Page 39 of Forbidden Desires

I smile. He’s trying so hard, I need to give him something. “I haven’t been here long, but I adore it already. It’s easy to see whypeople never leave. Have you lived here your whole life?” I ask, starting to feel more comfortable. The low hum of conversation and laughter around us forms a comforting backdrop. Maybe I can do this.

“Sure have. My ma owns a ranch just out of town. This place is ingrained in my roots, I could never leave.” I can see how much he enjoys living here.

It must be nice to feel so connected to the place you grew up. New York never felt like that for me. I don’t miss it, not even my parents. I’m enjoying having the space to breathe without my father looking over my shoulder, and my mom, well, she and I were never really that close. She was too concerned with keeping my father happy. I was more of an afterthought. I really could see myself never going back. My straw slurps as I reach the bottom of my cocktail, and Mason, sensing the moment, raises an eyebrow with a playful grin.

“You want another?” he suggests.

I nod, surprised at how quickly I downed the first one. The boys go in search of more drinks, and Paisley turns to me. “He’s nice, right?” Her eyes dance with excitement. She’s desperate for me to like him.

“He’s lovely.”

“And so hot,” she gushes.

I offer her a half smile, trying to be as enthusiastic about him as she is. “He’s really good-looking,” I agree.

“Why aren’t you giddy then?” She looks me over, her eyes narrowing. “He’s not Brody.” She sighs, shaking her head. “What am I going to do with you, girl. I thought big burly guy, that must be her type. I really thought I had it right. And he likes you so much, can’t you tell?” She looks disappointed, and I feel bad.

I take her hand. “I didn’t say that. I just don’t know him all that well yet, but the night is young. Enough about me. What about you? Is a date with Jake worth the wait?”

She squeezes my hand back. “Too early to tell. I’m waiting for a spark, you know.” I can tell by the look of defeat in her eyes that she’s just not that into him. For some reason she wanted to be.

“I do.” I think back to the night I met Brody, and there was this instant energy swirling between us. I knew without hesitation I wanted to roll between the sheets with him. Mason’s really nice, but I’m not getting that feeling from him yet.

The guys return, Mason handing me another cocktail, and Jake has one for Paisley.

“Thank you. What is it?” I ask, looking over the pink drink in a martini glass.

“A Wet Pussy.” Jake laughs. “I know they’re Paisley’s favorite.”

She brings the drink up to her lips and takes a sip. “That they are,” she admits with a carefree shrug. I wince, seeing how much he likes her. Tonight isn’t going to end the way he wants it to. I’m not sure who I feel sorrier for, him and Mason, or us.

Four cocktails later and I’m enjoying myself more than I imagined I would. I can feel the music moving through my body as we sit and chat. I can’t help but dance to it. We have switched things up at the table, and I’m sitting on the same side as Mason now. The other two look surprisingly cozy. Jake is completely captivated by Paisley; his gaze hasn't left her all night. And she has been drinking like it’s going out of fashion. But so have I. These cocktails go down so easily, and for once I’m having fun, so who cares.

Mason leans into me. “I think it’s time I took you for a spin around the dance floor,” he whispers, his mouth just below my ear, his hand on my thigh. With every drink he gets a little closer.

I smirk at him, excited he wants to dance with me. “That’s sounds like a good idea.” I go to stand and my head spins, making me laugh. Mason grabs my hand, helping me catch my balance.

“Lightweight.” He laughs, pulling me into his strong body for support. “We’re going for a dance,” he tells the others.

Paisley waves us off, giving me a little not-so-subtle wink. She’s had just as much to drink, and if I thought Paisley was loose sober, she’s on a whole new level now. Mason supports me with his arm around my waist as we walk through the crowd to the dance floor. We find a space, and I let the beat take me away.

“This is my favorite,” I tell him. “I love dancing.” He’s got good rhythm and a charming smile that he fixes on me, and I can’t help but have fun with him. I lose sense of time as one song blends into the next. I close my eyes, letting the music take over my body. I have missed this so much. Cassie and I used to go dancing all the time back home. I open my eyes and look back at Mason.

“Man, you can dance, Gisele.” He moves closer to me, his hands coming to my waist then traveling down to my ass. “Your body looks scorching hot moving around in that little sparkly number.” He leans in. “The things I’m going to do to you when I get you home,” he whispers in my ear, and I stiffen, feeling instantly off. I’m having fun with him, but I’m not going home with him, and that comment has just made me really uncomfortable.

I laugh nervously as panic sets in. I’m not sure what else to do. I don’t want to disappoint him or have him think I’m leading him on when I’m not, but I feel like I have just been backed into a wall. I keep moving, glancing back over at the booth. Paisley and Jake are still chatting, and she laughs loudly. She’s having fun. I don’t want to ruin their night, but I have the sudden urge to get the hell out of here. “I’m feeling a little hot, might go splash my face with water. Meet you back at the table,” I say, needing space. I’m not lying, my face feels like it’s on fire, but the disappointment in his eyes makes me feel terrible.

“Yep, see you back there,” he agrees.

I navigate my way through the crowd and make it to the ladies’ room. Thankfully there isn’t a massive lineup. I head straight in and splash water on my face. My head is spinning. I’m way more drunk than I thought. I take hold of the sink, trying to catch my balance while the room around me moves. What the hell was in that cocktail?

A sudden thought crosses my mind. I have Brody’s number, I could call him, he said to use it if I was in trouble. I pull out my phone and stare at his name and number. He saved it in there asMy Southern Hero.The thought makes me laugh. He was that for me that night. But tonight, I’m not technically in trouble, I’ve just had a little too much to drink, and I’m just not feeling right about what Mason said to me on the dance floor. Because of Brody, realization dawns on me. No matter how hard I try to stop thinking about him, he’s still there constantly on my mind. And as nice as Mason is, he’s not Brody. I stare at my reflection, feeling terrible.

Just as I’m about to put my phone away, a text jumps in from him.

MY SOUTHERN HERO: Where are you?

That’s all it says. What the hell does he mean? I decide to ignore it and slip it away back in my pocket and use the facilities, wash my hands. I stare at my reflection again. I look weird. I try to fix my hair, but it’s no use. I’m in no state to fix anything. Then I head out into the hall in need of water, like a truckload of it, as well as a good excuse to get me out of this date.

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