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“Patrón, huh?”

He offered her a sexy grin. “Yes, ma’am.”

Carla whistled.

“Too strong for you?”

“Very. But I’m a dangerous girl, so I’m up for taking the risk.”

His lips spread into a gorgeous smile. “So, then you’ll glide with me over the Grand Canyon?”

She frowned. “Hell, no.”

His laugh caught the attention of women around him as they all turned with smiles, wondering what joke he was privy to.

“I mean…” Carla tried to backtrack.

“No, no.” His laugh simmered. “You meant that with your chest.”

She laughed and dropped her eyes, shrugging. “I kinda did, but I also think it would depend on if you’ve got my heart snuggled between your grasp at the time.”

His gaze lowered. “Hmmm.”

“If ever there’s a time like that, we will revisit this conversation then,” she added.

Offering Carla her drink, Jacob quietly observed her. Even in the dark corners of the club, he could see her rich maple cherry complexion. The coordination of browns amid her dark crimson made her skin glow like she was a rare gem.

His gaze dropped to her lips. A full bottom and a medium top lip that he wanted to taste on more than one occasion.

“We’re five minutes away!” the DJ yelled.

Carla took her eyes around the party, then back to Jacob.

“Do you have somewhere to be? Because, if so, you better get there before the clock strikes twelve.”

“I’m where I want to be.” His gaze scanned the room, then dropped back to her. “What about you?”

Her smile started tiny, then grew. “Same.”

Jacob sucked off his teeth. “It looks like we’re bringing in the New Year together,bellissima.”

Her heart ricocheted. They stared at one another for a long desirable minute, then Carla swallowed her drink, straw be damned.

“Excuse me.”

Carla turned to Lennox and almost spit her drink out.What the hell did he want?Carla straightened herself and remembered she and Lennox were friends, though this was the wrong time for him to want anything from her.

“One minute!” the DJ yelled.

“Yeah, so I was wondering if you wanted to bring in the New Year with me?” Lennox glanced at Jacob, who couldn’t tell if Jacob was smirking or glowering, but he quickly looked back to Carla.

“Lennox, you’re in the club. You can bring in the New Year with all of us.”

“Well, I was hoping—”

“Five, four, three….”

“To just bring it in with—”