Chapter 23
The bass from the speakers hit my chest so hard I could feel it in my bones. It was loud, sweaty, and crowded. I stared at the beer in my hand, watching the bubbles rise. I'm not really a beer guy, but I couldn't handle whiskey tonight, and I just needed something to take the edge off.
I sat there with Victor, just trying to chill. I watched the crowd, people jumping around to some stupid DJ beat that all sounded the same. But then, something pulled my eyes to the middle of the floor. It was like a magnet.
It was her.
My heart skipped a beat, then started racing twice as fast. She was dancing and twirling, looking like a dream in the middle of all that mess. Her hair swung around her shoulders, and the way her hips moved with the music… it did something to me. My whole body reacted. My abs felt like they were on fire, my shoulders started moving with her, and I could feel myself getting hard right there in my seat. My face stayed hot, and I couldn't look away even if I wanted to.
Suddenly, the music cut off. She stopped moving, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She didn't stay on the floor; she headed straight for the bar where Victor and I were sitting.
"Can I have a tequila shot?"
Her voice was like a spark to gasoline. The bartender nodded and went to grab the bottle. She stood there for a second, scanning the room, and then her eyes landed right on me. I was already staring. I didn't even try to hide it. She saw me, her eyes widened for a split second, and then she looked back at the bartender as he poured her drink. She knocked the shot back and sighed, whispering something to herself.
"It has been thirty-five minutes since..."
Victor's voice made me jump. I tried to look cool, taking a slow sip of my beer like I wasn't losing my mind.
"Since what?" I asked, though I already knew.
"Since you started staring at her." Victor pointed his finger to the left, right at her. He wasn't even trying to be low-key. He knew everything.
"I'm just surprised," I lied.
"Oh, I see. I hope you're not planning to stay here until morning," Victor said with a smirk. "I'm gonna grab Victoria and go home. Bye."
He just left. It hit me then—he knew they were coming here. He probably chose this place because he'd never let Victoria come to a club like this alone. He set me up.
I watched her take shot after shot. Even after all her friends left, she stayed. Out of nowhere, this heavy, protective feeling washed over me. I couldn't help it. I stood up and sat right next to her. She knew it was me—I could feel the energy between us—but she didn't even look at me. It pissed me off.
"Ignoring me after the dinner, huh?"
"It's not like that. I just had a bad day," she said. I could hear the frustration in her voice. It was deep and tired.
"So tell me about it."
She didn't hold back. She told me everything that went wrong, and as she talked, she finally turned to look at me. The way she looked at me made that possessive feeling in my chest grow until I could barely breathe.
"Want me to take you home?" I reached out and grabbed her wrist, my skin burning where I touched her. "You don't need to hurt yourself because of that asshole."
She didn't pull away. Instead, she let go of her glass and put her hands on my shoulders. My whole body went stiff. The tension was so thick I could have cut it with a knife.
"I never heard you say a word like that," she whispered, a little smile dancing on her lips.
"Darling, I am not an angel."
I didn't wait. I grabbed her waist and pulled her so close our chests were touching. I could feel her heart beating as fast as mine.
"Show me," she said, biting her lip.
That was the end of my patience. I couldn't take it anymore. I picked her up in my arms and carried her away from the noise. I found a quiet, empty spot and pressed her back against the wall.
"Marcus."
She sounded so confused, and it made me want her even more.
"Hmm. You're pretending you don't know? Okay then." I ran my thumb over her chin, watching her eyes.
"Whatever you're thinking, just..."
"Just what?" I teased, leaning into her space.
"Do it."
"Darling, if you knew what I'm thinking, you wouldn't say that."
I got closer, my nose brushing against hers.
"Show me then."
She bit her lip again. God, I loved her sass. She tried to move away, to leave, but I wasn't finished. I pulled her back hard against me, and before she could say anything else, my mouth crashed onto hers.