Page 31 of Drive

“So, where’s your friend?”

“Lexi.”

“She wouldn’t give me her name.”

“Because she’s smart. She’s not a game you want to play.”

Reid picked up the notebook and began to read the lyrics scribbled on it as Ben turned to face me, fully engaged.

“I’ll take her anywhere she wants to go.”

“She’d much rather see you sing,” I admitted honestly. “But I’ll give her the message.”

“How aboutIgive her the message,” he said sweetly.

“Nope.”

He chuckled as he took the hot beer from my hand and swallowed it down before he gripped another can and handed it to me.

“What did you think?”

“How do you know we showed up?”

“I saw her the minute she walked in.”

Something about that statement hit me in the chest.

“Awwwww.” It didn’t come from me. It came from Adam. “I’ll make love to you.”

“Would you?” Ben asked in his best feminine voice. “Can we spoon after?”

“Can we do something besides chit-chat? I’m missingUFC,” Shaggy Rye said as he picked up his guitar and began hurdling through chords like the second coming of Jimmy Hendrix. I nearly spit out my beer. “Holy shit.”

Adam and Ben both looked at me with shit-eating grins. “Dumb but brilliant. Can’t tie his shoes but he can strip the strings.”

I watched as Rye plowed through what sounded like a warm-up.

I looked up to Reid as Ben grabbed a piece of hair from my ponytail and rubbed it between his fingers. “You know he’s an asshole, right?”

“Very aware and totally uninterested.”

“Good for you. He’s a pessimist in his prime. He wants to be a good guy, but watch out for that one. He’s a dark horse, baby, and they don’t play nice with women’s hearts.”

I rolled my eyes. “And you do?”

“I’m an opportunist,” he said with a panty-dropping smile. “But I can be tamed.”

“You sure of that?”

“She was wearing a blue corset, mini skirt, and dangling earrings. I promise you, I didn’t see anyone but her.”

“Got to do better than that to get her number.”

“I think she’s beautiful. And I know she’s tough. And I’m willing to put up with her shit to make her smile.”

I sighed and held out my hand. “Give me your phone.”

Ben put it in my palm, and seconds after I programmed it in, Rye drastically changed his speed and left us all transfixed on him.