Joni enjoyed the heat provided as the tequila slid down her throat. It helped dislodge the lump that had been stuck there since she’d spotted Jeff with Heidi.

“Heidi,” she murmured. “It figures her name would be Heidi.”

“It does kind of have a Playboy bunny ring to it.”

Joni agreed. “Doesn’t it? Meanwhile everyone and their brother has a great Aunt Joni who smells like mothballs and keeps her teeth in a jar by the bed.”

Eric laughed. “You’re light years away from that description.” She narrowed her eyes, but he raised his hands in innocence. “That’s not a pick-up line. Just an honest observation.”

Joni was tempted to argue the point, but let it go. “So tell me about yourself, Eric.”

He casually lifted one shoulder, then motioned for the bartender to keep the shots coming. “Not much to say that you don’t already know.”

She appreciated his sense of humor. She’d been seconds away from a complete meltdown, then he’d shown up, invited her for a drink and now she was on the verge of genuine laughter. “Well, I do know you pretty well. You’re quite the open book.”

“Exactly. I like steak, which I’m sure you noticed when you were in Charleston.”

She nodded, though she hadn’t seen anyone except Jeff through the haze of red. “Medium rare, if I’m not mistaken,” she added to the jest.

“And, of course, I’m a suave charmer. A sexy son of a bitch with irresistible green eyes.”

“Are they green?” Joni asked, fighting the urge to laugh. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Eric held his hand over his heart as if she’d mortally wounded him. “What? After I’ve spent the last ten minutes falling hopelessly under the spell of your chocolate-brown eyes, you say you haven’t even noticed mine?”

“Apart from the obvious, Eric, what do you do for a living?”

He smiled as Padraig set them up with another round of tequila shots. “I’m a partner at Barber and Clark Engineering. It’s a fairly large firm with branch offices in several states.”

“Sounds incredibly boring, but profitable.”

Eric shrugged, clearly not offended by her remark. “I do alright.”

Padraig was still there, giving him a funny look.

“What?” Eric asked.

“You’re not going to tell her about your stint in the NFL? If you’re trying to impress the lady, Eric, I’d start there. Not with the engineering stuff.”

Eric laughed and Joni realized her companion was clearly a regular at the pub. At least regular enough to know the bartender’s name and to have shared his past.

“Football.”

“Running back. Two years before I blew out my knee. Career-ending.”

“I agree with Padraig. On real dates, you should start with that.”

She wasn’t usually so brash and blunt, but her emotions were still riding close to the surface and she was finding it difficult to rein herself in. Not that she felt the need to. She’d warned Eric going in what he could expect. It sort of felt good to say the first thing that popped into her mind without guarding her words or pretending to be a nice person who thought polite things all the time. Truth was she was a sarcastic bitch, deep down inside.

Eric grinned as Padraig gave him an “I told you so” look before walking away. “What about you? How do you spend your days?”

“I’m a labor and delivery nurse.”

“Wow. You’re right. My current job does sound boring compared to yours, but I’m still making more money.”

She decided right then and there that she genuinely liked Eric. He was as big a smartass as she was.

She’d come here on a whim, her give-a-shit meter running on empty. She had accepted Eric’s invitation because she’d really needed a drink and he had seemed harmless, especially when he picked a bar they could walk to that was on a very busy, well-lit street. If he turned out to be a huge creep, all she had to do was leave. Regardless, her mother would string her up by her toenails if she ever found out Joni said yes to a stranger who’d followed her out of a restaurant and into the parking lot.

She’d asked him for honesty, so she bit the bullet. “Girlfriend?”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t be here if there was.”

She tried to decide if he was telling the truth. She used to think she was a good judge of character. Then Jeff duped her. For three freaking years. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt…for now. “I guess my current relationship status is obvious.”

“I don’t have a problem with your status.”

It was an obvious come-on, but it seemed so sincere she didn’t call him on it. “Have you ever been married?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Ever get close?”

