Page 68 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

“Hey, why is the place so busy?”

“Ladies night!” the girls squealed together, giggling as they walked inside.

“Ah, hell,” he said, swinging off his bike.

At the door, he looked inside at the wall of people, mostly women, dancing and laughing. Men were stationed around the perimeter, watching.

“You heading in, man?”

Gabe hadn’t even noticed the tall burly kid hanging by the door.

“Should I?”

The “kid” grinned, and Gabe realized he was probably in his late twenties, just with one of those youthful faces.

“That’s up to you, but I’ve seen some fine-looking women pass by.”

“Shit, that’s all I need,” Gabe muttered as he stepped inside. The last thing on his mind was adding another woman to his plate, especially when not one of the chicks he’d met since moving here held a candle to Caroline.

There was a DJ playing Katy Perry on the stage, and the tables had been pushed to the edge to make more room on the dance floor. As Gabe walked toward the bar, he caught sight of Caroline behind it and stopped, surprised to see her there. He hadn’t known what her plans were for tonight, but he hadn’t expected her here. Yet there she was, whispering back and forth with the big bartender, Eric, who Chase had introduced him to last week. Remembering the kiss between the two, Gabe clenched his fists involuntarily. It was too bad; if it hadn’t been for Eric’s interest in Caroline, Gabe might have liked the guy.

Pushing his way up to the bar, he called out, “Hey, can I get a beer?”

Caroline looked his way and had the fucking nerve to give him a polite smile, like he was the fucking postman. Like there was nothing between them.

Like he’d never seen her naked and writhing.

Eric glanced his way, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Hey, Moriarty. Nice of you to drop in for our first official ladies night.”

Eric popped the top on a bottle and handed it to him. With his eyes on Caroline, who was looking toward the stage, Gabe said, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Eric, as if picking up on the tension, squeezed Caroline’s shoulder as he took off toward the back. “Okay, well, I’m gonna get some more bottles from the stockroom. Great job, Trouble.”

Gabe flexed his fist and resisted the urge to plant it in Eric’s face. The guy was a little too free with his hands, even if he swore he had no designs on Caroline.

Alone together for the first time in almost a week—except for the hundreds of bodies surrounding them—Gabe said, “Seems like you two are awfully friendly.”

“He’s an old friend of the family.”

“Of course he is. That’s why he has a pet name for you and everything,” he said, sarcasm dripping heavily from his tone.

She leaned over the bar until they were only a few inches apart, and his eyes drifted down to appreciate the low-cut neckline of her shirt.

“Are you jealous?” she asked, quietly enough that he was the only one who heard.

“No, just making an observation.”

“Right,” she said and started to pull back, but he grabbed her arm in a flash, keeping her close. Her large eyes widened, and those lush lips parted invitingly.

He ran his thumb across the bare skin of her arm, pleased with the goosebumps that rose in response, and she sucked in a breath sharply. He tried fighting a cocky grin but failed; as much as she tried to deny it, she was just as affected by him as he was by her.

“I think we need to talk, to clear the air,” he said.

Seeming to have recovered, she said, “I’m good.”

“Apologies don’t come easy to me.”

“You call that an apology?”