It was even better than I’d imagined. Why hadn’t I ever come here before? A large bar lined the back wall with tables scattered in front. A huge dance floor took up the majority of the space with a stage at the far end. Hundreds of lights in the shape of stars hung from the high exposed ceiling, and a balcony ran the length of the room on two sides. There was even an honest-to-goodness mechanical bull in the corner by the entrance. It was cowgirl heaven.

Most of the patrons gathering for the lessons were women, with several groups of friends who’d clearly broken into the wine before they arrived. What jobs did these ladies have where they could get drunk before six o’clock on a Tuesday? And then I realized, hell, they could be teachers like me. So, why wasn’t I getting my drink on? There wasn’t anything stopping me—I could always get an Uber home and have Jill drop me at my car tomorrow.

Before I could give it more thought, though, the instructor beckoned us all to the floor, and Luke Bryan’s smooth voice rang from the speakers.

An hour later, I was winded but elated, having learned a few steps and managing not to trip over my own two booted feet. More people were trickling in the door and I headed to the bar to get a soda—or maybe a glass of wine. I hadn’t decided yet.

Just as I signaled the bartender, I heard my name being called. I spun and caught sight of Riya Sidana, a co-worker from Sunview Elementary.

“Oh my God, Jenna! I knew that was you.” She moved in for a hug. Riya was in her mid-twenties and had the type of personality I envied. She was friendly to everyone, never without a witty response, and remembered the name and face of every person she’d ever met. If I didn’t like her so damn much, I would have hated her.

“Riya, hi! It’s great to see you.” I squeezed her in return before she pulled back and tucked her dark hair behind her ears.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here.” She took in my outfit and nodded her head. “You look fab.”

I shrugged. “Thanks. You too.” And she did. Her slim form was draped in an adorable green sundress with sable-colored boots adorning her feet. “This is actually my first time here.”

“Cool. Who did you come with?” Her eyes moved behind my shoulder and she pointed. “Oh, hey. The bartender is ready for your order.”

I turned around and got a chin lift from the guy standing behind the bar. “Oh, hi. Um, do you have wine?”

He shook his head. “Sorry. Just cocktails and beer.”

“She’ll have a Sicilian Firing Squad, Darren,” Riya filled in for me before I could answer.

Seemingly not needing my approval, Darren the bartender turned to grab some bottles and a cocktail shaker.

I turned back to my co-worker.

“Trust me. You’ll love it.” She patted my arm. “So, are you here alone?” Somehow, she managed a tone that wasn’t the least bit pitying.

I nodded. “Yeah. The kids are with my ex and I felt like getting out.”

“Say no more. Come hang out with us.” She tilted her head toward a small group of men and women who were all about ten years younger than me.

I figured I may as well. In for a penny and all that. I smiled and nodded again. “Sure. I’ll grab my drink and come over.”

“Great!” Riya’s smile was huge. She spun on her heel and headed back to her group while I waited for my drink.

* * *

“Come on, just one more,” Will or Bill—I couldn’t remember—put his hands together and pleaded.

“I can’t feel my toes.” My boots were cute as hell, but after three hours of dancing, I wanted to chuck the damn things in the trash and soak my feet in a hot bath.

Will/Bill moved in closer and snaked an arm around my waist. I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt about that. I mean, I’d danced to two slow songs with him, but that was dancing. This was just standing by the table.

Riya must have seen the consternation on my face because she was suddenly at my side. “Hey, Will. Can you go grab us a couple Diet Pepsis?”

Ah, it was Will. I smiled at him. “That would be great.”

He examined both our faces and then smiled back, releasing his hold on me. “Sure. Be right back.”

“Thanks,” Riya and I said in unison as he headed toward the bar.

“Sorry if he was making you feel uncomfortable. He’s a great guy, really. Maybe a bit too eager, though,” she said as soon as he was out of earshot.