Again, the head shake. “Never.”

Her brows creased. “Why not?”

Eric hesitated. When the silence lasted too long, her temper flared. As long as they talked about surface-y stuff, he was willing to play along, but that promise of honesty appeared to come with limits. She stood. “Well, it’s been fun. Thanks for the drink.”

He placed his hand on her arm, halting her escape. “Where are you going?”

“I know how you guys are. It’s all fun and games until someone asks a serious question. Then the bullshit flies.”

“I’ve never been married because I wasn’t willing to be tied down. I was never interested in having sex with just one woman for the rest of my life. Never a fan of long-term commitment.”

She was surprised when he answered her. Gave her a response that sounded true. “Why the past tense?”

“What?” he asked.

“You said was never. Makes it sound like that’s changed.”

Eric released her arm and gestured to the barstool. She sat down again.

“I’ve had a change of heart recently.”

She narrowed her eyes. If he made one inane comment about seeing her and his perspective changing, she’d knee him in the nuts for thinking her stupid enough to fall for it. “Recently?” she baited.

He gave her a rueful look. “You weren’t the only one who suffered a life-altering event today.”

The response took her off-guard. “Do tell.”

Eric lifted the shot. “Maybe we should drink this first. Might dull your senses enough that I don’t come away looking like a complete asshole.”

She laughed as she lifted her glass. “I just called my ex out for being a cheating bastard in front of a restaurant full of strangers. Doesn’t that sort of make me a bitch?”

Eric shrugged. “To assholes and bitches.”

“Hear hear,” she said as she slammed back the tequila. “Now, tell me what happened.”

“I woke up in bed this morning with a beautiful woman.”

Joni fought to keep her face impassive. There was clearly more to the tale and she didn’t want her expression to hinder him giving her all the details. “Okay…” she prodded.

“I’d picked her up last night at a bar after too much tequila.”

She looked around the room and then at their empty glasses. “Doesn’t sound like much of an epiphany.”

Eric waved the bartender over again. Joni knew she should resist, but the alcohol was making things fuzzy and fun. She could always call a cab. She didn’t live that far away.

“Yeah. I guess not, but I haven’t gotten to the bad part.”

She gestured for him to continue. “Can’t wait to hear this.”

“I woke up to a face full of blonde hair and only a vague recollection of who and why.”

“Yikes.”

“When she rolled over and kissed me, I realized two things.”

“I assume this is the bad part?”

He raised one eyebrow. “Are you going to let me finish? This is hard enough to admit without all the interruptions.”

“My apologies. Carry on. What were the two things?”

“I was in my own bed, and I didn’t know her name.”

Joni frowned. “The first thing doesn’t sound all that awful. The second definitely does.”

“I didn’t know the name of the woman I’d brought back to my condo and I had no way of escaping because it was my own damn house.”

Joni laughed. “Oh my God. You’re right. You’re a total asshole. What did you do?”

He narrowed his eyes. “What else could I do? I was stuck. I made her breakfast.”

“Ah, a slight attempt at redemption, but errr,” Joni made a buzzer noise, “not good enough. Did you get her phone number?”

Eric’s expression was pure comedy. “Dear God, no. Why would I do that?”

Joni toyed with her shot glass. “Because you just had sex with her. You see, this is something I don’t get. The one-night stand.”

Eric tilted his head, studying her. “You’ve never had a one-night stand? Never?” he stressed, disbelief rife in his tone.

“Never. Guess I’m just an old-fashioned girl. You don’t sleep with someone you don’t have feelings for. Unless…” She paused. She used to think that way. Now she was starting to wonder if she hadn’t thrown caution to the wind enough in her life. Not taken enough risks. She’d walked the straight and narrow her entire life and look what it had gotten her. A big fat nothing.

“Unless?” Eric asked.

The old Joni would never have been bold enough to finish the thought that had popped into her head. This Joni was well on the way to three sheets and feeling reckless. She took a deep breath and went for broke. After all, at this point, what else did she have to lose? “Unless…you’ve just dumped your lying, cheating, two-timing boyfriend and you’ve met some really hot guy in a parking lot.”

