Baiting Him (How to Catch an Alpha #2)
Aurora Rose Reynolds
Suggestion 1
LEAVE HIM WANTING MORE
CHRISSIE
“I’m so happy for you, Leah,” I tell my best friend while accepting two shot glasses from the waitress.
“I still can’t believe I’m actually getting married, Chrissie.” She shakes her head, making her dark hair appear to shimmer in the flashing lights, and her blue eyes brighten with happiness as she holds out her hand to look at the large diamond on her ring finger.
She might not be able to believe that she’s getting married, but I can. I knew the moment I saw Tyler and her together for the first time that there was something special between them. I couldn’t be happier for her, especially after witnessing firsthand some of her previous disastrous relationships.
“Here’s to your happily ever after.” I raise my shot glass toward her.
She holds up hers in return and smiles. “And here’s to you finding yours.”
I smile, too, even though I doubt love is in the cards for me. I could blame my lack of enthusiasm for finding love on men in general being jerks—which, more often than not, they are—but I’m mostly to blame. I work all the time and rarely have time to myself; plus, I don’t put a lot of effort into meeting men. Whenever I have a free moment, I use that time wisely to sleep instead of scanning dating sites and going out. Thinking about it now, I don’t remember the last time I went out on a real date. Unless you consider meeting up with someone for a quick coffee in the middle of the day a date.
“Are you two going to sit in this corner all night and chat, or are you actually going to join the bachelorette party?” our friend Ivy asks, glancing between Leah and me.
“Sorry, we were having a moment.” Leah laughs, and I giggle.
Ivy rolls her eyes at the two of us, then holds out her hand. “Have your moment later. Let’s go dance.” As soon as Leah places her hand in Ivy’s, she drags her up off the couch and pulls her out onto the dance floor.
Even in the large crowd of dancing people, I have no problem spotting all the girls we came here with tonight. Just like me, they’re wearing flashing penis necklaces and penis earrings. We look ridiculous, but as Leah’s maid of honor, I wanted to give her the full bride-to-be experience, including lots of penises and a sash with bold lettering that says SAME PENIS FOREVER. Maybe the sash was overkill, but whatever; it made her soon-to-be-husband grin and her crack up when I put it on her.
While everyone’s on the dance floor, I get up from the couch and look for the sign for the restroom, which is located in the rear of the club. I wobble in that direction, a little unsteady on my feet from the alcohol I’ve consumed. Thank goodness Tyler agreed to be our designated driver and pick us up whenever we’re ready to leave.
After standing in line for at least twenty minutes, I sigh. Every woman in the place seems to be waiting to go to the restroom, and the longer I stand there, the more urgent my need becomes. I spot the men’s restroom a little farther down the hall, and of course there’s no line. I watch the door closely and notice that every guy who goes in seems to come out within a few minutes.
Screw it, I tell myself and head down the hall. When the last guy I saw go in exits, I step inside and rush across the empty room to one of the stalls. I pee quickly while listening for the sound of the door opening and make sure the coast is clear before leaving the stall to wash my hands.
Just as I’m reaching for a paper towel, the door opens. I turn to apologize for invading the men’s room, but the words get stuck on my tongue because the most attractive man I’ve ever seen enters. I blink, wondering if he’s a figment of my imagination or if I’m dreaming, because there is no way he’s real. He’s so tall his head is just a few inches from the top of the doorway, and his shoulders are so broad they seem to fill the space.
He frowns at me, causing his dark brows to knit together over his green eyes. Then he looks around as if to make sure he’s not in the women’s room, giving me a side view of his sharply angled jaw.
“You’re not in the wrong place. I am,” I assure him, and his gaze returns to me. “The line for the ladies’ room was long, so I snuck in here when it was empty.”
“Are you finished, or do you need me to guard the door?” he asks, seeming genuine, which is surprising, coming from a guy who looks like he does.
Touched by the offer, I reply, “That’s sweet, but I’m all done.” I smile as I toss the paper towel into the overflowing trash can. He opens the door, holding his hand up high enough that I won’t need to duck under his arm to get out. Once I’m in the hall, I look over my shoulder at him and smile once more. “Thanks.”
“No problem, sweetheart.” He winks, and my stomach flutters.
Like any smart woman dealing with a man who is far too attractive, I ignore the flutter and head back down the hall. The girl who was ahead of me is still in line for the women’s restroom, and when she realizes where I’ve just come from, she frowns.
I stop near her, then whisper, “I used the men’s room. There wasn’t a line. Also, just a guess, but it’s probably a lot cleaner than the women’s room.”
“Thanks,” she whispers back, then looks around before she gets out of line. I wonder if I should warn her about the man in there now, but then I shrug. She’ll figure it out on her own. I walk around the edge of the dance floor, searching the crowd for my friends until I spot them all dancing together, and then I join them.