Chapter Eighteen
TREY
The fights are halfway over when Aleksi walks through Kaenan’s front door, freezing at the sight of Kendall’s G-class Mercedes in the driveway.
Most of us have been here since the start, but Aleksi got tied up at a charity event earlier today—signing sticks and hats for underprivileged kids in the area. Good cause. The kind a lot of us players get behind.
He points toward the window like the car just cut him off in traffic. “Why is Kendall’s ride out front?”
Kaenan doesn’t look up from the screen, settling deeper into his recliner. “Relax. She’s not here.”
Aleksi’s brows lift. “Then where—”
“Dropped her, Isla, and the rest of the girls at Ground Zero an hour ago. Kendall’s birthday.” Kaenan takes a slow pull off his beer.
Aleksi rocks back on his heels, grinning like he’s already plotting something. “So what you’re telling me is…we’re sitting around here when we could be there?”
“Girls’ night,” Kaenan says flatly. "The hell we should. Girls only. Isla was adamant. So park your ass and watch the fight," he says, pointing to an open chair for Aleksi to take.
Aleski motions to the TV, “The fights are practically over.”
Scottie walks back to the couch with his second plate full of pizza and two beers, plopping down next to JP, who's already on his third beer and a full plate of BBQ wings. "We're looking out for you, bud. Kendall will kill you if you show up. You'll scare off any guy that looks in her direction."
Aleksi shrugs, trying for casual but his jaw's already tight. "It's her birthday. I don't care who she dances with."
Wolf nearly chokes on his beer. "You have it so bad you can't even see straight. You'd get us kicked out for sure."
"Bullshit."
"Oh really?" Hunter leans forward, that shit-eating grin. He loves giving Aleksi shit for his crush on the team doctor whenever he can. "So you'd be totally fine watching some drunk asshole grind up against her in whatever barely-there mini skirt she's probably wearing?"
Aleksi's hands curl into fists. The muscle in his jaw ticks like a time bomb.
"Knowing Kendall," Luca adds helpfully, "she's probably wearing that black number that barely covers her ass. The one from Penelope's New Year's party."
"Fuck," Aleksi mutters, rubbing his forehead, like he’s trying not to think about what Kendall looks like tonight in a club full of guys all checking her out.
Kaenan’s phone pings. “It’s your lucky day. Isla said that the bar is getting crowded. They’re going to finish their drinks and a few more songs, then they’ll be ready to go.”
Aleksi instantly grabs his keys from his pocket. “Perfect, tell them I’m already on my way.”
Hunter gets up from the couch and reaches for his jacket. "We'd better all go to keep his stupid ass from fucking up the girls' night."
"No one’s buying your shit, Reedman," Aleksi calls over his shoulder to Hunter. "You just want to go dance with your girl."
Hunter grins. "So sue me. Peyton's a great dancer."
I fall in line behind them, trying to convince myself this has nothing to do with making sure no drunk college kid is putting his hands on Vivi. The guys already suspect I've got it bad for her. The last thing I need is to confirm it.
But the thought of some asshole pressing up against her, breathing in her ear, touching what I already know feels like fucking heaven…
She's not mine, I remind myself as I follow behind Kaenan who's not happy about this.
Unfortunately, the fact that she's not mine won't stop me from wanting to break the hands of anyone who tries to touch her.
"You coming, Hart?" Wolf calls from the driveway.
"Yeah." I grab my keys. "Someone's got to keep you idiots out of trouble."
Kaenan and I take our SUVs since we're the designated drivers tonight anyway. Plus, we'll need seats to bring the girls back home with us.
If I'm relieved to get to make sure no one's dancing too close to Vivi, I sure as hell won't be telling any of these assholes.
Ground Zero is exactly what you'd expect from Seattle's hottest dance club—music blaring, lights flashing, packed wall-to-wall with bodies moving to bass that vibrates through your chest. The kind of place that exists for dancing, drinking, and hooking up.
I have no fucking idea why the girls love this place.
We find a booth near the VIP section, trying to look casual.
But Penelope spots us immediately, shaking her head as she marches over past the velvet rope of their VIP section where most of the wives are sitting and chatting.
She’s all curls and killer heels and the kind of look that could stop traffic.
She intercepts Slade halfway across the floor.
Her finger jabs into his chest, her mouth moving in a tight, silent tirade that I can barely hear over the bass: You promised no boys allowed.
Slade tries to charm his way out of it, but Penelope’s not buying it. She glances toward the booth, catches the rest of us loitering like idiots in enemy territory, and shakes her head so hard her earrings flash in the strobe lights.
Hunter grins from beside me. “She’s gonna make him sweat for this one.”
“Good,” Kaenan mutters, sliding into the booth like a man settling in for the long haul. “We’re here to keep Aleksi from doing something dumb. We sit, we drink soda, we watch the fight on my phone, we go home. No bothering the girls.”
I nod like I agree. I don’t.
Because the second my eyes find Vivi across the floor, every plan I had to keep my head down goes straight to hell.
She’s in black. Not the kind of black that blends in.
The kind that makes you look twice, then again, then forget your own damn name.
The dress is short, the sleeves barely there, the neckline just enough to make me think of how she’d look out of it, sprawled naked on my bed.
Her hair’s loose, catching the light when she throws her head back laughing at something Kendall says as they all sway together in a protective circle as if not to let any male intruders into their group.
And she’s moving, nothing wild, just this easy, natural sway like she doesn’t even realize half the men in the room have clocked her.
My jaw tightens.