Eric didn’t reply at first and she glanced toward the floor, silently wishing for some giant hole to appear and swallow her.

Aaaaand…this is why she never strayed from the safe path. Less chance of looking like a jackass.

“Jesus. Just my luck,” he said, with a slight laugh that didn’t fool her into thinking he was amused. It was more like he was disappointed.

“What do you mean?”

“I promised you honesty, Joni, so that’s what you’re going to get.”

She knew immediately she wasn’t going to like what came next. “Shit. You’re married.”

“What? No. Hell no. What kind of man do you think I am?”

“I’ve known you approximately thirty minutes. I have no idea who you are.”

Eric scowled. “Well, I’m not that kind of guy. Actually, I’m trying to be just the opposite. I was at Charleston tonight with an old friend from college. I met him there for dinner because I wanted a witness to the vow I took.”

“What kind of vow?” Eric didn’t seem like the type for celibacy, but stranger things had happened, she supposed.

“I swore the next woman I slept with would be the one I married.”

Joni laughed. “Shut up. Oh my God, you totally had me going there.”

He didn’t share her mirth, didn’t even crack a smile, even as Padraig set them up with another round.

“Wait. Are you serious?”

“I can’t keep being an insensitive asshole when it comes to women. It’s kind of a lonely job.”

Her laughter faded. “Oh.” She tried to decide if he was blowing her off by letting her down easy, but something inside her told her Eric was being one hundred percent truthful. Which made her want him more. Dammit. “What happens if you break the promise?”

“I owe my friend ten thousand dollars.”

She choked on her own spit and her eyes widened. “Ouch. Seriously?”

He chuckled. “Lucas is very good at keeping me honest.”

“Lucas?”

“Whiting. He was the friend I was out with tonight.”

“The Lucas Whiting? The guy who owns half of Baltimore?”

Eric nodded.

“He pops up in local society news from time to time. Used to be Baltimore’s hottest bachelor. Isn’t he engaged now?”

“Yeah. He is.” He jerked his head toward the bartender. “To Padraig’s cousin, Caitlyn.”

There was no way a guy like Eric was going to go ten thousand dollars in the hole just to have sex with her. She wouldn’t let him. She’d been indulging in lackluster sex for too many years to make it worth his while. She wasn’t sure she even remembered what went where anymore. Jeff certainly hadn’t been interested in having sex with her lately. Of course, now that she knew he’d been Fun-Dipping in someone else’s sugar that was hardly surprising.

“Figures,” she murmured.

He leaned closer and she immediately caught a whiff of his masculine cologne mingled with the tequila. Sexy combo. “What figures?”

“The only night in my life I’ve ever wanted a no-strings-attached sex romp and the playboy I’ve picked up has suddenly grown a conscience. If it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any at all.”

“What makes you think I’m not going to sleep with you?”

She frowned. “You just said…” She wasn’t sure how to reply. Eric was looking at her too seriously. Maybe ten thousand bucks wasn’t a big deal to guys like him, but there was niggling voice in the back of her head that told her that wasn’t what he meant. Which was insanity.

Mercifully, his too-earnest gaze softened and the funny man returned, picking up the third shot. “What’s that joke?” he asked. “One tequila, two tequila?”

“Three tequila, floor,” she finished for him.

He clinked their glasses together. “Life on the edge. I like it.”

They drank and Joni had to admit the alcohol was working quite well. She didn’t feel a bit like crying anymore. In fact, she was feeling bolder.

“Tell me something you’ve never told anyone before.”

“No one?” Eric asked, though he appeared to be thinking about her question. “That’s a pretty tall request.”

“Because you’re such an open book?”

“Exactly. Let me see. Never-before-revealed secret…hmmm…”

She waited patiently, delighted he was being so open with her. She would have to instigate this honesty-only policy on all future dates. It was refreshing, fun.

