“I’m not, Nell, if someone approaches me I’ll talk to them and if I like them maybe something will happen but I’m not walking around this club looking for a man.” Dating was something I wanted to do again but I wasn’t desperate. I had at least another ten years before I started worrying about that.
“Okay, well, after this drink we’ll go dance and I’m sure you’ll be approached by loads of gorgeous, eligible bachelors.”
“Or slimy, dirt bags with pregnant girlfriends back at home,” Logan said, earning a glare from Nell.
“Right, let’s slow down, shall we. I’m perfectly fine hanging out with you guys. In fact that’s all I want to do tonight, so no more talk of setting me up.” I stared pointedly at Nell.
She raised her hands. “Fine. It’s up to you.”
“Can’t resist playing Cupid, can ya?”
“I just want to see you happy, Chlo.”
“I am happy. I miss Jace and that’ll never change but I’m happy again. I don’t need a man for that, okay.”
She gave me a one sided hug. “I’m glad you’re happy and I promise there will be no more man talk tonight.”
***
So I was drunk. That happy, everything’s just dandy drunk, and I was loving it. Logan had made himself my bloody babysitter for the night but I didn’t really care because he was good to look at and smelt great.
He was the designated driver because after I’d yelled at him for about twenty minutes for getting wasted alone like he used to he agreed to give drinking a miss for this weekend. I did feel bad about being mean to him but he worried me so I didn’t feel bad enough to suggest a taxi.
Nell had been trying to get me to dance with her for the last ten minutes but I was content sitting at our table, laughing with Logan. I wish Ollie didn’t have his tongue down some girl’s mouth and hand up her skirt because then he could dance with Nell and leave me and Logan alone.
“Chloe, come on, I wanna dance,” Nell said for the millionth time.
“I wanna do a shot with Logan!”
“Logan’s driving,” he said, smirking at me.
I like his smirk.
I held my finger up and pouted. “One teeny little shot?”
He was driving but one shot of something not too strong halfway through the night wasn’t going to do any harm, especially not to someone as muscular as Logan.
I like his muscles.
Nell huffed and walked away.
“Please?” I added.
“One,” he said, holding back a grin.
“Yay. I’ll get it.” Before I could hop off the stool he gripped my shoulders.
“You stay right here, little pisshead. I’ll get the shot you wanna do with Logan.”
Smug bastard.
He touched my arm as he left the table and I felt a shudder ripple through my body. It reminded me of the night I’d fallen asleep to his fingers gliding all over my arm.
I watched him walk over to the bar. Those light denim jeans… Wow.
I like his backside.
The whole time he was at the bar I watched him. I watched the muscles in his forearms and silently thanked him for rolling his sleeves up. I watched him laugh and smile as he spoke to the bartender, and I watched those gorgeous blue eyes shimmer with the spotlights above the bar.
He walked back, smiling wider as he caught my eye.
I stopped breathing and for the first time since Jace died I felt the floor being whipped away from under me. I fell into darkness. I like Jace’s brother.
Logan did a little bow as he handed me my shot.
Through the ringing in my ears and churning in my stomach, I managed to ask, “What is it?”
“Jager.”
I nodded, not really registering his reply. Raising the glass, I clinked it against his and downed it in one. I liked Logan, and I needed another bloody shot!
“So what’s with the heavy drinking tonight, Chlo? Not that I’m not enjoying you being drunk.”
“Just needed a night out.”
“That didn’t answer the question.”
“I don’t know. I’ve not been drunk in ages and I wanted to be a normal, almost twenty-one-year-old for a change. It’s been three years since I was pissed and carefree.”
“Hey, I’m not judging. I like drunk Chloe, remember?”
I like sober and drunk Logan.
What the hell was I going to do now? Ignore it and pretend it wasn’t happening was about all I could do. He was Jace’s brother for fuck sake, so nothing could happen, and I couldn’t lose Logan, too. I could deal with it. It was fine. I was just feeling deflated and vulnerable after things didn’t work out with Rhys. Everything is fine.
“Dance with me?” I asked, tilting my head to the side before my brain could register that it probably wasn’t a good idea to dance with him.
“Sure. You can walk, right?”
“Yes!” I hopped down off the stool and the world tipped to the right. “Whoa!” Logan’s arms were around me quicker than I could blink. “I can walk. I just got up too quickly.”
“Sure you can, sweetheart.”
I gripped his upper arms. “Don’t let me fall.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise?”