22

"Iwish the night wouldn't end."

Hearing Bloom echo my thoughts aloud made me smile as we walked to my car, his hand tucked into the crook of my arm. I haven't seen him more relaxed. He'd almost had me second-guessing myself when he was reluctant to go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant, but his behavior tonight only confirmed what I already knew. People labeled him a killer, but there was so much more to him, and tonight I'd seen he could carry a conversation and make me smile.

"What if it doesn't have to?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" I unlocked the door of the car.

"We've had dinner. Why don't we go somewhere for a nightcap and dancing?"

"Dancing?"

"Hmm. Your leg's healed enough for you to handle it. How about it?"

"Do you mean like a nightclub?"

"Yeah. Have you ever been?"

"A couple of times, but I don't know if it counted. I didn't go for dancing."

I snagged him around the waist and rubbed our noses together. "It's been a long time since I've been. Years. I've never wanted to before now. I want to feel your body pressed against mine while we dance."

His eyes went wide. "I never thought you would want to go to a club. You don't seem the type."

"I used to go a lot when I was younger."

"Yeah? You don't talk much about when you were younger."

"Not much to tell." I hated lying to him, but I didn't make the rules where my new identity was concerned. As much as I would like to share my past with him, I couldn't. By doing that, I could risk both our lives. But being with him as Logan, the doctor, was much better than not being with him at all.

I'll take my wins where I get them.

"All right, I'll go to a club with you."

"Good. I'm on a late evening shift for the rest of the week, so we can sleep in."

I already had a club in mind—one I'd only been to once for drinks. Since it wasn't far, we set off on foot. The night was beautiful, the air fresh, the moonlight serene, and the guy on my arm even more so.

Though I wasn't a regular, I got us inside quickly by flashing way more money at the bouncer than anyone had a right to spend to enter a club. Once upon a time, my name would have been enough to get me into places like this.

The Collier name didn't have much clout, but that was how I preferred it.

As we walked through the door, my hand resting on Bloom's hip, the loud music hit us, pulsating with the flashing neon lights. For a few seconds, I stood there and let memories wash over me. Memories of a younger me dancing, carefree, charming, and cocky, flitted through my mind—the breathlessness of laughter, the heady rush of alcohol, and bodies pressing and swaying in rhythm.

But that was another lifetime.

Someone bumped against me hard, jostling me out of my reverie. Bloom scowled at the man, but I tightened my grip on his hip.

"Do you want to go to the bar or find a booth?" I asked loudly to be heard over the music.

"The bar is fine."

I nodded, leading him toward the bar. The crowd was thick but navigable. Halfway through, Bloom clutched my arm, a flicker of uneasiness crossing his face.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he shouted. "Thought I saw someone I knew."

At the bar, I flagged down the bartender and ordered whiskey on the rocks for me and a virgin mojito for Bloom.

We surveyed the crowded dance floor while we sipped our drinks. The floor was pulsing with life, bodies moving rhythmically to the heavy bass thumping through the speakers. Rainbow strobes swept over the crowd, illuminating faces flushed from dancing and alcohol.

Bloom"s gaze was fixed on the dance floor, his brow furrowed as if analyzing their movements. I appreciated how the neon lights cast shifting shadows on his face, highlighting his delicate features.

"We can wait till it's less crowded before we get out there."

"I don't want to make an ass out of myself."

"It's just dancing and having a good time. No one cares. No one expects you to be a professional." I winked at him. "Just shake that sexy little ass, and you're good."

Color flooded Bloom's cheek. "I don't shake my ass."

I laughed, the alcohol loosening my inhibitions and, with it, the persona I'd become. A little of the old me snuck back in. Before the night ended, I wanted—no, I needed—to feel his body moving against mine while we were dancing.

When the dance floor looked less crowded, I tugged on Bloom's arm. "That's our cue."