She’s not mine. I’ve been telling myself that for weeks. She’s got an expiration date stamped on her time in my life. But none of that stops my chest from tightening at the thought of some drunk asshole pressing up against her.
I take a long sip of my club soda, trying to focus on anything else.
Hunter elbows me. “You’ve been staring at her for three minutes straight.”
“I’m making sure she’s safe,” I lie.
“Right. And I’m only here for the good music and heavily poured drinks.”
I ignore him, but I can’t ignore the way my pulse kicks when a guy in a button-down starts moving toward Vivi and Kendall. He’s tall, broad, and clearly thinks he’s the answer to their good time. I’m halfway out of the booth before I realize Kendall’s already waved him off without missing a beat.
Still, my hands curl into fists.
Kaenan gives me a look. “Sit your ass down.”
I do…for about thirty seconds.
Because now Kendall and Cammy head for the VIP section to get a drink to cool down and Peyton’s dragging Vivi toward the center of the floor as the DJ drops something with a bass line so deep it rattles my teeth.
She’s laughing, moving in time with Peyton, her hips swaying, eyes half-lidded with the rhythm.
I’m done pretending.
“Are you ready to get in there?” Hunter asks.
“Let’s go,” I say.
By the time I reach her, she’s just turned, hair sweeping over one shoulder. Her eyes widen slightly when she sees me, then narrow in mock disapproval.
Hunter slides in between us and Peyton, and Peyton looks more than happy to have a new dance partner.
“Thought this was girls’ night,” she says over the music.
“Then you shouldn’t be here,” I counter.
Her mouth curves. “Pretty sure that’s not how it works.”
I step in closer, one hand finding the curve of her hip, testing. She doesn’t move away. If anything, she leans back into me, her body fitting against mine like it’s been waiting for this.
“Tell me to go,” I say, against her ear.
She doesn’t. Instead she turns around, giving me her back. She just starts moving again, and I move with her, my hands braced low on her waist, feeling the heat of her through that thin strip of fabric. The crowd disappears—it’s just the two of us, locked in the same slow, steady rhythm.
Her perfume’s driving me insane. So is the way her ass brushes against me with every shift of her hips.
“You’re playing with fire,” I tell her.
“Maybe I like the heat.” Her voice is low, meant for me alone.
The song changes, slower, heavier, and she doesn’t step away. My hands slide a little lower, thumbs stroking the bare skin at the small of her back.
“Is this a warning or an invitation?” I ask.
“Depends. Are you going to behave?”
“No.”
She huffs out a laugh, but her body presses into mine, hips rolling against me in time with the beat.
“Dangerous game, Hartley.”
“Baby, you have no idea,” I say pulling her tighter against me.
“Are you always this cocky on the dance floor?” she asks.
“Only when I’m dancing with you.”
The crowd seems to shift around us but nothing matters. Neither of us seem to notice anything but each other.
“You’ve been watching me since you walked in,” she says.
“Been watching you longer than that. Weeks. Every damn day in my kitchen. Every night you leave before I’m ready to let you go.”
She breathes out at that, which steals a little of her balance. “You make it sound like you’re the one suffering.”
“Sweetheart, I’m barely holding it together.”
Then she leans back, her head against my shoulder, her mouth brushing my jaw. “My townhouse is only ten minutes away.”
My hands tighten on her hips. “You sure you want to say that to me right now? Because what I want to do to you tonight isn’t acceptable for public consumption.”
She smiles up at me. “I wouldn’t have if I didn’t mean it.”
“Say it again, Vivi. Tell me how close your house is.”
I already know where it is. I’ve dropped her off before, but this isn’t about the logistics. Her house could be ten hours away and it still wouldn’t stop me from driving us straight there, right now.
Her lips curve, wicked and soft. “Ten minutes, Trey.”
That’s all it takes. I entwine my fingers through hers and start cutting us through the crowd.
She muffles back a giggle like she thinks it’s funny how easy it is to break me like that.
And I don’t mind. Maybe she should know that when it comes to her, my self-control is hanging by a thin thread, ready to snap at the smallest touch from her.
And not just because I want her body. Fuck… I want so much more than that.
I spot Kendall at the edge of the crowd, and she’s not alone. Aleksi’s got one hand braced at her hip, his mouth close enough to say something that makes her laugh hard enough to throw her head back. He’s grinning like a man who just won the lottery.
It’s not likely that she’s going to let him get any closer than that tonight, we’ve all heard she has a no-dating-players rule, but Aleski is a good guy and I hope someday, she gives him a shot. Though I doubt that night is tonight.
Good, I don’t want Vivi hating me for taking her away and ruining Kendall’s birthday. Besides, it's the end of the night. The club will be winding down in an hour, and the look of discarded drinks at their VIP tables means they must have had a good time before we all showed up.
We pass the booth where Kaenan’s camped out, nursing what’s left of a beer and keeping an eye on the room. I lean in. “Can you get everyone home without my car?”
He glances at our joined hands, then smirks. “Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Just go.”
I don’t even bother with a thank you. I’m already pulling Vivi toward the doors, the cold air outside hitting my skin like a slap.
She laughs softly, breath fogging in the night. “Are you always this impatient?”
“With you? Definitely."
I don’t let go of her hand until we’re in my SUV. And even then, when I open her door, my fingers brush her thigh before I step back. She slides in, eyes glittering in the dim light, and I swear I can still feel the heat of her on my palms.
The engine rumbles to life, headlights sweeping the emptying lot. Ten minutes feels like forever. But I’ll make it.