Because of You

He didn’t leave my side once I stood in front of Morgan.

For another twenty minutes, we stood, me talking with Morgan, and Sutton speaking with Riker. I couldn’t help but keep glancing at Sutton. The way my head barely reached his shoulder, the way he made sure to stay right up next to me, his arm touching mine at all times.

I felt someone watching me and glanced over at Morgan to see she had her focus trained right on me, this small smirk on her face. I’d never told her the truth about my feelings for Sutton, not because I didn’t trust her, but because I felt wrong telling anyone but him how I felt.

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” I said and started making my way toward the staircase. Sutton might not have heard me over the wave of music, or the fact he was talking to Riker. He’d probably be pissed that I wasn’t taking him as my chaperone, but I wasn’t as fragile as he thought I was.

I’d been to the house a time or two before during other parties, so I at least knew where the bathroom was. Although I also knew what I’d probably find: someone passed out in there or people fucking.

I made my way up the stairs and pushed people out of my way. I headed down the long hallway toward where the bathroom was, the door closed, and internally groaning at the fact that someone actually using it for what it was made for was probably not happening at this moment. Before I got to it the door opened and a couple all but fell out, the girl giggling and the guy adjusting his fly and zipper.

Nasty.

Once inside, I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were a little red-rimmed and glassy. I was a cheap date, a light drinker, that was for sure. I used the bathroom and washed my hands, the alcohol really coursing through me after I’d started moving. I felt a little more buzzed now, a little looser.

I glanced at myself once more in the mirror before turning and opening the door. But a very hard, very masculine chest stopped me from moving. I knew who it was before I tipped my head back and stared into Sutton’s face.

“You should have waited for me,” he said before I could say anything.

I pushed past him, my independence rising, but a part of me liking that he was so protective of me. A guy weaved into me by accident, and Sutton pushed him out of the way. I looked up at him, wanting to appear fierce, but I felt the smile on my lips. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

He didn’t look amused.

The room started to spin, the air so hot. I gripped onto his forearm. “I don’t feel so good.” He had my hand in his a second later and was leading us back down the hallway. We found ourselves in an empty bedroom, the door shut, the noise muted. The air was cooler in here, the crush of bodies not suffocating me.

Siting on the edge of the bed, I caught my breath.

“Are you okay?” Sutton sounded so worried.

“I’m fine. I think I was just getting overheated.”

“You’re drunk.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Hardly. Buzzed yeah, but I’d pass a sobriety test with flying colors.”

He came over and sat beside me. “But you’re good now?”

I nodded. “You know, you don’t have to worry so much about me.” I placed my hand on his jean-clad thigh and felt my heart start racing. He was so close and smelled so good.

“I can’t help but worry about you, Catherine.”

The way he said my name had every part of me coming alive. I shifted on the bed, one of my legs bent and resting on the mattress, my focus now fully on Sutton. “I can handle myself,” I teased. I didn’t admit to him that I liked how overprotective he was, how possessive he seemed of me.

“If I’m near, you don’t need to handle yourself.”

After that we didn’t speak for long moments, but I felt something change between us, felt the electricity and heat bounce back and forth, this charge taking control. I felt my breathing start to increase, my nipples harden. It was this intense reaction to being so close to Sutton, my desire so strong it was uncontrollable.

I don’t know how long we stared at each other, but I felt the arousal heighten, knew my pulse was pounding rapidly in my wrists, at the base of my throat. The way he looked at me was full of heat, need. Could I be reading this right? Did he want me the way I wanted him? God, could something happen between us in this moment?

Sutton lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, his fingers like fire on my flesh. And then he leaned in close, so that I knew what he was going to do.