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  Jake clapped him on the back before he said, “I think I need one more beer in me before I talk to orange halter. You want?”

  “I’m good,” Danny said, leaning his forearms on the railing and clasping his hands in front of him.

  “Alright, I’ll be back,” Jake said, making his way around Danny and heading for the stairs that would bring him down to the main bar.

  Danny wet his lips, allowing his eyes to drift over the lower level of the bar, but every few seconds, they would find their way back to her.

  The bartender had just brought the girls a round of shots, and the three of them held their glasses up while the smallest one said something that made the others laugh. They all clinked their glasses before taking the shots, and just as they were lining up the empty glasses along the bar, a guy approached them.

  “Oh Jesus.” Danny laughed, giving him the once-over. Even from all the way up on the balcony, he could see the meticulously gelled blowout and the blatantly fake tan the guy was sporting. Not to mention the button-down shirt he wore open.

  With nothing underneath.

  He sidled right up to the smallest friend, reaching out to swipe the hair out of her face as he said something to her, and she jerked backward with a look on her face that had Danny flinching for the guy while fighting laughter.

  Without answering, she walked around to the other side of Leah, putting some distance between her and her admirer, who was clearly unfazed by the rejection.

  Because he went right for friend number two.

  Danny watched the guy put his hand on her shoulder, massaging it creepily as he said whatever line he’d been saving up for her. This girl was a little gentler, it seemed; she kept her expression in check as she held up her left hand, pointing at it with her right.

  Danny was too far away, but he assumed she was showing him some type of wedding ring.

  “Tough break, pal,” he said with a laugh, shaking his head.

  The guy took a step back, looking like he was going to admit defeat, but then he turned, smiling at Leah as he said something. She smiled politely back before she turned her attention back to the dance floor, and he moved to her side, resting his elbow on the bar as he leaned close to her ear, saying something else.

  Danny’s smile dropped.

  Her expression was smooth as she answered him, never taking her eyes off the dance floor, and the guy smiled, taking the tiniest step closer to her.

  And just like that, Danny’s decision was made.

  Friends. They could be friends. Friends texted each other.

  And friends hung out at bars together.

  He turned and walked quickly toward the stairway. She seemed to be handling herself just fine, and she had two girlfriends down there with her, but he didn’t give a shit. That douchebag had ignited something visceral in him, and he wanted her by his side tonight.

  He rounded the corner after passing the bouncer at the bottom of the stairs, scanning the crowd until he spotted her again.

  Jersey Shore was still nestled up beside her, using the noise of the bar as an excuse to lean close to her whenever he spoke. She leaned away just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to be rude, forcing a smile and answering briefly before she looked at her friend and widened her eyes.

  Just as Danny approached them, he heard the guy say, “Come on, hon. Let me buy you a drink. You’re too pretty not to have a drink in your hand.”

  Without thinking, Danny snaked his arm around Leah’s waist, resting his hand on her hip as he pulled her into his side.

  “Thanks, but she’s all set,” he said.

  As the guy’s eyes met Danny’s, his seductive expression faltered.

  “Sorry, bro,” he said, holding both hands up in a peace offering before he turned and made his way to the other side of the bar.

  Danny watched him until he was far enough away that he knew he wouldn’t be coming back, and then he looked down at Leah.

  “I hope I didn’t just blow that for you. Were you planning on taking My Cousin Vinny home?”

  She smiled as she turned her body to face him. Danny kept his hand on her so that when she turned, it traveled along her lower back, coming to rest on her opposite hip.

  “Take him home?” she said in horror. “No way. I was probably just gonna bang him in the bathroom and then bail.”

  Danny laughed loudly, and she grinned, her chin lifted slightly as she looked up at him.

  Someone cleared her throat loudly, and Danny turned to see the two girls from before staring pointedly at Leah.

  Her expression and posture straightened simultaneously. “Oh, sorry. Guys, this is Danny. Danny, this is Robyn and Holly.”

