When we plow our way through the people and finally reach our table, I notice right away that Ethan is already sitting beside Cassie at the table, hand in hand while Cassie brushes herself up against him.

“Hi,” I shout through the noise of the bar.

Cassie glances up at me with a look of perplexity. I watch with amusement as the emotion spreads across her face.

“You have a twin?” the hot guy asks and points to Cassie.

“Um, yes.” I nod. “Sorry, it didn’t come up in our earlier conversation.”

I turn back to the people at the table I already know well. “This is Ethan and Cassie. Guys…” I turn back to the mysterious man and realize that I don’t even know his name myself yet.

Oops…

I awkwardly extend a hand to officially and formally greet him.

Finally.

“I’m Chloe. It’s nice to meet you.”

He laughs and flashes one of his attractive and oh so fucking sexy smiles. “Nice to meet you, Chloe. I’m Aaron Bennett.”

Cassie interrupts us. “Hold on a second.” She points at us and grins.

“Chloe, did you really just bring a stranger to our table without even knowing his name yet?”

“Well, I was gonna ask!” I exclaim.

“When? Next week?”

Ethan laughs at Cassie’s unfunny joke.

“No,” I say defensively. “Actually, he bought our first round of drinks,” I say with smug satisfaction.

So, fuck off, is what I really want to say to my sister.

Cassie beams at Aaron. “Well, in that case, welcome to the table. You’re officially our friend now.”

Everyone laughs lightheartedly as Aaron and I shove into the booth opposite of Cassie and Ethan.

“Oh yeah.” I slide Cassie’s mojito across the table. “Here is your drink.”

“Thanks again.” Cassie winks at Aaron as she holds up her glass before taking a sip through the black straw.

“You’re welcome.” Aaron chuckles. “I’m happy to do it.”

Cassie turns to engage her boyfriend in some mindless chatter that I couldn’t fucking care less about.

I grin at Aaron. “You’re old news now,” I tease.

“Not to you, I hope,” he says with a smile.

“So far, so good.” I grin.

He pretends to wipe the fake sweat off his eyebrow and blows out a puff of air, being playful, which makes me giggle.

“So, what line of work is Chloe…?”

“Colburn. Chloe Colburn.” I nod my head in response.

“Right.” He gives me thumbs up. “So, what do you do for a living?”

I lean against the back of the booth and take another sip of my cosmopolitan. It’s fucking delicious.

“I’m a writer.” I stare at him.

“Really?” His eyes widen with a recognition that I don’t understand.

“Yep,” I giggle. “Why, does that surprise you or something?”

“No…” He trails off and shakes his head.

“I write for a magazine,” I add.

“Well, you will never be able to believe this but…” he trails off and smiles. “I used to want to be a writer, too.”

“No shit!” I slap his knee under the table, forgetting that he’s still relatively new in my life and I probably shouldn’t do outlandish things like that to spook him.

“Sorry.” I cringe and retract my hand.

“It’s okay.” He chuckles and a glimmer sparks in his eyes. “It seems as if the universe wants us to meet tonight.”

“You mean because we’re both into writing?” I ask him teasingly.

“Maybe.” He shrugs. Fuck, he’s adorable.

He has dark hair and is cleanly shaven, which I love to see on a man. I’m not a fan of the way facial scruff or fur tickles me, especially, well…you know what I’m talking about, don’t you?

Ok, I’m really going off the beaten path here…

Anyway, back to our first chance, universal meeting or whatever the fuck you want to call it (or he wants to call it).

I decide to ask him again why he’s here at the bar alone. I just can’t comprehend it because he’s so fucking attractive it makes me want to cry.

“Are you sure you aren’t meeting a girl here tonight?” I quiz him with a raise of my eyebrow.

“I promise.” He crosses his arm over his chest and smiles at me.

“So, do you always drink alone then?” I am only teasing him, and I hope he doesn’t mind my third-degree round of questioning.

“I just came in to hang out with Theo and keep him company. You know, he has nobody to talk to at the bar.” Aaron winks at me with a sarcastic humor that I love and appreciate.

