I giggled and shrugged. “Maybe if I get drunk you might,” I flirted, raising one eyebrow at him suggestively.

He groaned. “Anna, no begging me for sex if you’re off your pretty face tonight, okay?” he whined, pouting.

I grinned wickedly as I shrugged. “I never agree to a deal that I know I won’t be able to keep.” That was the truth. I wouldn’t be able to agree to that because whenever I was drinking, I couldn’t seem to stop flirting with the boy. I guess the drink made me shed my inhibitions, and my sense of right and wrong, because flirting with him was always such a terrific idea at the time.

He laughed at my comment. “Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t be able to keep your word,” he agreed, pulling on a black button-down shirt and dark blue jeans. I groaned as he clipped on his little gun holder around his ankle.

“Aww come on, you won’t need that!” I whined.

He sighed. “Look, I already got rid of one of the guards for you; I can’t get rid of the gun too.”

Knowing he was right and that I couldn’t actually protest when he was already breaking the rules by bringing me to LA on his own, I stood and decided to change the subject. I did a little twirl. “Do I look okay? I could dress up a little more, I brought a dress with me,” I offered nervously. I had no idea what the girls in LA wore to a club.

“You look beautiful,” he promised, taking my face in his hands and looking into my eyes. My stomach clenched at his compliment. The way he looked at me so adoringly made me feel as if I was flying. As he stared into my eyes, I could feel the passion building; I’d been feeling it all day. He bent his face towards mine slowly, and I held my breath waiting for his soft lips to touch mine. They were millimetres away when a loud banging on the door ruined the moment.

“Come on, let’s go already!” Nate shouted, sounding bored.

“I’m really starting to hate my best friend,” Ashton muttered, sliding his hands down my neck, across my shoulders and down my arms. When his hands got to mine, he interlaced our fingers and gave me a little tug towards the door.

Nate’s eyes widened as we walked out of the room. “Damn, Anna, you look sexy as hell,” he growled, looking me over slowly. I giggled as Ashton punched his arm again in reprimand. “I know, I know. Yours!” Nate grumbled, turning for the door.

Chapter Twenty-Three

As soon as we arrived at the club we would be going to, we were ushered through because apparently Ashton and Nate knew the guy on the door. The security guy didn’t even look twice at me, which was fantastic considering I wasn’t actually old enough to be in the club in the first place. As we made our way through the crowd, Ashton seemed a little tense; he practically stuck himself to my back as we walked past a group of guys who were eyeing me. I wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to do his job properly, or if he was just being possessive, I had a feeling it was a mixture of both.

I followed Nate to the far side of the club, seeing Seth, Wayne, and Ryan standing there flirting with a couple of girls. Even though he’d only left us just over an hour ago, Ryan’s lopsided smile told me he was already slightly tipsy.

When we stopped and exchanged pleasantries, I spotted a pretty blonde girl standing alone at the bar. I touched Nate’s arm. “Right then, let’s find you a woman,” I chirped. “You like blondes, I bet.”

“Yeah, I like anything that’s female,” he agreed, laughing.

“Okay, I’ve got you a suitable candidate. Try not to make a fool of yourself, alright?” I joked. “Who wants what to drink? My round,” I offered, looking around at them all. Everyone answered with beer, apart from Ashton who just took my hand.

“I’ll come with you.”

I tugged my hand out of his and stepped closer to him, smiling reassuringly. “But I’ll be right there. There’s no need to worry, I promise. You can even still see me,” I murmured, going up on tiptoes and planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Please? No one even knows me here,” I whispered so that no one else could hear. He sighed, and his shoulders tightened as his eyes scanned the bar before he finally nodded in agreement. I grinned triumphantly. “Great, what do you want to drink then?”

“Orange juice.”

I frowned at that. “Can I put vodka in that?”

Ashton shook his head sternly. “No, Anna,” was all he said. I knew that was a definite no, he only used my actual name when he was serious.

Walking off before he could change his mind, I made my way to the bar, squeezing in next to the blonde girl I’d scouted for Nate. I smiled at her. “I love your dress, it’s gorgeous.”

She smiled before brushing the skirt of her red dress gently. “Thanks! I got it on sale. It only cost thirty-five bucks, can you believe that?”

“No way, that’s awesome,” I gasped, looking down at it enviously, wondering if I could ask Ashton to hunt out this mystery store so I could buy one before we left to go back to school. The barman stopped in front of me and smiled expectantly. “Hey, can I have four beers, an orange juice and a rum and coke?” I asked, praying he wouldn’t card me.

He didn’t even bat an eyelid as I reeled off my alcohol order. While he was making it, I turned my attention to the girl again. “Are you here on your own?”

She sighed and frowned, looking around quickly. “I’m supposed to be meeting friends, but I’m a little early.”