Bass from the music thudded in Ariana’s chest like a second heartbeat as she threaded her way through the crowded club, searching for the man she was supposed to meet. They’d agreed on 7:30 and twenty minutes had passed since then, not a great start for a first date. She glanced back toward the bar where she’d been sitting. A guy with long, stringy hair was talking to a woman beside him. The guy was into the conversation, but the woman looked bored. A few seats over, an older man with his head down was downing shots like water. No sign of Justin.

Ariana wasn’t crazy about the club scene, but she loved to dance. Supposedly her date, Justin, did too, which is why they’d planned to meet here. Plus, she had a fun surprise planned for Justin, something that would be right up his alley. If only he’d get here, they might just have a decent date. Although Ariana was on a streak of rotten luck where men were concerned. It all started when she and Paul broke up, and went downhill from there.

At first, she’d hoped maybe Paul was “the one," but after a few months of dating their relationship stagnated. Their breakup was a mutual thing, but a part of her missed Paul. Well, maybe not him, necessarily. But she missed having someone in her life. An insurance attorney, Paul was a nice guy, but married to his work … and kind of dull. She felt guilty even thinking that, but it was true. After the breakup, Ariana went on a handful of dates each month, but hadn’t met anyone she gelled with. Most of the dates had been so awkward, Ariana was starting to wonder if she’d ever find anyone.

She’d been cautiously optimistic about the Heart to Heart App everyone at her gym raved about. A local company developed it as a way for singles in Dallas and Ft. Worth to connect. The app premise focused on the inner qualities of the person rather than the outward appearance, hence no photos. Couples were matched through an algorithm combined with a professional staff assessing the individuals’ compatibility. While that sounded good in theory, Ariana also knew physical attraction played a large part in a relationship. So, after she and Justin “matched” and began texting back and forth, they shared photos.

Ariana was pleasantly surprised to find Justin a handsome man, not movie-star handsome, but good looking enough. She’d never been into the pretty-boy types and wanted to find someone down-to-earth who enjoyed similar activities. From what she could tell, Justin fit the bill. He enjoyed dancing, rock climbing, kickboxing, but also, photography and museums. In fact, Justin’s interests were so similar to hers that she wondered if he might be too good to be true. Well, there was his profession, which she wasn’t too keen on. But she was willing to overlook that due to his other qualities. Supposedly, he was a karaoke ninja. She’d find out about that one shortly, if the dude ever got here. Punctuality certainly wasn’t one of his strengths.

Irritation prickled through her. Strike One. She reached in her purse to grab her phone. She’d sent him a text earlier, but he hadn’t responded. Maybe now … Yep. There was a text.

Really? 8:15? That meant she still had about thirty minutes to kill. Great. Now what?

Twenty-five minutes later, Ariana was sitting at a table, slurping the remains of a Dr. Pepper through a straw when she saw the guy dancing. About six feet tall with a fit, muscular build, he had curly, dark-blonde hair with sun-bleached ends. A jolt shot through Ariana with enough juice to jumpstart a semi-truck as she watched him tear up the dance floor, his curls bouncing with every movement. Had he not been dancing with another girl, she might’ve obeyed the impulse to spring out of her chair and join him.

It wasn’t that the guy had the best moves on the floor, but he was so fluid and charismatic, like he was living totally in the moment. Her gaze took in his even features. He was good-looking with a strong chin, maybe a little too good-looking for her taste. Unlike most pretty boys, so preoccupied with how they appeared to others they could hardly make a move, this guy seemed oblivious to what people thought of him. He was simply living in the moment, pouring a week’s worth of passion into that one dance. The girl he was with was losing steam, but not him. He looked like he could dance at that pace all night. Ariana jerked, tightening her hold on her drink, when his eyes locked with hers. She was shocked at the energy that buzzed through her. Her throat went dry as she swallowed.

He smiled.

She smiled back, going warm all over.

His dance partner followed his trail of vision, and then frowned, glaring at Ariana.

