a huge deal to Ellie. She grew up in a world where drinking, smoking and sex weren’t limited by any age restriction law. Not that she’d been a huge part of it. Her Dad had kept her away from the rougher parts of that world as best he could. Still, she wasn’t a novice.
This place was trendy, which was why it was so busy. New clubs always were. She’d wanted to go to a place where they knew more people, could relax a bit but she’d been outvoted by her own crew.
After another half hour they were ready to go someplace else. Ellie tried to bail but her friends were having nothing to do with that. They had their eyes on a bar down the street, a place better suited in her world than their safe suburban one.
There was just as much smoke, and it was as loud as the last place but the crowd was smaller, more diverse and less polite. They walked in on a fist fight and had to quickly move to the side to avoid the fists that were flying and the bouncers that were trying to gain control.
Laughing at their near miss, her friends rushed the bar and began ordering drinks to make up for lost time. Ellie held back, knowing her limits was something she’d learned the hard way.
Settling at a table, the three friends she’d come with immediately began perusing the crowd, checking out the available merchandise. She wasn’t there to hook up. She’d simply wanted a break from all the words in her head.
After guzzling a couple of strong drinks they got up to hit the dance floor. Finally, she could lose herself in the music and shut out everything else. Closing her eyes she let the beat of the hard base notes flow over her.
***
Rex had been stood up. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last but it sure pissed him off when the women he met didn’t have the courage to say no thanks, not interested. Instead they’d rather waste his time and leave him waiting.
He shrugged off the irritation. It didn’t do him any good to be angry. Women loved the idea of a bad boy but when push came to shove, most of them were wary and for good reason. He wasn’t exactly husband material.
Skipping out on the place she’d chosen to meet up, Rex hopped on his bike and headed downtown to a place better suited to his personality. There were several other bikes in the lot. He could feel the base in the pavement under his feet.
Inside it was dark, smoky and smelled of hot bodies and cold beer. Like coming home. He made a beeline for an unoccupied corner of the bar, ordered a beer and sat back to do a little more people watching.
A streak of light swept over the dance floor and his eye caught on a flash of wild tawny hair. Nice. The light moved but he could be patient until it came back. When it did, it highlighted lush hips and long, long legs bared by a short skirt.
His interest piqued, he stood up and moved to the edge of the dance floor to get a better look. With her back to him, he could openly admire the curve of her ass—she was no stick, she had meat in all the right places--and the way she moved to the beat. Very nice.
Until she turned around he’d have no way of knowing if the front was as nice as the back. Unconsciously, he moved a little closer, waiting for her to show him her face. Her arms were up in the air when she did, a wide smile of pure happiness on her full lips. He choked on the sip of beer he’d been taking. Holy hell . The lush piece he’d been eyeing was none other than Ellie Thorn, all grown up.
***
Ellie had blocked out the world around her so completely that she never noticed she was being watched. Her friends did though and their sly smiles as they informed her were proof enough that whoever he was, he was hot.
When the beat changed and slowed, her friends deserted her. A large hand fell on her shoulder while a second snaked around her waist. She felt his head coming down and he whispered in her ear, ‘Dance with me?’ as if he
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