“Oh yes, you know I think I see him over there twiddling his thumbs and yawning?” I joke and crane my neck, pointing to the bar.

It’s only funny because Theo is up to his neck with demanding, shrewd drunk people sloshing their half-empty bottles at him while they beg for more booze to forget their shitty ass lives.

Aaron laughs, a delicious and warm sound that tinkles in my ears and makes my uterus do a fucking flip.

“All kidding aside, perhaps subconsciously I was just waiting for the hot girl to approach me.” He stares at me, implying that I’m the hot girl he’s referring to.

I fleetingly blush, forgetting all about Cassie and Ethan at the table. Aaron is doing a damn good job at holding my attention.

I still have to put him in his place, though. He’s not going to snag me up that easily or quickly.

“You know,” I twirl my hair around on my index finger, “pick-up lines don’t work on me.”

“Says every girl ever.” Aaron laughs and takes a sip of his beer.

“You think you have us all figured out, right?” I eye him.

In the back of my mind, there’s something about Aaron. I can’t place my finger on it, but his sexy banter and the way he confidently smiles at me makes my heart skip a beat.

Yes, I’m getting that tingly and warm sensation between my legs too, if you must know.

“You are interesting,” I confess.

“Why, thank you.” He grins and casts a half bow, only because the edge of the table restricts his access to large movements.

“This drink is amazing.” I eye him as he meets my sexy gaze. “It's nice and cool…sliding down my throat.”

My voice gets heavy and silky at the same time as I spray him with sexual double entendres.

He visibly swallows hard. I’m so thankful that I’m working off on impulse tonight, or this hot hunk might not be sitting here beside me, undressing me with his eyes.

“You look like you’re enjoying it,” he says in a croaky voice full to the brim with arousal.

“Only because a sexy man bought it for me.” I wink at him.

“I can get you another after you’re finished,” he offers.

“Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr. Bennett?” I feign alarm.

“A little lowering of inhibitions never hurt anybody,” he says slyly.

“I could drink you up,” I admit with a wink, gaining more and more liquid courage by the second.

“Your mouth is doing a fantastic job on that drink.” He stares at my red, full lips. I know he’s probably imagining my mouth wrapped around his hard cock right about now.

“I’m going to swallow every drop,” I whisper in his ear, relishing in the chill bumps that form on his skin.

I honestly did want to thank him for the drinks. He didn’t have to buy them for us. I’m just thankful that Ethan didn’t get a huge territorial ego and pounce on Aaron for getting a drink for his girlfriend.

Not that Aaron has a crystal ball or could know beforehand who I was here with, he just is a nice (and fucking hot) guy who wants to do something nice for someone else.

Yes, I’m confident that he’s one of the good apples out there.

After a few seconds, the music changes to an upbeat tune with lots of bass that vibrates through my chest.

The strobe lights flicker and bounce to keep up with the beat, and everyone in the room screams and holds their hands up in the air as they move with the music.

Aaron raises an eyebrow and glances at me with a roguish smile.

“What?” I giggle and give him a flirty glance.

“I want to dance with you,” he says firmly.

“You do?”

“Yes.” He nods with confirmation. “Dance with me.” It's more like an order or command than a request.

He stands up and holds up a hand for me to take. “Come on.”

“Okay, I’m coming.” I grin at him playfully to tease him as I inflect the sexy word as it drips out of my mouth like sweet honey.

I am over the top, outrageously and sexually charged for this guy. I don’t know what it is, but I want him to fuck me hard and I have absolutely no filter right now.

I’m not usually like this, so don’t get the wrong idea. It’s just…been a while for me in the sex department.

I am overdue for a romp in the sheets.

I’m making excuses, yes, and I realize that. I’m allowed to be horny as a confident and healthy woman.

I set my drink down on the table and Cassie looks up at me from where she was moments ago furiously making out with Ethan.

“Where are you going?” she questions me and gazes at Aaron and me.

“To dance.” I wink at her.

“Oh, have fun!” she calls out, and I wave my hand behind my shoulder because Aaron is already dragging me out to the dance floor.