“Oh, we have some competition!” Leddy screams into the mic. I tune her out, pulling Whisper into me. She moves her hips, pops them and holds before jerking her back and doing it all over again.
We get into a steady rhythm, the two of us moving around the floor as if we’ve danced together our whole lives. Sweat drips down her temples but the look on her face is pure enjoyment. She’s relaxed and calm. Her head isn’t in the bad space that she always seems to be in. She’s free. On this dancefloor, Whisper is free.
She spins, wrapping her arms around my neck, pressing her body into mine. Her lips hover mere inches away from mine and just as I lean in to press my lips to hers, she moves. Her body rolls, pressing herself to mine before spinning around. Her back pressed to my front, she slides down my body and bends over. Her hips are in my hands as she grinds against me. When she’s standing upright, I grab her hand and spin her out away from my body before jerking her back in. Her eyes light up as laughter falls from her lips. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this before. I’m not sure she’s ever seen herself like this before.
“Come on, Whisper!” Leddy yells, pulling her away from me. Whisper goes happily when Knox grabs my arm and tugs me toward the bar. I order a few drinks and turn to watch them together.
“She’s fucking hot as hell,” Knox announces.
“No shit.” I bring my beer to my lips as I take her in. I can’t believe that she is out there this freely with people she’s never met. This is where she belongs. She belongs on a dancefloor somewhere. Music videos, choreographer training. That’s what she’s meant to do. I wonder if she’s ever thought about it? Shaking my head, I need to focus. I need to focus on the job and not on her. This is fucking with my head and seeing her grind against Leddy is fucking with my cock.
“You brought her here,” Callan reminds me when he grabs the beer from my hand. I shake my head and scrub my hand over my face wondering if this was the best decision I’ve ever made or the worst. I don’t answer him, just nod my head. A few girls come up to us trying to get us to dance but I wave them off. My eyes are zoned in on her. I can’t stop looking at her. She’s so damn energetic and magnetic. Every man in the room, hell every woman in the room is watching her. I don’t think there’s a pair of eyes that aren’t on her. Something in my chest tightens.
“You good?” Knox asks leaning into me.
“Yeah, why?” I don’t look away. I can’t.
“Your grinding your teeth until they’re about to break, man.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Just go get her, Steele.” I ignore him for about half a second when I see another guy moving in behind her. That’s when I lose it. I storm through the room, grabbing her by the hips and jerking her back into my body. She doesn’t protest, she just keeps moving as if nothing can hurt her.
Like I can’t hurt her.
15
Whisper
“You don’t have to act like you didn’t have a good time,” Callan says as I watch Steele. Knox is driving, Callan is in the passenger seat spun around so he can look at me, but I can’t take my eyes off Steele. The way he held me, touched me. It was more than just a dance and I craved it. I wanted it more than anything else in the world. I’ve never felt that kind of raw connection to anyone and I’ve danced my whole life. With Steele, it was natural. It wasn’t forced and that is pissing me off. The man that’s tormented me over the last month had a hold on me in that building and I couldn’t break it.
“Stop fucking staring at me,” he says looking out his window.
“How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Make me feel like that.” Callan chuckles but I ignore him. He didn’t feel it. He couldn’t have. Steele doesn’t look my way and that angers me further.
“Did you have fun, Whisper?” Knox asks from his spot in the front.
“Tell me!” I scream until Steele looks over.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The look in his eyes tells me he’s lying. He’s sitting there lying to me and I don’t know why.
“Dance… when you dance with someone, there’s no way to describe what you feel. When you connect… it’s like the whole damn universe is aligned and everything is right. I’ve never in my whole life felt that,” I admit softly. Knox lets out a low whistle, Callan curses under his breath but Steele? He stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind. He had to have felt it. The way he moved with me, touched me. That kind of connection is on a deeper level than sex.
“I don’t know what the hell you were feeling but that’s not what it was,” Steele says through gritted teeth.
“You’re going to sit there and lie about it? You took me there and now you lie?” I yell loudly. Steele shifts in his seat so that he’s fully facing me now.
“You felt hot and horny. You’re attracted to me, Whisper. Don’t overthink that. We can fuck and we have chemistry to do it but don’t go overthinking that.” Air leaves my lungs in a rush as I listen to his words. Harsh and cruel and all fucking lies. I can see the way he looks at me. I can tell by the way he touches me but if this is the game he wants to play, I will gladly play along.
“You’re right,” I say under my breath. I sit in silence the rest of the ride back to their place. As soon as we’re out of the car, Callan has his arm around my shoulders.
“What’s your favorite drink?” Looking up at him, I know where this is headed, and I gladly accept it after that blow from Steele in the car.
“Whiskey. All kinds.” He nods as we all head into the house. I strip out of my jacket and toss it onto the chair while Callan moves into the kitchen.
“What do you feel when you’re out there?” Knox asks leaning against the counter as he stares at me.
“There’s no way to describe it. It’s freeing. I’m weightless.” His lips curl into a smile that could break any female.
“You looked it. Free, I mean. You always keep a mask in place at school but tonight… I saw that mask slip for just a little while. The real Whisper showed through and that one? Is far sexier and free than the one we usually get.”
“What do you expect from me when all you three do is make my life hell? You want a smile? A thank you?” Knox shakes his head as anger fuels me.
“It isn’t what you think, Whisper.”
“Nothing is! Not you three, not the Weatherly’s! Everyone wants something from me, so why don’t we stop with the games and you tell me what that is.” Callan thrusts a glass into my hand and I swallow it down quickly. He replaces it with another before heading back to the counter.
“I think we should at least talk about it with her,” Callan says with his back to me.
“About what?” I ask.
“Don’t do this shit! We have rules for a reason, Callan!” There’s Steele. He disappeared for a minute and when I spin around to look at him, I see he’s changed. He stands there, his perfectly sculpted chest on full display. My eyes drag down to the V that disappears into his gym shorts. Fuck, why is he doing this to me? Tossing back the next drink, I shove the glass at Callan and motion for another. He chuckles and refills it.