“I hope you don’t plan on sticking around up here. Service is shit for us when you bring out that smile.” Zoe doesn’t look in my direction as she focuses on the other side of the bar.
“You said this was invite-only.” As a group, we all turn around to look at Legs. Like an angry little monkey, and just as clingy, she has her arms crossed over her chest. The agitated tap of her foot is a little over the top, even for her.
“It is,” I answer, but that doesn’t stop Legs from turning to point in the direction of the dance floor.
“Who is that?”
“How should I know?” I pray they don’t hear the huskiness in my voice as my eyes land on the blonde that all my recent fantasies are made of. I map the delicate curve of her neck and slender shoulders, imagining my knife trailing down her milky skin. My cock jumps in my jeans.
“I’ll tell her to leave.”
Images of me driving that knife through the bum’s head flashes in my mind, only the filthy creature who so vocally spoke of raping Kaci is transformed into Legs.
“You’ll leave her alone,” I grunt, grabbing her by the upper arm with enough force to make her flinch.
“Okay,” she breathes. She loves the roughness, but my focus is still on the girl across the room. I don’t bother acknowledging her hand as it skates down my shirt to rest right above my belt buckle.
The only reason I know she’s still with me after grabbing my beer and crossing the room is because she tries to sit in my lap when I take a seat beside Ronan.
My focus is solely on Kaci as her head pops up, no longer lost in the music. She frowns, looking around as if she’s just now realizing she’s on the dance floor alone. Her lips turn down even more when she walks to a table overflowing with empty shot glasses, but the disappointment doesn’t last long. She saunters, the sway of her hips hypnotizing me with every step she takes, up to where my sister and her friends are still chatting.
“Do you know her?” Legs is still clinging to the front of my shirt, so I bat her hand away. She can sit here all she likes but wrapping herself around me in an attempt to put some sort of claim on me isn’t going to happen. She rests her hands on her lap, not pressing her luck with me. I was exceptionally brutal with her before leaving for Richmond, and I feel bad about it. She loved every minute, but that still didn’t keep me from hurting her to ease the uneasiness I felt about leaving for several days.
“Are you going to answer me?”
Fuck, is this what being married feels like? If nagging and someone being up my ass 24/7 are what it entails, I’ll be fucking single forever.
“No.” I tilt my beer back to my lips, smiling as Kaci gives the group a little wave before shimmying her hips.
“You’re staring at her like you want to fuck her.”
“Don’t have to know her to fuck her,” I counter.
Ronan snorts, and we clink the necks of our beers together.
Kaci stays at the bar talking to everyone for a few minutes before she follows Zoe to the booth to continue their conversation. My sister hits the dance floor, and it doesn’t take long for her to be swarmed by people. The club whores want to be her, and every idiot hangaround wants to fuck her.
I snap a quick video because a picture just wouldn’t do it enough justice and send it to Briar. He’s hours away, and there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it. Knowing he’ll be pissed makes me smile a little wider. I shoot him a picture when he asks what Zoe is doing. Thankfully she’s being a good little girl sitting in the booth and talking with Kaci. I know he’s hoping she’s misbehaving as well so he can get Lynch riled up enough to head back this way.
Several songs later, and I’ve switched from beer to soda because I know I’m going to have to get Kaci home tonight. They’ve left the booth and are on the dance floor laughing and having a good time. I want to shoot the fucking DJ because each and every song he plays is more seductive than the last. Legs has disappeared, and I’m grateful for my ability to stand and go to the blonde luring me in without hearing her bitch about it.
She doesn’t look back when I lock my hands on her hips and roll my body with hers. She smells delicious with hints of clean sweat from exertion, whiskey, and the body wash she keeps in her shower. I spent more time than I’m comfortable admitting to standing in her bathroom sniffing her lavender vanilla soap.