Once the cheater and her cheatee had finally gone, I felt Eric shift his lean body away from mine. His arm dropped from my side, and I swallowed an unexpected wave of disappointment.

Okay, so I had absolutely no agenda when I butted myself into his conversation. I was just headed to the bar to get refills for my friends and me. We’d been having a blast all night, even after our girl Celia bailed to take care of a domestic crisis. A big part of that had been the free-flowing alcohol. But the crowd had practically multiplied in the last twenty minutes, and our overworked waitress hadn’t been by to refill our empty glasses in too long.

My plan had been to grab us another round and scoot back to the table as fast as I possibly could. Jamy, my friend and roommate, was having a bit of a crisis about her non-romance with my cousin Sam, and I knew from experience that she needed a bit more lubrication to smooth out her thoughts and feelings. But all of that flew right out of my mind the moment I set eyes on him.

I spotted him when I was about ten feet from the bar, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away. He had a nerdy-hot, vintage vibe about him that just rubbed me the right way tonight. A case of not knowing what you’re in the mood for until you see it, if you feel me. He was wearing a blue plaid button-down with the sleeves neatly rolled up, a navy bow tie, suspenders, and khakis. My feet carried me to him like they were on a tractor beam, but he was absorbed in conversation with the blonde next to him. So I creeped on him unobserved for a minute or two. He had a killer smile, a crisp haircut, and a jaw that could cut glass.

Yes, please. I wanted to lick him like a damn popsicle. Girls’ night out was instantly forgotten, and I began calculating how fast I could get him away from Blondie and charm my way into his pants. And then the big guy had showed up, presenting me with the perfect opportunity to wedge myself into the situation.

And it had all gone down according to my evil plan, until Eric pulled away.

I smiled as he cleared his throat, turning to me with a sheepish look on his face. His thick, dark eyebrows were raised, and his chocolaty eyes surveyed me with a mix of interest and wariness, framed by his round tortoise shell glasses. He looked like he’d stepped straight out of 1937, like Indiana Jones in professor mode. He was just too damn delicious.

“Thanks for that,” he said, leaning a little closer to be heard over a howling tune by The Black Keys. He smelled citrusy, like the orange slice wedged in his beer, with something dark and spicy floating underneath it. I couldn’t put my finger on the scent, and that caused a shiver to race up my spine. The little bit of mystery was unexpected and so, so hot.

I smiled, remembering the feel of his smooth fingertips on my skin, and the way he’d nearly come unglued when I bit his earlobe. If I had my way, I’d get more of that, and then some, before the night was over.

“No sweat,” I replied. “I’m always happy to bail out a good person caught in a shitty situation.”

He frowned slightly. “What makes you think I’m a good person?” He picked up his beer, taking a long sip, and I swallowed hard. Something about his lips touching the glass where mine had just been pushed a button somewhere deep inside me. “For all you know, I could be a total putz.”

I shook my head, causing my earrings to tinkle musically. “Nah. I don’t buy that for a second.”

The corners of his mouth tipped up. “No?”

I grinned, shaking my head. “That hangdog look on your face when you realized that your date’s husband had just showed up told me everything I needed to know about you.”

He laughed. “Yeah, you’d think I wouldn’t be surprised by that anymore. But it still throws me for a loop, time after time.”

“Are there really that many cheaters out there?” I asked, giving him a doubtful look.

He shook his head, a rueful smile spreading across his face. “I don’t know if it’s as many as it seems. But whatever their number, they all seem to find me.”

“Well, that’s pretty rotten luck.”

“Yeah, it really is.”

Aww. I hated the defeated tone in his voice, so I reached forward, giving him a comforting pat. His arm jumped under my touch, the muscles flexing and bunching powerfully. Now that I was facing him, in fact, I could see that he was more built than I’d originally thought. A nerd with a gym membership, perhaps. My pat quickly turned into copping a feel, and his eyes flared with heat as he watched me, almost like he was assessing me.

“You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?” He smirked. “A real boyfriend, I mean.”

I shook my head, smiling at him.

He raised an eyebrow. “Fiancé?”

I shook my head again, my smile growing.

“Husband?”

I laughed. “God, no. And I never will, if I can help it.” Settling down? Not my scene.

He hummed. “Not a fan of commitment?”

I shook my head. “Not so much. I like having my fun too much to give it up for just one person, you know?” I stole his beer again, taking a sip.

Something flashed in his eyes at my response, something that looked almost like disappointment, if I wasn’t mistaken. But it was gone before I could think twice about it, replaced by heat. Lots and lots of heat. He grinned at me, slow and sensual.

“You want to get out of here then?”

I was about to say yes – hell yes, in fact – when I remembered my girls. I nibbled on my lower lip, noting that his eyes were drawn to the movement. I filed that little tidbit away for later, but in the meantime, I was torn. Normally, it was bows before bros all the way. Outings with just us girls had been rare lately due to everybody’s busy schedules, and this opportunity to decompress and shoot the shit was too precious to cut short.

