Jared put his elbows on the table and settled in, smiling. “You mean the first night we danced?”

I rested my cheek on the palm of my hand, shooting a flirtatious smile across the table. “That’s exactly what I was referring to, yes.”

The music was loud, so I resorted to texting Beth to see if she wanted to meet elsewhere. I felt safe anywhere if I was with Jared. Although Chad was no pipsqueak, I couldn’t imagine she would be comfortable here.

Seconds after I sent the text, Beth and Chad pushed through the door. Beth’s eyes were wide as she looked around, and only slightly relieved when she recognized Jared and me. She waved at us, and then pulled Chad hastily across the room to our little corner.

“What in the hell happened to this place?” she said.

I leaned into the table. “Do you want to leave?”

“Why?” Chad said, puffing up his chest. “I’m ready for a beer.”

We ordered, then Claire appeared, with Ryan right behind her.

One of the men whistled, and then slapped Claire’s backside. She jerked to a stop, and with her stiletto boots, kicked the leg of the chair the man was in. It splintered, sending him tumbling to the ground. Neither Claire nor Ryan glanced behind them. They simply continued to our table as if nothing had happened.

One of the misfits at the man’s table stood, and then Jared pushed himself away from the table, rising until his six feet, two inches towered over his challenger. Even from across the room he was intimidating. When the friend promptly took his seat, Jared did the same.

“You always have to make an entrance,” Jared grumbled to his sister.

“I’ll never get his greasy fingerprints out of this fabric.”

“That’s what you get for wearing pleather,” Ryan joked.

“This is not pleather,” Claire seethed. She jerked her head, shaking her bangs from her eyes. Her ice blue irises glowed against her nearly white hair, and I silently hoped that Bean looked just like her. A little nicer, of course, but physically, Claire was the perfect female specimen.

Beth filled us in on the magnitude of emotions at Titan, the rumors, and how well Grant was handling it all. The longer Beth talked, the hotter the pub became, as more grungy bikers and seedy individuals flowed through the door. Hearing Beth over the noise became more difficult for Chad, but Jared and I only pretended to struggle. To me, Beth sounded like she was talking directly into my ear.