19. The Admission

NINETEEN

THE ADMISSION

CAM

T he DJ's music pumps with a heavy bass, and bright laser lights flash all around us, keeping tempo. It vibrates my body and I get a feel for the beat while I find us a spot a few people deep. When I face her, she's already moving, her hands in the air, her face slightly tilted up, eyes closed, and body shimmying.

She's gorgeous in her element. Like me when I get on the ice, when I'm in the zone, I feel the rush of the game in my bones. Dance is her passion, and I never want to see her lose it.

When her eyes open on me, I realize I haven't moved yet, just standing here, gaping at her.

She laughs, her face lighting up, as she twirls in circles around my solid frame, light on her toes. "Show me your moves, hot stuff."

I don't really have any. But I'd like to get her on the ice with me so if I must…

My feet shift side to side, nodding my head, but I need to find something to do with my hands because all I want is to grab her and hold her to me.

I try to mirror her, but she's wiggling her ass and doing things with her limbs I have no business doing. To onlookers, I'm sure I look like a cow giving birth. But she's enjoying this and laughing; the sound of it carries to my ears despite the racket of the music, like its own melody floating around only for me.

I'm a professional hockey player with a certain image to maintain, but the old goofball inside of me from long ago resurfaces, not giving a shit. My hands start making vogue frames as I twerk. She's practically in tears over it. Why couldn't I have had this effect on her in high school? I love seeing her like this, relaxed and happy, while the professional in me hopes no one's filming my exploits on the dance floor.

I count three songs and I'm done, fulfilling my duty to get her on the ice rink with me next game. Then the pace of the music slows before I can walk off, with a vibe that's more romantic than frantic.

Her eyes sweep up to me, the crinkles still in the corners with a smile beaming ear to ear. I can't think straight when she's happy like this. I pull her to me like I want some of this sunshine to rub off on me.

One hand lands at the small of her bare back, electrified by the touch of her skin. She laces fingers with mine on the other. We dance too close, and still I need to get closer.

The song is sensual, slow, about a woman taking what she wants. She sings along to the tune, her voice the only one I hear, perfectly on pitch. With her high heels she's a nice height to me, so my eyes fall easily to her red lips.

I'm swaying us to the beat. She's doing something else with her body entirely. Grinding. Hips rocking. Seducing me standing up. She turns her back to my chest, whipping her hair around. She shimmies down my body and back up, and if I think I have any control left, it's laughable.

I clamp my hands around her waist and force her to turn back to me. "You're fucking amazing. You have no idea what you're doing to me."

Her hands skim up my shirt and curve around my neck, pulling my head closer. Our lips brush and she speaks on them. "I know exactly what I'm doing to you."

My heart pounds out of my chest. The blood in my veins shifts into overdrive, zeroing in below the belt. If I'm not careful, I could come on the spot.

I need to remove myself from this situation. Plus, I see Big D and Kallie have arrived. I lean into her ear.

"This king of the dance floor is done, Princess." Her perfume drifts to my nose, the same sweet scent that permeated my car earlier. I growl.

"No, don't leave yet," she whines, her eyes tempting me for more. It's not a good idea.

"A few dances. That was our deal." I kiss her forehead and walk off without a glance behind.

Fuck me. If she was any other woman, I'd have conquered her body by now, and shown her a time she'd never forget. Racking one more score for my playboy bedpost. It's taking more and more energy to fight my basic male instincts.

One step off the floor, I run into Kallie, with a knowing smile for me. Darren's not in sight. "Well, well. I see now why you keep canceling on the blind date with my friend. Who is your beautiful lady?"

"That's Becca and she's my best-friend's sister. I told him I'd watch over her if she ever needed anything."

"Right. Tell me another lie." She squints and crosses her arms. No wonder Big D can't get away with shit; he says she has a sixth sense for these things.

"What? She's like a little sister to me. I'm just keeping an eye on her so she doesn't get in trouble." The more I say it, maybe I'll believe it.

"Well, little sisters don't dance for friends the way she's dancing for you." Kallie nods Becca's way and I follow her gaze.

