Burn (Breathless #3)(81)

“Whoops!” she exclaimed before righting herself. She sent her “help” a dazzling smile and registered an amused male grin. Was it Ash? Hell, the room was spinning so much she couldn’t tell who was who or where.

She teetered toward where Mia waited and caught Bethany’s arm when the other woman stumbled on her way.

Giggling like fiends, they huddled with Mia.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” Mia said in a loud whisper. “We definitely have to meet up for lunch tomorrow and exchange details. I can’t wait to hear how Ash reacts.”

Josie frowned and then looked back over her shoulder to where the men stood, indulgent smiles on their faces.

“What about Brittany?” Josie hissed. “She’s hooking up with Mr. Club Owner over there. We have to hear what goes down there, right?”

“Right,” Bethany said solemnly.

“Brittany!” Mia yelled again.

Brittany scuttled over, breaking into the circle, her face flushed with excitement.

“Okay, lunch tomorrow,” Mia said. “We have to get all the down-and-dirty details!”

A series of groans went up and Josie turned, silencing the males with a ferocious scowl. They laughed and Josie turned her attention back to the women.

Brittany bit her lip and then glanced over Josie’s shoulder in the direction of Kai Wellington.

“I don’t know, guys. Maybe I’m biting off more than I can chew.”

“I’ll take good care of you, Brittany,” Kai said in amusement.

“They’re eavesdropping,” Mia muttered.

“Kind of hard not to, baby,” Gabe said, laughter in his voice. “You’re bellowing loud enough for the entire club to hear.”

Mia scowled and then lowered her voice to a loud whisper.

“One o’clock. Isabella’s. For all the girls’ night wrap-up.”

“Do they always do this?” Kai asked in the background.

“Hell if I know,” Jace muttered. “Nothing like being intimidated by being rated the next day. That’s a hell of a lot of pressure to put on a man.”

The women giggled and then Mia put her hand in. “On three. Let’s go get our men.”

They slapped their hands in a pile in the middle. “One, two, three!”

They raised their hands, breaking away from the huddle. Josie stumbled away, scanning the floor for her shoes.

“My shoes! I have to have those shoes,” she complained. “It will ruin everything if I don’t have the shoes!”

“Looking for these, darling?”

She looked up to see Ash standing there, her shoes dangling from his fingers. His eyes were bright with laughter, but his gaze smoldered appreciatively over her body. She did an experimental wiggle, hoping her dress covered everything it was supposed to.

His eyes gleamed brighter and he reached over to adjust the top, his fingers brushing over the swell of one breast.

“That sight is just for me,” he murmured. “Not that you don’t look delectable, that hint of nipple, but no one else gets to see that.”

She slapped her hands over her chest in horror and then stared anxiously at the other men. “Oh my God. Did they see my ni**les!”

Laughter went up and there was a series of shaking heads. Ash leaned in to kiss her, pulling her into his arms. His entire body shook with laughter.

“No, baby. Nobody but me saw.”

As he spoke, he turned, sending a pointed glare in the direction of the other men who immediately shook their heads and donned expressions of complete innocence.

“I need to put my shoes on,” Josie grumbled.

Ash eased her down on the couch and then gently slipped her heels back on her feet. There was something extremely decadent about having a man put her shoes back on. His hands were warm and soothing against her skin. He squeezed one foot before stepping back to offer his hand to help her up.

She rose, experimentally testing her legs. She hadn’t worn the shoes for most of the drinkfest and the last thing she wanted to do was face-plant now that she had them on.

She was shaky, but Ash firmly grasped her elbow before pulling her into his side. She sighed and melted against him, savoring the heat and scent of this gorgeous male.

“Thanks for looking after them,” Ash said to Brandon as they walked toward the door.

“Hey, what about me,” Jace sputtered. “Just remember, it’s your turn next time.”

Ash grinned. “Looking forward to it.”

Ash started toward the door, holding Josie tight against his side. She stumbled a bit and he slowed his pace, matching it to her unsteady one. She was melted against him, so soft and sweet that he wished they weren’t so damn far from his apartment. He wanted nothing more than to strip her out of that dress and f**k her in those shoes until they both passed out.

Gabe and Jace had definitely not lied. He was insanely jealous of them for having experienced this before. But now he had Josie. Josie was a part of his circle of friends, just like he’d wanted. He looked forward with immense satisfaction, secure in the knowledge that from now on, he would have this.

Other guys might bitch about girls’ night out. Some didn’t like it when their women went out without them. Hell, if they had this to look forward to? There’d be an instant run on sexy dresses and sparkly f**k-me shoes.