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"Sorry!" I apologized to their glaring faces, grateful that I, at least, had so, I retrieved the plastic pitcher from the plank floor just as my pocket started to buzzit out of my pocket and read the text

E my eyes, I tucked the empty pitcher under , I squeezed back to the front of the bar and set the pitcher down on the surface My gaze searched for hi custo his lean body over the counter to better hear orders I waited until he caught lanced down

E out w/hi

I snorted and was in the process of typing back to her when he arrived in front of me He nodded at the pitcher "That was quick"

"Yeah" I hastily slidthe texts about him I smiled wanly "I didn’t , bracing his hands on the bar top again The action stretched his shirt taut over his chest and pulled it against his shoulders "I’ll let you in on a secret Nice girls get eaten alive in places like this"

I stared at hi in Ideep inside me where some reservoir of fehed then, a short, deep sound that sent ripples eddying through hter was good or bad

"Sweetheart, you’ve got ‘nice girl’ written all over you"

The "sweetheart" made my stoot "nice girl" written all over you I frowned Nice girls didn’t win the guy Hunter’s ex-girlfriend flashed across irl She was sexy, with sleek, surfer-blond hair and designer clothes that showed off her body Sophisticated Not your girl-next-door type at all Not like ht be surprised," I bluffed

"Yeah" He nodded, his gaze ski besides a shapeless sweater "I would be"

I cla with hiirl because that’s how I looked I wasn’t going to change hisone proved

He bent his arh out there"

He stepped away and filled another pitcher He set it down in front of me I fumbled for my money in the tiny purse strapped across h the air "Don’t worry about it"

"Really? Thanks"

He pointed out into the main room "Just re tip, he moved down the bar to the next customer I stood there and stared after hie Nice Girl It echoed through ht of ed h the roolares, but worked

"Pepper! Over here!" Euys already occupied the table So told me they’d had it first Half a pitcher of beer sat in the lasses that were doubtless courtesy of their tableuy next to her "Troy, be a gentleman Let her sit down"

"It’s Travis" He stood and wavedmyself into the chair, I set the pitcher down beside the other one

"Well" Elass and took a deep gulp, suddenly feeling like I needed the fortification even though I wasn’t a fan of the stuff Co up for air, I answered "Hot"

"Did you talk to hi to ht Thathow he had just dubbed ht as well have dubbed me "Undesirable" or "Leper"

"I ordered beer," I volunteered

"Ugh, that’s all? Well, there’s lots of fish in the sea" She motioned around us "We’ll find you soaze skiuys at our table The one who gave up his chair squatted now, sitting on a motorcycle helmet He watched Emerson raptly as if he was actually a participant in our conversation Meanwhile, his friend orking hard to iine a more hopeless endeavor than that She had to have told hiia was like that She wasn’t into leading guys on

"Looking to hone your wiles?" Travis echoed "I can help you there"

"Down, boy" Emerson patted his arm and I could read her subtext even if she was too kind to say the words: You’re not e’re looking for

"I wasn’t actually talking aboutabout the campus kink club"

"Kink club?" I blinked

"Yeah Everyone’s talking about it"

"Whoa, hang on a minute Did you say ‘kink club’?" E about it I haven’t heard about it"

"It’s invitation only Meave hirinned Emerson’s sharp blue eyes cut toto hideabout this now

"What’s a kink club?" Georgia asked, and the words the in her Alabama accent

"You know," Travis’s friend volunteered "It’s just what it sounds like A club for people who like their stuff outside the box, you know?" He drew a little box in the air as if that so