“No. It’s fine. I just …” I trailed off, not even sure what I was going to say. My eyes followed my dance partner to the bar. It wasn’t as if this Will guy was hard to look at. He had artfully unkempt hair a shade lighter than mine, and a slow smile that revealed a pair of dimples. He was cute. And young. But, hey, that totally fulfilled one of my requirements for summer fling material. A younger man was an ideal candidate. And I’d felt the strong back and shoulders through his t-shirt while we’d been dancing. Pair that with his natural sweetness and he was romance-novel worthy for sure. I’d just toss a cowboy hat on his head and he’d be the hero of Tempted by the Young Stud: A Passion on the Prairie Romance.

“You’re just not ready?” Riya guessed.

My gaze darted back to her. “No. I mean, maybe.” I gave her a self-deprecating grin. “I guess what I mean is I’m trying.”

“Well, I know it’s none of my business, but he’s kind of a sweetheart. If that makes a difference.” She shrugged.

“Good to know.” I pulled a chair out so I could rest my feet, but felt the vibration of my phone in my back pocket. I was about to let it go to voicemail when I remembered it could be the girls. A glance at the phone revealed an unfamiliar local number. I motioned to Riya that I was taking my phone outside and headed to the door, pressing the accept button.

“Hello?”

I heard a faint voice, but couldn’t make anything out. I smiled at the bouncer as I passed by and finally found a quieter spot outside the bar.

“Sorry. I couldn’t hear you. Who is this again?”

“It’s Sam Martinez. Officer Sam Martinez?” He posed it as a question, as if I couldn’t remember him.

“Oh, hi.” I was more than a little surprised to be hearing from him.

“Where are you?” His voice was a bit gruff and he almost sounded put out.

My brows drew together. “Um, out. Why?”

“Because it sounds like you were in the middle of a Metallica concert.”

I scoffed. “Hardly. I’m at The Corral.” Now why did I tell him that?

“Oh.” That was it?

There was an awkward moment of silence, and I couldn’t stand to let it continue.

“I’m sorry. You were calling because …”

“Oh, right. I just wanted to let you know that we caught up with Mr. Wonderful and he took a plea bargain, so we won’t need you to testify or anything.”

“Wow. Okay.” I leaned against the cement brick wall. That possibility hadn’t even occurred to me. My gut felt a little raw and I was suddenly happy I’d capped it at two Italian whatever drinks. I didn’t even have the heart to respond to the Mr. Wonderful comment.

“And he won’t be bothering you again, so you won’t have to fret about that.” Fret? Okay. Or should I say alrighty.

“Okay. Thanks.” Had I really gone out with a guy whose new address was the state penitentiary? Even my most out-there romance novel wouldn’t have the heroine making conjugal visits to a drug dealer at Rikers Island.

“Tell me I won’t need to arrest tonight’s date.”

“Very funny. And for your information, I don’t even have a date, so there’s no one to arrest.”

Well, shit. I’d just admitted I was dateless. I scrambled to amend my statement. “I mean, I don’t have an official date. Speaking of, I’d better get back in there. A nice man is buying me a drink and I don’t want him to think I ran out on him.” I pushed off the wall and stepped toward the entrance.

“What?!” Officer Martinez’s angry tone stopped me before I’d made it two feet.

“What do you mean, ‘what’? Are you still talking to me?” Maybe he was holding two conversations at once. Whatever. I was going back in.

“You’re going to accept a drink from a man you don’t know?” I could practically hear his blood boiling.

“Uh, I don’t know the bartender either, and I’ve been accepting drinks from him all night.”

A choking noise rang through the phone. “Shit. Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not drunk. Not that it’s any of your business.” God, he was irritating.

“Jesus, Jenna! Don’t you have any sense of self-preservation? This guy is probably roofying your drink as we speak!”

“Will would never do that!” Would he? No, of course not. He’s friends with my friend. But, I suppose bad guys have friends too. No! I was not letting Officer Buzzkill ruin my night.

He dismissed my comment with a snort and I was done. “Officer, thank you for calling to update me. I’m going to get back to my friend now. Good night.”

I didn’t hear his response because my phone was back in my pocket a second later and I was headed into the bar.

When I got back to the table, Will was waiting patiently with two glasses of dark liquid in front of him. Riya was nowhere to be seen, and I spotted another couple from the group dancing out on the wood floor.

