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"Do it, do it!" Suzanne chanted, slah-hewn table She leaned forward, her face flushed either from the warm press of bodies around us or the fact that she already practically consulint to her eyes, I suspected it was the beer
A scuffle broke out somewhere in the corner I turnedto the floor Glass broke and a girl screamed
"Oh, oh, there’s your man"
I didn’t bother to correct Suzanne We all turned and watched in appreciation as Reece and another eh the crowd and dove into the hed dreamily
"Hey, back off He’s Pepper’s," Emerson reprimanded her and sent me a sharp look when I opened aze returned to Reece, watching his broad back as he peeled bodies apart to get to the two guys punching each other at the bottouys!" Annie descended on our table, a hot erously close to spilling free of her halter top She draped an arm around Suzanne’s shoulders Immediately a bitter taste coated my mouth as I remembered that Annie was the one who’d tipped her off about Reece in the first place It was stupid Why should I care if he hooked up with Annie once upon a ti out Pepper’s new man," Suzanne volunteered
"Pepper!" Annie looked ot ayou ever hed at her joke, sla a hand on the surface of the table
My face burned
Eusted look "Don’t be a bitch"
She rolled her eyes "Would you lighten up? Jeez Tell uy?"
E "You already know him" I could tell she didn’t want to share his identity either Like she felt protective of whatever this thing was I had going with Reece, too, and didn’t want to involve one of his past flings
"Yeah?" She glanced around as if she would know hiht "Who is he?"
"The bartender you told me about that works here"
Annie’s eyes widened "Really?" She looked me over with new respect "I didn’t think you had it in you to be soflexible, Pepper" She emphasized the word flexible, the innuendo deliberate My face burned hotter She in to my face
"What’s that supposed to oody I didn’t think she’d be up for sharing hiirls tonight already He’ll score with at least one of theht When I hooked up with him he was on break and we just used the backseat of my car"
"Ew" Suzanne wrinkled her nose "Remind me never to sit in the backseat of your car"
I closed my eyes in a slow blink I wished Annie hadn’t said that Now I had the ie of them branded in my mind The blood rushed to ht of the kiss he gave me out by my car It had seemed so spontaneous, almost as if it surprised hiht? My sense of betrayal was ridiculous The guy was obviously experienced I knew that You didn’t get to be that good a kisser and not have a fair share of experience
"No way You’re so full of it, Annie," Emerson interjected
"Seriously," she insisted "I saw hio And he was kissing another girl over by the dartboard just five ernail toward the corner where people threw darts
Suzanne shook her head "We’ve been watching hireed, looking atWe’ve watched hi up with other girls, ould have noticed"
I nodded, the tight band around ht Annie couldn’t be talking about Reece Maybe she was jealous Or confused I didn’t know her motivation I only knew that he could not have
Annie’s gaze suddenly shifted beyond ht red lips broke out in a smile "Well, let’s just find out There he is now"
I shook my head desperately, determined that Annie not embarrass me in front of him "No! Really, you don’t have to do that!"
Too late, she was calling hello and waving hi heat fired my cheeks I felt a presence arrive just behind ht ahead as Annie stepped around the table, her araped wider, and I caught the barest flash of a nipple The overwhele to scratch her eyes out overcame me
"Hey, babe!" Her voice dripped like honey "How are you?"
Babe? I wanted to puke
"Good Anna, right?" a male voice asked
"Annie," she corrected, a flash of soetfulness
"Annie That’s right," said the deep,around on her stool She elbowed hter, which she quickly stifled behind her fingers
I glared at her, rubbing the offended area She gaveto worry about
"So you knowatthe inevitable--and felt my stomach plummet to uy was hot He even bore an uncanny resemblance to Reece, but it wasn’t hime without my clothes on I shook his hand, at a loss for words