  Danny took his hand off Leah’s hip and reached out, shaking each of theirs. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “Did you guys just order drinks?”

  “No, not yet,” the little one—Holly—said. “We’re waiting for the bartender.”

  Danny stepped forward and held up his hand, and a second later, Damon glanced up at him from behind the bar. Danny made a wide circle over the girls’ heads with his finger before pointing back to himself, and Damon gave him the thumbs-up and then pointed up at the second level.

  “That’s my friend Damon,” Danny said to the girls. “You guys are all set.”

  “All set?” the one named Robyn asked.

  “Yeah, you’re on the house tonight.”

  Danny caught the smile that lifted the corner of Holly’s mouth as she elbowed Robyn just before he turned back to Leah. “We have a table up there, if you guys want to come up.”

  He could still see Holly and Robyn in his peripheral vision, although they clearly didn’t know that: Robyn was nodding enthusiastically while mouthing an exaggerated “say yes” at Leah, while Holly gave her the OK sign, looking him over as she mouthed the word “hot.” He pressed his lips together, trying to keep a straight face as he waited for her reply.

  “Um, yeah, sure,” she said before turning her attention to the girls, and as soon as Danny followed suit, both girls immediately straightened their expressions. “You guys want to go upstairs?”

  “Sure,” Holly said nonchalantly. “Danny, this is so nice of you. Thank you.”

  “No problem,” he said. “Follow me.”

  Danny led the way to the back stairs, nodding at the bouncer who sat on the stool at the bottom.

  “What’s up, Dan,” he said, gesturing for them to pass. As the girls followed him up the stairs, he added, “Have a good night, ladies.”

  Danny rounded the corner and made his way toward their booth, and as Tommy saw him approaching, he called out, “Danny boy! Where the hell did you just run off to?”

  “I saw a friend. Tommy, this is Leah, and that’s Holly and Robyn.”

  “Welcome, ladies,” Tommy said, sliding over to make room, and Holly slid in first, followed by Robyn and then Leah.

  When Danny slid in behind her, she smiled wryly. “I had no idea you were such a big shot,” she said.

  “A big shot?” He laughed. “Hardly. I’m just a lowly mechanic who happens to know the head bartender.”

  “A humble big shot? Those are the most dangerous kind.”

  Danny smirked and Tommy said, “I think Damon’s sending drinks up. Does he know they’re up here?”

  “Yeah,” Danny said just as Jake approached the table with his beer.

  “What do we have here?” he asked, eyeing the girls as he slid in the booth next to Tommy.

  “DeLuca,” Tommy answered, nodding over at him.

  “All three of them?” he asked, raising his beer in salute. “Impressive.”

  Danny leaned down, bringing his lips to Leah’s ear. “That’s Jake. I apologize in advance for him.”

  She laughed, leaning in conspiratorially as she nodded toward Holly. “Wait until this one gets going. They’ll cancel each other out, and then we’ll be even.”

  Danny smiled as one of the waitresses approached them with a tray of six shots, placing one
in front of each person at the table.

  “Alabama Slammers all around,” she said with a wink before she walked away, and Danny’s smile fell.

  “Who ordered these?” he asked flatly.

  Everyone reached for a shot as if he hadn’t spoken, and Danny pushed his to the center of the table.

  “I’m good, if anyone wants that.”

  Tommy lowered his shot, looking at Danny over the top of it. “Bro, you have to take it. It’s for Bryan.”

  The words took the air right out of his body. Danny stared at his friend from across the table, concentrating on taking his next breath.

  He had no idea what expression he was wearing, but it must have been something truly special because the color instantly drained from Tommy’s face before his eyes flitted away.

  He could see that Leah was watching him, and he reached across the table, pulling the shot back as his jaw tensed. His knee began bouncing under the table, and all he really wanted to do in that moment was pick up the glass and throw it against the wall.