“Hi. Sorry about that. I had to take a call.”

Will waved me off and pushed a glass my way, making me involuntarily pause as I began to seat myself. “No problem. Here’s your Diet Pepsi.” He gestured to his own drink. “I realized I should probably have one too.” He looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry if I came on too strong.”

I offered him a small smile. “It’s okay. Thanks for the drink.” I let it sit in front of me, unable to take even a sip. Damn you, Officer Paranoia! I was thirsty as hell. I shuffled my chair in under me, bumping the table in the process. Soda sloshed over the edge of my glass, creating a puddle on the tabletop. “Shoot!”

“I’ll grab some napkins.” Will was up and gone before I could protest.

See, he was a nice guy. Or was he just luring me in by pretending to be a nice guy? Dammit.

Before I could think twice about it, I picked up my glass, wiped the bottom with my hand to dry it as well as I could, and switched it with Will’s. By the time he returned with the napkins, I’d drained half of it. Ahhh. Now that felt damn good. And one hundred percent roofie free.

* * *

“I should probably get going,” I told Will twenty minutes later.

He looked a bit crestfallen. “One more dance?” His eyes lit up, making me think of how Reggie looks when he’s begging for a snack. Oh, good lord.

Just as I always gave in to Reggie, I gave in to Will. “Okay. But just one and then I really do have to go.”

Kenny Chesney’s “You and Tequila” was playing as Will grabbed my hand in his and pulled me onto the dance floor. He turned and folded me in his arms and we began to sway. I let out an involuntary sigh. Until tonight I hadn’t realized just how much I missed the feeling of a male body pressed against mine. The headiness of being wrapped in the combined forces of strength and affection. It had been way too long. And not just the two years since Mike left.

I was so caught up in the feeling, it didn’t register when Will shifted his position, brushing his mouth against my neck.

Well, hello there! His lips grazed my skin and I felt a shimmer of sexual awareness slide down my spine. God, that felt heavenly. I tilted my head to offer him better access, and he didn’t hesitate to bring his mouth to the underside of my chin, nipping at the exposed skin. My body was coming to life right there on the dance floor in front of a hundred people, and I didn’t care. I needed to feel this man’s lips on mine. I didn’t just want it. I needed it. Without letting myself think about it, I sought his mouth and took his lower lip gently between mine.

I was kissing a man! A man who wasn’t Mike! Will’s lips were fuller than Mike’s, I realized as I moved on to his upper lip. He also didn’t have the little bit of stubble Mike always had by this time of night. Will’s skin was baby smooth. His hand moved to my upper back and he pressed me into him as he took over the kiss, his head slanting for better access. His lips on mine felt so freaking good. Why had it taken me so long to do this?

My entire body was joining in on the party, my nervous system sending wake-up signals to long-dormant areas. My own hands threaded into Will’s soft hair and I felt the slight pressure of his tongue across the seam of my lips, asking for entry. I threw caution to the wind and parted them, inviting his tongue to dance with mine, anticipating the electric spark of the contact.

And then my uterus let out a pained whimper of defeat as Will’s tongue thrust into my mouth and proceeded to lay like a slug across my entire tongue. It was as if it decided to take a nap, using my mouth as a bed and hogging the entire damn mattress.

God! How was I supposed to extricate myself from this painfully awkward and horrendous kiss? I tried pulling gently back, but Will’s hands were gripping me way too firmly. How was this enjoyable to him? I then tried to move my head to the side, hopefully dislodging his dead tongue in the process, but he just moved his head right along with mine. Visions of me choking on his paralyzed tongue invaded my mind and I began to panic, pushing against his chest. I needed him off me!

And, as if the heavens heard my plea, he was suddenly gone. Not a single part of him maintained contact with me. I blinked, unsure what had just happened. Will was on his knees on the hard wood floor about five feet from me. I groaned as it registered that he hadn’t tripped, nor was he voluntarily kneeling on the dance floor for fun. No. He was being assisted by a very grumpy looking member of the Sunview police force. Love seeing those tax dollars at work.