Dirty Sexy Inked (Dirty Sexy 2)

“What are they up to? No good?” Katrina asked curiously, because the boys hadn’t revealed their plans for Clay before they’d gone their separate ways, and with Mason in charge of entertainment, there was no telling where he’d dragged his brothers off to.

“Actually, the three of them rented desert racers and went off-roading just outside of Vegas for the afternoon,” Samantha said, sounding surprised.

Tara shook her head and finished the last of her champagne. “Boys and their toys and need for speed, right?”

Samantha typed out a reply to Clay’s text. “At least they’re staying out of trouble, which is more than I expected with Mason organizing all the activities.” Her tone was wry as she mimicked Katrina’s thoughts exactly.

“He’s actually showing some restraint, considering all the raunchy adult shows in Vegas,” she said, impressed.

“Right?” Samantha agreed in amusement as she read another message that pinged on her phone. “Now they’re off to the Stratosphere Tower to go on some kind of thrill ride called Insanity that swings riders out and over the side of the hotel. From the top of the tower.” Her tone rose in pitch as she read that last part.

Katrina didn’t even bother to suppress a shudder at the thought of dangling over the side of a hotel. “They’re such adrenaline junkies.”

“If anything happens to Clay, I will personally kill Mason,” Samantha said, and Katrina knew she wasn’t kidding. “And after that, they’re going indoor skydiving, then dinner.”

“And what about us?” Tara asked.

“No way am I doing something so crazy,” Samantha said adamantly. “In case you’ve forgotten, Clay calls me cupcake because I’m a lightweight and have a weak stomach, even without alcohol.”

“I meant, what are we going to do,” Tara clarified with a laugh. “If naked men are off the menu, how do you want to spent the rest of the evening?”

Samantha gave Tara’s question serious consideration, and after a few minutes, her face lit up with excitement. “I know what I want to do! Last weekend I was watching the movie Coyote Ugly on cable, where they dance on the bar tops and get rowdy. It looks fun, and I know they have one of the franchises here in Vegas a few hotels down from the Bellagio. What do you two think? Want to go?”

“Sounds good to me,” Tara said with an enthusiastic nod.

Katrina shrugged, up for anything that didn’t include speed or heights. Indulging in a few drinks and dancing, even with just the girls, sounded like a fun way to spend the evening. “I’m game.”

With their evening agenda settled, the three of them finished at the spa, then headed up to their individual suites to change and do their makeup and hair. Wanting to feel sexy for their night out, Katrina decided on a pair of slim black leather pants that rode low on her hips and a dark purple bustier that displayed her armful of tattoos. The front of the top laced up tight, and the snug bodice lifted and shaped her breasts so a bra wasn’t necessary. She finished off the look with a stack of silver bangles on her bare arm and a pair of strappy high heels.

She tucked her room key and credit card into the front pocket of her pants so she didn’t have to worry about a purse, and an hour and a half after parting ways to get ready, the three of them met up again. They grabbed a quick dinner, then walked the short distance to the New York New York Hotel, where Coyote Ugly was located, which also gave them the opportunity to take in the excitement and energy of the Las Vegas Strip.

By the time they arrived at the establishment that looked just like the iconic bar in the classic movie, the place was packed and rocking from the late 1990s music blaring out of the jukebox in the corner. There weren’t any traditional booths or chairs, just standing-style tables on the outskirt of the dance floor, which was filled with men and women having a great time. Other female patrons were dancing on the bar counter, and guys were crowded around, egging them on.

Katrina led the way to one of the standing tables so they could order a drink, assess the situation, and watch the entertainment at the main bar before they decided what they wanted to do. Tara and Samantha followed her through the crowd, and by the time they reached a vacant table, Samantha was on her phone, tapping out a text. Judging by the smile on her face, Katrina assumed she was touching base with Clay. When a bar waitress came by, she ordered a round of shots for the three of them.

Samantha finished up her texting and slipped her phone into her cross-body purse. A few minutes later, their drinks were delivered, and Katrina raised her small glass to her two friends.

“To our first official girls’ night out, even if it is on the eve of your wedding,” she said in a loud voice to be heard above the noise level. “When we get back home, I think we need to do this more often, just the three of us. No men.”

“Agreed,” Samantha and Tara said at the same time.

They tapped their shot glasses together and swallowed the liquor in one gulp. It wasn’t enough alcohol to get them drunk—no way did Katrina want to explain to Clay that his bride had a hangover on their wedding day—but it was just enough to warm her insides and loosen and relax her body.

A good-looking guy came up to Tara and asked her to dance, and with a little finger wave at her and Samantha, she followed him out onto the dance floor. Samantha and Katrina watched for a while, both of them dancing where they were standing at the table along the far wall.

After a while, another guy approached them, this one big and burly, rough around the edges, and clearly well on his way to being drunk. When he grabbed Katrina’s

hand to pull her away without asking if she wanted to dance with him, she yanked her arm back and gave him a sharp look that hopefully conveyed her feelings and made it clear she wasn’t interested.

His narrowed gaze slid down the length of her in the kind of leer that made her stomach roil. Then he puffed out his wide chest and flexed his biceps as if he were trying to make up for the fact that he’d just been rejected. “What’s the matter? I’m not good enough for you?”

And this was why she didn’t go to bars. Hell, she rarely went to Kincaid’s on their busy nights because she hated dealing with egotistical men who looked at her like an easy conquest. Instead of provoking him further, she gave the guy a sweet smile and said, “I don’t dance with strangers.”

It was a ridiculous statement considering that’s what most people did in a nightclub, but her comment was so worth it when he frowned in confusion at her, as if she’d just given him a puzzle to figure out. Then he shook his head and slid his gaze to Samantha. There was no way Katrina was letting this guy even think about taking one step toward her.

“She doesn’t dance with strangers, either,” Katrina said just as the lug opened his mouth to say something.

After giving Katrina an irritated look, he turned around and finally left them alone.