Ariana glanced down, breaking the connection. Everything in her wanted to keep staring at him, but that would be in poor taste. He was with another girl. She stirred her straw through the melted ice cubes. For all she knew the guy could be engaged to the other girl … or married. And she was making moon eyes at him. She tugged at her dress. Where in the heck was Justin? She allowed herself one more look at the guy. Thankfully, he had his back facing her. Sheesh. He had broad shoulders that tapered in to his waist. She knew plenty of guys who’d kill for a body like that. She tore her eyes away from him, not wanting his date to catch her watching him.

Someone touched her shoulder. “Hello.”

She looked up. “Hey, Justin,” she said as she got to her feet and gave him a quick hug. He pulled out a chair and sat down across from her.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he began. “The summer training camp ran longer than I expected. And traffic was a beast.”

Justin was a high school football coach. She’d had terrible luck dating football players.

She’d almost cancelled their date when she realized what Justin did professionally, but they seemed so well suited in other areas that she thought it might be okay. She forced a smile. “It’s fine.” She held up her glass, chuckling. “I had the Dr. to keep me company.”

He tilted his head in confusion. “I’m sorry.”

“Dr. Pepper,” she explained.

“Oh.” He gave her a courtesy smile.

She lifted the glass to her lips and swallowed down her disappointment with the remaining liquid. Justin was a good thirty pounds heavier than he’d appeared in his pictures with graying temples—which in and of itself was okay. But it was concerning that he’d portrayed himself so differently. She glanced toward the dance floor. The guy was no longer there. She sighed resolutely. It was probably a good thing. Otherwise, she would’ve had a hard time focusing on Justin. A part of her wondered if she should use Justin’s tardiness as an excuse to end the date and go home. Then again, she was here, so she might as well make the best of the evening. Better to be here than sitting at home, watching TV.

Justin was eyeing her with open admiration that bordered on leering.

She cocked an eyebrow, a smile straining over her lips as she touched her hair. “What?”

“You’re flipping gorgeous.”

“Thanks.” The brazen way he was staring at her was making her uncomfortable.

He placed a hand over hers as he leaned forward, innuendo in his voice. “I’m so glad we matched.”

She removed her hand. Down, boy. “Should I order you something to drink?”

“That would be great.”

Before she could make a move, he lifted his hand, signaling to the server. “Hey, over here,” he boomed, snapping his fingers, like he was summoning a servant.

Ariana bristled in surprise.

The server, a young girl in her early twenties, stepped up to the table.

Justin flashed a broad smile. “Two beers.”

“Oh, I don’t drink alcohol,” Ariana said.

“Those were both for me.” Justin winked at the server, his eyes lingering on her slim hips. “Thanks, sugar. Hurry back.” He drummed his fingers on the table to the beat of the music.

Okay, this guy was starting to get on her nerves. Talk about an overgrown frat boy. Ariana sat back in her seat and folded her arms over her chest, eyeing him. “I’d love to see your photographs. Do you use a Sony or Canon?”

His eyes widened. “A cannon for what?”

“What kind of camera do you shoot with?” Justin didn’t have a clue about photography. She wondered what else he’d lied about. “On your profile, you mentioned that you take pictures.”

“Oh, yeah. That.” He offered a sheepish grin. “I mostly take pictures with my iPhone.”

She eyed him. “And you’re into kickboxing and rock climbing? At least, according to your profile.”

“Sure, I do both of those things.” He leaned in. “I’ll kickbox with you any day, baby.”

A brittle laugh rumbled in her throat. “First of all, I’m not your baby.”

He held up a hand. “Settle down. I meant no offense. It was a compliment.”

She just looked at him, her eyebrow raised.

“So you own a gym? That’s really cool.”

She relaxed a fraction. “Yeah, it is cool.”

His eyes moved over her. “No wonder you look so great. I mean, normally I like girls with longer hair. But that pixie thing you have going is kind of sexy.”

Was this guy for real? She was tempted to say that she normally liked guys who had an IQ greater than a hundred, but didn’t want to be rude. She touched her hair, which was longer on top and tapered around her ears. She practically lived in workout clothes, and it was easier to keep her hair short so that it was out of the way. Plus, short hair fit her personality.

