Now or Never

him in. Like before, he looked strong and confident. He was wearing a button down plaid shirt rolled up over his powerful forearms and tan cargo pants. He looked like he belonged in one of those outdoor magazines. Once again, she had a flash of his hands on her body, and she forced her eyes back to his face.
    “You really should be careful around strange men.” His voice was passive, but ran with an undercurrent of something she couldn’t decipher.
    “Oh? Like yourself, you mean?”
    He took a step closer. Her pulse raced. Was he going to kiss her? She couldn’t believe how badly she wanted him to. Instead, he reached around and undid her bun, allowing her hair to fall around her shoulders.
    “It looks better down.”
    Grayson touched her hair, unsure what to say or do. “Thanks, I guess.”
    “Be careful, Grayson.”
    Grayson looked into his serious green eyes, and before she could think it over, before she could stop the words from spilling out, she said, “Let’s get out of here. Together.”
    Derrick’s gaze locked on hers. She hated how his eyes seemed to look deep inside her, like he would catch a glimpse of the insecurity she was trying desperately to hide. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    “Why not? Is it your girlfriend out there? I thought you didn’t do serious?”
    He didn’t acknowledge her dig. “All the guys from the team are here. Ethan would find out before we walked out the door.”
    She’d forgotten about her brother. Not that she really cared what he thought, but it brought her back to reality. She really didn’t want to get involved with anyone this soon. It would be crazy. This was supposed to be her experimental phase, nothing long term. Hell, as far as she was concerned, she didn’t want to start anything local—just passing through strangers.
    “What happened to screw the rules?” Grayson asked.
    Derrick gave her a lazy grin. His hands were now in his pockets, and he looked so relaxed and casual. It irked her, for some reason. She was a ball of nerves around him, and he was as cool as a cucumber.
    “I work with your brother—life or death situations. I’d rather not piss him off. But, if you call me, we can definitely get together tomorrow.”
    “Ah, Derrick.” Grayson reached for false bravado, leaning against the wall and holding a hand up. “You hesitated and lost. I guess I’ll have to go home with Jerry.”
    His body remained relaxed, but she saw the twitch in his tightened jaw. “Your call.”
    “I asked you first,” Grayson said and walked away. What the hell was she doing? It was like some alien had invaded her body. She took a deep breath and headed back to the table. Luna had wandered off to the pool table with Steve, leaving Jerry waiting for her.
    Great.
    “Your sister told me if I made you laugh, you’d let me take you home.”
    “What?” Grayson was so caught off guard by the bold statement that she actually did laugh. Her sister never ceased to surprise her.
    “Yeah, she said you have an ‘off’ sense of humor, and if I wanted to take you home, making you laugh was the way to do it.”
    “My sister is crazy. But, I guess she’s right. I do like to laugh, and I do have an unusual sense of humor.”
    Jerry launched into a long, ridiculous joke that wasn’t even funny, but it humored her that he tried. She just smiled and shook her head at him.
    Grayson eyed the guy sitting across from her. He wasn’t overly attractive, but not too bad looking either. Average, really. He had brown hair and light brown eyes. His nose was slightly too large and crooked. He obviously spent a lot of time at the gym, so he had that going for him, and he was attempting to be funny. Could she really have sex with this guy? She knew nothing about him.
    Another glance at Derrick did the trick. By this point, the blonde was practically sitting on his lap, and he didn’t seem to be pushing her away. His attention was focused on the chick.
    Disappointment filled Grayson, but instead of moping, she decided she might as well have a little fun.
    It was reckless, and she knew it. Leaning in, she yelled over the music. “Where are you staying?”
    Jerry grinned. “At a hotel within walking distance from here.”
    Grayson grabbed her drink and downed the rest of it. “Let’s go.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Seriously.”
    He grasped her hand and led her past Derrick. They locked eyes, but he didn’t say anything. Grayson waved at her sister who tilted her head