But Eric was hot as fuck, and I wanted a few hours to explore him. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d wanted someone more, in fact. My pulse was fluttering, my limbs felt achy, and my panties were growing damper with each heated look he gave me. And ignoring that kind of desire would be a damn crime.

“Let me guess,” he said, his tone wry as he looked around at the estrogen-heavy crowd. “You’re here with your girlfriends, and you don’t want to abandon them.”

I nodded sadly. “I originally came up to the bar to get us another round.”

He smiled, and man, it was a pretty smile. His teeth were so white and even, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “How many have you had so far?”

“This was gonna be my fourth.” I toyed with my earring, thinking. “Plus some of your beer. But as for them?”

I glanced back at our table. My cousin Hannah was trying to lick the last dregs of foam from her pint, and Jamy was glaring at her empty cocktail glass like it had betrayed her. I chuckled. I loved my friends fiercely, but those girls were the very definition of lightweights.

“I’m pretty sure it’s their sixth? Seventh?” I shrugged. “Hard to say when the drinks were getting magically refilled, up until a little bit ago.”

He frowned, looking a little worried. “Who’s driving you all home?”

“That would be me,” a familiar voice said from behind me. I spun around to see my cousin Sam standing there, smiling at me.

“Wow! I get to see you twice in one week?” I exclaimed, leaning in for a hug. “How did I get so lucky?”

My cousin chuckled as he hugged me back. “Apparently I exist to chauffeur Jamy around.” He rubbed a hand along his rust-colored beard. “And you and my sister,” he added as an afterthought.

I tilted my head. “I thought Brian was coming to get us?”

Celia was supposed to be our designated driver, since she was pregnant and couldn’t drink. But when her kiddo got sick, she’d had to swoop in and make it all better as only Mommy could. Hannah had said she’d call her fiancé for a ride, but apparently the plan had changed.

Sam’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know anything about that. My sister said you guys needed a DD, and I wasn’t doing anything else.” He shrugged.

“And you’d never leave us in the lurch,” I replied.

His green eyes scanned the room, locking unerringly onto Jamy, and they softened. “Yeah, not a chance.”

I grinned. He was so gone on her. Had been forever, in fact. I just hoped they could finally get their shit together and make it happen this time. “Didn’t think so.”

“Besides, it seems like Hannah has had enough.” He held up his phone, showing me the last text from his sister, time stamped about twenty minutes ago.

Hannah [7/30 10:42PM]: thyme to cooome U.S.S. pic up

I giggled. Sober Hannah was a stickler for proper grammar and spelling over text. Drunk Hannah? Not so much, apparently. “Can’t argue with you there.”

Sam laughed, and I felt a wave of affection wash over me. I’d missed my cousin. He’d just come back to the U.S. after six years in Europe, and it was good to have him home.

“Anyway, you ready to head out?” he asked.

I glanced back at Eric. He was watching me carefully, his eyes dark and intense, and just like that, my blood heated up again. This was it – the perfect excuse. Hannah and Jamy would be safe with Sam, leaving me the freedom to have some fun.

Fuck yes.

I was about to answer Sam’s question when his attention shifted to the man standing next to me. To my surprise, my cousin’s features lit up in recognition.

“Hey, man, good to see you again.” Sam extended his hand as Eric stepped forward, and they did the back-slapping bro-hug thing, because men can’t express affection for each other or their nuts will explode.

“You too,” Eric agreed, smiling. Then he turned to me, his eyes narrowing in thought for a minute, before understanding dawned on his features. “Sam and Hannah’s cousin Sabine?”

I nodded, though my brow wrinkled in confusion. “You know my fam?”

Sam slapped my shoulder. “Yeah, Eric’s been friends with Todd for years. We just hung out the other day, actually.”

The light bulb switched on in my head as Eric nodded in agreement. I’d heard his name mentioned as “Todd’s friend” probably dozens of times, but I’d never actually met the man, even though his friends were my friends. I marveled at what a small world it was.

“So what brings you out tonight, man?” Sam asked. “Wait, don’t tell me.” He closed his eyes and waved a hand in front of his face, like he was receiving psychic signals or something. “Your date couldn’t make it, because her bridesmaids surprised her last minute with a bachelorette party.”

Eric chuckled good-naturedly. “Something like that.”

“Wow, you really weren’t kidding about that happening all the time.” I chucked him on the shoulder playfully.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, I really wasn’t.”

“Do I even want to know what happened this time?” Sam asked.

“Nah, it’s already forgotten.” Eric turned back to me, his eyes once again flaring with heat. “So, what do you say?” he asked, getting right back to business.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” I nodded, biting my lip, and a slow smile spread across his face as his eyes zeroed in on my lips.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Sam have his own light bulb moment as his gaze pinged from Eric to me. Then he laid a hand softly on my arm to get my attention.

