Save Me by Laura L. Cline Read Free Book Online

path for me to pass, but I have to move my ass in front of him to get by. I look down at him with a grin. He returns with a side of smolder. Damn, I want to kiss that mouth.
    There's no line at the bathroom, surprisingly, so I pee quickly and wash my hands. My feet want to carry me back to Jack quickly, but that's thrown aside as soon as I leave the bathroom.
    "Hey, um, Allie's friend," Sean, at least I think his name was Sean, yells at me over the music. He's holding Allie by the arm and I already know why he's sought me out. I shake my head and get ready for damage control.
    "She puked on my fucking shoes," Sean says. I look at his feet and sure enough, he's wearing Allie's vomit. She looks at me apologetically, her eyes barely open.
    "Sorry about that," I offer. "I've got her." Sean hands her over like a dirty jacket and walks away staring at his feet. Usually, when this happens, it doesn’t happen for at least another hour or two. I scan the crowd hoping to see Jack. I finally spot him and he sees me. I motion for him.
    "Hold on, Allie Cat," I say as she sways a little in my arms. I hate that she gets so shit faced. She had to have been drinking on the dance floor to have gotten here so fast.
    Jack makes his way over and eyes Allie's wobbly form. He looks at me and raises his eyebrows.
    "Guessing I shouldn't have bought those shots, huh?" he asks, pulling on his coat.
    "If you hadn't, someone else would've," I say. "Would you hold on to her and let me go pay our tab?"
    Jack leans in close so I can hear and I get to stare into his eyes for a second before he speaks.
    "I already took care of it." He smiles at me, those dimples and those lips blessing my eyes.
    "Thanks, but you shouldn't have."
    "Don't mention it. Here, let me help you get her outside." Jack puts Allie's other arm around his shoulders and hoists her up.
    We walk Allie out of the bar and toward my car. Jack supports her while I open the door and try to keep her from falling head first into the seat. She'll probably be fine in an hour and bitching about why I made her leave early.
    Jack closes the door and comes around to my side of the car.
    "And you ask why I avoid nightclubs," he mutters.
    The wind whips up a little and blows my hair around my face. I fight with it before finally taming it behind my ear. Jack watches me, his dark eyes observant and interested. He puts his hands in his coat pockets.
    "I should probably get her home," I say.
    "Want me to follow you?" Jack offers.
    "Nah, we'll be fine. I've done this a time or ten before," I joke. I suppress a shiver as a cold gust of air moves between us.
    "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Carly." He takes his hand from his pocket and reaches out for mine. I lay my hand against his fingers and he pulls it to his lips. He plants a soft kiss on the back of my hand. "Thanks for the dance."
    I don't even know what to say. Allie and I make fun of things like this, neither of us willing to admit that we'd find it incredibly attractive if a man ever did this to us. She's snoozing from boozing in my car while it happens to me.
    "You're very welcome, Jack." I study his face as he peers up at me, cataloguing every aspect of it to my memory. He releases my hand and backs away. I want to call out to him, to tell him I've changed my mind and he can follow me home, but I don't. I open the car door and watch as he climbs inside a beat up silver Chevy. He starts it up, the exhaust idling with a subtle rumble. He drives the truck around to the exit as I climb inside my car.
    I watch as his taillights disappear before starting the car. Allie snores a little as I put the car in drive and pull out onto the highway.
    "You owe me big time, bitch," I say to her sleeping form. She mumbles a drunken response and I drive to my house, the feeling of Jack's strong arm around my waist and his lips on my hand swimming in my head.
    §
    Allie sleeps on my couch, but her snores carry through the wall and into my bedroom. I lie there at 3 a.m.