Taken (Dark Desires 1)

The double entendre wasn't lost on me. I thanked him and turned away, blushing, as I sipped the fruity concoction, which was actually pretty good, I was surprised to find. The girls started dancing, yanking me to the floor with them. I started dancing – or tried to at least – but I was terrible at it. While they all looked graceful and sexy grinding against one another on the dance floor, I was positive I looked like a hippo with two left feet trying to work it out on the dance floor.

As I stood there, unsure of what to do, my eyes fell on the DJ booth. And that’s when I saw him. Reese Williams. My brother's best friend. He was working the booth, focusing on what he was doing – except when someone walked over and talked to him. A beautiful Asian girl walked over to him and handed him some cash. He handed her something in return and flashed her a smile that could melt hearts – or the panties right off some young, horny girl.

It was all so curious to me.

I turned to find Allie and Lauren, but found that they were gone. While I'd been busy watching Reese, I'd lost them in the crush of bodies on the dance floor. Nearing panic, I pushed toward the booth, hoping to find my friends in the process, but had no such luck. Of course, I didn't. One of my other sisters though – Ashley – was busy making out with a guy. Other than her though, I saw nobody else from my sorority.

I kept moving though, and before I knew what I was doing, I found myself at the DJ booth. I stood there awkwardly, looking up at Reese who didn't even notice me – typical. I started to turn and walk away – the heels killing my feet – when I heard his voice behind me.

“Need something, sexy?”

Nah, he wasn't talking to me. I kept walking, but was stopped by a couple who'd stopped to make out – right in my path. I couldn't get around them as they were groping at each other, so I turned back around, only to find Reese staring directly at me.

“I asked if you needed anything,” Reese asked, shouting down from the DJ booth.

“Uhh what?” I asked, walking toward him, not sure I'd I heard him correctly. “Need something?”

“I guess not,” he said with a smile. “I was just hoping a pretty thing like you –”

He stopped and stared for a moment before jumping down from his spot at the DJ booth and got right up in my face. His eyes grew wide as recognition crossed his face.

“You're Luke's sister, right? Luke McConnell?”

“Uh yeah, my name is –”

“Maya. Yeah, I remember,” he said. “Though I don't remember you looking' like this. Damn.”

His gaze moved all over my body as he undressed me with his eyes.

“Damn indeed,” he said, returning to look me in the eye. “Wanna step away for a bit?”

“What?” I asked. “Step away? Aren't you working?”

“Yeah, but later, I mean. Hang out for a bit.”

“Hang out?” I felt my knees wobbling beneath me. Reese wanted to hang out with me, the nerdy, seriously uncool sister of his friend?

“Yeah,” Reese said, scratching his chin as he smiled at me, a charming sm

ile that had won me over time and time again. He was smooth, that was for sure. “Just you and me, if you know what I mean.”

“You and me,” I muttered.

I only had a second to decide what to do. I could turn him down, sure, which was the right thing to do. Given the fact he was nothing but trouble and I was on my way to medical school, I knew there was no way anything could work out between us. He was a baller – into drugs and basketball and hanging out on the streets. And I was a good girl. Totally opposite worlds.

Good girls didn't hang out with guys like him – especially when those guys don't even look twice at them until they were in a short skirt and showing off some cleavage. There was only one thing Reese wanted from me – I was inexperienced but not naive. I knew exactly what would happen if we got together.

“Sure,” I said, feeling a smile on my own face. “That sounds nice.”

“Yeah, that sounds real nice,” he said, stepping in just a little bit closer, close enough that I could feel his breath against my face and see those brown eyes boring into mine. “Meet me here at closing. We can head over to my place.”

“Alright,” I said, feeling like my heart might explode in my chest. I was doing this. I was going over to Reese's house to hook up. After all that time spent mooning over him – not to mention touching myself thinking about him – this was really happening. “See you then.”

As I turned to walk away, I felt his gaze upon me, staring at my ass as I walked. I swished it, just a bit extra for him. Giving him a little show. Of course, I nearly fell in my high heels, so I had to grab onto the nearest bar stool for support and pray he didn't see it.

I told my friends I'd met someone – an old friend. He was an old friend – sort of. If you really stretched the definition of friendship, anyway. I told them I was going to hang out with him for a while and that they should just go on back to the house without me.

Allie was shitfaced and had no idea what was happening. Lauren couldn't care less. She waved at me as they climbed into their Uber, but that was it. That was the last I saw of them before I headed back inside. The place was emptying out as security tried to usher the remaining people from the premises. There were a few drunk couples still getting handsy with one another and a few drunk guys that tried to get me to dance with them, but I was on a mission.