“Okay. I’ve got one, but you’re not allowed to laugh.”

“Hate to make a promise like that. Because when someone starts with that comment, they usually follow it up with some pretty funny shit.”

He rolled his eyes, but continued without her promise. “Within the first twenty minutes of The Notebook, I was sobbing like a baby. But if you tell anyone that, I’ll deny ever watching that damn chick flick.”

She giggled. “Wow. I don’t think I would have told that one if I was you. Sort of spoils this whole manly-man thing you’ve got going.”

“Thanks for not laughing.”

She shrugged unapologetically. “Gave no promises.” Then she added, “Don’t worry about it. Everyone cries during that movie. I think it’s actually in the rules somewhere you have to bawl your eyes out anytime you watch something written by Nicholas Sparks.”

“Good to know.” He pointed at her. “Okay. Your turn.”

“I didn’t promise tit for tat.”

Eric’s eyes drifted south. “Please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t say tit to me right now. I’m having a hard enough time being a gentleman and keeping my eyes on your face.”

She looked down, then leaned forward a little, exposing the tiniest bit more of her cleavage. It felt like years since she’d flirted—actually it had been years—and Eric was easy to tease. “What? These little old things.”

He narrowed his eyes, well aware of her game. He moved closer as well, his voice lowering. “I’m not the kind of man you want to tease, Joni.”

She licked her lips, feeling for the first time that her actions were less joke and more invitation. Somewhere in the last few minutes, tonight had stopped being about nursing her broken heart and more about exploring some unknown, but very tempting new territory. “I…” She had no idea what to say.

Eric saved her from trying. “Tell me your secret.”

Joni’s response came quickly and with very little thought. “I’m not all that upset about what Jeff did. I mean…I’m really pissed off, but it’s not so much that he hurt me as much as he wounded my pride. That’s bad, isn’t it? I was seriously planning to marry this guy, but now…”

“Now it would appear he saved you from yourself.”

She nodded, liking how succinctly he’d summed up her feelings. “Exactly.”

“How long did the two of you date?” Eric asked.

“Three years.”

“Why were you with him?”

She lifted one shoulder. “It was easy.”

Eric snorted lightly. “And I thought my commitment issues were fucked up.”

She narrowed her eyes, though she took no offense. He’d opened a door and she wanted to peek inside, learn more about him. “How so?”

“I’ve never dated a woman more than three months. And the only reason that one lasted so long is because I was out of town for business at least five weeks’ worth of those months.”

“Sorry to say this, but if we’re comparing, you’re way more fucked up than me.”

He reached over and tugged her hair. “Thanks for spelling that out for me. Hence tonight’s vow. I’ve decided it’s time to turn over a new leaf.”

“I didn’t start the evening with that intention, but it looks like I’m getting a fresh start on life too.”

“That calls for a drink.” Eric got the Padraig’s attention. Once they were refilled, they lifted glasses with little fanfare.

The tequila was starting to go down a lot easier, the burn of the alcohol growing less with each subsequent shot. That wasn’t good. She wasn’t much of a drinker, which meant this wasn’t going to end well. But she had a hard time caring at the moment. The hangover would be tomorrow’s problem.

“So give me more. What are some things you’d never tell a woman on a first date?”

He leaned back in the stool. “I have a pretty active sex drive. I jack off at least five times a week, usually more.”

She laughed. “Is this during weeks when you aren’t getting laid regularly by women with no names?”

He shook his head, his grin growing. “Nope. This is every week, regardless of my nighttime pickups.”

“That is not normal.”

He threw his head back, laughing loudly. “Trust me, Joni. This is perfectly normal.”

“Jeff never did that,” she insisted.

“Maybe not in front of you. So there. I’ve embarrassed myself. It’s your turn to tell me something mortifying.”

Joni tried to think of something, but the fact was she was a very boring person. “I leave wet towels on the floor all the time.”

Eric crossed his arms. “Try again.”

