Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2)(64)

“WHAT?” Krista screamed. She couldn’t hear a blessed thing.

“Here, drink this,” Jasmine said, handing Krista a shot.

“No way! No WAY! I said no shots!” Krista yelled at the whole bar.

Cassie elbowed Kate out of the way, grabbed the shot, and attempted to grab Krista’s nose. Apparently she was trying to plug it so she could pour the shot down Krista’s throat. She was so determined, and it was so absurd, that Krista laughed and tried to bat her hands away. Cassie, not to be deterred, managed to get Krista’s nose and was moving in with the shot when she felt a hard body against her back.

Thinking it was some clown, Krista got sidetracked trying to move away and Cassie got the shot to her lips. It was horrible tequila.

Krista swallowed and sputtered, her stomach instantly churning. “You bitch!” she yelled, coughing.

Cassie pointed and laughed before putting the empty shot glass on the bar and heading back to the dance floor.

Krista felt two hands slide around her waist and knew immediately it was Sean. She leaned back against him, then remembered Jaz and Kate. She straightened up quickly and turned around to face him.

He was smiling down at her. Laughing down at her more like.

“Having fun?” he asked.

“Your sister literally just poured a shot down my throat. You saw it! I know you did! Could you not have warned me about her?”

“The fun is in the surprise.”

“I was just thinking that earlier tonight!”

His hair was in disarray, his polo shirt was rumpled, and his jeans just wouldn’t quit. And while he was hot, and definitely sexy, Krista just wanted to be near him. A check told her Jaz and Kate were dancing with Cassie. Knowing they wouldn’t notice her gone for at least ten more minutes, she moved in closer.

“Hey baby,” he said as he slid his arms around her back.

“Hi. I’m glad you came.” Then, because slightly leaning wasn’t close enough, she slipped her arms around his middle and angled her head to be kissed. She didn’t care who saw, and if he tried to play it cool, she had already planned to give him a titty-twister, and then embarrass him somehow.

Thankfully, he had no such thing in mind. He bent his head to meet her lips, and let their kiss linger, then blossom until they were flat-out making out. It was Krista who finally pushed him off—she was a little too drunk to close her eyes while upright for that long.

“Wow,” she said breathlessly. Then, because she could, she grabbed his crotch.

“JE-sus,” Sean said, jumping back before he could stop himself. He had a lopsided grin as he said, “Yes, you doing that at work might have been awkward. But I would have acclimated like a champ.”

Krista laughed and leaned in again. He put an arm around her shoulders and led her closer to the bar. “I need to get a beer. You want anything?”

“Beer. No wait. No, nothing. Okay, beer.”

Krista noticed for the first time that he was in a group. “Oh hey, you brought the actors.”

Sean yelled over the din for a bunch of beers--apparently he was buying for the cast--and turned back. “Yeah, they were relieved I was finally heading somewhere decent rather than the Sunset.”

“Did you tell them it was because your girlfriend rocked, not because you did?”

Horror flashed across Krista’s face. “Shit, I didn’t mean to say that! Truly! I don’t think of you that way, honest!”

Sean was looking at her intently. “I did actually tell them it was because I was meeting my girlfriend, yes. But we are moving really fast. We should slow down.”

“Yes Captain. And no sex. I remember.”

Sean just nodded, his eyes never wavering.

“Please note, if you get drunk, and I...well, I am drunk...then we should sleep in separate beds, because I will accost you.”

“Then I won’t get drunk.”

“But I would like to see you drunk. And naked. But, you know, with underwear or whatever. I guess.”

He just smiled and turned to reach for his beer. “I have to drive anyway. Let’s see if we can go for three.” His eyes were twinkling as they looked down at her.

“Question: does that theater house always put plays on in two weeks? It seems quick.”

Sean looked at her like she’d just used another language.

She elaborated, “You were only leaving early for a couple weeks.”

Light bulb. “Their lead got in a car accident so I subbed in. Not a lot of time. I had to improv a few lines, but they are all good enough actors that they covered for me.”

“Huh.”

“No work!” Jasmine yelled behind Krista. “Hi Captain.”

Krista realized she was standing close to Sean, but he’d removed his arm. Krista hadn’t noticed anything besides those glorious green peepers, or she might have made a scene before she realized he was doing it for her—she was the one keeping the secret from her friends, not the other way around. Thankfully he was staying sober, because if left up to Krista, the secret would be out in no time, on account of her sitting in his lap. Naked.

Without a chance to say a word, Krista was dragged away and shoved onto the dance floor with beer in hand. Cassie then showed up to feed her another shot.

Eyeing Cassie as the shot was burning down her throat, Krista said, “You’re nice when you’re sober all right, but get you drunk, and you become a pushy bitch.” Krista handed her the empty shot glass.