The server returned with the beers. Justin downed the first one in two minutes flat.

“I’m surprised to see you drinking. When we texted, you said you didn’t drink because it interfered with your fitness regimen.” Even as she spoke the words, it went through her mind that the only fitness regimen Justin had been doing was probably flipping TV channels and shoveling potato chips into his mouth.

Justin was lifting the second mug to his lips and froze, putting it back down on the table. He grunted. “You must be mistaken. I never said that.”

“Yes, you did.” Strike two. “You know, Justin. I don’t think this is a good idea. Maybe we should just call it a night.” She moved to stand, but he caught her arm.

“Let’s just dance a little, okay? I mean, we’re here. Right?”

“Let go of my arm.”

He held up his hand. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I really wish you’d stay though.” He smiled. “Dancing is something I do know how to do.” He made a dancing motion with his hands. “When you see these moves, you’ll be swimming in adoration.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle in mild amusement. The guy had a Texas-sized ego. Yeah, he’d probably been something to look at … a decade ago. He wasn’t bad looking now, even with the extra weight. It was his jock attitude that was getting under her skin. “All right.” She sat back down. The only reason she agreed to stay was to see the look on Justin’s face when he realized that she’d signed them up to do a karaoke duet. He’d lied about everything else, so she was pretty sure all that talk about being a karaoke ninja was a load of crap, but it might be entertaining to see him fumble through it.

Justin took a long drink from the second mug, then put it down on the table with a loud plop. He jumped up. “Let’s go. I promise you. You’re going to be amazed.”

She rolled her eyes. “I seriously doubt that,” she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Rennen scoped the room, looking for the vivacious brunette he’d seen earlier. She was no longer sitting at the table. He’d planned on going over to talk to her after the song ended, but then she was with another guy. He’d come here tonight with a couple of buddies, and assumed they’d hang out and talk, maybe share a few laughs. But his buddies had latched onto girls almost from the moment they got here, leaving him to fend for himself. Rennen loved dancing, so that was one consolation.

The brunette appeared about ten feet from where he was standing. She was dancing with the same guy who’d sat down at the table with her. Were they together? She was stunningly beautiful with lively dark eyes, a sculpted nose, and generous mouth. Her cheeks were rosy with heightened color from the physical exertion. She was petite and curvy in all the right places, moving effortlessly in her stilettos. Long silver earrings dangled beneath her stylishly-cut hair. A spark of attraction had shot through him earlier when their eyes connected and she smiled at him. She was dancing circles around her partner, making him look like a big oaf in comparison. Rennen wondered if he should try and cut in. The worst that could happen was that the girl would tell him they were together. No, the more Rennen watched them, the more he got the feeling they weren’t a couple. In fact, the guy kept attempting to move in and put his hands on her, but she evaded him. An unreasonable surge of jealousy sparked through Rennen when the guy put a hand on her waist. This time, she took his hand and removed it, scowling. Rennen’s jaw tightened as he stepped closer. He’d watch the situation for a couple of seconds longer to make sure he was reading things correctly. And then he’d intervene and save her from being mauled.

* * *

This was getting ridiculous. Justin was more handsy than an octopus. “Stop touching me,” she warned.

He laughed. “Come on, babe. Don’t be so stiff. You know you like it.”

“No, I don’t like it,” she countered. “No one likes being pawed.” Revulsion churned in her gut as his eyes went to her chest. An incredulous laugh bubbled in her throat. Was he really ogling her chest, right here in front of her? What a jerk! As soon as she got home, she was going to contact Heart to Heart and put in a complaint. They really should be more diligent in making sure people were truthful in their profiles. Justin was nothing like he’d pretended to be, and it was obvious he was only after one thing … and it wasn’t a long-term relationship. She tensed, clenching her fists. “Hey, buddy. My face is up here.”

He snorted out a chortle. “Yeah, but you’ve got something else going on down there. For a little girl, you’ve got a nice rack.”

She froze amidst the dancing couples surrounding them. “What did you just say to me?”