“I leave big globs of toothpaste in the sink. I’m a total slob.”

He narrowed his eyes impatiently. “I’m still waiting.”

She sighed. “I…I…oh God. I can’t believe I’m about to say this. I masturbate at least three times a week.”

She expected Eric to laugh, but instead he leaned closer. “I think I just fell in love with you.”

Joni cracked up as she shoved his shoulder. “You twisted jackass.”

The next two hours passed in a haze of tequila and laughter as they each tried to one-up each other on every crazy, horrible, funny thing they’d ever done in their lives. She told Eric things she’d never told another living soul.

Soft music had been playing since their arrival. Typical pub songs. Every now and then, one would catch their attention and they’d sing along. They did what she considered an award-winning rendition of “Piano Man”, though Eric confessed afterwards he’d seen a couple of their fellow patrons laughing and making faces as they’d gotten progressively louder, more flamboyant, and less on key.

When Pearl Jam came on, Eric sat up straighter. “Hey. It’s our song. Come on. Dance with me.”

Joni refused to take his hand, though she was grinning. “We just met. We don’t have a song.”

“Of course we do. It’s this one.” Eric refused to be denied as he grabbed her hand and led her to an empty dance floor. Joni suspected it was used heavily on the weekends, but tonight they were the only occupants. Joni was relieved she didn’t stumble as much as she feared. She’d put down way too much tequila.

“No one else is dancing. I think tonight Pat’s Pub’s primary function is drinking and talking,” she pointed out when they caught the attention of several people.

“Shhh.” Eric pulled her closer, softly singing the chorus to “Future Days” in her ear. She had to admit he had a nice voice. He was a good dancer too.

Both of those facts drifted to the background because of the way she felt when her body was pressed next to his. She wasn’t sure, but she thought it was his erect cock rubbing against her stomach. Unfortunately it was too hard to concentrate on just that area because there were too many other hot parts of him touching her too.

Her breasts pressed against his chest. One strong arm wrapped around her waist, his fingers somehow finding their way beneath the hem of her shirt, touching her overheated skin. He’d taken one of her hands in his large palm for just a moment before he released her fingers, his hand moving to the back of her neck. He gently stroked her nape, just beneath her hair, and she released a quiet, breathy moan that revealed too much about her current horny state.

Joni gave up the pretense of proper dancing. Her arms encircled his waist as if she were hugging him and she rested her cheek against his shoulder, letting her eyes drift close as they moved in time to the slow, sweet song.

She’d never considered dancing foreplay, but there was no doubt Eric was subtly seducing her right there in the middle of the bar. The hand on her neck, the other tucked under her shirt, stroking her lower back, his hot breath in her ear, and his cock—oh yeah, he was completely hard—brushing against her stomach were all working against her. Or for her.

How long had it been since she’d succumbed to lust? Gotten this worked up, this hot and bothered? Too damn long. Another reason flashing loud and clear in her brain when she considered why she should have dumped Jeff long ago. She’d essentially let him force her hand because she’d become too complacent; too willing to sacrifice this…oh God…this incredible feeling for the sake of comfortable routine.

Eric said he’d admired her courage in the restaurant, but it hadn’t felt like bravery to her. She’d been hurt, so she’d struck out. Now…something about the way Eric looked at her—as if she were some powerful warrior—made her feel bold. Wild.

She loosened her grip on his waist, letting one hand drift lower. She didn’t stop until her hand rested on his ass. His very tight, firm, bounce-quarters-off-of-it ass. Eric groaned.

Then he copied the motion, his hand leaving her waist and making its own trip south.

She was only vaguely aware of the other people around her. For once in her life, Joni didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of her. This night was about shaking things up, doing all those things she’d never let herself try because of fear or some deeply ingrained idea of what society deemed a good girl.

She tightened her grip, grabbing his ass and using it to press his cock harder against her. Eric didn’t try to hold her back. He let her make the moves. Then he countered with his own hotter, sexier ones. Someone must have turned the heat on in the place because Joni felt a drop of perspiration rolling down her back. Then another.

