Claiming Sarah (Ace Security #5)(53)

So she’d backed off and let him buy the clothes, but made a mental vow to only shop for clothes in the future when he wasn’t with her. Then they’d gone back to his apartment, and one thing led to another . . . She’d found they could make love playfully, without the intensity of the night before, and it was just as satisfying.

But now Cole had pulled up to the Rock ’N’ Roll bar, where she was meeting the other women for their girls’ night out—and she was nervous.

“Stop stressing,” Cole told her, and tucked a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear.

“I can’t help it. What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m weird? If they don’t approve of me, then that’ll make things awkward between you and your friends. I don’t—”

“Relax,” Cole ordered. “They’re going to love you. Hell, they already love you. Have some drinks. Loosen up. Just be yourself. It’ll be fine.”

Sarah took a deep breath. Cole was right. She’d already met Felicity, who hadn’t treated her with anything other than kindness.

Cole leaned forward, and Sarah felt his breath tickle the hair near her ear before he whispered, “I can’t wait to help you out of this dress. In fact, maybe I’ll take you while you’re still wearing it. Bent over in front of me.”

She shivered.

“You think you’d like that?” Cole asked.

Sarah turned to look him in the eyes. “I think I’d like anything you did to me.”

He licked his lips, and she was happy to see his pupils dilate with her words. That gave her the courage to continue. “If you like sober Sarah, wait until you meet tipsy, takes-what-she-wants Sarah.”

“Fuuuuck,” Cole muttered.

Sarah chuckled, kissed him hard and fast on the lips, then opened her door. “I’ll text you later when we’re ready.”

She saw him adjust his hard-on in his pants and nod. “We’ll all be at Logan’s, so we can be here within minutes when you guys are ready to go.”

Sarah nodded and went to shut the door.

“Sarah?”

She paused and leaned back down. “Yeah?”

“They’re going to love you because you’re considerate, kind, and there’s no way they could not love you.”

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“Now go, before I snatch you back inside this car and take you back to my apartment and ravage you.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” she quipped, then slammed the door and waved before she took a deep breath and headed for the door to the bar.



An hour and four alcoholic drinks later, Sarah was having the time of her life.

She was very definitely tipsy, bordering on drunk, but she couldn’t remember when she’d had more fun.

Grace was somewhat quiet, like she was, but the others made up for their reticence. Bailey wasn’t drinking because of her pregnancy, but it didn’t matter—she didn’t need alcohol to be just as hilarious as the others.

“So there I was, trying to get the scoop on the gang, and I had to keep doing shots of tequila,” Alexis said, waving her hands around as she told her story. “It was so gross. Then Damian put his hand right up the waitress’s skirt, right there at the table!”

Everyone groaned in disgust.

“Right? I mean, I like a good fingering as much as the next girl, but not by him, and not in the middle of a busy bar!”

Everyone roared with laughter at Alexis’s off-the-cuff remark.

Felicity rested her chin on her hand and stared at her. “So, Sarah . . . tell us all about you.”

“Me? There’s nothing to tell,” Sarah said.

“Bullshit!” Bailey exclaimed. “One day Cole is single and free as a bird, and the next he’s all like, ‘I’m busy. I have to go home and sit my ass on my couch and talk to Sarah.’”

Sarah covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

“Right?” Felicity agreed. “I go off to Chicago to visit my mom’s grave, and when I get back, my workaholic partner is allowing our employees to actually do their jobs so he doesn’t have to be there twenty-four/seven. What’s your story?”

“He was a jerk when we met,” Sarah admitted.

All four of the other women leaned toward her, hungry for the details about their friend.

“He didn’t know I could hear him, and he was kinda mean. But he apologized. And I guess we grew on each other.” Sarah knew her explanation was weak, but she wasn’t sure how to explain her relationship with Cole and how it had happened so fast.

“She’s got a stalker,” Alexis blurted.

“Seriously?” Grace asked.

“Yup,” Alexis answered before Sarah could. “He leaves her creepy presents and love letters. But he’s not like Donovan,” she told Bailey. “He’s got the mental capacity of, like, a ten-year-old.”

The others were suitably shocked, and Sarah simply sipped her latest mixed drink as Alexis filled in the others on her situation.

“So what are you doing about it?” Felicity asked.

Sarah shrugged. “I’m selling my house, renting an apartment here in town that has twenty-four-hour security, I’m sleeping with Cole, and Ace Security said they were gonna do what they could to take care of it for me.”