I urged her head onto my shoulder, rubbing my hands along her back as I did. It was as much innocent seduction as I could do with her. With Anna’s face no longer near mine, I looked out over the crowds. Like she was a magnet, I spotted Kiera instantly. She was with Denny, near the center of the crowd. They were laughing as they danced, and even though Kiera’s arms were around his neck, and his were around her waist, I couldn’t help thinking that they danced like friends would.
I watched Denny and Kiera the entire time I danced with Anna. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Anna leaned up to my ear and told me she had to use the ladies’ room. I nodded, and watched as she sashayed through the crowd. When I glanced back at Kiera, she was alone. My heart leaped into my throat as I looked around for Denny. He’d just left her side; he seemed to be headed for the bar, or maybe going to step outside for some fresh air. It was hot in here. A horrible idea surged through my brain, and I was pushing my way through the crowd before I could stop it. I’d been torturing myself all night watching Kiera, and I just wanted my arms around her. I just wanted one dance…that was it.
Her back was to me when I finally broke through the crowd. I glanced back at Denny, but he’d already rounded the corner and was out of sight. I knew this was stupid. I knew we could easily get caught, but I also knew I couldn’t stop myself. I needed her.
Immersed in the song, Kiera was oblivious to my presence. She knew it was me the instant I touched her though. Still behind her, I stepped close and ran my hand up her shirt until my palm was on her stomach. She was warm and soft and smelled amazing. I could feel her muscles contract as she stiffened under my touch; she didn’t pull away though. I pulled her back into my hip, and moved our bodies together. It felt so right, so natural, but so wrong too. If Denny or Anna saw us like this…it would be the end of everything.
A bead of sweat formed on her skin and ran down her shoulder blades. I wanted it. I wanted to taste her skin, have my mouth upon her sweetness. I shouldn’t, but then again, I did a lot that I shouldn’t, and I couldn’t resist her anymore. Brushing some stray hair aside, I bent down and touched my tongue to her heated skin. She shuddered, and I dragged my tongue up her spine to the back of her neck. Wanting more, I gently scraped my teeth against her skin in a playful bite. It sent shock waves of desire through me. It seemed to do the same to Kiera. She melted against me. One of her hands covered mine, the other wrapped around to touch my hip. Her back rested against my chest, and her head dropped back. She wanted this.
My hand on her stomach moved down to her jeans. I wished I could undo them, feel the soft skin underneath. Kiera interlaced our fingers and clenched my hand, like she wanted that too. My breath increased as we moved together. She felt so good in my arms. I wanted her…so much. Please Kiera, let me do this. Let me love you.
When her hand on my hip ran down my thigh and her head started turning toward me, I almost thought she could hear my mental urging. Yes, please. Kiss me. Now. Not able to take her slow, teasing movements, I grabbed her chin and pulled her mouth to mine. I was sure she was going to pull away the moment we touched. I was sure she was going to haul off and slap me. But…she didn’t. Her lips attacked mine with a voraciousness that betrayed how much she’d missed me. I whimpered with how much I needed her, needed this. I didn’t even care who might be watching anymore. Her body was all that mattered. This connection was all that existed.
Our lips parted and my tongue felt her mouth. She spun in my arms, tossed her hands into my hair, and clung to me with every inch of her. God, I’d never felt such passion and desire. It was even more intense than our time together in the espresso stand. I wanted to lay her down, wanted to explore every inch of her, but there was no room here.
I was nearly gasping for breath as I ran my hands up her shirt. Her bare skin under my fingertips was heaven. Pure, blissful heaven. I needed more, so much more. My body was hard, straining. I wanted her to feel it, wanted her to know what she did to me. Our kiss still fast and frantic, I ran my hand down her backside, around to her thigh. I lifted her leg around my hip so she could feel me as our sensitive parts lined up. Groaning, she pulled apart from me. I thought she might leave now, but she didn’t. Resting her head against mine, she panted as she stared at me. Then…she started unbuttoning my shirt.
