I lift my chin. “Now, you know how it feels to not be able to flirt with someone.”
“So, you were flirting with those guys at the frat house?”
“I didn’t even get a chance. You put the kibosh on every conversation. Glad you got a taste of your own medicine.” I turn to leave, but he stops me.
“Not so fast. After that performance, my name is going to be ringing through the gossip mill as the creep who took your virginity. Good luck explaining that to Chad, by the way. Regardless, you’re mine tonight. I have a reputation to uphold that I’m a chivalrous guy, a good man, and most importantly, a respectful lover. Everyone knows I always get my way with women.” He leans down to whisper in my ear, “No matter who they are.”
Chills run down my spine from his closeness. When he steps back, his face has its own mischievous expression, and I have a feeling the villain just became the prey again.
“What are you doing here anyway, Wes? You’re supposed to be watching the Angels game.”
“I was distracted. Thought I’d get out for a few.”
“And you decided to come here, the place where you knew Amanda and Nicole were taking me?”
“Yes. Matt’s around here somewhere too. I don’t travel alone. And since you ruined my night, the least you can do is have a drink with me.” He sits back on his barstool, holding out his hand to me.
Begrudgingly, I take a seat. “Fine, but only if you’re buying.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He calls over the bartender and orders a beer for himself. I ask for a cosmopolitan. “When did you become a cosmo girl?”
“I love the taste of lime.”
“Good to know.”
The bartender brings us our drinks, and Wes slides a twenty to him. He leans back, and I watch as his eyes drift from the curve of my breasts, down the black material, and stop at where the hem meets my thigh.
When he looks back up, it’s with a hooded expression. “You changed your hair.”
I shrug as I take a drink. “I wanted to try something different. I’m not as straitlaced as the girl you remember.”
He glances down with a grin. “Clearly. I’ll be honest; I like it.” His teeth skim his lip as he stares at my body. “But do I think you should be wearing it? No. You’re begging to get hit on.”
“I’m a grown woman who appreciates a man’s attention every once in a while. It’s been nice, having freedom away from my brother and his insane best friend for the past three years.”
“Then, why did you follow us here?”
I take a drink and narrow my eyes at him over my glass. “I decided a good education tops all else. Plus, you’re only here for the year, and then I get to be on my own again.”
He nods with a crooked grin. “What you’re telling me is that in three years, you’ve grown up without the shadow lurking over you. How many guys did you date?”
“That’s none of your business.” I’m insulted he would even ask.
“Isn’t it? You’re the one who’s trying to convince me you’re a woman now. Isn’t that what you’re up to?”
I take a large swig. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe you should explain to me why it’s so important that I stay away from guys.”
He quirks a brow and leans forward. “Are you sure you want the answer to that?”
I gulp. “Yes.”
The corner of his mouth rises devilishly. “I don’t think anyone’s good enough for you.”
“You haven’t seen me in years. You didn’t even come back home when my mom invited you over for Christmas. I hate to break it to you, Wes, but you don’t know anything about me.” I finish my drink, stand up, and walk away.
It was only one drink, but I drank it fast, which causes a tingle in my body as I walk over to my friends. They moved back to the dance floor, and now, they have drinks in their hands as well.
“How did it go?” Nicole asks.
“I saw the girl rush off in a huff. Total success!” Amanda sings happily.
“Yeah, total success,” I repeat but don’t feel as excited about the victory as they do.
We walk farther into the dance floor, closer to the DJ booth, and cheer when a popular song plays. While they dance like girls gone wild, I sway my hips and try to feel the music as I did before, but my mind is completely elsewhere. The strobe lights are blinking, and the floor is vibrating, but the beat isn’t hitting me.
“I need another drink,” I say to them and ask if they want anything. They decline, so I head off, bumping and swaying through the crowd.
Couples are making out, guys are trying their best to break-dance, and girls are doing their sultriest moves. I’m slipping between people and almost to the edge when I look up.
Wes is heading in my direction with determination ingrained in his veins.
I pause as I wonder if he’s really coming to me. The piercing firmness of his hazel eyes as they hold mine confirms I’m his target.
His hands land on my arms, spinning me around so my back is to his front. In a sea of bodies moving rhythmically, we’re stone-cold statues. My breath is staggered as I feel his chest against my back. His heart is beating wildly, and there’s a possessive grip in his palms on my skin.
With the slowest precision, his fingers slide down to my wrists, leaving a chill in their wake. My body shifts at the sensation as my ass rubs against his groin. His groan is almost inaudible with the loud music.
“For the record, I know more about you than you think,” he speaks into my ear, sending a shiver down to my core.
He moves to my torso, and I gasp as he splays his hands against my stomach, pulling me closer to him.
The inhale I take is so large that my entire chest rises. Lifting my body, I roll my head back into his shoulder.
He moves his hips. My body follows him, swaying with his motion, as I get lost in the feeling of his large frame against my small one. I’m not dancing to the music; I’m dancing to Wes, a siren song in the forbidden sea.
The heat that spreads through my body lands in my core as his arm wraps around my waist, closing the centimeter gap between us as we move as one.
The beat slows, and he moves my wrist up to wrap it around his neck. Chills tingle across my body at the feeling of his hot breath close to my neck. When his lips brush against my shoulder, a pang hits my chest, which is full of anticipation and desire.
My breath quickens as our motions slow with the music. His hips push into mine, and I feel his cock getting hard against my ass.
I’ve never been so lost in someone’s touch. The music, the scene, the closeness … it’s all overwhelming my senses, and I don’t want it to stop.
I roll my hips directly into him, and he growls against my neck. It’s like he’s my owner, someone who’s stepped up and taken control of my body with one touch.
I’ve never been more emboldened to get what I want.
Someone bumps into us, knocking us off-balance. I spin, and Wes catches me before I hit the ground. When our eyes meet, I see his widen in almost shock and then quickly morph into regret. Everything I felt a moment ago vanishes with that one look.
Before I can speak, he exits the dance floor, heading straight for the door and never coming back.