Fated Hearts (Southern Bride 8)

I nodded and stole a look at Roger. Chewing on my lip, I let myself wonder what it would be like to have a love affair, as Mary called it, with Roger. No strings attached, just sex. Hot, amazing sex, because if the man could make my body burn with desire simply from smiling at me and touching my back, what in the hell would he do to me in bed?

Mary leaned in closer to me. “Just do it, Annalise. I see the way the two of you look at each other. Have you never had a one-night stand?”

“I have, and I regretted it the moment I did the walk of shame the next morning. This time, I’d still be stuck with him and not even able to leave if I wanted to.”

We both laughed as Mary intertwined her arm in mine and walked us toward the nightclub’s entrance. “Well, if you want my vote, I say go for it. You only live once, right? Besides, after this snowstorm is over, you’ll never see Roger again.”

I forced a smile. Why did the thought of not ever seeing Roger again make me feel…sad?

Good Lord, maybe I did need to get laid.

After we all showed our IDs and paid to get in, we stepped through a door that led into the nightclub. It was dark in the club, but not dark enough that you couldn’t glance around and see everyone. I was impressed that you couldn’t hear the music outside in the hallway except for a slight beat of the bass. A bar ran along the back and sides of the club, with a large dance floor in the middle. Not very many tables and booths were scattered about, leaving more room for the dance floor. There weren’t a lot of people in the club since it was most likely only the guests of the hotel and maybe some hotel employees. Yet the few tables they had were mostly all taken. There were people of all ages here.

Lynn let out a squeal, and then she and Monty took off toward the dance floor and never looked back.

The bass of the music moved through my already-tense body, and I felt a strange sensation as I drew in a slow breath. I felt eyes on me, and I swore I could feel the heat of them boring into me. Was it Roby, maybe?

No. He wouldn’t make me feel like that.

Turning, those blue eyes met mine, and I knew the heat I was feeling was from Roger. Then he looked past me and frowned.

Following his gaze, I saw Roby in a small crowd. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight before me.

“Looks like he didn’t want to wait,” Roger quipped.

Roby was locked in a kiss with a woman who appeared to be closer to his own age. A sense of relief washed over me, and I turned back to look at Roger. “I actually feel relieved.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Drink?”

Nodding, I let him take my hand and lead us over to the bar. Mary came rushing up to us.

“Dylan found a table. Do you mind getting us drinks?”

Roger shook his head. “Don’t mind at all.”

“Same as what we had at dinner, please. We’re over in the corner right there!” Mary pointed. I stood on the balls of my heels but couldn’t see anything. Roger, on the other hand, nodded.

Looking down at me, he asked, “What do you want, princess?”

Normally, a guy calling me princess would drive me up the wall, but when Roger said it, it actually made me feel like one. When most guys said it, they were trying to get under my skin, knowing that people always told me I looked like Cinderella. And then, of course, when a former boss of mine began saying it, all it did was creep me out. Maybe I was already in that fairy tale land Mary had talked about. I had always been a sucker for the whole happily ever after. I tried to hide my smile behind a deep sigh. “Whatever beer you’re drinking, please.” Turning to Mary, I said, “I’ll help Roger bring back the drinks.”

Mary glanced around quickly and then shouted, “Nothing for Lynn and Monty—I have no idea where they went.”

Nodding, I placed my hand on Roger’s arm and nearly gasped. Lord Almighty, the man was built like a brick house. He dropped his head to hear me better.

“Nothing for Lynn and Monty.”

He gave me a thumbs-up before stepping closer to the bar and yelling out our order. I reached into my purse to pull out my credit card, but he brushed my hand to the side. “I’ve got the first round.”

“Thank you,” I replied with a smile.

Soon we had our arms full of drinks, and I tried not to spill mine as we made our way through the people and over to the table. Bodies pressed against me, and I quickly remembered why I stopped going to clubs. I hated crowds. Big or small ones. Finally, I saw our table. Mary and Dylan had their heads together, deep in conversation.