He ignored my rant, turned us, arm firm around my shoulders and guided us toward the elevator.

I struggled.

With little effort, Hector controlled the struggle and got me in the elevator.

“Hector!” I snapped. “Didn’t you hear me?”

“You’ll be fine,” he said as he leaned to the side, taking me with him and tagged the button.

“I won’t be fine.”

“You will.”

“I won’t!

The doors closed and Hector curled my solid body into his arms.

He was still grinning.

“I see I gotta loosen you up,” he told me, his eyes dancing but they were warm and intense.

Oh no.

I knew that look.

“Hector –” I started but he didn’t listen. Instead, he kissed me.

In about a nanosecond, he loosened me up all right. So much, we were full on necking when the elevator doors opened.

“Yowza, get a room!” I heard Ally call.

I pulled free of Hector’s arms, looked into Luke and Ava’s cool LoDo loft and felt my face go flush as my eyes bugged out.

Everyone was there including two guys I’d never seen before. There were margarita glasses scattered amongst bowls of chips and guacamole with the bizarre addition of loads of tubes, tubs, brushes, combs, sprays, bottles, jars, mirrors and hair dryers.

The Rock Chicks were all in various stages of… I didn’t know what. Their makeup was way over the top, their hair teased out to maximum volume and they were all dressed like, well, there was no nice way to put it… skanks.

“We’ve decided to go groupie!” Ava announced happily.

“Not groupie, Eighties Rock Video Bimbo,” Indy corrected her (like there was a difference).

Eighties Rock Video Bimbo?

Were they nuts?

Regardless of this alarming announcement which would make anyone in their right mind turn and flee, Hector moved me into the loft and Luke got close to us.

“You got a choice, babe,” Luke said and my eyes turned to him when I realized he was talking to me. “You can stay here and get skanked or you can go out tonight with Hector and me. We’ll probably get shot at but I’m thinkin’ it’s the better choice.”

My mouth dropped open and my heart started beating harder before I realized he was teasing me.

Still, teasing or not, I turned to Hector and said, “I don’t want you to get shot at.”

Hector was grinning. “I’m not gonna get shot at.”

I was not deterred. “You get in a situation where you even think you’re going to get shot at, you exit said situation, pronto,” I demanded.

“Oowee, listen to Little Miss Bossy,” Shirleen called.

I cut my eyes to Shirleen and she laughed at the ice rays I sent darting in her direction.

Yes, laughed!

Whatever.

I had bigger fish to fry.

I looked back at Hector. “Promise me.”

“Sadie –”

“Promise!” I snapped.

“Shit, you’re cute,” Hector said rather than promising.

I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not cute and I’m not being funny. Now, promise.”

He curled me to his front and his mouth touched mine.

When he lifted his mouth from mine he murmured, “Promise.”

“Well,” I breathed, “thank you.”

He smiled.

I stared.

“I remember those happy days when it was all soft kisses and promises,” Ava said and I turned out of Hector’s arms and caught Luke giving Ava a brows raised look that made his own, unique promise and his look was nearly as hot as the ones Hector gave me. My eyes moved to Ava and I saw her face had gone soft but her teeth were biting her lip and I knew she knew she was in trouble but the good kind.

“All right, enough of this, Hot Boys, out. Rock Chicks, T-minus thirty minutes to Stella and The Gypsies, we got work to do,” one of the guys I didn’t know said and I recognized his voice. It was Tod and, out of Burgundy Rose drag, he was tall, slim and had a crew cut.

“Hi, Tod,” I called, pulled away from Hector and walked a few steps into the loft.

“Hi, girlie.” Tod smiled. “This is my other half, Stevie.” He gestured to the handsome Hispanic man who was mixing a pitcher of margaritas and smiling at me. “Stevie, this is Sadie.”

“Hey, Sadie. Welcome to the madhouse,” Stevie said and I couldn’t help it, he was so right, I smiled at him and gave him a wave.

“Babe, we’re goin’,” Luke told Ava and without hesitation she moved to him and I watched as he took her in his arms and put his lips to hers but he didn’t kiss her. I couldn’t hear but he whispered something to her, his mouth moving against hers and whatever he said made her smile and melt into him.

I felt jealousy, pure and acid, burning through me before Hector cut off my line of sight.

“You come to me when you’re done,” Hector ordered as his hand went to the side my neck, and up, fingers sliding into my hair.

I looked up at him, the jealousy still burning but my stomach pitched all the same.

“Okay.”

“I don’t know how long this thing will take Luke and me but I probably won’t make it tonight. Lee, Eddie and Hank are designated drivers. They’re goin’ to the gig. Tex and Duke both said they were goin’ too. If Mace isn’t workin’, he’s always at Stella’s gigs and tonight is one of those nights. You stay close to one of them, close enough to touch ‘em. All night. Got me?”

I nodded.

His face dipped to mine and he murmured, voice so soft, I barely heard him, “Now, kiss me good-bye.”

I blinked, the jealous acid drifted away and the stomach pitch turned to a belly melt.

“What?” I whispered.

“Kiss me,” he repeated.

Regardless of my melted belly, the Ice Princess had finished her cocktail and decided to take over. “I think we’ve already made enough of a spectacle of ourselves.”

His eyes went warm and intense. “All right, mamita, I’ll kiss you.”

Then he did, hot and hungry and just as quickly as it started, his mouth broke from mine and he was gone.

I stared, my body swaying without his close as the elevator doors closed on him and Luke. Hector stared at me too, his face soft and knowing then the doors shut him from sight.

“All righty then,” Ava called. “Sadie, get over here, we’ve got work to do.”

Slowly, I turned and everyone was smiling at me.