14. JENSEN
14
I ’ve learned two things about Rae Stafford while playing this stupid game.
One, she doesn’t like to answer personal questions, and two, she can drink like a sailor.
Unless it’s gin.
After the three of us devoured the two dozen shots of pink schnapps, I ordered the same amount of apple gin shots, and I’m not regretting it. With every shot she takes, her eyes glow even more, she becomes chattier, and to my amusement, more flirtatious.
“No!” she cries, laughing. “The two of you seriously got arrested for streaking ?”
Her hand drops to my knee, like it has been doing for the last ten minutes, and the heat of her palm burns through my jeans.
“How come I never read about this in the paper?” she jokes.
“Because his daddy has a big army of lawyers that wiped out all evidence,” Bodi explains, with a grateful look. “I don’t like his mum and dad, but I have to admit, I was glad they took care of that.”
“Must be convenient to have a dad with connections.” She winks, squeezing my knee before she licks her lips.
The same lips that seem to have a deep connection to my dick.
“Not as much as it may seem.”
Sure, I’m glad there is no evidence of my drunk streaking adventure, but ninety-nine percent of the time, having a parent in politics just means you have to think about every move you make. Being the black sheep of the Jensen family allowed me a few missteps along the way, but my parents made sure it was never more than that.
Not because I didn’t try, but because they threatened to make life really hard for me, and God knows they can.
She examines my face, any restraints completely gone until her eyebrows raise in recognition, looking around the room.
“I love this song!” She jumps up, grabbing my hand. “Come on, hockey boy. ”
“What? Where are we going?”
“Dance with me!”
Bodi chokes on his drink while I blink at her, wondering if she’s joking.
“Err, no.” I glance at the dance floor filled with line dancing people.
“Come on, hockey boy . We’re in Texas! I got my boots on.” She raises a boot from the floor. “We have to dance! Don’t tell me you don’t have a few moves?”
Cute as she is, she wiggles her hips.
“I really, really don’t.” I laugh sheepishly while my eyes take in her radiant smile.
She scrunches her nose in disbelief, creating a fuzzy feeling inside me that wants to reach out my arms and cuddle her on my lap. To kiss her hair at her silliness and hold her like she’s mine.
Fuck.
“Oh, come on. Just follow me.”
Pulling harder than expected, she jerks me off my chair and onto my feet, dragging me onto the dance floor. I look over my shoulder, a bit shocked at her sudden strength, locking eyes with Bodi, who’s waving at me with a gleaming look, enjoying this all a little too much.
Australian bastard.
“Rae, babe,” I plead. “I really can’t dance. I play hockey, for crying out loud.”
“Exactly. If you can move your feet on the ice, you can move them on the dance floor. I’ll show you.”
She leads me to the floor and places us in a line, surrounded by people who clearly know what they are doing. I awkwardly look around me, feeling like a fish on dry land before my focus is back on Rae.
“Okay, pay attention.” She starts to move her feet while glancing at me. “Step, step, step. Kick, step, slide.” She repeats the move while I soak her in, enjoying every move she makes with her slender body.
“Jensen! Pay attention.”
“Right. I’m not doing this,” I announce, rubbing my neck. Placing a hand on my side, I eye her with a bored look, hoping she’ll let it pass.
No such luck.
“Come on, handsome. Humor me.”
“Handsome?” I feel the corner of my mouth tucking at her new nickname for me.
“That’s the part you listen to?” Her eyes roll, then she brings her focus back to her feet.
“Look, it’s easy.” She shows the step one more time, and I just look at her, moving her legs and hips with ease.
Following the rhythm with the rest of the people. She keeps going, undisturbed, before her eyes find mine again.
“Jensen!” She scowls. “Come on! Don’t be such a bore.”
“Nope, not doing it.” As if the universe is working with me, the music changes to a ballad, and my brows quirk up. “I will do this , though.”
Grabbing her hand, I gently tug her into my arms, pulling her body flush with mine.
I rest my cheek against her temple, then fold my arms around the small of her back. She breathes out, relaxing in my grasp, and I’m not sure if it’s in defeat or contentment. But she slowly drops her weight against my chest and our bodies merge.
Guess I found trouble.
Having her this close to me, I want to cross the line I’ve never crossed. She entices me with her Bambi eyes and with everything she does.
Her blunt words are like a cold shower on a hot summer's day, completely freaking me out, but feeling so good once you’re used to it. My mind is telling me to run before either of us gets hurt, but my heavy heart keeps me locked in place like an anchor.
We stay quiet for a while, swaying our bodies together to the music like we’ve never done anything else. Her body fits with mine perfectly, like my missing jigsaw puzzle piece, while her hands rest on my biceps as if she’s claiming me unintentionally.
When Bodi finds my gaze, I can see his chest move with a heavy exhale, pursing his lips, before his eyebrows raise with a thumbs up.
I roll my eyes at him, not willing to let him ruin this moment. He shrugs, a smug look plastered on his lips, then drops his thumb over his shoulder, silently telling me he’s leaving. He takes another shot from the table, then mockingly forms a heart with his hands, bringing a smile to my lips, and I flip him off.
Jerk.
“Bodi’s leaving,” I tell her and she briefly lifts her head from my torso in his direction before dropping it back.
“He’s going to bed?”
“More like reading for another hour, before he falls asleep with a book on his face.”
She chortles. “He’d be a good match with Kayla.”
“Who’s Kayla?”
“My cousin. My best friend.” I can almost feel her smile. “She is addicted to books. Studying English Lit at Stanford.”
“Yeah?” I whistle. “We should hook them up.”
“She’s also nineteen.”
“Then maybe not.” I rest my chin on her silky hair, closing my eyes with a smile.
This is stupid. Holding her against my body like this is stupid. And listening to the loud thumping of my heart, I’m going to do something stupid like falling for her if I’m not careful. But from all the stupid mistakes I made in my life, this is the only one I might be willing to accept all consequences for.
“Jensen.” Rae’s sweet voice reverberates against my chest, growing the arousal inside of me.
“Yeah?”
“I was a judgmental little pain in the ass .”
Fazed by her confession, I pull my body back a little, wanting to look her in her eyes. She’s staring at me with big tipsy eyes, biting her lip innocently.
Fuck, she shouldn’t do that.
“You what now?” Amazement is audible in my voice, and she rolls her eyes.
“I’m not gonna say it again,” she says, then wraps her arms around my back, ending the conversation when she pulls me against her body once more.
A chuckle escapes my lips when I do the same, cupping the back of her head with my hand. My lips brush against her blonde hair, enjoying its softness.
“I heard you, baby.”
A hum comes from her chest, vibrating against my ribcage. Instead of speeding up, my heart rate slows, beating in union with Rae’s as I rest my chin on her head again.
“This is nice,” she muses. “I think I could stay like this forever.”
I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol that’s making her say things she normally wouldn’t, but either way, I can’t help smiling. I can’t help feeling the same. Wanting to bottle this moment forever.
The smartest thing is to leave. To end this before there is no way back. Before something happens that we'll both regret. But I can’t. I want to see where this goes. I want to do everything I shouldn’t, for once doing whatever the fuck I want.
For real this time.
“Me too, babe.”