Free In A Heartbeat by Hilary Storm

follow her over, just as she knew I would after that last statement of hers.
    “Hello boys! My girl here would like to say thanks for the drink!” The entire table rises to their feet as we arrive. They tip their cowboy hats at us and smile. One of them calls for the waitress to get Ivy a drink and they guide us to sit in the midst of all of them. There was a lot of yes ma’am and no ma’am responses that Ivy was just eating up. The one right next to me is Aiden. His bright blue eyes and gorgeous smile almost melt me.
    He asks me to dance and I reluctantly accept. It is different dancing with a country guy. It seems a little stiff compared to the sensual melting into a person that I am used to. He is very gentle and respectful with his hands and I ap preciate that. We talk a little and I find out he is also a student at the university and his apartment is near ours. We finish our dance and head back to the table just in time for me to see Talon and his crew stroll up to the table that is right next to the cowboy table. Shit. That sobered me up.
    Talon is staring at me as I walk up and I can’t make eye contact with him. He grabs my arm and guides me away from Aiden.
    Talon leans his head down into my ear and whispers. “Are you ignoring me?”
    What? He is crazy. I can’t deal with him.
    “What is wrong with you? Are you bipolar? I have had it with your games.” I say trying to get away from his hold on my arm.
    “I have been trying to call you. I texted multiple times and even came by your house tonight to apologize for my behavior this morning.” He was apologizing? I stop struggling to get away. I have never had a guy apologize to me.
    “Why would you say that to me? I didn’t even know that you knew Brandon. It hurts that you would tell me to go to him knowing what he did to me, and I’m not ignoring you. I left my phone at home.”
    “That’s just it. I don’t know him or what he did. I was an ass. I only heard part of your conversation with Luke and I assumed you were talking to Brandon now. It pissed me off so bad that I couldn’t see through the anger that was flowing through my veins. I really thought we hit it off great and then I find out you are talking to some guy named Brandon.”
    “Are you kidding me? I am not talking to Brandon. I haven’t since I walked in on him with his penis in some girl almost a year ago.”
    “I know that now. I am so sorry that I blew up and didn’t talk to you. Please forgive me?” He says as he hugs me c lose to his body with his hands. We are so close. I can’t think clearly when I am this close to him.
    “Dance with me.” He says, and waits until I nod before he leads me to the dance floor. The way he holds me is so very different than any other guy has held me. Our bodies melt into each other right away and he holds me as close to him as possible. Everything else fades into the distance as I lose myself in him yet again.
    “So how did you figure out that you had misunderstood?” I ask him trying to fit together all of the pieces of the day.
    “Luke set my ass straight at practice. After he told me that I fucked up, I lost my mind trying to reach you. We had practice tonight and I couldn’t stay focused to get through even one number without messing up. The rest of them had enough of me and called it an early night. So here I am.”
    I place my hand on his cheek where I slapped him. “I am sorry that I slapped you. I should never have hit you.” He smiles at me. “I deserved it. It actually shocked me a little and left a sting for a while that made me think of you most of the day.”
    “You thought of me? I didn’t think about you at all today.” I say, smirking and lying out my ass. “That is why Ivy had to drag me out of the house and pour shots down my throat all night. I was a mess.”
    “If we are so miserable apart, maybe we should make it official and be together.”
    “Are you asking me to be your gf?”
    “ Does gf stand for good