Holy fuck. She was undressing me in the middle of a packed crowd of strangers. Yes, let’s do it here, in front of everyone. Let’s let the world see how much we need each other. Let’s let everyone see us…Anna…Denny. No…we can’t, but God, yes, I want to do this. Where can we go? Somewhere…anywhere…
As she continued to undress me, I crashed my mouth back down to hers. Yes, take me…I’m yours. We’ll go somewhere private and I’ll make you happy. I’ll make you beg, I’ll make you scream. I’ll make you forget everything but me. You’re all I want. Let me…
In my fog of desire, I opened my eyes and scanned the room. Women dancing nearby were watching us, but I didn’t care about them. I needed a closet, a bathroom, a coatroom…somewhere with a door that I could close behind us. That was when I spotted Denny weaving his way through the crowd. Fuck. No. Not now. What the hell do I do? Pull Kiera away with me? He’d notice if she was gone. He’d wonder. He’d find out. But I couldn’t stay here any longer.
Not knowing what else to do, I pushed Kiera back and twisted to blend into the bumping and gyrating crowd. My lips burned with the loss of her, my body ached, but Denny couldn’t see this. He couldn’t catch us. I wouldn’t let that happen. He deserved so much better than walking in on us.
I found a nearby spot in the jam-packed crowd where I could watch Kiera without her seeing me. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath fast, her eyes blazing with desire. For me. But was that enough for her to leave him? For her to choose me? Hands brushed over my back as girls giggled in my ear, asking me to dance, but I ignored them as I watched the confusion blossom over Kiera’s face. She honestly had no idea why I’d shoved her away from me. She didn’t know what I knew.
She figured it out two seconds later when Denny approached her from behind. She spun to face him and I held my breath. This was it, the moment of truth. She was either going to fess up to him right now and tell him she had feelings for me, or she was going to brush aside what had happened between us. Again. And I would know, without a doubt, that I really didn’t mean as much to her as she meant to me.
I was almost too scared to watch what she would do, but I couldn’t turn away either. Please tell him you want me. Please come find me. Please choose me, Kiera. Please. Mere seconds passed before she acted, but within those seconds, a lifetime of hope blossomed within me. I’d gotten through to her. She was going to do it.
The brief hope evaporated the moment her hands grabbed Denny’s face and pulled his lips down to hers. I felt like I’d been socked in the gut with a concrete two-by-four. Multiple times. I couldn’t breathe as I watched her attack him. He seemed startled by her assault at first, but he eagerly returned her affections once he recovered. I didn’t blame him. She was kissing him with no reservations, no inhibitions, just pure, undiluted desire. It was the same way she’d been kissing me just a few minutes ago. How could she do that to me? How could she switch gears so fast? Or had she? Was she still kissing me right now, in her head? Had I just turned her on, then handed her to my best friend? Oh…God…
Much to my continued horror, they broke apart for a split second, but only so she could lean up and whisper something into his ear. Whatever it was, by the look on Denny’s face, it was something he wanted. He wrapped his arm around her waist, flashed his eyes around the club, then started leading her through the crowds. Fuck, were they leaving? Did she ask him to take her home? To…to…
I couldn’t even finish that thought.
As she stepped away from me, I stepped toward her. No. No, this wasn’t what was supposed to happen. We’d had such a profound connection on that dance floor. She was supposed to have an epiphany, realize how much she loved me, leave him…and go home with me. She was supposed to choose me. Why did she never choose me?
They were hurrying out of my sight. Panic made me continue to weave through the crowd, following them. They couldn’t go home together. They couldn’t…not while she was so riled up. Over me. I’d turned her on to the point where she was bursting. She’d nearly stripped me on the dance floor, she’d wanted me so much. That had to mean something. But she was still leaving with him. Why the hell was she still leaving with him? I wanted to shout her name, tell her to come back, but I was just too afraid to open my mouth. I might be sick if I did.
“Kellan, there you are!”
Hands clamped around my arm, holding me in place in the sea of reveling dancers. I looked down at Anna beside me. She was giving me an expression I knew very well—Take me somewhere, anywhere, and I’ll do things to you that you didn’t even know were possible. But Anna wasn’t the one I wanted exploring my body, my soul, and I just didn’t have it in me to return her seductive gaze.
Keeping my face blank, I leaned down to her ear. “I want to leave. You ready?”