Hanging out with River and talking to her really opened my eyes to the kind of person she is—kind, caring, sweet. She didn’t hesitate for a second to come to Dylan’s rescue, and I find myself so intrigued by her that I want to know even more—if she’ll let me.

“Did you harass the nurses all night?” I tease Dylan while we’re in the back of the taxi.

“More like, they harassed me all damn night. When I’d finally fall asleep, they’d barge in, flick on the light, and say they needed to check my vitals. The first time, I was like okay, no big deal. But by the fourth time, I told her to get the hell out of my room.”

I snort, shaking my head at him. “You did not.”

“I sure as fuck did. Couldn’t get no more than fifty minutes of sleep before they were waking me up, and when four a.m. rolled around, I was over it.”

“Damn. Now, I’m glad you made me go back to the hotel last night. Otherwise, I’d be a cranky asshole like you.” I grin, adjusting my ball cap.

He wrinkles his nose and doesn’t respond. Once we’re back to our room, it’s just past noon, and I’m starving.

“Should we find someplace to eat?”

“Sounds good to me. Let me grab a quick shower first to get this hospital stank off me.”

I grab the remote and flick on the TV while he showers. The first few days in Key West have definitely been interesting ones, and even though it got off to a rough start with Dylan’s near-drowning, I know we aren’t going to let that ruin our time here. In fact, Dylan’s ready to party more now than ever.

Over the next few days, we continue exploring the island and even take one of those bus tours. I keep a lookout for River but don’t see her at the pool, bar, or beach. I’m partially worried she left, but then I remember Natalie saying they were here for two weeks too.

“Stop,” Dylan groans as we walk around the historical parts of the Keys.

“What?” I ask, not bothering to look at him.

“You keep looking for River.”

That grabs my attention. “What are you talking about? I’m looking at all the…” It’s then I realize I have no idea what I’m looking at. “This historical building.”

He scoffs. “You idiot. This is the Hemingway House.”

Blinking, I look around and realize he’s right when I see the sign. We’ve been walking around and taking buses to different areas, but I’ve also been so lost in my head I hadn’t realized where we were.

“I knew that.”

Looking up at him, he rolls his eyes and keeps walking as I follow behind.

“Okay, I was looking for her,” I finally admit, catching up. “I haven’t seen her since the bar on Monday night, and I kind of want to see her again. Is that so bad?”

“See her or bang her?” he teases, knowing my reputation.

It takes me a minute to really think about it. “Well, I wouldn’t say no if she offered, but I really liked talking with River and just being around her. I don’t know, she has this vibe I’m gravitating toward. It’s hard to explain,” I confess, feeling more confused than before. I don’t typically hang out with girls unless it’s to get her into my bed.

“I should’ve known,” he says as I fall into step with him, and we make our way back to the hotel.

“Known what?”

“That you’d get hung up on the first hot girl you saw—who’s way out of your league, by the way—even though there are probably hundreds from you to pick from, and now I’m gonna hear about it for the next ten days.”

“Okay, asshole.” I punch him in the shoulder. “I do not get hung up on girls. Wanting to chat up a girl is no different than when I meet a girl in a bar back home,” I lie, mostly to convince myself, but Dylan knows me way too well to know I’m bullshittin’ through my teeth.

“Fine, then prove it. Let’s go out tonight, hit up a busy bar or somethin’ and find a girl to hook up with.”

“You’re telling me to go sleep with someone to prove to you I’m not hung up on River?” I confirm, realizing how insane it sounds. But what’s crazier is how much she intrigues me, and we’ve only just met. If I’m going to hook up with a chick during this trip, I want it to be her.

Any other time, I’d be all over a dare like this. I’m not about to admit that to him, though.

“Pff, easy.” I swallow, not wanting him to see through my lies.

After grabbing a quick bite, we go back to the hotel and get ready for the night. I’m more determined to prove to myself that I can’t be hung up on River than to prove Dylan wrong. I can do this. I can find a chick and bring her back and fuck her brains out. Hell, it should be second nature by now.

“You ready?” Dylan calls out an hour later.

“Almost,” I tell him.

I finish up and step out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to head out. Deciding to leave my ball cap off, I comb my fingers through my hair until it’s tousled, then I decide to wear my black cowboy boots with my relaxed fit jeans.

“’Kay, I’m good to go.”

Dylan and I walk down Duval Street, knowing it has the best nightlife near the hotel. We’ve learned a cab ride back is cheap since most of the bars are within walking distance, but when you’re tipsy and can’t walk straight, it feels like miles.

