Drinks. More drinking, less thinking.

She turned to Cassie and scoffed, “Whatever. We don’t need his approval to drink. We are two strong, independent women.” She took the bottle of tequila and filled the shot glasses. Then, stretching along the bar, she grabbed two lemon wedges and handed one to Cassie.

“Not worried about where that lemon has been?” Reed asked.

Ignoring his amused stare, Erika clinked her glass against Cassie’s. “To a fun night with no regrets,” she said, tossing the liquid back, letting it burn the common sense right out of her.

* * *

OH, SHE WAS going to regret this night all right.

Two hours later, outside the bar, Reed shot his sister an annoyed look as he escorted them the two blocks from The Drunk Tank to Cassie’s condo above Snow Trek Tours. Thankfully it was still early and the servers could handle things for five minutes.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like you’ve never been tipsy before,” Cassie slurred.

Tipsy? They were shit-faced at eight thirty-six.

Real party animals.

“Okay, let’s keep walking,” he said, as Erika stopped to admire the Christmas display in the Chocolate Shoppe’s window. The life-size sculpted Santa made out of chocolate made his teeth hurt just looking at it.

“I’d kill for chocolate right now,” she said, practically licking the window.

Gone was the uptight, stick-up-her-ass professional and it had only taken two shots of tequila.

“I have to get back to work.” Taking her arm, he led the way around the corner to the back staircase that led to his sister’s condo.

Erika took one look at the stairs and shook her head. “That’s not going to work.” She lifted one boot-clad foot so he could see the high heel and he caught her as she toppled off balance.

He gritted his teeth. Of course—her nonsensical, yet sexy as all fuck heels. Heels on boots that hugged her shapely calves nicely and forced a distracting sway in her hips when she finally did go to the restroom at the bar, but not exactly grate-friendly.

He sighed as he scooped her up.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you upstairs,” he said, jogging up the stairs with her in his arms. She wasn’t heavy and he held his breath, the scent of her soft perfume overshadowing the smell of tequila on her breath.

He was glad they were calling it a night before the bar got really busy. She was far too distracting, especially once she’d let her guard down. Her unexpected smile had mesmerized him and her easy-sounding laugh had surprised him. Her body was smoking hot, but it was her dark eyes and full, pouty lips that had him fighting an odd attraction to his sister’s best friend all evening.

When she stopped spouting bullshit, she was even kind of funny in a dry humor, self-deprecating way. Too bad she couldn’t have a sense of humor like this when she was sober.

“Shit. I forgot my gloves,” Cassie said behind them. “Here’s my keys, I’ll be right back.” She tossed the keys at him and turned to head back toward the bar.