“Yeah, the best damn beer in town.”

She scolds me with her eyes before playfully smacking me. “Fine, don’t tell me, but be careful, okay?”

I nod. “Sure, Ma.”

“Grand. Well, have fun tonight.”

“Will do,” I say before placing a kiss to her cheek and then walking towards the door. Our butler opens the door for me and follows me out to open the door of my car. I smile my thanks before getting in and driving off. My nerves are fried, and my heart hasn’t stilled since Kane said Amberlyn would be at the Carney. I really don’t want to go, but I will deal with it as long as I get to see Amberlyn out of the pub. Not that I don’t love seeing her there because I do, but I want to see what it is like between us outside of it. Does she only like me because I’m a paying customer, or does she like me for me? I hope that she does since I’m almost positive she wanted to kiss me this afternoon. It may have been all in my head but then again, her breathing hitched and I saw her eyes start to drift shut.

It was the hottest thing I had ever seen.

Letting my foot push the pedal harder, I drive with ease down the winding roads to the Carney. When I see the rows of cars and then the lights, I know I have reached it. It hasn’t changed much in the last couple of years and like before, couples are in every place, getting a feel as drunks move around them like they aren’t there. Cups and bottles litter the ground, and people are everywhere. This is what the Carney is known for—beer, sex, and drugs—all outside. Smashing time, right? Yeah, it used to be my scene, not so much anymore.

Weaving through the crowds as the music pulsates around me, I keep an eye out for Kane. He messaged me that they were by the bonfire where the DJ is. When I come up to that spot, I see Amberlyn first. She is dancing with Fiona, a wide smile on her face as they hold hands, dancing to the techno beat. Her hair is moving, her breasts bouncing, and fuck, I’m getting hard just watching her. I blame it on the shirt; it shows way more of her delectable breasts than usual, and it doesn’t help that the shorts are shorter than normal either. She looks so carefree, so happy, that a wide smile comes over my lips.

When a hand comes down on my shoulder, I look over to find Kane. He is grinning like an eejit, handing me a beer as his eyes redirect to where the girls are dancing.

“Glad you came,” he yells over the music.

“Couldn’t miss seein’ her.”

As she bends over, shaking her ass in Fiona’s pelvic area, I know that this was the best idea ever. God bless Kane, such a great friend for inviting me. I don’t even care that we are in a cesspool of vermin. Nope, all I care about is that gorgeous girl dancing with no cares in the world.

“Reminds me,” he says and I look over but before he can say anything, someone clasp my wrist. Looking back, Amberlyn is grinning up at me.

“You’re here!”

I nod. “Yeah, came for the party.”

“That’s so cool! I’m drunk; can you tell?”

I laugh because I can. Her eyes are glassy, and she is sort of wobbling. “Just a tad.”

She laughs as she leans into me. I can smell her flowery smell, and it clouds my senses as she says, “I got my tattoo!”

“Let me see then,” I yell over the music.

She grins as she pulls her shirt up too far, not only giving me a great view of her black lace bra but also, the very fresh tattoo. Being a gentleman, I do my best to ignore that I can see her rosy bud through the lace of her bra and focus solely on the tattoo. It’s an intricate design, the names Ciara and Tomas intertwined with the lines of the sparrow. It is beautiful.

“Breathtaking,” I say.

“I love it so much,” she whispers. I can barely hear her, but I can see the tears welling up in her sweet eyes. She is strumming my heartstrings. I want nothing more than to wrap her up in my arms and never let go. Shaking her head, she grins up at me and yells, “Catch up with me! Drink! Then let’s dance!”

I’m not much of a dancer, but I’d give it a go just for the excuse to touch her. Before I can say that though, she says, “Oh wait! No, we can’t do that.”

“We can’t?” I ask as Fiona laughs loudly, wrapping her arms around Amberlyn.

“Come on, let’s go dance!” she says, pulling Amberlyn away before I can ask again why we can’t dance together. I watch them for a moment before turning to Kane.

“What was the about?”

Kane looks nervous, a little off put as he shrugs. “Listen, I didn’t know he was coming.”

“He? Who the fuck is he?”

Kane nods towards the girls again when I turn I see Amberlyn in the arms of someone else. Someone I hate. Someone I’d love nothing more than to kill. My nails bite into my palms as my heart pounds so loud that it’s the only thing I hear. I see nothing but red as Casey Burke’s hands run all over Amberlyn’s body. The body I want to touch and cherish.

“What the fuck?”

“I don’t fuckin’ know, Dec, I come into the pub for a beer and next thing I know, he’s in there, hitting on her and shit. I thought you had her locked down?”

I shake my head slowly as I run my hands through my hair, knocking my hat off. Leaning down, I pick it up before putting it back on my head. “Not yet. Fuck me.”

Kane shook his head. “She seems to fancy him, but I know she fancies ya more! You should have danced with her.”

“I didn’t have a chance to say yes. Fuck,” I say again, kicking the ground and throwing my beer to the side as I watch that piece of shit rub on the first girl I’ve had feelings for in a long while. “What do I do?”

“Tell her how ya feel! She’ll forget all about him.”

My body shakes with anger and maybe nerves as I watch them. Amberlyn looks beautiful, carefree, as she moves against him while holding Fiona’s hands. They are having a grand time while I’m sitting here, fucking pissed. Damn it. “Now? Do I tell her now?”

He shakes his head, his eyes out on where Fiona is watching him as she dances. “No, they are drunk. Wait till tomorrow.”

“Sure, yeah, okay. I’m getting out of here. Should’ve told me he was here.”

Kane nods. “I was hoping that you’d ignore him and stay.”

“Sorry, pal. Gotta go.”

“Sure, see ya tomorrow.”