Chapter 12

Twelve

SARA

BLISS,one of the most exclusive clubs in the Meatpacking District, was a little hard to get into—but Marco promised Jen a night out she wouldn’t forget. Spewing Roman and Renaissance overindulgence, the club boasted from a very eccentric décor. The chandeliers, painted ceilings, and colorful lighting made it somewhat whimsical.

Our table was close to the dance floor, and bottle service began with two bottles of champagne and a top shelf bottle of tequila. We dove right into our glasses and toasted to a fantastic evening. After another four glasses of sparkling wine and a few shots of tequila, my vixen completely took over and thoughts of Tom became dormant. Taylor proved to be quite the distraction after all. I didn’t know how liberating it would be to shed my anxious skin and finally let loose.

Electronic symphonies swam through my ears, and bass pounded through my chest. My body wanted to burn through the dance floor, yearning to absorb the sound—if only to silence the longing tearing at me to come out and be unleashed. I uncurled myself from under Taylor’s arm and stood up, holding his hand.

“Come dance with me,” I pleaded.

“Now?”

I tugged on him a bit impatiently. “Yes, now please. I want to dance,” I implored.

He conceded and I dragged him to the dance floor, bobbing and weaving until we pushed to the center of the crowd. We began to sway and I let the music guide my muscles. I didn’t care that Taylor looked like a discombobulated idiot while he danced. Didn’t care that as hard as I tried willing a connection between us, we couldn’t be more wrong for each other. We had zero chemistry, but it seemed we were both committed to the charade in an attempt to forget the real reason we were both there.

I needed to forget that Tom existed and that his absence was making me bitter about being at the club without him. I put one arm around Taylor’s neck and guided his other arm right below my waist, trying to get him to match my moves. Slowly, I gyrated against him, inviting a reciprocating response. I needed the connection. Look at me, Taylor, I yelled in my mind. With my hand, I tilted his head down toward mine. My eyes searched his for that something, that familiar gaze, but I saw nothing.

I felt nothing.

While my vixen put on her best moves and felt victory slowly rising against her hip, my real self stared blankly out at my partner who seemed more concerned about his rising erection than trying to establish a meaningful moment with me. I’d really hoped I could lose myself entirely to this night, but I couldn’t stop yearning for more than this. I wanted to give in to the music, yet I couldn’t succumb. I was on autopilot until the song ended along with the lame dry hump.

As we broke from our hold, Taylor coldly turned around and headed for our table. As I trailed after him, a strong hand entwined its fingers through mine, and I was slowly swallowed up again by the crowd.

I nearly tripped a couple of times as I was dragged across the dance floor, not being able to see who was in front of me pulling my arm. Seeing double, and deaf to human sound, my confusion intensified with the constant flash of strobe lights. Finally, synchronized with a break in the music, my kidnapper spun me around and pinned my back against a wall, caging me with their body.

His body.

My knight came to rescue me once more.

Was it the alcohol? The music? All the emotions consuming me since Tuesday night? I didn’t know, but I wanted to collapse into him. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to hug him. But I also wanted to scream at him, then maybe kiss him again. Most of all, I wanted to cry because even though I was so ravaged by emotions, the only true emotion I felt was happiness.

All night, I’d lied to myself, letting my vixen run crazy, believing all was right with the world, that I couldn’t care less he wasn’t there, or didn’t need him to so I could be content and alive. I was terribly wrong. I needed him more than I could dare imagine.

One single thought ran wild in my mind—he came for me.

Paralyzed, we waited, our gazes anchored to one another. When the rumbling sound of a new song began to thrum, his palm slid up my thigh, stopping right below the hem of my dress. Brushing his stubble across my cheek, he whispered in my ear, “You wanted my attention. Now you have it.”

As if on cue, when the song broke, he crashed his lips into mine without warning, his tongue keeping beat with the music. I surrendered to his touch and let him consume me. His familiar scent mixed with the heat of his body drugged me. With both my arms wrapped around his neck, I forced him to tilt his head down, to lock his gaze with mine.

Panting, we stared into each other. This was the moment I’d waited for—the connection, the rhythm of our bodies pulsating to the beats of the music.

“Fuck,” he said, as if he too felt the electric wire vibrating between us.

I smiled. “You came.”

His palm slid up my thigh even higher. “What did you expect after that text you sent me?” he said, nipping at my lips.

I nipped back, demanding he give me his tongue, but he held back.

“What I want to know,” he said, denying me the kiss I was desperately seeking. “Is why you’d temp me to come find you, only to slather yourself all over Fabio.”