Eric ran his hand down the length of her spine, provoking a shiver she couldn’t conceal. He moved just the tiniest bit away, then cupped her cheek, pulling her face up so he could look at her.

His gaze was locked on her lips and Joni licked them, anticipating the kiss she knew he wanted to give her.

Then, the song changed. An upbeat Taylor Swift song that had one table of women near them bouncing out of their seats. Apparently she and Eric had been trendsetters. The dance floor around them filled with a bunch of tipsy women who’d stumbled in half an hour earlier, clearly several bars deep into a bachelorette party, jumping around and “shaking it off.”

The moment ruined, Eric gave her a rueful grin, then gestured to their seats at the bar. She nodded and they returned to their empty shot glasses.

Joni had wanted that damn kiss, but with a proper distance between them once more, she had no idea how to initiate it.

So much for being bold. Suddenly, she was back in familiar skin, feeling awkward and clueless. Maybe it was time to cut her losses. Quit while she was ahead.

Joni glanced at her phone and blew out a long breath. It was nearly midnight. “I should call a cab and get going.” The look of disappointment on Eric’s face reflected exactly how she felt. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. It had been years.

Which suddenly made Jeff’s actions less painful. In fact, she was starting to think maybe she’d dodged a bullet.

Eric didn’t try to change her mind. Instead he gave her a very sweet, very sexy grin. “I had a great time tonight, Joni.”

She widened her eyes as she pretended to be impressed. “Hey, you remember my name. Good for you.”

He reached out and cupped her neck, using that hold to pull her closer. Their faces were mere inches away, their tequila-scented breath mingling and heating the air around them. “I’m never going to forget your name.”

She wasn’t sure how to reply to that. It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to her…in a completely warped way.

Eric didn’t give her time to reply as he pulled her the rest of the way in and gave her the kiss she’d been too afraid to claim on her own.

And it was even better than she’d expected. Joni had been kissed quite a bit in her day, but no kiss ever, in the history of her entire life, felt like this one.

Maybe it was the tequila. Or the late hour. Or the fact her emotions had been on overload for hours—fluctuating between anger and pain, laughter and happiness, boldness and insecurity.

None of that mattered when she parted her lips and her tongue met his. They’d spent a night talking about everything and nothing. Now they were saying so much more without words.

Joni lifted her hand to his face, enjoying the roughness of his five o’clock shadow. There was something so much more masculine, dangerous about this man versus the one she’d just dumped across the street. Jeff had been a safe choice. And it wasn’t until tonight that she realized how completely bored she’d been with that.

Eric offered all those things she’d thought herself smart to avoid. Excitement, anticipation, fear of the unknown, taking a risk. He was a womanizer, a playboy, a flight risk. He’d admitted that to her, but she didn’t care.

She wanted more of these kisses, more of his hands running through her hair, just…more.

“Do you want to come home with me?” she whispered, pulling away from him, unable to believe she’d issued the invitation, but not about to take it back.

“More than I can say,” he murmured against her lips.

“You know what I want.” It wasn’t a question. She’d told him. Point blank. Sex. A one-night stand. He was the perfect guy to give it to her.

He pulled away and captured her gaze, nodding.

Or at least, he had been until his change of heart this morning. Was he really willing to go back on his vow so quickly? “The problem is, Eric, I know about the bet and how much you’d lose. If you go home with me, aren’t you worried about not getting what you want?”

He shook his head. “Not at all.”

“But what we want doesn’t match.”

“Yet.” Eric gave her another quick, hot kiss that prevented her from asking him what he meant. It sent flames licking along her spine and ignited some very wicked cravings. When he pulled away again, he turned to look at Padraig. “Do you mind calling us a cab?”

“No problem at all, mate.”

Eric faced her once more. “Don’t worry about it, Joni. We’re both closer to getting what we want than you realize.”