Page 58 of The Boyfriend Effect (Frisky Business 1)
I lean in, shouting over the music, “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“The bathroom.”
“Okay, I’ll come with you.”
Ugh, I didn’t think about the club code. Always take a friend with you to the bathroom.
“That’s okay,” I say, knowing my protest will fall on deaf ears.
“Let’s go.” She waves good-bye to her new friends, because who knows if they’ll cross paths again after tonight.
Reluctantly, I follow her lead across the dance floor and toward the restrooms. When I can hear myself think again, I grab her hand and gently pull her toward the wall. Her eyes are confused, but she waits for me to speak.
“I don’t need to use the bathroom,” I say, nervously crossing my arms over my chest. Is now the right time to tell her? I don’t even know if Hayes and I are . . . well, anything yet.
“What’s up? You don’t wanna dance anymore?” She rubs my arm protectively, concern spreading across her features. Scarlett is seriously such a good friend. She doesn’t deserve to be lied to, even if she doesn’t approve of Hayes’s dating habits.
“Not exactly,” I say, taking a shaky breath. “I was going to meet Hayes.”
“Hayes?” she asks, frowning. Suddenly, realization dawns on her face. “Oh shit, are you and Hayes a thing?”
I nod, my eyes prickling with emotion. What if she’s hurt that I lied? What if I’ve just ruined the night? I swipe a single tear from my cheek, cursing tequila for always making me so damn emotional.
But Scarlett doesn’t look hurt or angry at all. Instead, she smooths my hair and wraps me in her arms, squeezing me tight. “Tomorrow, when we do hangover brunch, you have a lot of explaining to do. For now, go have fun. I love you!”
She punctuates her words with a hard kiss on my cheek, and all the tension I’ve been carrying around falls away like a suit of armor I no longer need.
“Thank you. I love you too.”
“Oops, I got lipstick on you.” She laughs, licking her thumb and rubbing it away. “Go get him, girl. I’ll find Penelope and actually get her on the dance floor with me this time.” With that, Scarlett turns on her heel and heads back toward the table, where I’m sure she’ll give Wolfie hell for hogging our favorite new friend.
I smooth my dress of any wrinkles and make my way past the tables of drunken clubgoers, all the way to the back where I find Hayes, leaning against the wall with a quizzical expression on his face. When I’m close, he reaches for me, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering to cup my cheek.
“You okay? I thought you got lost.”
“I’m great.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Good,” he says, leaning down to kiss me firmly on the lips.
He tastes like bourbon. One hundred imaginary bucks for me.
The kiss turns fiery as I open my mouth, letting his tongue explore mine with the same curiosity as the first time we kissed. His hand ventures from the side of my face to my ear, sensually tracing the shape of it before sliding behind my neck, deepening the kiss. I press myself intimately against him, feeling him vibrate at my touch, his other arm wrapping tightly around my lower back.
My feet are nearly hovering off the ground when he breaks the kiss to ask, “You wanna get out of here?”
“For good?”
“Not if you want to come back.”
“Okay,” I whisper, capturing his perfect mouth in another searing kiss. I’d kiss this man 24/7 if I could.
Eventually, we untwine ourselves from each other long enough to find the exit into the alley, walking hand in hand toward the quieter, intersecting street lined with trees, coffee shops, and liquor stores. I lean against the brick wall, inviting Hayes to join me with a coy smile and a beckoning finger.
We’re entangled in moments, a flurry of hungry mouths and greedy hands, pushing and pulling with the familiarity of long-time lovers. When my fingers press over the firm bulge in the front of his jeans, he catches my hand in his, a breathless laugh warming my neck where his kisses have stopped.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, lifting one leg to wrap around his, pulling his hips closer.
He releases my hand, bracing against the cold brick, and rests his forehead against mine. “Not here, dove.”
“Why not?” I ask, grinding against him with a smirk.
“C’mon, Mare . . .”
“No, tell me why,” I demand, pulling my hips back. “I know you’ve gotten frisky with other girls in places like this, so it’s not a principles thing. What is it?”
“Maybe I’m not trying to fill some void inside me anymore.”
I scoff, more confused than upset. “What does that mean?”
He sighs, his voice low and pained. “I was only with those other girls because I knew I could never have you, Maren. But it never worked, because they weren’t you. And now . . . well, things are changing for me. For us. I’ve never felt like this before.”