  From across the table, Jake lifted his shot up high, glancing up at the ceiling before he took it, and that gesture pushed Danny over the edge.

  He tossed the shot back before placing the empty glass on the table. “Excuse me,” he mumbled before he slid out of the booth and walked toward the stairwell.

  Danny quickly pushed his way through the crowd on the lower level, yanking the door open and stumbling out into the frigid January air.

  As soon as he was outside, he bent at the waist, bringing his hands to his knees as he dropped his head.

  “Tommy, what the fuck,” he muttered as he straightened, running both hands down his face.

  Why the hell would he have done that?

  Because he’s Bryan’s friend too.

  Danny dropped his head back, leaving his hands over his mouth as he blinked up at the sky.

  Because he’s dealing with it his way.

  He closed his eyes, shaking his head. He was such a fucking hypocrite. How could he begrudge someone his method of dealing with everything, when both Tommy and Jake had been nothing but accommodating to him?

  And his methods weren’t always as diplomatic as ordering a round of drinks.

  Just let it go.

  He rubbed his hands over his face again before he exhaled.

  He really needed to push all this shit aside right now, because he had dragged Leah into his night, and the only thing he should be focusing on was having a good time with her.

  Let it go. For one night, just let it go.

  With a tiny breath to steel his resolve, he turned and opened the door, reentering the bar. By the time he made his way back upstairs, he could see the empty shot glasses had already been cleared. Tommy looked up, catching his eyes as he approached, and Danny gave him a nod. He nodded in return, holding his hand up in understanding just as Leah’s head turned in Danny’s direction.

  “Hey,” she said gently, fiddling with one of her earrings as she looked up at him. “Where’d you go?”

  Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “Just needed some air for a minute.”

  She kept her eyes on him for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah, it’s definitely hot in here,” she said, scooping her hair off her neck with both hands.

  He could tell she didn’t buy that story for one second.

  And yet she smiled up at him as she released her hair, scooting over a few inches to make room for him in the booth again.

  He had no idea how she managed to do that—to erase his discomfort with a simple look. And when he sat down beside her, the remaining tension drained from his body as if her presence alone had siphoned it out of him.

  “You need a drink, Leah?” Holly asked.

  “Um, yeah. I’ll take a margarita.”

  “Danny, what about you?”

  “I’m good, thanks,” he said.

  He watched Holly and Tommy make their way downstairs before he turned to see Leah watching him.

  “You’re not gonna get anything?”

  “I don’t drink.”

  She lifted her brow. “But you just took a shot.”

  “Well then, I’m already past my quota.”

  She laughed then, shaking her head. “I’m glad you came out tonight.”

  If there was any lingering doubt over his decision to approach her, it dissipated with those six words.

  “Me too,” he said. “So, did Jake behave himself while I was gone?”

  “He asked us what we thought of the girl in the orange halter.”

  Danny chuckled. “And what did you tell him?”

  “I didn’t tell him anything,” she said with a laugh. “Holly said, and I quote, ‘It’s gonna be an expensive evening for you. First, all the drinks you’ll have to buy her, and then the next forty years’ worth of Valtrex prescriptions.’”

  Danny threw his head back and laughed. “Oh my God,” he said when he’d gotten himself under control. “I love her already.”

  “Yeah, well, she’s certainly one of a kind,” Leah said with a smile as Holly approached the table with her drink.

  “Here you go, chick,” she said, handing her the margarita. “Danny, are you sure you don’t want anything?”

  Before he could answer, Leah said, “Yeah, you’re really not gonna have a drink with me?” Danny turned in her direction, his brow lifted, and she shrugged. “Just one drink? You already had a shot.”

  Danny looked back and forth between them. “I feel like I’m on an after-school special.”

  Leah laughed as she placed her drink on the table, and he turned back to Holly and Tommy. “Alright, I’ll take a beer,” he said, and Tommy turned to gesture over the railing.

