“Hey tootsie rolls.” His smile fell when he saw us. “Why the hell aren’t you dressed yet?”

“Kennedy doesn’t want to go,” said Jade.

“Oh come on, Honey Bee. It will be fun, and a total girls night out.” He winked, and my lips slipped an inch. I wanted to tell them why going was bad idea for me, but that entailed an explanation I wasn’t quite ready to give.

This time it had everything to do with Dane. I’d managed to avoid him since he’d walked out of my room on Tuesday night, and I had the feeling that seeing him tonight wouldn’t bode well. Especially because it was his birthday, and I knew how much he hated celebrating it. Our common disliking for our celebrating our birthdays was something we had in common, albeit a little odd. He was probably thinking about his sister, Jewel, just like I’d been doing, and that tended to make him rather volatile.

“You guys will have fun without me,” I argued. “I’m just going to be a party pooper.”

“Chase will be there,” Grady taunted. “I know you want to see him again.”

I did want to see Chase. He’d been texting me since our date, and we’d slipped into an easy friendship. He was the perfect distraction.

I sighed, knowing I would give in eventually. “I don’t have a costume.” It was a pathetic attempt at getting out of it, but I gave one last ditch effort.

Jade gave me a sly grin.  “You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging, did you?”

I groaned, and hung my head in defeat. If nothing else, I could at least reach a compromise. “Fine, I’ll go, but I have a condition.”

Jade bounced on the balls of her feet. “Name it!”

“I’m coming home when I’ve had enough, and you can’t give me any crap about it. Okay?”

Jade looked at Grady, and he shrugged. “It’s better than nothing, baby cakes. Now get her sexy ass dressed so we can go partaaaaay.”

AN HOUR LATER, we stopped outside of the frat house were the party was being hosted. It was a large colonial style mansion with a sprawling driveway and front yard already littered with beer cans, and inebriated college-goers. I climbed out of Jades’ Audi and silently cursed her when my tiny pleather shorts got wedged between my butt cheeks. When she said she had a costume for me, I thought it would cover more skin, but instead, she had me wearing shorts that barely covered my butt, and a blue button down shirt that ended just above my belly button. She pinned a fake cop badge on the pocket, making sure it drew attention to my cleavage. Thank God I was wearing boots without a heel. If she’d forced me to wear her hooker boots I would have been tempted to stab her with them.

Jade on the other hand looked ready for a Victoria Secret model shoot in her black baby doll dress, spiked heels, and black angel wings. No guy would be able to keep his eyes off her, and I had a feeling she was hoping to get the attention of one guy in particular. Not that she’d admit it.

“You ready?” She asked, slipping her arm into mine.

“You coerced me into coming,” I replied. “I’d rather be watching paint dry.”

She rolled her eyes, and did a little shimmy. “Whatever. You’ll be thanking me when the night is over.”

Grady stepped up behind us, slapping us both on the butt. “Let’s get this party started my tootsie rolls. I’m not going home until I’ve found me a hunk.”

I snickered, and walked up the driveway to the door. Everyone around us had obviously taken dressing up seriously. Some people were wearing sheets wrapped into a toga, while others went the less-is-more route by channeling their inner Playboy Bunny. It was comical really, and I realized that I was in fact showing less skin than anyone else.

Once inside, we stopped at a Keg, and filled some red solo cups with warm beer. I opted for water because I had the feeling I was going to end up driving my friends home.

The makeshift dance floor was packed with bodies, and we had to shove our way through to the other side of the living room. I spotted Chase, and gave him a small wave. He smiled when he saw me, and mouthed a ‘help me’ while trying to fend of the unwanted attention of a pink playboy bunny lookalike. She was standing really close, and the pink leotard she wore did little to hide her D-cup sized breasts. Why Chase needed my help was beyond me, but I decided to answer his plea anyway.

Jade disappeared onto the dance floor with Grady, and I walked over to Chase. He grabbed me around the waist, taking me by surprise.

“Officer.” He grinned. “I didn’t think you’d show.”

The girl he was standing with eyed me, her mouth twisting into a scowl. She was pretty, and had that air about her that screamed ‘sorority’.

“I was threatened with bodily harm if I didn’t,” I joked.

His hand tightened around my waist, and his eyes bounced between me and Miss January. Remembering that he’d asked me for help, I slid my hand around his waist, and pressed my breasts against his arm. I looked at the girl in front of me, smiling sweetly. “Thank you for keeping him company while he waited for me. I know how much trouble he can get into when I’m not around.”

Chase relaxed when he realized I was helping him out and playing along.

“I might misbehave on purpose if it means you’ll use those cuffs on me later.”

“Keep touching my ass the way are and I might just do that, baby.”

Miss January huffed, finally catching the hint, and stomped away with a swish of her furry bunny tail.

Chase tucked his head into my neck to smother his laugh.

“I think that did it,” he said. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“No problem,” I replied. “It’s what a Wing Woman does.”

We untangled our arms, but he didn’t move away. “You want to be my wing woman tonight?”

I shrugged. “Why not? It’s not a frat party until the football players are getting laid, right?”

My comment caused him to chuckle into his solo cup. “You obviously don’t have a high opinion of football players. Besides, I’m not sure you can handle being my wing woman.”

“You wanna bet?”

He pursed his lips, and thought it over for all of ten seconds. “Okay Monroe. Show me what you got.”

That was why I liked being around him. Our banter was easy. Natural.

“Okay.” I looked around, spotting a redhead on the opposite side of the room who had her eyes trained on Chase. She looked pretty in her Christmas elf costume, and looked very interested in coming over. I spotted the mistletoe around her wrist – it was a cute accessory – and decided to save her some effort.

“Redhead. 12 o’clock. She’s making googly eyes at you.”

Chase perked up, and looked around until he spotted her.

“Grab the mistletoe on her wrist, and hold it over her head. She’ll have no choice but to kiss you.”

It was silly, and possibly juvenile, but I wanted to have fun for once.

“You’re a genius,” replied Chase. “I might have to offer you a permanent position.”

He winked, and I slapped his arm. “Go over there, before she finds someone else to play tonsil hockey with.”

“Please,” he scoffed. “No girl can resist the Ambrose charm.”

I shook my head, and watched him disappear into the throng of people in the middle of the room. I was alone, and I started to feel a little uncomfortable when I felt eyes on me. My skin prickled, making the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand up. I knew that gaze, and I involuntarily found myself seeking.

I pivoted, trying to make it look subtle, and still sucked in a breath when I found him standing in the corner on the far side of the room. His ice blue eyes raked over my body, and I felt it on every part of my skin that was on display, starting from my face, and ending at my thighs.

Dane was wearing faded jeans with brown chaps and dark leather cowboy boots. He had on a red flannel shirt, the sleeves ripped off, and the buttons undone with nothing but his hard body underneath. He watched me from beneath the rim of his cowboy hat, leaning against the wall with one foot propped up. He looked like a real cowboy, but more importantly, he looked downright sinful. I hadn’t given him much thought since we’d arrived, but I was very much aware of him now.