Suddenly, my mind seemed to sober up really quick. That fire in his eyes wasn’t lust…that was …jealousy? I fought the wide smile that tugged on my lips. “You mean…Taylor?”

“I don’t care what his name is,” he growled.

“How long were you watching me?”

“Long enough.”

His tone darkened, and it was enough to pull me out of the erotic tension building between us. I couldn’t deny it made me glad that seeing me with Taylor made him jealous, but at the same time, the possessiveness in his voice wasn’t warranted. He’d practically ignored me for the last four days. Who was he to come here demanding explanations?

Needing space, I slid away from the wall and the hand that was still resting on my thigh—a hand my thigh missed terribly the instant it lost contact with his skin.

“I think you should let me take you home.” He grabbed me by the hand, but I yanked it back in protest.

“Excuse me,” I said, feeling even more sober. “What makes you think you can waltz in here and drag me out like a teenager breaking curfew? You know what, after ghosting me for four days, you have some fucking nerve acting like I’m the one who did something wrong.”

“This was a mistake.” He turned to leave.

I grabbed his arm. “Wait. We’re not finished, Tom. One moment you’re hot for me, the next you’re an icebox, then you text me goodnight only to go dark for four days. What gives?”

“It’s complicated.”

“There’s somebody else?”

“I may be a lot of things, but I’m not that guy.”

“Then what is it?”

Rubbing a palm down his face, he puffed out a breath before turning from me in silence.

I watched him weave through the crowd, disbelief curdling in my gut. Grumbling, I followed after him. This guy was so fucking infuriating, yet I couldn’t stop myself from chasing after him. He wasn’t going to just walk away from me without telling me what happened. Without telling me something that made sense. What we’d felt back at the restaurant—that kiss—it had been explosive. And the way he kissed me tonight, like he’d been jonesing for me, I wasn’t ready to walk away from that, not yet.

As I slithered through the thick crowd, I spotted him standing by the bar. Hair mussed up and decked out in a fitted gray button down accompanied by faded jeans, he looked every bit as sexy as the day I first set eyes on him. My vision went in and out of focus, my mind spinning again from all the alcohol. I did my best to balance my weight and not fall.

I squeezed next to him. “If you don’t want me, why did you come?”

He turned toward me, eyes narrowed.

I raised my voice. “Why else would you ghost me?”

Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, “If I didn’t want you, do you think I’d kiss you the way I did? You think seeing you dancing with another man would make me so fucking jealous I want to rip his head off?”

For a brief moment, we just stared into each other’s eyes. Seemed we were both scared of something, both of us holding something back. Words weren’t coming out easy, especially in this loud and obnoxious club, but the silence between us was louder than the music blasting off the walls and it made my heart ache. I couldn’t talk to him with words, so this time, taking his hand and entwining my fingers through his, I guided him where I could show him how I was feeling, the other way I knew best—on the dance floor.

He followed without resistance.

When we reached the dance floor, I turned my back to him and nestled close. He buried his face in my neck as he gently guided my hips with his hands. The sound fusion melded us together, the crowd ceasing to exist. My heart and soul were imprisoned by the music, every muscle now governed by him, and him alone.

We were encased in each other, dancing until we lost all sense of time.

When the alcohol won and my mind and body were no longer coordinated, I whispered in Tom’s ear, “Take me home.”

Hands entwined in each other, he guided my wobbling body to Jen’s table. Her two med friends were nowhere to be found, Lisa and Derrick looked like they’d had a fight, and Taylor was nearby on the dance floor, awkwardly dry-humping some girl. I waved to Jen, trying to get her attention. Scooting over, she leaned her ear toward me. “Not feeling so hot. Tom’s taking me home.”

He waved at her and she gave me the eye. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow,” I mouthed.

She reached for my neck and brought her lips to my ear. “Seize the day, baby.”

“I’m sorry for leaving early on your birthday.”

She pulled me close again. “No worries. Just get home safe or I’ll have to kill him.”

* * *

Outside the club, I stumbled on my feet, eyes at half-mast. Tom helped me inside his car. He leaned over to buckle my seatbelt, his chest lightly brushing against my breasts, sparking a tingle in my body.

Whoa.

He quickly popped into the driver seat and the Rover jumped to life. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to invite him to touch me. I wanted more of the hungry beast—the man who’d stormed into the club and claimed my lips on that dance floor. My drunken vixen was desperate to make one last appearance. She’d been listening to my very secret thoughts, and unlike me, had no inhibition.

“Pull over,” I whispered.

