though a fast song was playing, he gyrated his hips against mine—slowly. His erection left nothing to the imagination.
I matched his movements, my own slow and seductive. I wasn’t thinking, only feeling, and this felt right.
Balancing the drink in my hand, I turned so that my ass was now against Peter’s cock. I shook my ass against him, and grinned when a primal groan escaped his throat.
My drink was in the way. I took a few steps to a nearby table and plopped it down. Then I danced my way back to Peter, my hands in the air, my hips moving left to right.
He met me, and together we danced, this time keeping up with the fast rhythm. His fingers moved up and down my arms, leaving delicious sensations in their wake. He stroked my face, dipped his mouth close to mine. Pulled his face away without kissing me.
So the man was a tease.
I stroked his chest through his shirt, then with the tip of one finger dared to touch his exposed skin. I let my other hand wander lower, and Peter’s eyes widened in both surprise and expectation. I pulled my hand away before it reached his groin.
Peter laughed, slipped his hands around my waist. “I want to take you home.”
“I want you to take me home,” I replied.
Everything was easy between us. Easy and electric. I’d even forgotten all about Marnie while flirting with Peter on the dance floor. I glanced around, but didn’t see her.
The band was back onstage, preparing for their next set. “This is a good time to leave,” Peter said.
“I’m just looking for my friend,” I said. “Will you excuse me for a minute?”
Peter nodded. “Of course.”
I looked around the club but didn’t see Marnie anywhere. I found myself strolling toward the restrooms.
It was crowded inside, but I spotted Marnie immediately. She was in front of a mirror at the far end of the restroom.
I made my way over to her, and her face lit up when she saw me. “Hey, girl!”
“Everything okay?” I asked.
She planted a hand on a hip. “Girl, you missed the drama.”
My eyes widened in alarm. “What happened?”
“Some asshole made a play for me. You remember the guy with the gold teeth?”
“What did he do?”
Marnie applied face powder. “Stuck his hand down my top.”
“What?” I asked, outraged.
“It’s okay. I told him if he ever touched me again, I’d break all his fingers one by one.”
I smiled. My friend had balls bigger than most guys’.
“Then Walt and Denny came over and gave the guy a talking- to. Told him he needed to learn to respect women.”
“Hold up,” I said. “Walt and Denny?”
Marnie rested her hip against the sink as she faced me. “The two older guys who were checking us out.”
“Wait a minute—the ones you were making fun of for being old? Now you’re on a first-name basis with them?”
Marnie produced her lipstick from her purse. “Actually, they’re very sweet. And Denny—the taller one—is quite something on the dance floor. We’re having a good time.”
I shook my head, but I was grinning.
“A platonic time, of course,” Marnie stressed. “Walt and Denny are nothing like the hottie who’s all over you.” Marnie paused, pressed her lips together to even out her lipstick. “It looks like everything is going very well with him.”
“He said he wants to take me home.”
“When are you leaving?”
I hesitated. In the heat of the moment, I’d been ready to leave with Peter. But now that I was talking with Marnie, I was suddenly having doubts.
“Maybe I shouldn’t,” I said. “I don’t have a car, which means I’d have to leave with him…and is that smart?”
“You’re considering fucking him but you don’t want to leave with him?”
“Not so loud, please,” I whispered, glancing around. The other women were either applying makeup or hanging around chatting. Women’s restrooms were about so much more than using the toilets.
“You don’t think he’s a creep, do you?”
“No,” I answered easily. “But you know, I haven’t done this, like ever. I want to be smart.”
Marnie nodded. “Okay, the way I see it, you have a couple options. One—there’s the Hard Rock Hotel across the way. You can spend the night there. Or, I can drive you to this guy’s place. Just make sure to casually slip in that your friend is a cop. That should do the trick.”
“I like the hotel idea.” This was only going to be a one-night stand, not the start of forever. We could fuck each other, then leave in the morning and never have to see each other again.
“You have money for a cab?” Marnie asked.
“Yes, I’ve got cash.” I always had a good amount of money in my wallet. Andrew had drummed into my head the necessity of having cash on hand in case of an emergency.
Marnie put her makeup back into her purse and snapped it shut. “I’ll drive you.”
“Are you sure?”
“I had a couple tall glasses of water and now my buzz is gone. I’m good to go.”
“What about Walt and Denny?” I asked.
Marnie laughed. “I think they’ll be fine without me.”
We exited the bathroom. I glanced around, but didn’t see Peter anywhere. I frowned. “I don’t see him.”
“He’s got to be around somewhere,” Marnie said.
“You know what—let’s just go.”
“What?”
“He’s not here…maybe that’s a sign.”
“But he could be in the rest—”
“I’ve