He laughed. “You heard me. Lighten up.” He grabbed her waist with an iron grip. “I thought Latin girls were supposed to be loose.”

Her hand balled into a fist, and she thought about how it would feel to knock him across the floor. “I’m going to give you a half a second to let go of me.”

He grunted in amusement. “Make me.”

Heat splintered up her neck, making her feel like her head would split in two. Then cool precision took over as she calculated Justin’s height and weight. The bigger they are … the harder they fall. From the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde guy from earlier approach. “Is everything okay here?” he asked, his body taut, like he was ready to pounce.

“Buzz off,” Justin grumbled. Letting loose a string of curse words.

“Strike three,” Ariana muttered. She shot her arm straight up in a swift motion where it connected with Justin’s neck, right under his jaw line. Then she brought her arm back down, using her weight to knock him off his feet where he landed on his back with a heavy thud. Murmurs rippled through the couples surrounding them as they backed away. Justin gurgled, clutching his neck, a dazed look in his eyes.

Ariana’s hands flew to her hips. “Just because I’m Latin does not make me easy!”

Claps broke out around her. “That’s right,” a few of the women agreed. “Dirt bag,” one woman muttered, shooting Justin a death glare.

As Justin stumbled to his feet, Ariana planted herself in a battle stance, ready to do more damage if necessary. Her adrenaline was going, and she’d make short work of him, putting her training to good use. But luckily for Justin, he ducked his head and scuttled away.

“That has got to be the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen.”

She turned to the blonde guy who was looking at her in astonishment, admiration shining in his eyes. “Thanks. I appreciate you trying to help.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking forward on the balls of his feet. “Yeah, I was trying to rescue you from that creep … not that you needed my help.”

Ariana’s blood was pumping so ferociously that she felt dizzy.

He gave her a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

A wan smile tipped her lips as she ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I guess that date didn’t go as planned.”

He chuckled. “Life rarely does.” He held her gaze, and she felt the same buzz she’d experienced earlier. Everything around them slowed, and it was just the two of them. His voice was deeper than she imagined, with a husky edge. Her eyes traced the definition of the muscles underneath his form-fitting t-shirt. Heat fanned her face when she saw the flicker of amusement that turned his hazel-green eyes a honey-gold. He’d caught her checking him out. She jerked her eyes to his face, making a mental note to keep her focus there. He had a fine layer of scruff, emphasizing the lean line of his jaw. She swallowed, feeling she was staring at the real-life version of Thor and Captain America, all rolled into one. Captain Thor. Or Goldie Locks because of his thick tangles of beautiful curls.

People around them resumed dancing, but the two of them just stood there. Ariana knew she should start dancing … or do something to break the tension, but she couldn’t get her body to cooperate.

He cleared his throat, a grin washing over his face. “Um, maybe we should get off the dance floor.”

“Oh, yeah.” She propelled her feet into action. Her mind whirled, going through all that had just happened. She could hardly believe he’d been the one to offer help. When they got to the side, he motioned to an empty table.

“Would you like to sit down?”

Her voice sounded unnaturally high and screechy in her ears. “Sure.”

He pulled out a chair for her and helped her get seated. Wow. Captain Thor was a gentleman to the nth degree. A startling contrast to Justin.

As they sat there, staring across the table at each other, Ariana scrambled for something halfway intelligent to say. “Thanks again. You’re a great dancer,” she blurted. Sheesh. She was making an idiot out of herself. Normally she was calm and cool around men, always knowing the right thing to say. But it seemed her mouth had disconnected from her brain.

His lips curved into a radiant smile, causing the edges of his eyes to crease. “Thanks. You’re pretty good yourself.”

The compliment caught her off guard, sending warm ripples cascading through her. He’d been watching her too. It was good to know the attraction went both ways.

He leaned forward. “Was that guy your boyfriend?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Heck no!” She laughed. “We’d never met in person before tonight. We were matched on a dating app.”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really?”

