The competitive glint sparked in his eyes. “Oh, you’re on, babe. Let’s go.”
They played game after game as the sun turned the sky into shades of pink, orange, and purple. The waitress was kind enough to make sure they always had plenty of beer and replacement order cards to keep score on. Trash talking between them ran rampant, and they even collected a small audience who chose sides and cheered appropriately.
When they finally decided their throwing arms were sore enough for one night, the sun had long ago vanished and made way for a brilliant cast of stars surrounding a full moon. The patrons had grown and spilled onto the beach in front of Duke’s and a band started playing music, signaling the start of the beach nightlife. Colored lanterns strung between trees and posts served as the only source of light other than the moon. People whooped and laughed as they gathered in the sand to dance, their drinks in one hand and a willing partner in the other. It looked straight out of a travel commercial. It was awesome.
Jax grabbed her hand and tugged. “Come on.”
She happily followed him into the center of the dancers. Vanessa had always loved to be in the thick of a party, and she could scarcely recall a time when she hadn’t closed down the dance floor. The music infused her body and compelled her to move and sway in time with its beat. She loved being mixed into the crowd, bodies brushing up on each other, sweaty and visceral.
As soon as they found a spot, she began to move, and so did Jackson. Not a lot of guys had rhythm, but he was not one of them. Placing one thick leg between hers, he pulled her close and rolled his pelvis with hers, their hips swaying to the beat.
She laced her fingers behind his neck and tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Look at you, all Patrick Swayze and stuff.”
“Dancing is no different than sex. It’s all about moving with your partner. Finding a rhythm together. It’s just like having sex while standing up.” He dipped his head to speak into her ear. “Pretty sure I’ve proved my skill in that department once today already, but if you need a refresher, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
He nipped her earlobe before pulling away again. She was so tempted to yank him back to his Jeep and give him permission to break every speed limit from Duke’s to the Mau Loa. But it had been so long since she’d had a chance to dance, especially with a guy as good at it as Jackson obviously was, and they had the rest of the night to bang each other’s brains out.
“Right now I want you to show me your skills on the dance floor. But later you can refresh my memory as much as you want.”
A wicked smile split his face. “You can count on it, princess.”
For the next several songs they danced, sometimes facing each other and sometimes she’d turn and press her back against his chest. Every time she did the latter he’d grab her hips and pull her ass against his cock, allowing her to feel his hard length behind the thick denim. She’d rest her head back on his chest, and he’d tell her how he planned on hiking her sundress up as soon as they got to their room.
Between the dancing and the sexual tension, they worked up one hell of a sweat and a really big thirst. At the end of the fifth song, Jax kissed her neck and said he was going to get them something to drink. She waved him off and started moving with the next song, hands raised overhead, eyes closed, feeling the beat roll through her body.
It seemed like no time at all before he returned, pressing against her back, one hand spread over her stomach to pull her in close. He bent closer and spoke next to her ear.
“I knew you’d come around once you got rid of that asshole, baby.”
Vanessa’s heart skipped a beat, and not in the good way. Whipping around, she stared at the one person guaranteed to ruin what had been the perfect day so far. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Danny? Didn’t your mother teach you to ask a girl if she wants to dance before mauling her?”
The dance floor was still crowded, so backing very far from him wasn’t an option. Behind her people were ebbing and flowing with the music like the ocean waves, gently nudging her toward him. His breath reeked of alcohol and from the looks of the stains, so did his shirt. His would-be-handsome face was ruined by the arrogant sneer it held and the treacherous look in his eyes.