She climbed off the barstool and hugged her family and friends. Him she ignored, which fired his anger to life. Lifting a hand, she walked away, moving with that natural grace some women have.

“I’ll say goodnight too.” He acknowledged everyone before leaving. Joe slapped his hand just like they had when they were teenagers. Some habits were ingrained, Dylan guessed.

He caught up with Piper as she reached her car.

“I can’t work out what your problem is with me, other than my surname, and you didn’t know that earlier.”

She was looking in her handbag, which was no doubt full of copious quantities of useless crap.

“I don’t have a problem with you.”

“You do, and I want to know why when we’ve never met before today, and okay, we didn’t exactly get off to a good start, but still, that anger you’re holding on to is starting to piss me off. Especially as I haven’t done a damn thing to deserve it.”

She closed the bag. All the anger had gone when she looked up at him.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay. Today was a rough day for me, and then there’s your mom, and that other thing.” She looked uncomfortable, not a look she was used to, he was sure.

“Other thing?”

She thought about that.

“The hotness thing.”

“Hotness thing?”

“You’re sexy as hell, all right!” she snapped. “And I do not want to be attracted to anyone right now, so it was easier to be—”

“A bitch?”

She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, that, and I am sorry.”

“That’s okay, you have this hotness thing too.”

“So we’re agreed then?”

“About what?” She had beautiful skin. Soft and silky. Dylan wanted to touch it, feel if it was cool or hot.

“Avoiding each other.”

“You always this straight-up?”

She rested her back against her car. It was freezing out here, but neither of them were cold right at that moment. In fact, Dylan was heating up nicely.

“I live with Joe, Jack, and Luke; that’s the only language they know.”

“Gotta love a woman who knows her mind,” Dylan said, moving closer.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Kissing you.” He swallowed her denial.

Her lips were sinful, and the body he pressed into lush and curvy. He wanted to slip his hand under that shirt and feel her, really get to know Piper Trainer. Instead he eased his tongue inside her mouth and stroked hers. Her soft little moan went straight to his groin. Her hands wrapped around his neck and closed the remaining inches between them.

Dylan lost track of time; there was only now and the woman he held in his arms. Blood pumped through his body, and a savage need built.