She felt foolish and a little desperate for resorting to a dating app. Her explanation gushed out. “It’s an app where people in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area can connect. You know, people with similar interests.” She shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea … in theory.” She scowled, darkness gathering inside her. “Of course, I should’ve known better than to go out with a football coach. Note to self … don’t date anymore coaches or football players. Their egos are the size of a whale, their brains the size of a pea, from one too many hits on the field.”

He laughed. “That’s a bit of a blanket statement.”

Her face fell. “Don’t tell me, you’re a football player.” Of course he was. That would be just her luck.

An easy grin stole over his lips. “Well, if I were, I certainly wouldn’t admit it now.”

She pursed her lips together, assessing him. He didn’t seem bothered by her scrutiny. He just sat there, patiently enduring it. “No, you’re not a football player,” she finally said. “I don’t know what you are, but you’re far too intelligent to play football.”

He cocked his head. “So, all football players are stupid? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Nope. Not all of them. Just about ninety percent.”

“So only ten percent are intelligent.” He grinned. “See, I can do math.”

The teasing tone of his voice caused her to smile. “That’s good to know.”

He tsked his tongue. “What turned you against football players?”

“Aside from Justin?” She lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to respond.

“Yep, aside from him. I mean, he was a douche bag, but the bite in your voice tells me there’s more.”

When her brother Ace first started playing pro ball, Ariana went out with a few players on the team. After about the sixth disaster, she swore off football players altogether. “Experience,” she finally said.

Interest lit his eyes. “Care to elaborate?”

“Not really,” she said loudly, then felt like she was yelling when the music suddenly stopped.

They turned their attention to the guy on stage holding the microphone. “Folks, we’ve got a fun evening lined up, it’s karaoke night!” He pumped a fist in the air as the crowd cheered.

Ariana’s heart dropped. Oh, no!

The emcee looked down at the sheet of paper in his hand. “To start, we have a duet by Ariana and Justin.”

Captain Thor looked at her. “Is everything okay?”

“Not really.” She groaned. “I’m Ariana.”

His eyes widened, then he burst out laughing, a deep throaty laugh that rumbled in his chest. “And the jerk you laid out is Justin.”

She smiled thinly. “Yep.” She let out a heavy sigh. “This night just keeps getting better and better.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the emcee said, “give it up for Ariana and Justin. They’ll be doing an oldie but goodie, Eye of the Tiger.”

A roar of clapping circled through the room.

Ariana’s heart hammered against her ribcage. She glanced at the exit door. It wasn’t too late to make a run for it. No one knew she was Ariana. Well, except for Captain Thor. She really didn’t care what the people in the club thought about her. But for some strange reason, she cared what he thought. Before her mind processed what she was doing, she was on her feet and making her way to the stage. She’d done karaoke enough times to know she could hold her own. Even so, her hand shook slightly when she took the microphone. “I’m Ariana,” she said, pointing to her chest. She plastered on a cheerful smile. “Unfortunately, Justin had to leave, so it’ll just be me tonight.”

Boos rumbled through the audience.

The emcee held up a hand. “Hey, y’all. Show the lady some respect. It takes a lot of guts to come up here and perform in front of a bunch of yahoos. Give it up for Ariana!” He brought his hands together in vigorous claps that started the audience clapping.

Ariana was glad the stage lights were shining in her eyes, preventing her from seeing Captain Thor’s expression. He probably thought she was loco. The lyrics popped up on the screen. She gripped the microphone, trying to get in the proper frame of mind to perform.

“Wait a minute! What’s this?” the emcee said. “It looks like Justin’s here after all.”

Ariana’s heart lurched. What? She was going to lay Justin out flat, right here on stage. In the next second, a burst of sheer exhilaration ran through her when Captain Thor stepped up beside her. “Hey,” she said, unable to stop a grin from spilling over her lips. “What’re you doing?”

He winked. “Rescuing you.”

She felt light enough to float. A giggle escaped her throat. “Do you karaoke?”

The emcee handed him a microphone as he looked at the screen. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

“Ariana and Justin,” the emcee announced.

“The name’s Rennen.”

“Rennen.” Ariana committed the name to memory. It fit him.