“No one’s looking,” I lie.
“You’re looking,” she whispers, shyly looking away from me and down at her feet.
I lean in close, letting my lips brush against the shell of her ear. “Well, then, you better put on one hell of a show.”
I hear her soft little gasp, and I can’t help but grin. She grips my biceps, momentarily stabilizing herself before her body gives way to me.
Holding her firmly but gently, my hands still planted on her hips, I draw back and give her an encouraging look. Using slight force, I sway her hips from side to side, trying to get her tense body to loosen up. It takes her a song or two, but eventually she finds the rhythm. By the third song her hips are moving freely, but I can tell she still has her guard up.
I take a step closer, our bodies brushing against each other as we move to the beat. Placing my hand on her lower back I pull her closer, and she momentarily stiffens, her hands landing on my chest. She looks up at me, her big brown eyes clouding over.
I grab her hand, twirling her around until her back is pressed up against my front, anything but friendly thoughts now entering my brain.
My eyes lock on her long, exposed neck, which glistens with a light sheen of sweat, and all my restraint flies out the window. Dipping my head, I place a featherlight kiss to her bare shoulder, skimming my lips up to her neck where I let my tongue softly poke out to taste her salty sweet skin before kissing just below her ear.
Olivia gasps, spinning around and staring up at me with a mixture of shock and fascination.
I give her a wolfish grin, then grab her hands and hook them behind my neck. My hands drag down her arms, her ribs, and land back on her hips, rocking them to the rhythm. I lean forward, resting my forehead against hers, and she looks up at me through her thick lashes, unblinking.
Suddenly, I feel a pair of hands land on my shoulders, running down my back seductively. I look over my shoulder to see Adrianna’s green eyes boring into mine, her body now pressing into my back. She flashes me a malicious grin, like a black panther ready to catch its prey.
Stunned, I feel Olivia start to slip from my grasp. I snap my head back around to see her slowly backing away, dazed, eyes that were just clouded over with desire now clouding with shock and confusion.
Adrianna takes the opportunity to squeeze herself between us, her back against my front as she grinds against me. I try to move away but she raises her arms back, clasping her fingers tightly behind my neck, like an octopus wrapping its tentacles, unwilling to let go.
Olivia shakes her head, as if snapping back to reality. Mortified, she takes a few steps back before turning around and briskly walking off the dance floor.
“Olivia!” I call after her, trying to untangle myself from Adrianna.
“What the fuck, Adrianna?” I growl, having to use a bit of force to successfully pry her hands off me.
“Bronx, wait. We were having fun!” she says, catching my arm, but I yank it out of her grasp.
“Finch!” I yell, running in the last direction I saw her go.
I exit the dance floor, heart pounding, and scan the club, my eyes finally landing on her picking up her coat. Running as fast as I can, I nearly take some people out trying to get to her.
“Finch, wait,” I plead, my hand gently grasping her arm. “Stay.”
She shakes her head, looking frantic. “I should go,” she insists, grabbing her keys from her coat pocket. “I’ll see you Monday.”
I watch her take off, her head bowed in shame as she fights her way through the rowdy crowd, some wandering eyes skeptically watching her.
I look over my shoulder at Chase and Brennen, who sit up straighter, giving me curious glances. Throwing a glance back over to the dance floor, I see Adrianna grinding against some random dude, dancing so raunchy that it makes me cringe in embarrassment. She catches my gaze and throws me a devilish smile, and I turn my attention back to Chase and Brennen, who witnessed the exchange. We all give each other anAre you fucking kidding?look.
Balling my hands into fists, I shove my way through the crowd and find the exit. The cold air smacks me in the face the second I push through the door, and I scan the parking lot to see Olivia halfway to her car.
“Finch!” I jog to catch up with her.
She stops in her tracks, turning around to face me.
“Don’t go.”
She shakes her head, giving me a forced smile. “Go have fun, Bronx. I’m okay, I just—this isn’t my scene. In there, with you—I don’t know . . .” She gives a helpless shrug, not knowing what to say.
I take another step toward her. “What?”
I see the storm of uncertainty brewing behind her eyes, and she backs away, pulling away both physically and emotionally.
