CHAPTER NINETEEN

Danielle

“Unfortunately for you, I can’t stick around and show you just how fun disgusting can be. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“Don’t bother,” I snapped.

He chuckled, sliding his hand to my neck and pulling my head forward. “Eight o’clock, baby.” He kissed me quickly and then he was gone.

I stood next to my couch and stared at the door, debating on whether or not I was going to throw something at it. In the end, I locked up and put a new plan into motion. Austin Carver was going to find out just how dangerous the wrath of Dani could be. Starting with me not being at his beck and call. Jerk!

***

Kim picked me up at seven and we decided to grab dinner before we headed to the club. My best friend could only be described as perfect. There really was no other way around it. She was tall, almost five-foot-ten, with legs that went on for miles and the ability to wear anything as though it had been made for her. She had long dark hair that never dulled… ever. Big brown eyes and full lips that any woman would die for, and a super sweet way about her. She was as close to me as Emily was, and for all intents and purposes, I considered her my other sister.

Tonight, she wore a little black dress that ended just below her butt. How she sat without flashing anyone, I have no idea, but she was a pro at it. Her four-inch Jimmy Choos were silver and strappy and gorgeous, and she wore several varying shades of silver bangles on her left wrist. With her big hair and smoky make-up, she looked more runway model than bartender, and normally, I’d feel ugly beside her. But tonight, I didn’t.

I wore a clingy black dress that was low-cut… and I mean, low. The hem fell just below my knees and my three-inch black ankle boots did incredible things for my calves. I was all about accentuating the positive and thank God for Spanx, because everything was where it was supposed to be. I had curled my hair in waves, and it hung down perfectly with the help of copious amounts of hairspray, and my big hoop, silver earrings were just enough bling to pull the whole thing together.

As we arrived at the restaurant, I was liking the looks a few men were giving us and I was no longer seething with righteous anger by the time we sat down to eat… just smug with having thwarted my nemesis.

“So, let me get this straight,” Kim said. “You’ve made some drop-dead gorgeous biker fall in love with you, pissed off said biker, and thrown down the wrath of Dani all in less than a couple of weeks.”

I raised my pomegranate martini in a toast. “Yay me.”

She tapped her glass to mine and laughed. “I cannot wait to meet this guy.”

“Huh-uh.” I shook my head. “You’re not going to meet him, Kimmie.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because I’m not dating some guy who treats me like chattel. I’m a grown woman, not some little girl who has to do what my big, bad man tells me to.” I sipped my drink. “Hell, no. Not gonna happen.”

“Amen, sista,” Kim retorted.

Our dinner arrived and we giggled through our meal. For the first time in a while, I wasn’t feeling like the world was on my shoulders. It was awesome. We grabbed a cab from the restaurant to the club and arrived just as people were beginning to line up.

“Perfect timing,” I said.

Kim linked her arm with mine. “Totally.”

We walked up the stairs behind two of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. They were denied entry and my heart dropped. If they couldn’t get in, there was no way in hell we were going to.

I handed the bouncer my ID and he glanced at me, then back at the ID. The other guy took Kim’s. The men shared a look and then the door was opened for us.

“Welcome,” the smaller of the two said.

“Seriously?” I blurted.

“Thanks,” Kim said quickly, and pushed me inside.

“I can’t believe we’re in,” I said, and grabbed her hand.

“I picked up on that when you almost made the bouncer change his mind.”

I gasped. “I did not.”

She grinned and we walked further into the club. A half-dressed woman led us to the booth in a corner facing the dance floor. She wore a teeny-tiny black mini skirt with a blood red top that tied at her neck and left her midriff bare. Her bright red stilettos oozed sex appeal, but all I could think about was how she managed to stay on her feet all night. I was already dying in my boots.

I took a minute to take in the space. It was swanky for sure, with red booths, deep mahogany wooden tables and two bars downstairs. Roped off stairs led to the exclusive VIP area that reportedly only the rich of the rich, and/or celebrities were ever granted access.

The dance floor’s tiles lit up with multi-colored lights, while the DJ sat on a dais above the dance floor and was currently playing some God-awful dub step piece.

We slid into the booth and the server took our drink order. I leaned over to Kim and raised an eyebrow. “I thought it would be different in a weird way.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m hoping we’re not going to have to listen to this crap all night. I’ll lose my mind.”

I giggled. “Me too.”

The server returned with our drinks and smiled. “Compliments of the gentlemen sitting over there,” she said, and pointed to the booth across the dance floor from us.

“Thank you,” I said.

The men were cute. Both clean cut, both dark haired. Both dressed in tailored suits, sans ties. One was sporting the perfect amount of stubble on his face to give him a hint of sexy and mysterious, while the other was clean-shaven.

Neither of them made me think of Austin. Not at all. They didn’t make me think of his face that was soft to the touch, or the fact that just that morning, he’d obviously not had the chance to shave, so he left my mouth deliciously chafed. They didn’t make me think of the jeans that fit him perfectly or the smell of his leather cut when I’d dropped my cheek to his chest. I was well and truly perfectly capable of putting all my thoughts of Austin ‘Booker’ Carver out of my mind.

We took the drinks and tipped them toward the men in thanks and then sipped.

“Wow, that’s a cocktail,” Kim said, and set her drink down.

“Yes, yes, it is.” I felt my purse buzz and opened it to locate my phone. “Well, looky here. Six missed calls from Austin… oh, and…,” I giggled, “… a couple of very irritated texts.”

“Seriously?” Kim sipped her drink again.

“Yep. ‘Where are you?’, ‘What the hell, Dani,’ etcetera, etcetera.” I snorted in derision. “I hope this teaches him a lesson. I am not a woman to be messed with.” My tipsy mind was making me quite self-assured, and I threw the phone back in my purse and focused on my drink again.

The song changed and I gasped. “I love this song! Let’s dance.”

I dragged Kim onto the dance floor where several other people were congregating. I was apparently not the only one who loved this song. What could I say? Pink was always a good dance choice.

I don’t know how long we stayed on the floor. At least three songs, before I was feeling stifled by the body heat and in desperate need of water. We made our way back to the table and our server brought us both water and fresh drinks. Again, compliments of the gentlemen across from us. This time, however, they made their way to our table and slid in beside us.

“Ladies,” the one with the stubble crooned to me. His friend sat next to Kim, leaving us in the middle and each of them on the ends. Ergo, we had no escape. We were pinned in.

“Hi,” I said, nervously.

“I’m Derek,” clean-shaven guy said.

“And I’m Aaron.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “I’m Dani and this is Kim. Thank you for the drinks.”

Aaron smiled at me. He had a smooth yet sleazy quality about him that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “Our pleasure,” he said. “You girls here for anything special?”

I shook my head. “Girls’ night out.”

Kim was noticeably silent. Totally unlike her, but when I looked her way, she appeared to be warding off Derek, who might as well have had eight arms with how successful she was being.