Southern Seduction (9 page)

Eliza laughs loudly and nods her head in agreement. “All right. Looks like we’re in for a fantastic night!” She slams her hand down on the table with enthusiasm, causing Sarah and Daniella to grin in response.

For this small sliver of time, everything will be right with the world. Daniella isn’t going to worry about school or finances or anything. She’s just going to enjoy herself.

Enjoy hanging out with her friends.

Enjoy being young.

The house band finishes their set and two twenty-something guys sidle up to their table. They’re attractive in a frat boy kind of way, and it’s obvious that Eliza and Sarah know them. They hug both guys with huge grins on their faces.

Cheers to the fact that Daniella is going to be the third wheel tonight.

“Daniella, this is Toby and Frankie,” Sarah introduces.

“Nice to meet you,” she offers with a pleasant smile.

“So this is the famous Daniella who always refuses to go out with you two?” Toby inquires with a smirk as he slides the sleeves of his blue collared shirt up his arms. He’s working the preppy look, and Daniella wouldn’t be surprised if he also sports boat shoes and pastels in his spare time. Not her type at all.

“That’s me,” she replies with a sarcastic tone, and Eliza kicks her barstool with a sharp stiletto. Daniella immediately grins back at her friend’s annoyed expression.

In a matter of a few seconds, the two girls manage to have an entire conversation without speaking a single word. Men really don’t understand how ridiculously intuitive women are, especially when they’re around each other. They have ways of communicating that men could never fathom or comprehend.

“What?”

“You know what.”

“I was trying to be nice.”

“Just because he’s looks like a frat boy doesn’t mean you need to pull out the sarcasm.”

“All right, all right. I’ll be nice to Mr. Boat Shoes and his preppy friend.”

Their nonverbal conversation is only witnessed by Sarah. She watches them with hilarity in her eyes, hiding her giggle behind a fake cough. The Frat Boys don’t notice that an entire conversation about them just occurred and not a single word was spoken.

“So, ladies,” Frankie says seductively. “What are your plans for this evening?”

“We’re looking to get into some trouble,” Daniella offers without batting an eye.

“What kind of trouble?” Toby questions with intrigue as he runs his hand through his curly brown hair. Curly hair on guys doesn’t really do it for Daniella either. That’s one benefit Sarah and Eliza get from having a friend like her. There is no way in hell they’ll ever find themselves fighting over the same guy. Her taste is the complete opposite of their tastes. She likes her men to be…well,
men
. Muscular, husky voices and piercing eyes are at the top of her preferred traits list. She’s attracted to guys who are a little rough around the edges, a hint of wickedness that can only be resolved in the bedroom.

Someone like Penn Wilder.

Where in the hell did that come from? God, it’s been over a month since she saw him at that circus of a wedding. She shakes her head at her mind’s ridiculousness, trying to push the crazy thoughts aside. Honestly, it’s a damn shame she hasn’t exercised her bedroom skills in a while. The last time she hooked up with someone was…
Shit
… It’s been so long that she’s not even willing to openly admit just how long it’s really been.

“I’d say we’re open to suggestions,” Eliza adds as she gazes into Toby’s eyes.

He smirks back at her with a knowing look. “We were going to head out somewhere with a few of our buddies. It should be a good time. You interested?”

“Somewhere? Where exactly is somewhere?” Sarah questions with curiosity.

Toby smiles as he tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. “We can’t tell. It’s a surprise. Our buddy Devon just got back from Iraq and we’re prepared to show this Marine a celebratory night out.”

“My brother just got back from his fourth tour in Afghanistan six months ago. He’s stationed in Germany now. I’m game. Let’s show the Marine a good time. He fucking deserves it!” Daniella raises her glass in the air and proceeds to down the rest of her beer.

Eliza laughs and Sarah’s brow shoots up in surprise.

They are both a little shocked that Daniella is already a little more than buzzed, but that was the point of the night. She wanted to get drunk and enjoy herself. And that is exactly what she’s going to do—what she is
already
doing.

