Page 23 of Rough and Rugged
After spending the drive talking, I still didn’t know everything about him, but I felt like I knew who he was at his core. That should terrify me, but the reminder it was only one night kept me grounded. I could survive one night with the most tempting man I’d ever met.
Anything more and I’d never recover.
The thought saddened me more than terrified me, which alone was the only red flag I needed.
But something inside me said tofuck it, so with a big swallow of the beer the bartender handed me, I did.
Chapter Four
Asher
Comparedtodanceclubsin Hollywood, this place wouldn’t have made any lists. There wasn’t a famous DJ turning tracks or bartenders flipping cocktails. The VIP section had no velvet rope, and I’d wager the inhabitants had never owned a designer label. It was every bit Everett’s description—mediocre music, sweaty bodies, and overpriced drinks in a bar that hadn’t seen fresh paint since the nineties.
Regardless, I couldn’t stop smiling.
Or laughing.
Or flirting.
Or touching Everett Dawson.
And maybe because it was the complete opposite of any place I’d go with my ex-boyfriend, I loved it even more.
Everett and I talked about the joys of being gay in a small town while sipping our drinks, each of us sharing a tale of embarrassment of being set up by a well-meaning resident. Once we finished, we’d moved to the dance floor which had been three, maybe four songs ago. I could honestly say it was the best time dancing I’d ever had. Everett had a way of moving that made you feel safe and desired.
Running my hands up my lumbersexual’s broad chest, I had to remind my dick not to chub up too much.
“You like touching me.” Everett’s eyes bore into me. I loved how he said it as a fact, not a question, and the intense focus he gave.
Maybe because this was a hookup, he could, but it felt nice to have his complete attention. Nothing else mattered outside the two of us. He wasn’t on his phone or scanning the crowd. Every fiber of his being was honed in on me.
“Can you blame me?” I teased. “This shirt is soooo soft. You need to take it off and give it to me.”
Everett laughed, the sound booming and full, reminding me of popcorn coming to life as the kernels popped, erasing any inch of space as they expanded. Everett did that, too.
Other people might be on the dance floor around us, but I couldn’t tell. His hands were clamped on my ass, wrapping around me and creating a cocoon. The music thumped over the speakers, but I could only feel, see, and smell him.
I smiled at him, loving that I’d made him laugh.
“You have a nice laugh. I have a feeling you don’t share it with many people.”
“Hmph. You think you know me, Dimples?”
Smirking, I ran my fingers through the hair at his nape. “I’m beginning to.”
We moved together, sending my dick into full chub territory when I felt the outline of what he rocked. Moaning, I softly bit his pec. Everett sucked in a breath then cupped my ass cheek, and my teeth sunk in harder. Desire filled our bubble and I lost all train of thought.
Closing my eyes, I willed my cock to behave and not embarrass me. I gripped Everett’s biceps, clinging to him to keep me grounded. Then, I nuzzled my nose into him and imprinted his pine and cotton scent forever in my mind.
“Had enough dancing?” he asked, his voice sounding like liquid honey. It seeped into my crevices, and I shuddered.
“Somehow, I think I could dance with you forever, but if you’re asking if I’m ready to get out of here, then the answer is an enthusiastic yes.”
He grinned, making the once dormant butterflies beat their wings in my chest. His hands dropped from my backside, and I instantly missed the feel of him. My hands were mollified when he took mine into his and linked us together. Everett pulled us off the dance floor—a man on a mission. The other patrons moved out of the way, eyeing us as we passed.
We made it out the door, his steps increasing now that no one was in his way. The autumn air cooled my flushed skin as we half-jogged to his truck. I frowned when Everett bypassed the passenger door and rounded the front.
“You need me to drive?” I asked. He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he pushed me against the driver’s side door and trapped me.