Take a Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

already?” Sara
asked. “What happened to the hot date? I was expecting to leave a
message.”
    “ It was great,” she
replied.
    “ So great that you’re home
before ten?” Sara asked, the sound of music and laughter in the
background. “What happened?”
    “ Why did you call if you
thought I was out?” Talking about Steve wasn’t a good idea. It was
too fresh, too soon to break down the date with a friend. The need
to savor it kept her quiet.
    “ I was going to suggest
brunch tomorrow so I could hear about the date, and don’t think I
didn’t notice you deflected my question. What happened? Was he mean
to you?”
    “ No, he wasn’t mean.
He’s…he’s charismatic.”
    “ He’s religious?”
    Dena’s head dropped to the back of the sofa
with a thump. “No. He’s charming and sexy and disarmingly
intense.”
    The sounds of the crowd dissipated and Sara’s
voice cleared. “Are you telling me you had dinner and sex in less
than three hours, not counting the drive? Who does that?”
    “ Not me. Never.” Then why
did her body feel like it happened moments ago? “Hey, what happened
with your date?”
    Sara sighed. “He called this afternoon and
dumped me. Said he was going on vacation with some friends and
didn’t want to feel awkward while they were picking up women.”
    “ Ew. You should call that a
win for you.”
    “ I know. Anyway, we’ll
discuss it ad nauseam tomorrow.”
    “ Okay. Call me in the
morning and we’ll get together.”
    Sara started to argue, but Dena said goodbye
twice and ended the call.
    Talk about a cold shower. Well, maybe tepid.
Her body still responded to his kiss but her brain was back to
normal functionality. Getting to her feet, she turned off the
lights and went to bed, crawling under the covers nude, a habit
she’d started the first night in her own place. Tonight, the sheets
rasped a little too much and sleep was elusive.
     
    * * * *
     
    Sara slipped back onto the barstool and
leaned close to her sister. “Dena’s already home, but says she had
a good time. Want to get breakfast with us tomorrow?”
    Susan nodded and passed the word to her best
friend, Kellie. All three sat around a high table and watched the
dancers in the middle of the room. A few of the couples on the
floor needed to get a room. Public exhibition wasn’t her thing, but
this club had a reputation in the singles community.
    Conversation wasn’t the objective. Hooking up
and getting busy was the new meet-and-greet. Sara watched the crowd
while her friends talked to each other and to the random men who
stopped at their table. A tall man caught her eye as he moved
through the crowd. He looked older than most of the people in the
room, like he’d lived a little harder than the rest. Built like a
football player, he exuded athletic grace and power.
    When he stopped next to her chair, she sucked
in a breath. He wasn’t the usual type she attracted. Most of the
men she’d dated were more the nerdy type. Academics. Jocks didn’t
give her a second look.
    Until now.
    “ Dance.”
    A midrange voice pronounced the word, and it
wasn’t a request. More like a demand, but slightly softer. What the
hell? Fresh from being dumped, a dance or two wouldn’t hurt. Sara
slipped off the barstool and was surprised when he gripped her hand
and tugged her into the crowd. His arms came around her and held
her close to his chest.
    “ What’s your
name?”
    “ Sara.”
    “ You’re with me tonight,
Sara.” His hand moved down her back and settled on her rear, a
little too intimate for a first dance, but she let it slide since
they were surrounded by swaying bodies.
    “ I’m Ethan.”
    “ Ethan who?” she asked. If
he was going to grope her ass, she wanted at least a last name and
maybe a family history or blood test.
    “ Jenkins.”
    “ Where are you from?” she
asked.
    Ethan pressed her head against his chest.
“Dance. We’ll talk later.”
    Maybe there was a reason she didn’t date
jocks. They