"Oh, boy." But he followed me into the throng of thrusting bodies, his face split in a grin. I loved seeing him this way—unconcerned and happy. This was the version he was supposed to be, but people crushed that spirit and forced him into becoming the boy who fought to protect himself from people. But he'd let me in. I didn't deserve it, but since he had, I wouldn't disappoint him.

The deejay was playing a pulsing electronic track. As we drifted into the crowd, the vibrations of the beat resonated through me, the rhythm pressing against my bones and seeping into my blood.

A familiarity crept over me. The sound of the bass, the heat of bodies in motion, the scent of sweat and cologne mixed with smoke brought back a carefree spirit I hadn't felt in ten years. For the first time in a long while, I wasn't thinking about the hospital and how much work I had to do. All that would be there in the morning. My mind was on Bloom as I placed my hands on his hips.

I smiled at him encouragingly, pulling him closer. Our eyes met and held. In the flashing lights, I saw apprehension in his eyes. But he didn"t pull away. Instead, he stepped closer, erasing any space between us.

I swayed, allowing myself to feel the swell of the music and let it command my movements.

"Move, baby," I said directly into his ear. His back was to my chest, and I desperately wanted him to grind against me. He didn't think he could, but from the way he came alive when we had sex, he had it in him. He just needed to let go.

Slowly Bloom moved, no longer rigid and hesitant. The music transitioned into a pulsing remix of some old pop song. The throbbing bass served as our heartbeat — erratic, vibrant, alive. He glanced back at me with uncertainty, and I nodded.

I raised my hands, gently guiding his arms to follow the rhythm. He mimicked my lead, nodding to the beat, letting the music seep into his senses. I leaned forward, pressing my body closer to him. Heat crackled wherever we touched, sending tremors through me. He let his head fall back against my chest, revealing the expanse of his neck. I moved my hand from his waist to splay across his chest over the rapid thump of his heart.

He turned, his eyes bright under the flashing strobes. It was an amazing sight—my guarded, reticent Bloom embracing the music and discovering an unseen part of himself that he didn't even know existed.

Soon, Bloom was dancing more naturally, swaying his body in an imperfect rhythm, which felt perfect against me.

Bloom danced, his eyelids closed, a smile on his face, arms raised, and hips grinding to the music. As though in a trance, I stopped and watched this stunning man come into full bloom right before my eyes. His smile grew, and he ran his fingers through the long hair rippling down his back. And then he laughed. It was hard to distinguish it from the loud music, but I felt it in my core.

"You're beautiful."

We danced for what might have seemed like hours. I hadn't meant to stay long on the dance floor, but I didn't want to lose seeing Bloom let go. At one point, he slipped his arms around my neck and pulled my head down in a kiss that seared through me. His lips were soft, melting against mine in a fiery dance. His sweet taste cut through the bitter liquor I'd had earlier.

"Let's go back to the bar," he said.

I nodded and took his hand, leading him away from the mass of bodies toward the calmer area of the bar.

"You were incredible on the dance floor."

"That felt so great." Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his breaths came in heavy pants. His cheeks were flushed a beautiful shade of pink, and his eyes sparkled. "I've never danced like that."

I leaned in to whisper in his ear as I waved over the bartender. "I knew you had it in you the way you throw that ass back when I'm inside you."

He widened his eyes in surprise, and his mouth fell open, a bright laugh bubbling out. "I didn't expect to like sex that much either."

The bartender didn't bat an eye, although he must have heard Bloom. "What can I get you?"

Bloom wanted to try something new and, with a little pouting, had me cave in to get him an alcoholic drink. I asked the bartender to split the alcoholic shot with a nonalcoholic one. I wanted him sober when we got home.

"I have to use the restroom. You good for a few?"

"Gonna miss you. Don't take too long."

When he said sweet things like that, how could I not fall for him? Oh shit, I was falling for him, wasn't I?

"What?" He narrowed his eyes. "Is my mascara running?"

"No, you look perfect. I'll be right back."

