Dance With Me (With Me in Seattle 12)

“You’ve had exactly one drink,” Jules says to her. “How are you already slurring your words?”

“I don’t drink much these days. I have a hundred kids now.”

“Trust me, I know. I was there when you had them. I’m sick of looking at your vajayjay,” Jules says. “Stop making me look at it.”

“I’m done having kids,” Nat says. “No more vajayjay.”

“Thank the baby Jesus,” Jules replies. “Nate thinks he wants more, but I can’t make another one stick, so we’re done.”

“What do you mean?” I ask her.

“He wants more kids.”

“No.” I giggle, enjoying these women very much. “About the making it stick.”

“I’ve had a couple miscarriages,” Jules says, the smile slipping from her face. “And I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s sad. We have Stella, and she’s perfect and wonderful, and it’s okay for her to be an only child.”

“She’s not,” Nat reminds her. “We have billions of kids in this family. She’s not growing up alone.”

“Exactly.” Jules drains the last of her drink. “And Nate’s come around. He really didn’t want me to come out tonight. He totally pouted.”

She lowers her brows, tucks in her chin, and starts speaking in a low voice, mimicking her husband.

“Julianne, if you think you’re going out tonight, you can think again. I’ll tie you to my bed.”

She keeps talking, making us all laugh so hard, I’m pretty sure I pee my pants a little.

“I will spank your ass, Julianne.”

A tall figure walks through the club and stands behind Jules. We’re all snickering, and I know someone should tell her, but it’s so damn funny.

“If you don’t do what I say, I’ll bend you over this counter and show you who’s boss.”

“You’d better be talking about me, Julianne.”

Her eyes widen. She stares at me across the table.

“He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is,” Nate replies. “I came to get you.”

“We live around the block,” she says with a frown. “I walked, remember?”

“And if you think I’m letting you walk home alone at this time of night, you’re crazy.”

She lowers her brows and tucks in her chin.

“If you think I’m letting you walk home alone, blah blah blah.”

We dissolve into a fit of giggles, and Nate’s lips twitch with humor, but he doesn’t laugh. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him laugh.

“Where’s Stella?” Jules asks him.

“With Mrs. Pierce.”

“You gotta love grandmotherly neighbors,” Jules says. “You all need to get one.”

“Are you ready?” Nate asks her.

“I guess I am now.” She sighs and stands. “It is a school night, after all.”

“It’s two in the damn morning,” Nate says, surprising us all.

“Wait, it is?” I ask, and we all check our phones.

“Aww, look!” Jules turns her phone to show us. “Nic and Meg both sent photos back, toasting us with baby bottles.”

“So cute,” Lia says. “I guess they’ll be kicking us all out of here.”

“Thank God,” Jax grumbles, but I bump him with my shoulder.

“You love this.”

“Yeah. It’s fun.”

Just as we’re gathering our things and getting ready to go, another man walks across the dance floor, straight to me.

“Levi.”

“We’re done.”

My heart stops. “What?”

“We’re done being apart. You’ve had eighteen hours, and that’s about sixteen too many for me. I’m taking you home with me.”

I take a deep breath. The DJ turns the music up, playing one of my favorite slow songs.

“Dance with me first,” I say, tugging him out to the floor.

“One dance.” He pulls me into his arms, and we sway back and forth while everyone watches. “And then I’m taking you home.”

“Deal.”~Starla~

“I swear, it’s been one thing after another with this place,” Natalie says the next day. We’re all at the house, and the hot water system has gone out.

“Things happen,” Luke says calmly and makes a phone call, stepping away for the conversation.

“He’ll just call his assistant, and it’ll get taken care of,” Nat says.

“You probably didn’t have to come over,” Levi says. “I could have told him this was the case.”

“Well, we’re landlords, so we should come and check it out.” Natalie smiles. “And it’s always good to see you both. Even though we just saw you last night.”

“Or this morning.” I take a long drink of water. I didn’t drink any alcohol last night, and I still feel dehydrated. But, man, we had a blast.

Luke returns to the room. “My assistant is on it. As soon as we have someone scheduled to come and fix it, I’ll let you know.”

“That’s great, thanks,” I reply just as my phone pings with a message. “Sorry, guys, I’m waiting for an email. I have to check this really quick.”

“No worries,” Nat says as I open my email, and it’s like deja vu, all over again.

God, you’re so fucking smug.

You don’t care. At all. You just don’t care. And that might be the worst thing of all. The worst transgression. Your indifference is going to cost you your life.