“Don’t forget our deal,” Dylan reminds me as if I need reminding.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

He slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Good. Don’t forget the code word either.” He flashes a shit-eating smirk.

We head into the bar we’ve visited the last couple of nights and order our first round of beers. The streets are packed with tourists, and my hope for seeing River again diminishes.

“Hey, mates!” Liam, a guy we met the other night, greets us just as we order our second round. He has a girl hanging off his arm tonight, though. He’s from Sydney, which was pretty obvious once we heard him speak.

“Hey!” Dylan and I both say. “How’s it goin’?”

Before Liam can respond, the girl speaks up. “Oh my God! I love your accents!” she squeals.

“They sound like you,” he tells the girl, but she dismisses him with a wave.

“Texas, right?” she asks in an overly flirty tone.

“Yes, ma’am,” Dylan answers. “Where you from?”

“Ontario,” she replies with a wide smile. “I’m Jessica, by the way. I just love the south. I’m completely infatuated with it.”

The girl’s hand loosens out of Liam’s arm, and soon he’s shrugging her off and ordering himself another drink.

“Did you find your girl yet?” he asks me while Dylan chats with Jessica, or, rather, Jessica chats up Dylan.

I frown. “No. I’m starting to think it’s hopeless.” I shrug, pretending it’s no big deal.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Dylan interrupts with a groan. “You told Liam about her, too?”

Liam grins and nods.

“Not really,” I start to explain. “He asked why I wasn’t out on the dance floor, and I said I was trying to find a girl I met the other night. That’s all.”

“River,” Liam adds. “Guess we’ll need to put together a search party soon.” He chuckles.

Dylan shakes his head disapprovingly. “Well, he’s been given a new mission tonight,” he tells Liam and Jessica. “Find a girl to bring back to the room to prove he’s not hung up on her.” He jabs his elbow into my side.

Liam’s eyes widen as he takes a pull from his beer. “Really, mate?” He turns and looks at me for confirmation.

I shrug and purse my lips.

“If he brings a girl home tonight, where does that leave you?” Jessica asks slyly, directing all her attention back to Dylan.

Tuning them out, I turn toward the bar to order another beer. If I have to go through with this dare, fuck if I can do it sober.

“What if you end up finding her, after all?” Liam asks, sitting on the stool next to me without concern that Jessica is now all over Dylan. Apparently, he’s not bothered by it.

I shrug, not really wanting to answer that. “What if I don’t?”

“You won’t know, but I bet if you do, you’ll regret sleeping with someone else.” His words go straight to my gut.

“I’ve only regretted sleeping with two women in my entire life,” I tell him matter-of-factly. “One was because she forgot to tell me she was engaged—and I don’t sleep with women who are spoken for—and the other because she turned out to be bat-shit crazy. She left me thirty-four voicemails within twenty-four hours, and because that wasn’t enough of a hint to leave me the hell alone, she showed up at my door.”

Liam starts cracking up laughing. “No!”

“Not only that, she shows up wearing an oversized trench coat with a bottle of whiskey.”

“A trench coat?” He looks confused.

“Yep, and when I told her I wasn’t interested, she opened her coat and was completely naked.” I take a pull from my beer, shaking my head at the memory.

“Holy fuck. Naked?” Liam continues to laugh. “How’d you talk your way out of that one?”

I hang my head and shake it.

“No…” he slowly says. “No, mate. Don’t tell me…”

I close my eyes and reluctantly shake my head. “Yep. I blame the whiskey, though.”

“So then what happened? How’d you get rid of her?”

I pinch my lips together, realizing it probably wasn’t the best story to share with a person I barely know, but what the hell. It’s not like I’ll see him ever again once we leave.

“Walked her to the door the next morning, told her I’d call her, and then changed my number.”

Liam is dying with laughter, completely losing control.

“Then when I saw her at the diner in town two months later, she walked up to me with an entire pie and smashed it in my face in front of everyone.”

“Oh, fuck.” Liam continues his fit of laughter.

“Then to top it off, she grabbed my hot cup of coffee and poured it in my lap.”

Dylan finally breaks away from Jessica long enough to show his interest in our conversation. “You talkin’ ’bout Crazy Carly?” He grins, and when I confirm it, he starts laughing along with Liam.

“Crazy Carly?” Liam asks. “Sounds fitting.”

“Way, way too fitting,” I agree, grabbing my beer and finishing it.

