In the Distance by Eileen Griffin, Nikka Michaels Page B

in a seductive come-hither move. He was shirtless, with tight, black leather pants that looked painted on. His dance partner had his back to me and seemed completely oblivious to the invitation I’d just been given, but it didn’t matter. I needed a few minutes, and a few drinks, under my belt before I joined the organized chaos on the dance floor, so I shook my head and turned my eyes from the dance floor.
    As soon as I could, I signaled a waiter in silver boy shorts for a drink. A few minutes later I had a double whiskey neat in my hands. Before I could even say thank you, he winked and sashayed as he made his way around the perimeter of the club back to the bar. The whiskey burned as it slid down my throat, helping my mind focus on the scene in front of me instead of the scene I’d left back at Tyler’s apartment.
    No matter where I looked in the club, no matter how much I tried to concentrate on the pounding bass in my chest, I couldn’t get Tyler’s shocked expression out of my mind. I slammed back the rest of my drink, only pausing to scan the dance floor again. The blond hottie was nowhere to be seen, but there was a cute twink in a pair of low-slung denim shorts and a cropped shirt dancing on the far corner. Or the ginger two tables over. At this point, either one would do.
    The waiter returned with my second drink but waved away the cash I held out to him, leaning in to shout over the music, “Already taken care of.” He gave me a parting wink, then disappeared back into the crowd.
    A techno beat about saving a horse by riding a cowboy swelled through the building. The hoots and hollers coming from the dance floor as the bodies rocked back and forth was entertaining, verging on vaudevillian as a few enterprising couples took the lyrics a little too seriously. Even over the volume and bass resonating through the club, I could feel a warm body behind me before I even turned around, his heat seeping through my shirt even though he hadn’t touched me yet. A soft breath rippled over my neck. “It’s against the rules to sit on the sidelines all night.”
    “Is it now? I guess I missed the list of dos and don’ts when I walked in.”
    My admirer remained behind me, one of his hands finding my lower back and tracing along the top of my jeans. His fingers left a trail of raised goose bumps as they worked their way up my spine. It felt good to be desired. It felt even better to be touched.
    “It’s right under the rule about the two-drink minimum. House rules also state you have to dance at least once or there’s an extra surcharge.”
    His fingers trailed higher, lightly teasing as they skimmed back and forth along my shoulder blades. I casually picked up my new drink and drained half of it with one gulp. The tension I’d felt earlier began to loosen as the warmth of the whiskey spread through me.
    “Lucky for me I brought enough to cover it.”
    With his hand still on my shoulder, he walked around to face me, a fake pout on his lips and his golden brown eyes glittering seductively. “That would be a waste of perfectly good money and a perfectly willing dance partner.”
    This close up, his bare chest was even more impressive than I’d thought when I’d glimpsed it across the crowded dance floor. In fact, the only thing he was lacking was the dance partner he’d been grinding against when he’d first crooked his finger at me. I let my eyes wander over his face and down his body, stopping to smirk at the already impressive bulge in his tight, black pants. He was the complete opposite of Tyler. Shorter by at least a few inches and stockier where Tyler was long and lean. There was nothing in him to remind me of the man I’d watched walk away earlier this evening.
    I drained the last of my whiskey and set the glass on the table. He slid his hand down my arm and looped his fingers in my belt loop, dragging me onto the dance floor without ever breaking eye contact.
    All at once we were surrounded by a mass