“You ladies can ride with us then. We’ve got a party bus for the night.” Toby holds his hand out for Eliza and she takes it willingly while Daniella follows behind them in slight annoyance. She’s having a hard time understanding what her friend sees in this guy, but she is more than aware that it’s not her place to judge.

Daniella decides she really needs to turn off bitch mode for a hot minute and stop being so judgmental by his douche-y attire. She’s drunk. Yeah, that’s a safe bet. Whenever her normally slightly bitchy side becomes overtly bitchy and she’s mentally haranguing people for their choice in clothing attire, she knows it’s time to take it down a notch.

“Who did you bring with you?” a voice calls from the back of the bus as the girls step inside. There are at least ten guys sitting around drinking beer, and Daniella’s eyes find a handsome brown-eyed gaze staring back at her. He’s hot in a clean-cut kind of way.

“Ladies, please make yourselves comfortable.” Toby gestures with his hand as he takes a seat. “This is Eliza, Sarah, and Daniella,” he says, introducing them to the rowdy group. He continues to tell them everyone’s names. Daniella makes her way towards the back and finds a seat near the guy with the brown eyes.

“Hi. I’m Devon,” he says with a sly smile. “Daniella, right?”

She nods and grins back at him. She chose a spot right beside him, their thighs now touching from close proximity. “So is this party for you?”

He chuckles, and she immediately notices his full lips. “Yeah. These rowdy assholes decided that I need a celebratory night out since I just got back from Iraq.”

“I had a feeling this was your party. You’re the only clean-cut, non-frat-looking guy here.”

He lets out a deep baritone laugh. “Is that so? Do I look like I’ve got Marine written across my forehead or something?”

“Pretty much. The buzz cut gave you away.” She coyly looks up at him, assessing his facial expression. He’s a little intoxicating. Attractive in a boy-next-door kind of way. “So where are we headed?” she asks as her eyes peer out the window, watching the street lights pass by as the bus heads out of the parking lot of Papa’s Pub.

He shrugs. “I have no idea. They won’t tell me anything. My guess is a strip club.”

She laughs in response and her mind wanders to thoughts of Penn. Strip club owner extraordinaire. He’s definitely had his fair share of experiences with strippers. Daniella finds herself a little jealous of all the stupid ‘exotic dancers’ who get the pleasure of seeing him on a daily basis.

Okay, a lot jealous
.

She’s been crushing on that man since she was a little girl. He’s always been like a mythical creature to her. Older and far, far out of her reach, practically untouchable from where she stands. Well, except for one perfect night. One night she got to touch him, kiss him,
feel him
in all of the ways she had dreamed of.

The bus sways gently from side to side as it takes a hard right turn and pushes Daniella even closer to Devon. When he looks down at her and his mouth crests into a slight smirk, she immediately notices the one dimple indented in his right cheek. His arm rests behind her on the back of the seat and his fingers graze her shoulder, causing her body to go stiff for a few seconds.

She’s shocked by her reaction to his touch.

Why did her body practically repel in response to Devon’s fingers against her skin?

Maybe it’s because her mind was lost in fantasy land with a certain Southern man with piercing blue eyes…

She tells that thought to go fuck itself and searches the bus for her roommates. They are already getting cozy with the two guys from the bar. The rest of the bus is busy taking shots, grabbing beers from the cooler, and talking animatedly about the near brawl that occurred at one of their stops from earlier in the night.

Devon’s fingers squeeze her shoulder and she’s thankful her body doesn’t freak out this time. “So do you go to Houston?” he inquires in an attempt to make small talk.

“Yeah, I’m a senior this year,” she answers with a less-than-enthused tone to her voice.

“Nice. Big plans after graduation?” he asks with genuine interest.

“Once I finish my B.A. in photography, I’m hoping to get into a photojournalism graduate program. What about you?”

“I’m still strapped down to Uncle Sam for another two years. I’m sure they’ve got big plans for me,” he responds dryly.