  “There,” he said, turning back to Leah. “One drink.”

  “You make me feel like some sort of depraved villain,” she said, bringing her margarita to her lips and licking the salt off the rim where she was about to take a sip.

  His eye was immediately drawn to her mouth, and he felt a jolt go through his stomach and straight between his legs.

  “So, Leah,” Tommy said as he slid back into the booth, and Danny took advantage of the respite to try and regain his composure. “How do you know Danny?”

  “Well, long story short, I lost a bracelet the last time I was in the city, and he helped me find it.”

  “Yeah, sounds like Danny,” Jake chimed in. “Did he help you before or after he saved a kitten from a tree and assisted an elderly woman across the street?”

  Before Danny could respond, Leah leaned over to him.

  “He’s good,” she whispered.

  “Who’s good?” Danny asked, leaning into their private conversation.

  “Jake. He’s a good wingman. Make sure you tip him well tonight.”

  Danny scoffed, looking at her in feigned offense. “If Jake’s getting anything from me tonight, it’s a foot in his ass. And what do you mean he’s good? You don’t think I’m the kitten-saving, granny-assisting type?”

  Leah sat back a little, looking him up and down as she pretended to assess him. “Hmm. I guess I can see it. Although you’d probably frighten the kitten and offend the granny with your horrible language.”

  “No way. Then I’d have to put money in the jar.”

  A slow smile lit her face as she looked at him. “If you really have a jar started, I’m pretty pumped. I should have my something pretty by this time tomorrow.”

  “So little faith,” he said, and Leah shrugged.

  “Old habits die hard,” she replied as she brought her drink to her lips.

  He watched her lick the rim again before taking a sip, and he swallowed hard. She looked tempting enough tonight; the absolute last thing he needed was to be six inches away from her while she kept licking that glass.

  He pulled his eyes away from her mouth and back up to her face; her normally wavy hair was straight and shiny, and she had some shimmery stuff above her eyes that made them look intensely green. And her mouth—that godd
amn mouth. She wasn’t wearing any of that goopy, shiny shit that so many girls wore, but they were a soft pink color, and so full he wanted to lean over and bite her bottom lip.

  “You look really beautiful tonight,” he said before he could stop himself, and he saw the surprise register on her face as she paused mid-sip.

  She swallowed, clearing her throat before she smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

  “So Tommy was telling me how you guys all work together,” Holly said.

  “Oh really?” Robyn asked. “Where do you guys work?”

  They spent the next hour talking and laughing over drinks, and Danny was pleasantly surprised by how at ease Leah seemed to be with his friends; she and Tommy had a quick and easy rapport, and whenever Jake said something horrible, she would just roll her eyes or laugh it off.

  And on two separate occasions, both Tommy and Jake gave him the signal that meant Leah earned their seal of approval.

  Danny had stopped drinking after the beer he’d ordered to appease Leah, but the rest of them continued to order rounds. Jake was regaling the girls with a story about a belligerent customer who had insisted they’d broken his car when they’d worked on it, and when they took a tow truck out to pick it up, it turned out the guy was just out of gas. In his current state, the animation he put into telling the story had Danny cracking up, despite the fact that he’d heard it a million times.

  In the middle of Jake’s spot-on imitation of the guy, Danny felt something brush over the back of his hand, and he glanced over at Leah. Her brow was pulled together, her eyes trained on his hand as she ran the tip of her index finger along his knuckles.

  Right over his scars.

  He jerked his hand back instinctively, and she jolted, yanking her own hand back as her eyes flashed up to his. She brought her hands into her lap as she quickly turned her attention back to Jake, looking like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

  Danny watched her for a second before he looked back down at his hand. A few of them were merely nicks now; little silvery lines against the tanned skin. But the ones across his knuckles were still bright red lines, jagged and angry.

  He wet his lips before he looked back at her. Her eyes were downcast as she picked at her fingernail, and he could see a slight blush coloring her cheeks.