Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Not that I was judging. If that was what he wanted, more power to him. I’d even be willing to go out and find him fifty gallons of lube and a truckload of condoms.
The rugby dudes decided to hang out with us, and we met up with Embry and Bryson for a few drinks at one of the hotel bars. Later on, we all piled into cabs and relocated to a very loud, crowded gay nightclub.
It turned out there were over a dozen guys on the rugby team. They kept trickling in as the evening progressed. I nursed a drink and tried to be social, dancing with them when they asked and trying my best to smile and seem like I was happy to be there.
In truth though, I didn’t like crowds, noise, or getting hit on every sixty seconds. The guys on the team were actually very respectful and quickly got the message that I wasn’t interested in any of them. But it seemed like every other guy in the club felt the need to shoot his shot. It was overwhelming and made me uncomfortable, so the more men that hit on me, the quicker I shut them down.
I was probably doing this wrong, though. After all, I was here to have fun, and a few hours with a hot guy might be just what I needed.
It had been a while since I’d had sex. Too long, possibly. There were plenty of men in this club to choose from. I just needed that initial spark of attraction, even for a one-night stand.
But as the evening wore on, I started to think all I really wanted was a long, hot shower, a pair of cozy pajamas, and my own, quiet hotel room. And something to eat. Fuck, I was really hungry. I hadn’t eaten all day.
I looked around for my friends, so I could tell them I was leaving. After a moment, I spotted Embry and Bryson out on the dance floor. They were physical opposites—Embry was a tiny blond, while Bryson was a tall, stocky brunet. I thought they looked cute together, and they were clearly having a great time. Embry was laughing and doing the robot, while Bryson was trying to prove he really was straight with some truly awkward dance moves.
As I slid out of our booth and picked up my cardigan, one of the rugby players shouted, “Hey, Rock is here!”
They all began buzzing with excitement. It was a much bigger reaction than they’d had with anyone else who’d joined us, so I asked, “Who’s Rock?”
“Our team captain, and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” a guy nicknamed Crash told me. “He doesn’t like crowded nightclubs, so he usually doesn’t join us when we go out. I wonder what made him change his mind.”
“I’m pretty sure I did.” Tank, a redhead with a beard, looked smug. “I sent him the group photo we took earlier. I figured that would entice him, and it obviously worked like a charm.”
Crash frowned. “Why would that make a difference? He knows what we look like when we’re drunk, and it’s hardly a cause for FOMO.”
Tank rolled his eyes. “No shit. But the picture included our hot new friend.”
I didn’t assume he meant me, because I’d been about as interesting as a bowl of soggy corn flakes. That had to cancel out any surface-level hotness. Was he hoping to set his team captain up with Vee? He was hot, no doubt about it. He could have meant Embry, too. They knew he was about to get fake-married to a straight guy, so maybe they thought he needed one last night of fun. Not that he’d be interested, since he’d been glued to Bryson all day.
I turned to take a look at who they were talking about. When I spotted him, I murmured, “Yes, please.”
The man heading toward us was tall and muscular, with dark hair and a short, neatly trimmed beard. He was exceptionally handsome, and there was unmistakable confidence in his stride, but his open, friendly expression told me right away that he wasn’t arrogant. His clothes said a lot about him, too. He was dressed down in jeans and a T-shirt, topped off with an unbuttoned flannel shirt. That suggested someone who was comfortable in his own skin and didn’t feel the need to impress anyone. I liked that.
There were plenty of hot guys in the club, but he didn’t look at any of them. Instead, his gaze was locked on me as he made his way through the crowd, and it never wavered. A flutter of anticipation ran through me. Finally, he came to a stop right in front of me, and a smile lit up his face. Damn, now he was even more attractive.
I was five-eleven, and closer to six-two with the heels on my boots, but I still had to tilt my head up to look into his warm, brown eyes. “Hi, I’m Ryder,” he said. “I’m here to rescue you.”