Page 22 of Pirate

Amanda shrugged it off. “Wasn’t like I’d actually go after him. But he is yummy to look at.” She sipped her martini.

“They’re all yummy to look at,” Zoe added conspiratorially. There was a pause and then all four of them started giggling.

Zoe had gotten close to Jasmine and Sophia since getting serious with Carlos. Despite being sheriff and Sophia’s tendency to use the law as more of a suggestive guideline, Carlos, Sophia, and Jasmine had been close friends since elementary school. Carlos had graduated a year behind Jasmine and Sophia, but they remained close even after Sophia and Jasmine went off to college while he joined their small town’s police force.

Even after becoming an ol’ lady, Jasmine didn’t feel as close to the other club women as she did Sophia and Zoe. It wasn’t that they didn’t get along. Jasmine loved hanging out with Jenna, Harper, Tessa, Abby, and—to everyone’s amusement—Cage. She’d felt obligated to include the ladies in her weddingparty at first too, but Jenna had pointed out to her that it washerwedding, not a club wedding. Her bridal party should be who she wanted to be standing up with her and no one else. Jazz and Jumper did not want a large wedding party either, so they’d agreed on two others in addition to their best man or maid of honor.

Jasmine had asked Zoe and Amanda because they were the two people she felt closest to after Sophia. Jumper had Pirate as his best man and then Bulldog and Ghost, who was also a former Navy SEAL.

The ol’ ladies were honoring Jazz’s decision and were still involved in the planning. Sophia knew Jazz was worried that not including them in her wedding party would drive a wedge between her and the other ol’ ladies, so—Sophia being Sophia—brought it up to the other ol’ ladies that if anyone had an issue with not being included in the wedding party, they needed to bring it up now or forever hold their peace. No one had said anything negative and had all expressed that they did not feel slighted by Jazz’s decision.

A shadow fell over the table. A man in his mid-thirties stood next to it. He was handsome, with dark chocolate skin, and golden eyes. He wore a light green polo with khaki pants. Though she was sitting down, Sophia judged him to be around six-one.

“Any of you ladies care to dance?” Geez, even his voice sounded like melted chocolate. Sophia was pretty sure her uterus wasn’t the only one that started fluttering at the sight of him. His eyes went over all four of them but held Sophia’s the longest.

“Sorry,” Jasmine said before any of them could speak. “We’re taken.”

“You’re the only one I see with a ring,” he countered smoothly. “And I asked for a dance, not a commitment.”

Sophia crooked her finger at the man. He leaned down closer, his mouth twitching upwards. “Single or taken, we just want to have a nice night. If we choose to dance, we’ll dance with each other. The dance offer is appreciated but rejected.”

His eyes drew down her body, landing on the keyhole in her turtleneck that showed off her cleavage. “Too bad. It could have been a great time.”

He reached forward as if to touch her hair, but Sophia caught his wrist. “Oh honey, you have no idea,” she leered. “But see those guys over there getting ready to come over here? Let’s not give them a reason to and risk ruining our night.”

The guy glanced over to where Jumper and Carlos were currently being held back by Pirate and Keys. Actually, now that Sophia looked closer, it looked likeKeyswas the one doing the holding back. Pirate looked ready to storm over just as much as Carlos and Jumper.

Huh. That was odd.

“You with one of them?” the man inquired.

Sophia still hadn’t let go of his wrist. She felt Aerial move under the table but a quick command in Dutch from Jazz kept Aerial in her place.

For the first time in her life, Sophia paused before speaking. Her initial reaction had been to describe Pirate. But that was stupid. They werenottogether.

Laughter from the other girls broke through Sophia’s hesitation. “No,” Jasmine answered for her. “Trust me, she’s single.”

Sophia glared at her. “You don’t have to announce it so loudly, boo.”

The guy looked back down at Sophia. “So how ‘bout it?”

Sophia finally let go of his wrist. The guy really was a walking wet dream. She shouldn’t be hesitating. A year ago, she wouldn’t have. Was her reaction due to her kidnapping or did it have todo with the sexy as fuck MC member across the room who loved leaving bite marks all over her body?

Figuring there was only one way to find out, she turned to the other girls. “You don’t mind?”

They shook their heads. Jasmine said to the man, “One dance. That’s your limit with my bestie.”

“I’ll deliver her back forthwith,” he replied with a smile. He held out his hand to Sophia.

After a moment’s hesitation, Sophia took it. Sherefusedto look over her shoulder at the men across the room. She wouldnotlook. As the stranger pulled her onto the dance floor, she asked, “So is this a bad time to point out that I can’t dance?”

He threw his head back in laughter.

What the fuckwas she doing?!What the fuck… Sophia was heading out onto the dance floor with that man who was about to put his hands all over her. What the fuck? What the absolutefuck?

“See,” Keys pointed out as Jumper and Carlos took their seats again. “Nothing to it. He was just asking Sophia to dance.”

Noticing that Pirate wasn’t sitting back down as the other two were, Keys looked at him pointedly and cleared his throat. Stiff as a board, Pirate sat back down.

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