Page 44 of Stunner (Whiskey Dolls 3)

I let out a girly giggle, my insides feeling like millions of champagne bubbles were fizzing all through me. She wasn’t kidding; so far, this had been theperfectdate. He was sweet and attentive, he made me laugh, and most importantly, he got along great with my friends. If I was close, he was touching me like he couldn’t help himself, setting my skin on fire, but during the times we’d been separated, I could feel his eyes on me like an exotic caress. I couldn’t remember a time I’d been so turned on. It was as though he knew exactly how to behave to drive me completely wild, and he wasn’t pulling a single punch. He was in it to win it, and I was totally down.

Our little huddle grew with the arrival of Sloane, Alma, Charlotte, and Layla. “What are we talking about?” Alma asked, bringing her old-fashioned to her lips and sipping.

“How hot Asher’s date is,” Marin answered unabashedly.

“Damn, right,” Charlotte said with a giggle. “I just caught that neck kiss before he went over to the bar, and swear to God, I’m thinking of pulling Dalton off to the bathroom for a little private time.”

Sloane nodded. “That was hot. But you know what’s hotter?”

My brows raised with curiosity. “What?”

“How he’s looking at you right now.” She pointed at me with a serious expression. “You need to be careful, sweetie. Eye-banging like that can lead to pregnancy. I hope you’re on birth control.”

“Not sure about pregnancy, but I’m willing to bet money he just unclasped her bra with the powers of his mind,” Alma added.

The girls burst into laughter as I turned to the bar. I pulled in a gasp, my heart palpitating. Sure enough, he was looking right at me, and even from across the room, the heat in his gazewas like a match held against my skin. Something had most definitely changed between last night and tonight. It was as if that first kiss we’d shared at his apartment was the green light he needed to make me his. We hadn’t even slept together yet, but I felt branded from each look and touch. The man was potent, no doubt about that. My panties were already soaked, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold off climbing him like he was my own personal jungle gym.

“He’s pretty great, isn’t he?” I asked, my tone full of awe.

“Oh, honey. I justlovethis for you,” Layla declared. My attention shifted to her wide smile. “After that jackass, this is what you deserve, someone who knows exactly how awesome you really are.”

“You know that night at the bar when I met Jackson?”

My friends all nodded, most of them having been with me that very night. “Well, he was actually building up the nerve to ask me out. He told me last night that he’s been into me from the first moment he saw me.”

Marin clasped her hands in front of her with a loud, girly, “Awww!”

“No wonder he insisted on chasing after you on your wedding day,” Sloane said. “He finally saw his shot and took it.”

Not quite, but I wasn’t going to burst my friend’s bubble.

“Well, damn, sugar. You look incredible.” I turned as Daniel came walking up, a beer bottle in his hand and a smile on his face as he looked me up and down appreciatively. “Almost good enough to eat.” He stopped inches inside my personal space and pulled me into a hug.

“Hey, Daniel.” I chuckled and gave his arm a playful smack, but made sure to pull out of his grip and back up. He’d always been a flirt, and it was harmless, but I didn’t want Owen to get the wrong idea.

“Thinking you and me need to take a spin around the dance floor. What do you say?”

“Careful there, stud,” Alma said in a warning tone. “She’s here with someone, so you might not want to be so familiar.”

His chin jerked back and his eyes widened as he looked down at me. Something about the way he was looking at me just then made my hackles rise. “You’re here with someone?”

“She is,” a deep voice said from behind me before a strong arm banded around my stomach and pulled me back. I was instantly relieved the moment Owen’s scent filled my lungs and the heat from his big, strong body sank into me, wrapping around me like a blanket. “Owen Shields,” he said, offering his hand to Daniel. “Asher’s date.”

I twisted my neck to look back at him and noticed the tension in his jaw as he stared at Daniel, but other than that, there were no outward signs of jealousy. It was, however, radiating from his pores as he held me close. An intoxicating shiver ran up my spine at the gruffness in his voice as he said it. It felt almost territorial, and I got the distinct impression that if he could have marked me as his and gotten away with it, he gladly would have.

Daniel seemed to shake himself out of his stupor and pasted on the charismatic smile he always wore. “Daniel,” he offered as he gave Owen’s hand a shake. “Good to meet you, man. Any friend of the beautiful Asher is a friend of mine. You’re a lucky guy.”

“Believe me, I know.” Owen looked down at me as he responded, the corner of his mouth curving upward. Then he spoke directly to me. “Let’s dance, baby.”

My insides melted into goo. “Okay,” I said in a breathy voice as I took his hand and let him guide me onto the dance floor as the band McKenna and Bruce had hired for the night shifted into a cover of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”

He guided me around the floor with complete ease, this big, tattooed, occasionally-grumpy man. “Wow,” I said on a small laugh as we swayed and moved to the melodic beat. “He can dance too; color me surprised.”

“Oh, honey, I’m full of surprises.” His expression turned sexy and playful as he winked. It was yet another side of him I hadn’t known existed. A side I liked just as much, if not more, than all the other sides I was discovering.

With an exhale, I leaned in close, resting my cheek on his chest. “I’m having the best time.”

The arm around my waist clenched, his hand drifting a little lower, stopping right above my ass, making the embrace even more intimate. “Me too, baby. Your friends are great. Well, most of them anyway,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

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