He turned toward me, a puzzled look etched on his face. “Where?”

“I don’t care.”

“Are you sick?”

“Not planning on ruining your leather seats. Don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Just pull over.”

He made a quick turn down a dark and lonely street then parked the car, the engine idling.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Why so serious, hmm? Don’t you want to have some fun?” I raised an eyebrow, trying to hint at my intentions?

“Are you asking me to take advantage of you?”

“Wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

He leaned in closer, staring me down, lips twitching at the corners. “That would be a very bad idea.”

I parted my legs as I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Don’t you want to check if I was telling the truth about not wearing anything underneath this dress?” I couldn’t believe I’d actually taken my thong off in the restroom prior to leaving the club—because I clearly couldn’t stop making stupid ass decisions.

His eyes darkened and I knew I’d gotten his full attention now.

Leaning over the console, I toyed with the sound system and fiddled through different songs until I found what I’d hoped for—something deep and sexy. I closed my eyes and jived to the music, gyrating my hips on the seat. When I opened my eyes back up, I caught him staring, lips slightly flushed.

“Not such a bad idea after all huh?” I asked, but I didn’t give him a chance to reply and literally crawled unto his lap, straddling him before I could change my mind, my mouth crashing into his, devouring his lips with hunger. He accepted with caution before fully succumbing to my trap. I pressed my body into him, running my fingers through his hair. He tensed underneath me as he wrapped his arms around my body. Drowning in his hot and heavy breath, I writhed on his lap, sensing his erection under the soft fabric of his jeans as it brushed against the moist center between my legs.

Oh God…

Slippery with desire, I was overwhelmed with need.

I’d wanted to be this close since I first met him. To know the feeling of being held in his arms, dominated by his hands. I tried to reach below his belt, but he took my chin in his fingers and forced me to look at him. The fire in those olive eyes finally spoke of pure lust, turning me to butter. His thumb caressed my bottom lip, slowly parting my mouth.

His chest heaved. “Fuck, Sara. What are you doing to me?”

My tongue touched the inside of his thumb, slowly guiding it inside my mouth, where I gave it a slow and wet suckle before releasing it with a sloppy kiss. His mouth opened wider with an aroused groan, demanding my submission to quench his greedy need for me.

His mouth dove for my neck, savoring me while one of his hands rode up my thigh and cupped my naked ass. His other hand forced me to tilt my head back then he slid it down my sternum. I glided my hips back and forth to the rhythm of the song, pushing myself further into ecstasy. My breasts tingled with eagerness, wanting to break free from the confines of my dress, my body aching for his touch, for the feel of him inside me. I reached for his belt buckle again and raced to release his erection, but he put his hand over mine, stopping me in my tracks.

I peered into his eyes, but couldn’t read what he was thinking.

Doesn’t he want me?

The short pause was all I needed to realize the mistake we were about to make. I dropped the net over my vixen and dragged her back to her cage as she clawed and screamed.

What the hell was I about to do?

I unclenched my thighs from his lap and sank back into my seat, pulling my dress down, heart beating fire through my veins.

Tom didn’t say a word but I watched him tug at his groin as he breathed heavily.

There was no shying my gaze away from what I saw, and I had to swallow deeply. He was so hard the outline of his sizable cock through his jeans was unmistakable, making me salivate. I couldn’t believe I actually salivated thinking about putting him in my mouth.

“Drive, please,” I said breathless, needing him to save me from myself before I continued to make a mess of things.

Without hesitation, he pushed the car into drive, and we glided home through Manhattan.

Despite my embarrassment, I fell asleep, likely from all the alcohol. When we arrived at my apartment, an eternity seemed to have passed. I heard distant sounds, but could only see blurry figures through slitted eyes. My legs were unresponsive. Hard hands gripped my body and I felt weightless. My mind faded in and out of consciousness, and hushed voices made broken appearances. All I deciphered was Pedro telling Tom my apartment was on the fifth floor.

Still floating, I heard the obscure sounds of jiggling keys followed by a meow and a hiss. Then, soft pillows clashed against my body. It was heaven.

Until I realized why. “No. Don’t go…” I clamored.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Lay with me.”

“I can’t.”

His words pricked my heart. “You don’t want me.”

“Christ, Sara. I want you more than you know. But not like this. If I lay down with you I won’t have the strength to restrain myself. Close your eyes. Sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”

The soft touch of his fingers cascading down my hair calmed my anxiety. He caressed my forehead, my cheeks, and before I knew it, I slipped into a deep dream as a tender kiss descended on my lips.