“What’s wrong?” she asks me leaning up towards my ear.
“Nothing.” I pull her body close to mine. I can smell the tequila she just drank. That’s gonna make her a lot more fun later on.
“You shock me more and more every day Chris.” She laughs breathily, and I try not to cringe when she calls me Chris.
“I’m full of surprises,” I whisper in her ear, and kiss the skin below her ear. Her eyes glitter with confusion and lust but it passes, and she throws herself back into the music. I think back to the days when I would watch her dance with her friends, she’d ride the beat of the music and I’d take her home and watch her ride me.
“Uhm since when did you become king of the dance floor?” Aidan taps me on the shoulder. I look back at him and fight the urge to tell him to get lost. I’m supposed to be Chris…
“Oh yeah, my girl just brings out the beast.” I laugh, and she blushes.
“Another drink?” Hillary pushes another one into Lauren’s hand. I start to stop her but then realize the more intoxicated she is, the easier it is to keep up playing dull farm boy with a heart of gold. She throws it back quick and I can’t help but think how sexy it is. But that’s drink number two, and I want her tipsy not falling over drunk.
“That a girl,” Hillary eggs her on. She smiles widely, her wavy hair is wild and makes her look like some type of hot Wonder Woman. She jumps back into my arms and kisses me with wet tequila on her lips, and I grip her waist before she pulls away. I feel her heart pounding against me, and this is what Chris and Collin don’t get. I light up a spark inside of her they’ll never be able to, they can’t copy what I make her feel. She pulls back, her face flushed, and she’s eyeing me looking caught between suspicion and lust.
“I’m hungry,” I say wickedly. Chris is always eating something, and it sounds like the right thing for him to say, and it’s not entirely a lie. I’m hungry just not for food. She smiles, a little at ease.
“Come on, Lauren. Let’s show them how we were back in The Vault days.” Hillary takes Lauren’s hands and they dance together—playful and flirty like girls do when they want attention. I head back to the bar and notice Aidan following me. Out of all the people who Chris likes, Aidan gets on my nerves the least. But if he realizes I’m not Chris, this night is not going to end the way I want it to and I look at this as practice for what’s to come.
I look around and see guys staring at our girls, and I laugh because I get to go home with her. They only get her in their dreams.
“Maybe we should break them up?” Aidan says nudging me. That’s the one thing we can agree on. We head towards them. I pull Lauren away from Hillary and into my arms and through the crowd putting some space between them and us. A slow tempo song comes on, and she looks up at me almost shyly, reminding me of when we had our first date. She leans her body weight on me, and she looks at me with a sexy grin on her face. I wrap one arm around her back and hold her close to me. She rests her head on my chest, and I run my hand through her hair and massage her back. I see the change, the alcohol flowing through her system. It has quieted her suspicions of me if there were any to begin with. She’s not a drinker other than the wine she likes, so she’s carefree now which means I can get away with more. I miss her—I’ve missed her being in my arms, moaning my name, saying my name. She sways to the music, and I guide her each step of the way, wishing that it was just us. Her skin is hot against mine, flushed red, and I bite my lip to maintain as Chris-like as I can, but this is hard… literally.
“Are you having fun?” she asks, her voice quieter—sensual. I have to lean in closer to focus so I can hear her.
“The time of my life,” I whisper in her ear and fight the urge to nibble on her earlobe. Instead, I just kiss it and when she shudders, it takes everything in me to stay on this dance floor with her. Chris wouldn’t pull her off and demand we leave to have our own party because Chris is “sweet.” I wrap my fingers around her wrist and lift it to my mouth to kiss the inside of it. Her eyes flit to mine—the almond-shaped orbs I fell in love with search mine—and even in her intoxicated state I wonder if she recognizes me— if she really sees me.
“You,” she says quietly.
“What?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“You seem different tonight,” she trails her hands up my chest.
“So do you,” I counter and she grins at me with a lazy smile. “Good or bad?” I ask her. She arches a perfect brow at me.
“I’m not sure.” She giggles, but leans her head against my chest. I can’t fight the smile that stakes claim on my face. I run my hand through her hair and kiss her head.
“I missed you,” I say, but the music’s too loud for her to hear me. I inhale her scent, and my hand goes to the small of her back, almost instinctively I start to trace my name… but that’d give me away, and tonight I don’t want to explain or argue or fight. I just want her like this. I want to talk to her, and an almost desperate need comes over me. I lean down and whisper in her ear.
“Let’s go outside…. can we go outside?” I quickly correct myself. She nods her head and smiles at me, a hidden dimple appearing at the side of her mouth. I take her hand and we make our way through the club and out the entrance. The air is cool, and I take it in to try to get my thoughts together. Looking at her makes me want to tell her everything, but I can’t. Now’s not the right time. There aren’t many people outside as I expected there to be, and I’m glad it’s just us.
“What are we doing?” Her words are a bit sluggish now after her drinks. Her eyes are bright and she looks like she’s on a cloud. I can’t help but grin at her.
“I just wanted to talk to you,” I tell her and she tilts her head at me.
“Are you okay? Maybe you should have had a drink?” she asks, almost pouting.
“Why would I need that?”
She shrugs. “So you can have some fun?” She rests her hands on her hips. I step toward her and lift her up in my arms.
“You’re the only fun I need.” She bites her lip and squints at me, and I think I might have given myself away, but then she smiles brightly.
“Can you sing to me?”
“Sing, babe?” I ask her and she nods enthusiastically.
“Now?” I ask her, cringing. Chris sings, I’m not a singer.
“I love your voice,” she gushes and I laugh. “Later I promise.” I latch my lips onto hers. She moans while pulling me closer, and I’m ten seconds from dragging her away from this place. She lets out a sensual breath and presses her forehead against mine.
“Do you think my gallery is going to do okay?” I can see the worry in her eyes, so I set her back down on the ground. When is her opening? With Collin blocking me I don’t know what’s been happening, and it makes me that much more eager to get things back to how they should be with all of us.
“Why wouldn’t it?” I ask her and she shrugs, but I can see that she’s nervous and I don’t know why. She’s a phenomenal woman, and the gallery is the one thing I will give Collin credit for. Hopefully it will allow her to see how great she is.