Page 16 of An Uphill Battle

“You okay?” I askher.

“Um, y–yes. Just didn’t realize there’d be s–so many people.” Her cheeks go rosy at herstutter.

“It’s a Friday night in a small town,” I say, and she shrugs, rounding her shoulders in onherself.

“Maybe I’ll justgo—”

“Drake, you better go check your girl,” Simon interrupts. “I’ll keep this onecompany.”

I whip my eyes back to where Azalea was dancing, and sure enough, some prick is all up behind her, with his hands in places liable to get thembroke.

Not sparing Magnolia and Simon a second glance, I take off for Azalea like a man on a mission. “Mind if I cut in?” I ask, my voice deathly low, nothing more than agrowl.

“Yeah, bud, I do, so back off,” the prickreplies.

“Not gonna happen. Get your hands off her. Now.” I give him a few seconds to comply, because I’m a nice guy like that, but when he makes no effort to step back, I’mdone.

“Little Bit,” I grit out, “tell yourfriendhere to get lost,yeah?”

“We’re just dancin,’ D,” she slurs back. Drunk. Great. She’sdrunk.

Ya know how some people are funny drunks, and others mean or sad? Well, Azalea is a rollercoaster drunk. Her mood climbs, like the car does on the track, and just as quickly, it plummets, and before you even have a chance to adjust, she takes you on a loop-de-loop.

“Dancing?” I spit back at her. “Y’all aren’t dancing. You’re grinding all over this schmuck while he just stands here like a pole. You wanna dance, let’sdance.”

And just like that, loser number one is forgotten and replaced. By me. I wrap an arm around her waist and draw her body into mine. I match every roll of her hips verbatim, and together, we get lost in what has to be, hands down, the most erotic foreplay of mylife.

Too bad this won’t lead anywhere. She’s testy enough every time we sleep together, so I’m not about to lure her into my bed drunk. Her anger I can handle, because the way I see it, that’s her denying her feelings. But regret? Yeah, I couldn’t stomachthat.

Six songs later, Azalea isn’t losing any steam. No, if anything, she’s getting more fired up. Twirling herself around, she brings herself face-to-face with me. Her emerald eyes are glassy, and her smile is wide. She drags her eyes down my body and licks her lips as if she likes what shesees.

“Wanna take a breather?” I askher.

“No,” she whispers, circling her arms around my neck. “I want to stay right here. I want to keep feeling you with me,Drake.”

“Anything you want, Little Bit, always.” I pull her body into mine, leaving no space between us. The crowd around us dances on, but we’re hardly moving. Barely even swaying. Her pull is too strong, so magnetic, and I’m helpless to fightit.

Bringing my lips to her ear, I gently sing the lyrics of the Thomas Rhett song we’re swaying to, telling her through his words exactly how I crave her, because damn, if those aren’t themostperfect lyrics. Sums shit up justright.

She draws my face down to hers and breathes against my lips. “What’re you doing,Azzy?”

“Kissing you,” she murmurs before pressing her lips to mine. And kiss me she does, long and slow, and I love it. Gentle nips and low moans, she kisses me straight through anothersong.

Our moment is broken when Seraphine wedges her way in between us. “Azalea Josephine, is this your idea of stayin’ on top ofthings?”

Azalea giggles and nods her head. “Gotta be on tops to stay on tops,” sheslurs.

“What’re y’all talking about?” I ask, glancing between the two ofthem.

“We’re talking ’bout me bein’ on topof—”

Seraphine slaps a hand over Azalea’s mouth. “Okay, that’s enough of that. You’ve had too much to drink.” Turning to look at me, she says, “I think it’s past this one’s bedtime. Can I trust you to get her homesafely?”

“You can trust me with her life,” I tell her as I scoop Azalea into myarms.

“Where’re we goin’?” Azalea asks, with her eyes pinched shut and her arms wrapped tightly around myneck.

“We’re going home, Little Bit. Gonna get you all tuckedin.”

---