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They all slipped through my fingers like sand and turned to dust at my feet.

I began singing along with Nikkie, dancing along when she pulled away to throw her hands above her hand. She grabbed my hand and spun me around, my peals of laughter muffled by the bass of the music. I turned around again, facing the entrance of the bar, launching into the chorus.

And froze.

Nikkie’s hands tried to turn me back around but I wouldn’t budge an inch.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she yelled, but I shook my head. I gaped at the people who had just walked in, almost hysterical with disbelief.

No way. But I’d recognize that face anywhere.

“Hayden,” I mouthed, still questioning what my eyes refused to deny.

She stood next to a beautiful young man, whose olive skin and dark hair made him look almost too good to be real.

But it was Hayden I couldn’t stop looking at. Her hair hung in loose curls over her shoulders and down her back. She wore a skin tight black dress that left nothing to my already churning imagination, her long bare legs ending in black heels. Unbidden, my mind forced a brand new image to the forefront of my thoughts: her legs hooked over my shoulders, those heels just barely hanging on.

I snapped back to reality, blaming the alcohol in my system for my inappropriate thoughts.

“Hey! Wakey wakey!”

I wrenched my wide-eyed gaze away from Hayden and turned to Nikkie.

“We have to leave,” I shouted, but she shook her head.

“No way, we’re here to have a good time!”

“Hayden is here,” I told her, my voice wavering.

I pointed to where I’d seen Hayden standing next to that man, and Nikkie followed my gaze.

“Oh, shit,that’sHayden?!”

I could only nod, and my gaze drifted back to Hayden. I followed the length of her legs, up to her hips, the curve of her waist, over her breasts. My breath left me in a startled gust.

Hayden was looking right at me.

Chapter eighteen

Fancy Meeting You Here

Hayden

IstaredatFrankie,bewildered by her presence, in abarof all places.

“What do you think?” Vinny asked, leaning in close to shout into my ear.

I couldn’t drag my gaze away from Frankie.

She’d turned to the woman beside her, pressing her lips close to the woman’s ear. A pang of jealousy jolted through me, and I hoped the woman was a friend and nothing more.

Silly, I thought. Why would I care?

“It’s loud,” I yelled back.

Vinny laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Let’s get you a drink,” he crooned. “Then we can dance until our feet hurt.”

I followed him to the bar, my eyes peeled for any sign of Frankie. She’d disappeared and I searched for her, my eyes scanning the roiling crowd for a flash of fiery hair.