We hang out with Liam and Jessica for another hour before we decide to take off and find another bar. Loud music comes from both directions, but we head toward the bar where a live band is playing.

“You’re going to run out of time,” Dylan teases. “However, some girls are probably desperate enough to go back to the room with you tonight.” He chuckles.

“Fuck off.” I push him slightly as we enter the bar. “I don’t need a babysitter, so why don’t you find your own girl for the night.”

“I was trying to get Jessica, but I felt like I’d be stealing her away from Liam.”

“Nah, I don’t think he cared. Seemed like they’d just met anyway.”

“Really?” His brows raise. “Well, then I’m going to go back and find her. You sure you don’t mind if I leave?”

I shoot him an irritated look. “No. Go. Just make sure to check your phone or text me if you head back to the room. I don’t need to see your white ass again.”

“You got it.” And with that, he turns around and heads out.

Relieved I finally have him off my back, I step inside. The live music is loud as fuck, but within a few minutes, my ears adjust, and it’s not so bad. I can’t help it, but I glance around with hopes that my luck changes.

I head up to the bar and order another drink, and just as I turn around to face the band again, I see her. Blinking several times to make sure I’m not imagining it, I take a few steps closer to confirm.

She’s in a short, tight black dress and her beautiful blonde hair is down around her shoulders in loose waves. I only got a glimpse of her side profile, but I’m damn certain it’s her. After a minute, I realize she’s not alone. Natalie and Adam are next to her, and a guy I don’t recognize has his arms around her waist. My heart races and my feet gravitate toward her before I can stop myself.

“River,” I lean down and shout, hoping she can hear me over the music.

Startled, she quickly turns and when she realizes it’s me, her eyes and smile widen.

“Alex!” she shouts back. “Hey!”

Natalie, Adam, and the other guy all turn around at the same time.

“Alex! Yay!” Natalie shouts. She attacks me and wraps her arms around my neck. “Where have you been?”

“We’ve been out exploring and partying,” I respond. “Haven’t seen you guys around in a few days,” I say, hoping I sound casual, but I can feel the energy buzzing between River and me. Lowering my eyes, I keep them locked on her. “What have you guys been doin’?”

“Beachin’!” Natalie offers in her tipsy voice.

I grin and nod. “Can I buy you a drink?” I ask River, keeping my attention on her. The guy’s grip tightens as he pulls her to his side, and my teeth clench.

“She’s with me,” the guy speaks up, his voice weak and pathetic.

Blinking, I take one look at the dweeb before bringing my eyes back to River. She lowers her head as if she’s not sure what to say or do.

“River,” I drawl, grabbing her attention. “Is that right?”

She pulls her lower lip between her teeth and bites down.

“Dude, what’s your problem? I said she’s with me, so back the fuck off.” The guy’s voice gets louder, and River visibly cringes.

Taking that as a sign, I grab River’s hand and pull her out of his grip. “Not anymore. Get lost, asshole.”

I lead her the other direction before the guy can even respond. She clings to me as if her life depends on it and when we reach the bar, I swing her around until she’s facing me.

“Who was that?”

“Brant…something,” she answers with little confidence. “We met earlier, a few hours ago, I guess.”

My brows raise. “And he already held his claim on you?”

She sighs. “I guess, I mean…I was dancing, and he just started getting closer and closer, and because Natalie demanded I have fun tonight, I was trying to let loose.” She shrugs almost as if she’s embarrassed about it, and I feel bad for asking.

“Well, we can still have fun tonight.” I grin, and she flashes a wide, genuine smile up at me.

“Sounds good to me.”

I order us a round of drinks, a beer for me and a cocktail for her. We sit at the bar and chat for at least thirty minutes before Natalie and Adam find us. River is tipsy from already having a few drinks tonight, but Natalie is past the point of tipsy.

“You two are so damn cute together!” she squeals, wrapping her arm around River and squeezing. “Seriously!”

“Okay, Nat.” River laughs. “Time for you to be cut off,” she says, eyeing Adam.

“Guys, I mean it!” Her tone is so serious, it’s hard not to laugh. “River’s been talking about you nonstop,” she directs toward me, and River’s face immediately turns red. “Alex this and Alex that. It was getting to the point where I was about to send her to rehab.”

“Oh my God.” River’s eyes squeeze tight before she opens them.

“Is that so?” I grin.

“I maybe mentioned you a couple of times,” she admits, the red deepening on her cheeks.

