Page 108 of Lawton

This was her birthday, and I didn't want to ruin it. I shoved aside my questions and pressed my lips to her forehead. "Never, baby."

"Then where'd you go?"

Now, it was my turn to dodge a question. "I ran into someone." At the thought of Brittney and what's-her-name, I felt myself frown. "No one you'd want to see."

Chloe leaned back to give me a look that told me she wasn't buying it.

Yeah, that made two of us.

But I wasn't going to be a dick about it. Tomorrow, I decided, I'd be getting some answers. Tonight, we had a birthday to celebrate. I pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "How's my birthday girl?"

She burrowed closer, and I felt her body relax. "Wonderful." Her voice was breathless, and she gave a warm shiver when I touched her face. "But you know," she added, "I still haven't shown you my birthday suit."

In spite of everything, I felt myself smile. "Yeah?"

At the thought of her naked, I closed my eyes and held her tight, feeling some of the tension drain away. I knew how guys were. Chloe was irresistible. Was it really so surprising that some guy would be crushing on her in a crowded club?

No. It wasn't.

Silently, I calculated how many minutes had passed since I'd sent the limo on its way. Ten? Fifteen? Before returning inside, I'd had the driver order a new one to take its place. If I were lucky, it was outside already, waiting at the curb. If I was even luckier, Chloe would never know the difference.

Still, better safe than sorry. Wanting to gain a few more minutes, I went for a distraction. "One more drink," I said. "And—" I gripped her hard and pulled her hips against mine. "One more dance."

She gave a happy nod. "One more dancehere," she said, pressing herself against me. "Who knows what we'll do at home."

I almost groaned aloud. She was teasing me, and we both knew it. For fun, and maybe for some revenge too, I wrapped her in my arms and whispered naked promises in her ear. They were promises I intended to keep.

With her so close, all the other stuff – the questions, the mysteries, the guy she'd been talking to – faded to nothing. She downed one more daiquiri and gave me one more dance.

The delay felt like five minutes, but it was probably more like fifteen. Not too long afterward, we were heading out the door.

Sure enough, the new limo was waiting at the curb, looking exactly like the old one, complete with a new driver who looked a lot like the first.

It wasn't luck. It was planning. Sometimes, it was the little things that tripped you up. Tonight, I wasn't leaving anything to chance.

Inside the limo, Chloe tumbled back onto the leather seat, laughing as one of her shoes slipped off and fell somewhere on the floor.

I claimed the spot beside her and settled in for the ride home.

Her lips were full, and her eyes were sparkling. In a fit of giggles, she kicked off her other shoe and waved it goodbye.

I had never seen her like this, and I couldn't help but smile. She looked happy and carefree, and yeah, more than a little tipsy. Good or bad, I knew whose faultthatwas.

Mine, for insisting on that last daiquiri.

But I was also the guy who'd get her home safely, and, if it came down to it, hold her hair later on. I loved her. Drunk, sober, whatever – I couldn't get enough.

Next to me, she suddenly stopped laughing. "Oh my God." She turned to me with wide eyes. "I'm not one of those girls." She gripped me by my jacket. "I'm not, am I?"

She was so damn adorable, I could hardly stand it. "What kind of girl?"

"You know," she said. "The sloppy drunk kind who laughs too loud and isn't half as cute as she thinks she is." She frowned. "I hate those girls."

Funny, I hated those girls too. But Chloe wasn't one of them.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, you do appear to be drunk." I smiled, and my gaze drifted lower, taking in her tight body and sweet curves. "But baby, you're anything but sloppy."

She glanced toward her fallen shoes. "I'mkind ofsloppy," she said with a smile that turned into a giggle.