That answer finally spurs some interest from her. “My brother Billy is in the Army. He did so many tours in Afghanistan and Iraq that I’ve honestly lost track. He’s currently stationed somewhere in Germany. God, I miss having him home.”

He nods knowingly. “I bet you do. Ever consider a trip to Europe for a visit?”

Daniella shrugs with feigned indifference. Obviously she would love to visit her twin brother, but there’s no way she could afford a trip like that right now. She can hardly afford to finish school. “That would be quite a trip. One that would include several international flights.” She laughs despite herself. “But to answer your question, I have no current plans to make the trek to Germany. I’m too busy right now with classes. So…how long are you home?”

“I don’t know. Probably a month or so, and then I’m sure I’ll be shipped out to some shithole town in the Middle East.”

“What does your family think? I’m sure they miss you,” she asks with curiosity. Her parents are extremely proud of her brother, but she can tell they’d much rather have him home.

When Billy decided to enlist in the Army, Bud and Nadine Pruitt weren’t exactly celebrating. Daniella’s momma cried for nearly three days straight. The four years he spent going back and forth to the Middle East were really rough on Mrs. Pruitt, and she’s not exactly thrilled that her youngest son is currently in Germany, but she’s definitely more at ease knowing that he’s not on enemy territory fighting insurgents.

“My dad was a Marine, his dad was a Marine… You get the idea. I’ve been raised in a military family. My life was spent moving from base camp to base camp. It’s what I’ve always known,” Devon offers, his facial expression bland.

“We’re here!” Toby yells to the entire bus with enthusiasm. “I hope you’re ready for some lap dances, Dev!”

Devon shakes his head with a chuckle and then whispers to Daniella, “I told you we were going to a strip club.”

A grin covers her mouth. “Yeah, I kinda figured that. I was looking to get into some trouble tonight anyways,” she adds with a wink as she stands up, adjusting her skirt so it’s a more reasonable length.

“Nice tattoo,” Devon compliments as a satisfied smile consumes his face. She stands directly in front of him, his eyes looking intently at the ink on display. “That looks like a pretty big piece.”

“Thanks, and you’re right. It is. The birds that come from the feather work their way across my back and all the way up to this shoulder.” She turns her body so he can see the black ink that peeks out from the strap of her tank top.

“Was that your first?” he inquires as he stands up.

“Yep.”

He whistles quietly. “Damn, you went all out for your first.”

“Do you have tattoos?” she asks behind her shoulder as she follows the lead of drunken frat guys filing off the bus.

“A few,” he offers as his eyes crinkle in amusement.

Hmmm. A few?
Consider her curious.

She steps off the bus and her body comes to an immediate halt. She’s frozen, still as a statue.
Wild Nights.
Her head tilts upwards to take in the flashing neon sign that sits in front of the club.
Penn’s strip club.
This isn’t an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ‘have drinks with friends’ kind of club. Wild Nights is a ‘that lap dance will be fifty dollars’ kind of club. A club located just outside of Houston city limits that prides itself on its champagne room and lap dances.

Black concrete walls are accented by large silver doors and no windows. She shudders slightly at the sight. This club is kind of intimidating, and she’s a little nervous to run into the one man she can’t seem to get out of her head. The parking lot is full, and she catches sight of a few broken beer bottles strewn across the blacktop.

“Oh lordy,” she mutters to herself, her Southern drawl coming out. This is definitely the last place she imagined being tonight.

She takes a deep breath and runs her petite fingers through her brunette locks. She’s trying her best to appear unaffected and focus her mind on other things that have no affiliation with Penn Wilder.

What if she sees
him
tonight?

Even though the possibility of seeing him tonight makes her feel like throwing up, she’s thankful for her choice in attire. Although her makeup is minimal, she at least took the time to apply mascara, blush, and lip gloss. The hair, the makeup, the current attire revealing skin inked with tattoos—this is all her. This is Daniella, not Danny Jo. This is a girl Penn is most certainly not familiar with, and she smiles at that thought.