Leaning down to her ear so only she can hear me, I whisper, “It’s really fuckin’ adorable when you blush.”

She sucks in her lower lip, shaking her head up at me. “Don’t be getting a big head now,” she teases.

Thank God Dylan isn’t with me because I know he’d be telling her the same damn thing right now.

“I’m going to take Natalie home,” Adam interrupts. “River, do you want to ride with us in the cab?”

“Um…” she contemplates while Adam looks up at me, giving me a warning look.

“If you want to stay, I’ll make sure she gets back safely,” I promise, making sure Adam can hear my sincerity.

“That okay with you?” Adam directs the question to River, making sure she’s comfortable with staying.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She smiles.

“You two would make the most beautiful babies.” Natalie hums, wrapping her arms around River’s neck and lazily dropping her head on her shoulders. “Just don’t have babies before I do, okay?”

“No worries,” River says, confidently. “You two can make all the babies you want.”

Natalie giggles, and Adam carefully wraps his arms around her and leads her away.

I chuckle as we both turn back around. “That girl knows the definition of having a good time, doesn’t she?”

River laughs, nodding. “She’s drunk so much, she’ll still be drunk when we get home.”

We continue chatting, and I order us another round because I don’t want this time with her to end. The live band is still jamming, and the crowd fills in even more.

Just as the band starts singing a John Mayer song, I notice River’s eyes light up.

“Oh my God, I love this song!” she gushes, and it takes me less than five seconds to decide to pull her out on the dance floor.

“Come on,” I say, grabbing her hand and helping her off the stool.

She lets me lead her to the middle of the room, and soon our bodies are fused together as our hands wrap around each other.

“‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room’ is my absolute favorite,” she tells me as we rock back and forth.

“I can’t say I’m familiar with it, but I can see why you like it.”

“He gets a bad rap in the tabloids, but he’s talented as hell,” she says, her chest moving more rapidly against mine. She looks up at me with bright green eyes filled with lust, and I know she’s thinking the same thing I am.

“Maybe he’s just one of those misunderstood types.” I grin.

She smirks. “Aren’t all musicians?”

The longer I listen, the more I understand the meaning behind the lyrics. The guitar acoustics are rad as fuck, but it only adds to the melancholy of the song. The steadiness of the beat really gives me that visual of two people being together, yet they know their relationship is coming to an end, and it’s only a matter of time before it burns out.

“The lyrics are kind of depressing,” I say, moving her closer to me.

“They really are,” she agrees. “You can hear the heartbreak in his voice.”

“It’s tragic,” I add.

She blinks, giving me those sultry eyes again, and I can no longer hold back. I cup her face in my hand and watch her for a moment, just staring into her eyes before I lean down and press my mouth to hers.

Her lips move against mine, parting so I can slip my tongue through and kiss her the way I’ve been dying to since the first time I saw her. My other arm tightens around her waist, holding her possessively as I inhale her scent and taste her.

River moans against my lips, encouraging me even more. My hand slips around to the back of her neck, and when her head tilts up, I deepen the kiss further. She tastes sweet and fruity, like the drinks she’s been ordering, but that’s not all. She has a fresh and clean scent that I inhale as my tongue twists with hers.

She grips my shirt in her fists, pulling me against her as close as we possibly can be. Taking control, she runs her hand up my body until it reaches my hair and tugs, eager to feel and taste me with the same fervor I have.

The song is ending, and I know people will soon notice us making out hardcore on the dance floor. It’s not that I really care about people seeing us, but I want to do so much more than kiss her. So much more.

“River…” I whisper against her lips. “We should…”

“Yeah,” she interrupts before I can finish. “Want to come back to my room?” she asks, and I don’t know why, but I’m a bit shocked. I was going to say we should stop so we don’t give the entire bar a show, but she has something much better on her mind.

“Uh, yeah.” I step back slightly just as the song ends and notice how red and swollen her lips are. Yeah, I like that look on her. “I’ll close out our tab if you want to grab us an Uber?”

“Sure, I’ll schedule one right now.”

Taking her hand, I lead us off the dance floor and get the bartender’s attention and pay. Once it’s settled, I grab my phone to let Dylan know I won’t be coming back to the room tonight. As soon as I unlock my phone, I see he’s already texted me.

Shaking my head, I laugh at his message. Guess going back for Jessica paid off.

Poor Liam.

“Ready?” River asks, grabbing my hand. “The Uber is here.”

Shit, if she only knew. I was fucking ready days ago.