I set my empty beer on the bar and rolled my neck. It was getting late. The opportunity to make my move was slipping through my fingers with each passing minute.

My hands were shaking.

I was tempted to get another beer. Liquid courage was better than no courage at all. But I didn’t want to be messed up for this. If she shot me down—I wouldn’t blame her if she did—I wanted to feel the pain. All of it.

Because I wanted to feel all the joy if she said yes.

I looked at Aly across the club. Still dancing. Still smiling. Gorgeous and lit up and hot hot hot in that little black dress.

Kit joined in. He went right for Emily. Like horny teenagers, they immediately started sucking each others’ faces. They were clearly lost in their own world, oblivious to anything—and anyone—else.

Aly turned away, eyebrows up to her scalp as she began to dance on her own. She sipped her beer. Kept dancing. The creepers were circling closer now.

Fuck it. I was going in.

I pushed off the bar, my pulse marching in my ears as I made my way into the throng. I tugged my baseball hat low on my forehead. By some miracle, we hadn’t been recognized. I wanted to keep it that way.

I sidled up behind Aly. Ducked down to murmur in her ear.

“Sweetheart.”

Her head turned, hair moving over the ball of her shoulder. I resisted the urge to bite that shoulder. Take it in my mouth.

My heart seized when her eyes fell on my face. Her smile faded. Her eyes went wide. She stopped dancing.

“Hey,” she said. “Everything okay?”

I shook my head. “Can we talk?”

She glanced at the bride-to-be. Emily was currently grinding on Kit, her head thrown back as she butchered the lyrics to “Back that Ass Up”.

“They’re gone for the night,” I said.

Aly scoffed. Tipped back her beer. “You’re right. Doesn’t mean I want to talk to you, though.”

I let my head fall back. That was fair.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

Aly held her fingers to her ear. “What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “Still can’t hear.” Her eyes met mine.

“I’m sorry!” I shouted.

“I can’t hear you,” she sang. She was biting back a smile again.

I hated this game.

“I’m sorry!” I shouted, so loud that people turned to look at me.

Aly pursed her lips. “Okay. I heard it that time.”

“Can we talk now? Please?”

Setting her beer on a nearby ledge, she turned to glance at Em and Kit again. Now they were engaged in what appeared to be illegal sexual activity in public.

Good for them.

Aly turned back to me. “Yeah. We can talk.”

* * *

We walked down the hill toward the dock where the tender back to the Siren was waiting. It was past one in the morning, but the streets were bustling with late night revelers. The further we walked, the quieter it got.

Aly was careful to keep her distance. The light from a street lamp caught on her skin, glinting off her forearms and thighs. She looked so beautiful it made my chest ache.

I’d never felt like this about a girl. Ever. I still had to fight the impulse to pull away. Deeming myself unworthy had become second nature. I did it almost automatically.

I hoped to God that Kit was right. That Aly was, too. Even now, my hands curled into fists at the thought of hurting her.

“I’m sorry,” I said without preamble. “I fucked up.”

Her eyes met mine. She didn’t say anything.

“I feel horrible about the things I said. I didn’t mean any of it. You were right—I was trying to push you away. Like an idiot.”

“You were worse than an idiot,” she replied smoothly. “You were a complete and utter jackass.”

I blinked. God I loved her directness. Even when it stung.

“You’re absolutely right,” I said.

We’d slowed to a stop at the edge of a stretch of beach. Aly crossed her arm over her waist, grabbing her elbow. She looked down at the ground. “You hurt my feelings, Rob. I was pouring my heart out to you, and then you insulted me.”

That stung even worse. By trying not to hurt her, I’d done just the opposite.

“I know I keep saying this, but I really am sorry. The irony isn’t lost on me, Aly. I was trying to protect you, and I ended up hurting you.” I reached for her hand. She let me take it. Looked up and met my eyes. “I want to make it up to you. I’d like to take you on a proper date.”

“Does that mean you don’t think you’re an animal anymore?”

“I don’t.” I shook my head. “I came to my senses.”

She stepped forward, searching my eyes. “I know you can do this, Rob. But I also can’t talk you into me.”

“You don’t have to,” he said. “I’m already in, sweetheart.”

Her brow puckered. “You mean that?”

“I do,” I said. “I really fucking do.”

Her eyes softened. Her hair fluttered in the breeze. She bit her lip.

“I’m dying to know what finally convinced you that you didn’t inherit some toxic manwhore gene.”

I gave her hand a squeeze. “In a word? You. With a little help from Kit.”

She went still. She did that a lot—usually because something was wrong. My pulse stumbled. Shit, was I already mangling this relationship thing before I’d even tried it?

Shit.

“You saw things in me I didn’t see myself,” I explained. “Good things. Stuff I thought only someone like Kit could have. It’s still ballsy as hell for someone like me to want someone like you. But I like being around you. I like who I am when we’re together.”

The corner of her mouth curled into a smile. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Well. I will say you’re nothing if not ballsy.”

I smiled, too, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Kit told me you’re not seeing anyone.”

Her smile changed. It didn’t fade—but it became a bit less certain.

“I’m not,” she said.

“Can we keep it that way? The two of us only seeing each other?”

Aly pulled back her head. “Rob. Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

“I am.” I met her eyes. “Please say yes, Aly.”

She looked at me. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

My heart thumped.

“A try?”

“Yeah. We can try it out for a bit—being together, I mean. See how things go. Everything’s always moved so fast for us. I want to take it slow. Ease into it.”

“Okay,” I said. Truth be told, I’d take Aly any way she’d have me. “This is my first time doing the relationship thing. So slow sounds good.”

“I just want to enjoy it, you know? Then down the road we can make the right choice about being together for good.”

I nodded.

“So you agree?”

I twined my fingers with hers. “You really think I could ever say no to you, sweetheart? Of course I agree.”

I was going in for a kiss when she peeked over my shoulder. “Speaking of balls. I have any idea for our first date.”

I cocked a brow. “A ballsy idea, I hope?”

“Uh huh.” Aly nodded her head. “Wanna pop my skinny dipping cherry tonight?”

My cock went from zero to full salute in one second flat. Honestly, how could I not fall for this girl?

She was out of my league. But she was still taking a chance on me. I didn’t know if I could really make this relationship thing work. I was going to try, though. Try as hard as I could to be the man who deserved it.

I didn’t hesitate. I turned for the beach, tugging Aly with me. She let out a giggle. This girly, happy sound.

I was going to make her come so hard.

I was going to make her mine. And hope against hope I wouldn’t fuck up.