“You sure you’re good?” he asked, searching my face.

And while normally I’d bristle over someone playing dad, I appreciated him looking out for me in this instance. Jamy and Hannah were just on the wrong side of sauced, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume I was, too. But I am a big girl, and I hold my liquor well. At that moment, I was the perfect amount of drunk for a hook-up – tipsy enough to be horny as fuck, but clear-headed enough to make sound decisions about whom I worked out all that sexual energy with.

And I needed to make that crystal clear, because nothing – absolutely fucking nothing – was going to come between me and my courtesy-of-Eric orgasms tonight.

“Z-Y-X-W-V-U-T-S-R-Q-P-O-N-M-L-K-J-I-H-G-F-E-D-C-B-A,” I recited while touching the tip of each index finger to the sides of my nose.

Sam laughed. “Okay, okay.” He leaned in for another hug. “He’s a good guy. I trust him,” he whispered, gesturing to Eric. “But promise you’ll be safe.”

“Always,” I assured my younger cousin. Because babies were about as high on my wish list as STDs. Which is to say, I never wanted to deal with either one of them. Ever.

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a squeal sounded behind him. “Isss my bruddeeerrr!”

And then Hannah attempted to climb Sam like a monkey.

Sam’s twin sister might be one of the tiniest full-grown adults I’ve ever known, but right then, she was working that freakish drunk strength. She latched her arms around his neck, hitching her legs around his waist before he had a chance to brace himself. He grunted in pain and widened his eyes at Eric and me, silently begging for help – probably because Hannah currently had her freckled hands pressed against his windpipe.

“Oh, yeah, okay,” Eric said, moving around Sam and grabbing Hannah around the waist.

Hurriedly, I put my hands on Sam’s chest, pushing back to brace him while Eric attempted to pull Hannah off.

“Hey, I knew you,” Jamy said, squinting at Eric like she couldn’t figure out who he was.

“Thas Eric,” Hannah replied, drawing out the K sound. “His booooooring.” She nodded at me. “I dateded him.” Then she faked a huge yawn, burping in the middle of it.

I raised my brows. “Good to know, cous.”

I frowned, but not for the reason you might think. It didn’t bother me that Eric and Hannah had dated before. Hell, they could have fucked like bunnies on the regular, for all I cared. Everyone is a sexual being, and getting jealous over what someone had done before they’d even met me? So not my scene. Besides, this was just a hook-up. No need to get into the details of who we’d previously done the dirty with.

No, I frowned because, well, how the hell had Hannah and Jamy gotten so drunk so fast? They hadn’t seemed that bad when I got up to get refills. They’d been loose, but still lucid. Apparently the alcohol had really soaked in while I was gone. Now that I thought of it, neither of them had eaten before we came here.

 I squared my shoulders and dug in my heels. Okay. I could work with this. Eric and I would help Sam wrangle the Tipsy Twins, then head off for some private time.

“Nerve mine,” Hannah slurred. “Nerve… neve… never mine. Hers Ssssamm!” she finished with a flourish, kicking her feet dangerously close to brother’s crown jewels.

“Oh, no!” Jamy squeaked, turning anxious eyes to Sam. “But I’m not coo… no cute. Donut looka me.” She started frantically rubbing her head like she was trying to fix her hair, which had slid from its messy bun and was dangling listlessly to one side. She sighed in dismay when she found it. Then she covered her eyes with her hands, like that would keep him from seeing her.

“Here we go,” Sam croaked as he finally detached Hannah’s hands from around his neck. Meanwhile, Eric pulled her firmly but gently from her brother and set her on her feet. He held on to her shoulders for a moment or two, watching to be sure she wouldn’t topple over. Then he let her go, turning to me and Sam with a lopsided grin.

“Well, that was fun,” he wheezed.

Somehow, the three of us herded Jamy and Hannah out of the bar, down the street to the public parking garage, and into Sam’s little rental car. He assured us Brian would be there to help him out when he dropped Hannah off, and that he would stay with Jamy to make sure she was okay. Then Eric and I waved as they drove away.

He turned to me, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at his shoes – polished brown wing-tips that matched his belt and suspenders, naturally.

Fucking yummy.

“Well, I understand if you’d rather just head home, after all that,” he said quietly. “I can give you a ride.”

Yeah, fuck that. If I’d wanted that, I would have just gone home with Sam. But I didn’t waste time pointing that out. Instead, I asked a far more relevant question.

“Is that what you want?”

His head snapped up, and his eyes were molten as he stared at me. “No,” he said, the corners of his mouth tipping up slowly. “No, that’s not what I want.”

I stepped forward, grinning. “Good.” And then I lifted my hands, grabbing him by the suspenders and smashing my lips to his.