Carolina rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Stella. I think you’re the one who needs to get laid.”
Stella eyed Trick’s butt as he bent over to take a shot. “You’re right about that. But it has nothing to do with you and Drew.” She took a long swallow of beer, then turned to Carolina. “Don’t hesitate, honey. Take what’s so obviously being offered. Sex is fun, you know.”
She did know that. Sex was fun.
And oh, so complicated.
But maybe it didn’t have to be. After all, Drew had offered her a no-strings romp. So why not take it and ease some of the tension tightening her muscles? She already knew how good it could be between them. This time she wouldn’t be timid and inexperienced. She’d be relaxed and could enjoy herself.
She didn’t have time to cultivate a relationship with someone new. And actually, the last thing she needed right now was something complicated.
With Drew, she’d know exactly what she was getting—or rather, not getting. He was easygoing, and he didn’t want a girlfriend. He wanted to get in her pants. She would certainly enjoy getting in his again. Then she could get back to work, a lot more relaxed.
She searched the room and found him at the bar, chatting it up with one of the guys from his team. As if he had some kind of psychic connection to her, he lifted his head and turned it her way, then smiled at her, as if he knew what she’d been thinking about.
She took a deep breath and smiled back.
It was on.
ELEVEN
THE GROUP HAD STARTED TO THIN OUT AS THE NIGHT wore on. It was late, and some of the guys headed out.
After a while it was only Drew and Carolina and Stella and Trick. It was obvious that Trick was into Stella, and Drew got the feeling Stella was into him, too, since they had hung together since the start of the night. Though he hadn’t paid all that much attention since his focus had been on Carolina.
Now Stella and Trick were huddled together at the bar, their foreheads nearly touching as they talked and laughed, which left Carolina and Drew to stick it out together, since it was obvious Carolina wasn’t leaving without her friend.
Though, knowing Trick as well as Drew did, he didn’t think Stella would be leaving with Carolina tonight.
“Need another glass of wine?” he asked.
Carolina shook her head. “No, I’m already woozy enough and I’m going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow while I work. I should have said no to the last . . . two glasses.”
She wasn’t slurring, so she held her liquor well enough. He signaled for the bartender. “Maybe a club soda?” he asked her.
“Great idea.”
He ordered one for her and another beer for himself.
Stella slid from her stool and came over.
“I’m heading out.”
“Oh,” Carolina said. “Let me get my coat.”
Stella grinned. “No, you stay here. Trick is going home with me tonight.”
Drew liked Stella. Very straightforward. Nothing coy about this woman.
He stood and held out his hand. “Great meeting you, Stella.”
“You too, Drew. I trust you’re going to take care of my girl and see that she gets home okay?”
“You can count on it.”
Carolina hugged Stella. “Call me tomorrow?”
“Of course. You two have fun and be safe.”
“You, too.”
Stella laughed. “Honey, I’m always safe.”
“Later, Trick,” Drew said.
Trick dipped his head and smiled. “Later.”
Trick threw an arm around Stella and they headed out the door.
“Surprised?” Drew asked.
“About what?”
“Stella hooking up with Trick.”
She took a sip of her club soda. “Not in the least. Stella knows what she wants and goes after it with a vengeance.”
“Jealous, then?”
She laughed. “No. Well, maybe a little. She’s very confident and always has been.”
“You’re always confident. It’s one of the things I like most about you.”
She took another drink. “I wasn’t always that way.”
“Yeah? When were you ever not confident?”
“Like . . . always.”
“You were bold enough to come after me in college. I liked that so much about you. So many girls back then . . . I mean they were bold, but not in the way you were.”
She leaned back against the stool and swiveled around to face him. “Care to elaborate on that one?”
“Yeah. They flirted, but they expected me to be the one to do the chasing, to ask them out, to coax them into bed. It had to be my idea, you know? It was nothing more than a game. But with you, it was so different.”
“Don’t remind me.”
He laughed. “No. It wasn’t like that. At least not for me. You were like the only drop of water in a desert. You stood out to me because you were so fresh and so beautiful. There was no pretense with you.”
“You do realize I was drunk off my ass that night.”