The dance floor parts, as if giving me a direct line of sight to her. She's not a party-goer jumping stupidly to the beat, but an artist translating the soundwaves in a very visual way. As if liberated, she's lyrical with the emotions of the music, her long legs and graceful arms moving and telling a story. I'm riveted.

She's not dancing alone, but with me, because her eyes stick with mine the entire time. Her body like a sultry temptation, draws me in, daring me to play. My tongue darts out, skimming along my bottom lip. God help me, I undress her in my head, and fall at her feet to worship her nubile body.

"And a friend shouldn't eye her like a wild animal needing a mate. Unless…" Kallie cocks her head. "That's exactly what you want."

"Fuck me."

Kallie flings her arms around me, pulling me to her and crying. "Oh my God. It's happening. Cam Castillo is in love."

"Wha—?" I pull back, blinking, my hands on her waist. Hers remain locked around my head.

"You heard me. I just never believed it'd happen this fast. I told Darren, give me six months, a year tops, and I'd find a woman who would finally captivate the great Cam, and do away with your playboy status." She hugs me again. "Look at you, falling in love all by yourself."

The news stuns me, but finally get a grip and pick her up off of me. "You got it all wrong."

"Hm. Do I? I think someone is mad I'm hugging you." She sing-songs and with a finger she turns my head back to the dance floor, where Becca's moves have turned more deliberate, stilted, where her face reflects only one emotion with steam almost coming out of her flaring nostrils. Is that jealousy?

Kallie removes her arms from around me. "Better go to her, Cam."

Becca reaches for the nearest guy and pulls him into a close hold, her thigh lifting on his. The dude's into it, starting to sway and grind on her. The second his hands make a trajectory for her ass, I'm there.

"Get lost," I growl. One look at my face, all business, and he cowers away.

"Fuck you," she huffs, shoving against my chest. She tries to walk off, but I grab her and pull her to me. My hands slip under the fabric of her backless dress, all the way to the front of her stomach, locking there against her soft skin. My cock chooses this moment and comes to life for this woman.

"Just keep dancing." I groan into her ear, swaying with her captured in front of me.

"Let me go." She tears at my hands, squirming against me, but I grip tighter. My steel rod nestles into the crack of her ass, which tells me this dress is flimsy and she's probably wearing a thong. These thoughts do nothing to calm me down.

"How dare you hide behind me with your arousal for another woman," she accuses.

"Who are you talking about?"

"That woman I saw hugging you?"

"Jeez. That's Kallie. She's my roommate's girl. Are you jealous?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"It's okay if you are, Princess."

"You mind putting that thing away?" She bumps my cock with her ass. "Because I'd like to get back to dancing. Alone. "

"That's the problem. I'm hard as a rock because of you."

"Me?"

"With the way your body moves, Princess, I've been fighting the urge to take you all night long."

"Take me where?"

"Take you anywhere so I can do as I please to you."

"Oh." She relaxes in my hold, swaying easier now. Her ass is doing something too, like an isometric movement hugging my cock. I growl. This woman's body will be death of me. "You really want me, Cam?"

"Fuck." The word comes out in one long groan. "What do you think?"

She flips around in my hold, facing me, her hands running up my chest. "I'm a virgin, Cam" she blurts out. "And I want you, too. Take me wherever you want. Take my virginity. I want to give it you."

I freeze in place. All but my dick which deflates. She's a virgin? How did I not guess this?

I can't speak, words confound me. My arms drop, my face drops. My God. In the middle of the dance floor this beauty is offering me her most precious thing—I can't take it. Can I?

"Becca, that-that's n-not exactly something we should talk about here." My mouth can't work properly, and with the decibel level of the music it's crazy to speak seriously.

"Why not? It's clear we're attracted to each other, Cam. So take it. It's yours."

"Becca, stop. I'm not the guy who deserves it."

"What do you mean? You don't want me now that I've told you?" Her eyes are saucers, brimming with tears.

"No. I mean, I don't know. Listen, you can't just spring that on a guy."

"Oh my God. I cannot believe I just told you that, and you don't want it." She slips out of my arms and runs off to the restroom.