"Whoa. Not interested in all that. I just want to dance."
He pulled back with a slight scowl. "Why not? We've been dancing for at least twenty minutes. I don't see any harm in a kiss."
I rolled my eyes. "You and I have very different opinions of what a dance means. I just came to have fun. Not to get tied up in a lip lock. Sorry."
"I don't know what the big deal is. Just kiss me."
He leaned in and I pushed him back harder. "I said no." I turned to walk off, but he grabbed my arm at the elbow, halting my escape.
If I was a normal girl without immortal bodyguards, I'd be afraid. But I wasn't normal. I knew that Everett was there. I could see him making his way toward us, but before he made it there, someone else grabbed Trey and spun him around.
It was Tallis. Oh crap, crap, triple crap. No!
I was trying to escape him. That was the whole reason I came and even started drinking. He wasn't supposed to be here.
"She said no. I suggest you learn to listen better."
Trey cowered down, as expected. "Yeah. You see, we were dancing and I just thought that it would make sense—"
I scowled at him as Tallis interrupted his nonsense. "She said no. I'll take it from here. You go find someone else to piss off."
Trey suddenly had a crazy look in his eyes. Alcohol apparently had a shot of courage in it, because otherwise he would have sulked and walked off. Instead, he wrenched his fist back and thrust it at Tallis's face.
Tallis could have easily dodged it, but he let it connect. He only slightly turned his cheek as Trey's fist struck him with all of his strength. But the immortal just smirked. Something crunched on impact, and I knew for a fact it wasn't from the explosion-wielding masterpiece. It was a mortal crunch. Trey had just broken his hand—no way around it.
Tallis turned back to Trey who was wailing in pain as he shook and grabbed his broken hand.
"My hand is broken!" He dropped his cup and grabbed his broken hand with his free hand while doubling over in pain.
Another guy ran up to help the fool who should have stayed a coward.
"Sorry, man. He's just drunk. I'll make sure he doesn't mess with you again." He started pulling Trey away from Tallis.
Tallis's haughty grin taunted the whimpering guy. "He's going to need to see a doctor about his hand."
The guy looked terrified, far soberer than he probably was minutes ago. Even I feel a bit more alert. Trey seemed terrified as well. Tallis had just broken his hand without lifting a finger.
Tallis rolled his eyes and then turned back to me. "That guy doesn't know how to take a hint."
I laughed a little—my reaction to most everything since the first cup of punch. "He really would have been a mess if you had hit him back."
Tallis chuckled. "I think his strike is punishment enough. I didn't come to put someone in the hospital."
I couldn't help but smile as Trey scurried away fearfully. Then I looked at Tallis as my humor died down.
"Henry called you, didn't he?"
He nodded slowly, his eyes gauging me. "Yeah. He was worried about you being here." He looked down at my cup disapprovingly.
I raised it up and took a sip as a rebel statement. "I'm not leaving yet. I came to have fun. You wanted me to enjoy the mortal side of life, so here I am." I took another sip and staggered slightly. He caught me and fought hard not to grin.
"I didn't come to make you leave. I came to keep an eye on you. Just go easy on that stuff." He pointed to my cup.
I groaned, "Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the advice."
I took another sip and resumed dancing. He joined Everett in the corner, both of them shaking their heads. I didn't like the fact that he was here to keep me out of trouble. I wanted to be in trouble.
In fact... I wanted a lot of trouble. I found myself burning with the desire to touch him. I couldn't fight it either. Not with so much alcohol in me. I had no boundaries and no will to fight my urges.