The line to the restroom wasn't too long, thankfully. I was in and out in no time, but when I returned to Bloom, he looked pissed at the tall, blond man standing way too close to him as he tried to get Bloom's attention.

I frowned. Usually, anyone who touched Bloom's shoulder the way the guy did would have met the sharp end of a knife. From his body language—straight back, clenched jaw, tense shoulders—he didn't want the attention, so why wasn't he doing anything?

The man caressed a lock of hair that had fallen onto Bloom's cheek. My nostrils flared, and I doubled my hands into fists. I pushed through the crowd and tapped the man on his shoulder. The man shrugged off my hand. He swept his gaze over me and pulled a face. "Not my type."

"Neither are you mine. Now back off and stop harassing my boyfriend."

The man glanced from Bloom to me and laughed. "You ain't serious."

I didn't say anything, just stared him down. He raised his hands and stepped back. "All right, but you would have had a better time bouncing on my dick, babe."

When he disappeared into the crowd, picking a random guy to dance behind, I turned to Bloom. "You all right?"

"Not really." He was shaking. "I wanted to stab him in the eye so badly."

I rubbed his arms. "Why didn't you? Not that I'm condoning violence, but I'm genuinely curious."

"Because you told me to be good, and I didn't want to ruin our night."

"Silly boy. I don't mean to be so good you take harassment from anyone."

"So I have permission to stab someone who harasses me?"

"Well, maybe not stab. Isn't there a less violent way for you to set them straight?"

"I'll have to think about it."

"But so long as I am with you, you don't have to do anything."

"Wow, this is nice."

"What is?"

"Having someone protect me, even though they don't have to."

"What about the bikers?"

"They haven't needed to protect me in years."

I chuckled. "That's because you're such a badass."

Bloom grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me down. His lips were firm on mine, his tongue demanding, and the fingers creeping into my hair let me know what he wanted. Damn, at the rate he wanted sex, I would fuck him until my legs gave out, but not even that seemed too bad.

"Why don't we get out of here?"

I paid our tab and escorted Bloom from the bar with my hand on his lower back. Outside, the air was much cooler, but not for long. Bloom shoved me up against the brick wall, pressing his body against mine. His mouth sought mine again, and I obliged happily, pulling him in tighter against me. The heat radiating from Bloom's body made the rough texture of the bricks on my back bearable.

"Home," I gasped. "We need to get home."

"I can't wait that long."

"Then the car."

"Yes."

But before we had taken five steps, a tall man blocked our path. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes cold and calculating, boring into us.

"I thought I told you to beat it."

The man shrugged. "See, I thought about it some more and decided I'm not gonna let this one go. From that little demonstration there, he'll be smashing in bed. He's got a great ass on him."

"Too bad that's not your decision to make. Come on, Bloom."

We walked around the man. Bloom gasped. The annoying prick had Bloom's hair in his hand. "Nah, I wanna pull this hair, make his back arch like a bitch in heat, and fuck that wet—"

My vision white hot, I spun and kicked him right at the side of his neck, striking the carotid sinus. He dropped like the punching bag I'd kicked off the chain at the gym once when I found out how far my uncle would go to tie me down to the family.

"Oh shit." Bloom's eyes were wide. He stared at the man on the ground, then at me. "Where did you learn to do that?"

I shrugged. "Did a bit of kickboxing in my early twenties. Didn't realize I still had it in me until I saw him holding on to you."

"Well, that was fucking amazing." The man stirred, and I breathed easier. I didn't want to kill him, just hurt him a little.

"Wha—"

Bloom kicked him in the head, knocking him out again. I groaned. "Bloom—"

"What? I was just following your lead."

I grabbed his wrist. "Just come on."

Bloom babbled excitedly next to me about the way I'd knocked out the man. He had no idea how wild my heart thumped. I'd been told learning how to fight would come in handy. Though I never paid much attention, never wanted to learn, never wanted to have to use my fists, I had picked up at least one thing that was useful tonight.