hoping for an argument with Jen, one that might be the impetus Callie needed to finally set some boundaries.
Her heart pounded in rhythm with her feet as Wade dragged her along behind him through the crowded club. Getting through a crowd this size normally required a thousand “excuse me’s” and even more jostling, but not with Wade leading the way. A simple “’Scuse me” did the trick, and most of the time, he didn’t even need to say that. He just moved in the direction he wanted to go and the crowd parted.
She put her free hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. Apparently, the old saying was true… Size did matter.
He didn’t slow his pace until he reached a group of four men, two seated, two leaning against the bar, all watching with more than mild curiosity. As they approached, Wade nodded to the one with dark hair and piercing blue eyes seated closest to them. The guy rolled his eyes, grabbed his beer, then shifted his weight to the side and rolled off the stool.
She assumed Wade asked him to move so she could have the seat but was unprepared for the sudden lift onto the newly vacated seat. “There ya go, princess.”
She squeaked, then stiffened and sucked in a breath at his use of the moniker.
He released her so fast he practically dropped her, then took a long step back. He tilted his head to the side and studied her from the corner of his eye. His gaze dropped to the pounding pulse in her neck, then down to her heaving chest—neither of which were because she’d jogged across the club behind Wade, but because being this close to him had the same oxygen-starving, heart-racing effect on her.
He moved back in a half-step closer. “I didn’t scare you.” When she confirmed the observation with a nod, he said, “Then you must not like being called princess.”
“No.” She glanced away. “My dad used to call me that.”
He blinked a couple of times, trying to connect the dots, then his eyes widened as the picture came into focus. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” A slow, easy smile crawled across his full lips as he brushed her hair off her shoulder. “That’s a shame, because you remind me of that princess in England. You could be the Princess of Pawleys Island.”
“That’ll be tough since I’ve never been to Pawleys Island.”
His mouth dropped open and his eyes narrowed. “Seriously?” When she did a what-can-I-say palms up, he shook his head with further disbelief. “It’s like thirty miles down the road. How could you never go there?”
“I guess I’ve never had a need.” She bit her lip and tried to hide her smile and said, “I have been to England, though.”
He tossed his head back with laughter. “Of course you have. Okay, we’ll add a trip to Pawleys to your new bucket list.” Something shifted in his eyes as he held her gaze, and she wondered what was so special about Pawleys Island. Clearing his throat and his eyes, he said, “Whatcha drinking?”
She’d already had two margaritas and didn’t need anything else, but she was nervous as all get out and needed something to settle her down. “A margarita.”
After flagging down the bartender and placing her order, he shifted to the side so she could see his friends as he made introductions. Starting with the guy closest to him, the one who’d given up his seat for her, Wade said, “This is Tyler, a royal pain in my ass that I only keep around because the statute of limitations hasn’t expired on a few things, and I can’t afford to cut him loose.”
She recalled their lunchtime conversation about Tyler as she smiled and shook his hand. The affection shining in Wade’s eyes proved how much he cared for his friend, but Tyler, who was shorter and thinner than Wade, didn’t have much of a light in his eyes. A smile rested on his mouth, but his blue orbs were dull and lifeless, revealing the deep-seated pain Wade had spoken of.
Tyler’s brother, Alex, was next. He was shorter and stockier than
Her heart pounded in rhythm with her feet as Wade dragged her along behind him through the crowded club. Getting through a crowd this size normally required a thousand “excuse me’s” and even more jostling, but not with Wade leading the way. A simple “’Scuse me” did the trick, and most of the time, he didn’t even need to say that. He just moved in the direction he wanted to go and the crowd parted.
She put her free hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. Apparently, the old saying was true… Size did matter.
He didn’t slow his pace until he reached a group of four men, two seated, two leaning against the bar, all watching with more than mild curiosity. As they approached, Wade nodded to the one with dark hair and piercing blue eyes seated closest to them. The guy rolled his eyes, grabbed his beer, then shifted his weight to the side and rolled off the stool.
She assumed Wade asked him to move so she could have the seat but was unprepared for the sudden lift onto the newly vacated seat. “There ya go, princess.”
She squeaked, then stiffened and sucked in a breath at his use of the moniker.
He released her so fast he practically dropped her, then took a long step back. He tilted his head to the side and studied her from the corner of his eye. His gaze dropped to the pounding pulse in her neck, then down to her heaving chest—neither of which were because she’d jogged across the club behind Wade, but because being this close to him had the same oxygen-starving, heart-racing effect on her.
He moved back in a half-step closer. “I didn’t scare you.” When she confirmed the observation with a nod, he said, “Then you must not like being called princess.”
“No.” She glanced away. “My dad used to call me that.”
He blinked a couple of times, trying to connect the dots, then his eyes widened as the picture came into focus. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” A slow, easy smile crawled across his full lips as he brushed her hair off her shoulder. “That’s a shame, because you remind me of that princess in England. You could be the Princess of Pawleys Island.”
“That’ll be tough since I’ve never been to Pawleys Island.”
His mouth dropped open and his eyes narrowed. “Seriously?” When she did a what-can-I-say palms up, he shook his head with further disbelief. “It’s like thirty miles down the road. How could you never go there?”
“I guess I’ve never had a need.” She bit her lip and tried to hide her smile and said, “I have been to England, though.”
He tossed his head back with laughter. “Of course you have. Okay, we’ll add a trip to Pawleys to your new bucket list.” Something shifted in his eyes as he held her gaze, and she wondered what was so special about Pawleys Island. Clearing his throat and his eyes, he said, “Whatcha drinking?”
She’d already had two margaritas and didn’t need anything else, but she was nervous as all get out and needed something to settle her down. “A margarita.”
After flagging down the bartender and placing her order, he shifted to the side so she could see his friends as he made introductions. Starting with the guy closest to him, the one who’d given up his seat for her, Wade said, “This is Tyler, a royal pain in my ass that I only keep around because the statute of limitations hasn’t expired on a few things, and I can’t afford to cut him loose.”
She recalled their lunchtime conversation about Tyler as she smiled and shook his hand. The affection shining in Wade’s eyes proved how much he cared for his friend, but Tyler, who was shorter and thinner than Wade, didn’t have much of a light in his eyes. A smile rested on his mouth, but his blue orbs were dull and lifeless, revealing the deep-seated pain Wade had spoken of.
Tyler’s brother, Alex, was next. He was shorter and stockier than
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