Chapter 11 #3
“It’s time to go.” Aiden looked mad, madder than I’d ever seen him before.
I looked at Alice’s face, and she looked pissed off.
I stared at them for a second, and I wondered if their relationship was over before it even started.
That would serve Aiden right. He was acting like a real idiot.
I was used to his imperialist nature, but I knew Alice was getting her first real glimpse of it and was likely not appreciating it.
“Aiden, we’re not leaving,” I shouted at him, letting him bear the brunt of my anger. “You two shouldn’t have come here.”
“We wanted to make sure you were both okay.” He looked over at Alice and frowned as she smiled at some guy who was dancing next to her. “Two single girls have to be careful these days.”
“We know how to take care of ourselves.” I sighed and then looked at Xander. “Where’s Gabby?”
“She’s with Henry.” His eyes bored into mine. “Do you wish she were here instead?”
“No. Do you?”
“No,” he said simply.
My heart thudded away dangerously as I gazed into his eyes. What was it about this man that he could pierce my heart and soul with a glance and leave me aching with want and need at just one touch?
“Please leave,” I said softly. “This night is for Alice and me. I don’t want this headache, Xander.” I rubbed my forehead as the beginning of a headache was about to set in. “I can’t have you showing up like this. It isn’t fair to me.”
“Just one dance,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
“What?”
“One dance, and I’ll leave and take Aiden with me.”
“Why do you want a dance?”
“Who wouldn’t want a dance from a sexy siren like you?” He winked at me.
“I’m not a siren.” I shook my head with a blush.
“When you were dancing, I couldn’t stop myself from looking at you. I think that makes you a siren.” He pulled me toward him. “Dance with me, Liv.”
“What about Aiden and Alice?” I nodded toward them next to us, and he shrugged.
“What about them?”
“Fine, one dance.” I sighed. “Don’t try any funny stuff.”
“What funny stuff would I try?” He looked at me innocently, and I laughed.
“Don’t try and slip your hands up under my skirt,” I whispered in his ear.
He laughed and pulled me closer to him. “I can’t make any promises.”
His arms went around my waist, and we started dancing together.
It felt nice and warm and oh-so dangerous as his hands moved up and down my back and ass, until they settled on my lower back.
We danced in silence, our bodies moving together in harmony, as if we’d danced a million different times to a million different songs.
His body against mine felt like home, and I allowed myself to relax into him. I put my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.
We moved slowly, as if at a ball; our dance was totally out of place in the packed club, but neither of us cared. We were surrounded by people, but in that moment, there was only us.
I was surprised that he didn’t try to touch me sexually again. His hands remained where they were, and his lips never ventured toward mine. I could feel his heart beating in his chest, steady and solid, reminding me that he was only a human, just like me.
I pulled back slightly and looked into his face to see if I could figure out what he was thinking.
He stared back at me with intense eyes, no smile on his face.
We just studied each other as we moved, as if we were trying to remember every single detail of each other’s face.
I felt as if he were my husband going off to war and this was the last dance we were promised before he shipped out.
We stared at each other, just taking each other in.
It felt like it was the first time we were actually seeing each other.
It was the first time we were in each other’s presence without fucking or arguing.
This moment was for us—for the people we could have been in different circumstances.
In different circumstances, this moment could have felt magical, but instead, it was tainted.
It was tainted by the fact that we weren’t just two strangers getting to know each other.
We were already tied together, in ways that we’d never be able to erase or forget.
We were each other’s dirty little secret, and as I continued to stare at him, I felt a wave of crimson shame ripple through me.
What was I doing, dancing with this man I could never have? How many times was I going to put myself through this?
“The dance is over.” I stepped back and gave him a short smile. “You should leave now.”
“What if I don’t want it to be over?” he said as he gave me the most drop-dead smile I’d ever seen on his face.
“Then I’d say I’m sorry.” I shrugged and hurried over to Alice before he could stop me. I pushed my way through the crowd and grabbed her arm. “Let’s get a drink.”
“I was wondering where you’d disappeared to,” she said and sighed.
I saw that Aiden was standing there with a disapproving look on his face, and I knew their conversation hadn’t gone well.
“What happened with Aiden?” I said as we made it to the bar, where it was quieter.
“He told me he was disappointed in me. And that I hadn’t shown common sense by dancing with a man who looked like he could bench-press three hundred pounds.” She made a face.
“What?”
“He said there was no way I’d have been able to beat the guy off if he’d tried something with me and I tried to say no.”
“Are you joking?” I groaned and rolled my eyes. “I swear, Aiden is an idiot.”
“I just don’t know why he has to be so rude to me.” Alice made a face. “It’s like he thinks I’m ten.”
“It’s not just you, Alice, trust me.” I shook my head. “What do you want to drink? They’re on me.”
“Let’s get another round of vodka and Cokes, and you can choose the shots.”
“Let’s get some blow jobs.” I laughed and signaled to the bartender. “My friend and I want two vodkas and Cokes and two blow job shots, please.”
“Coming right up.” He grinned. “I wouldn’t mind a blow job as well.”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” I said, flirting with him.
He stopped and leaned forward. “How about I give you the shots for free?”
“That sounds good to me.” I grinned and licked my lips.
“All you have to do is stand on the bar and dance a little as you down it.”
“I think I can do that.” I nodded in agreement. “And so can my friend.”
“Okay, great.” He laughed. “Come around to this side, and I’ll lift you both up.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Come on, Alice. We can get free drinks if we dance on top of the bar.”
“Are you sure?” she asked me skeptically.
I nodded. “I’m sure.” I grabbed her hand. “Let’s go and show Xander and Aiden what they’re missing.”
We walked around to the side of the bar quickly, and the hot bartender helped us up on top. I looked out at the crowd of people, and for a second, I thought about getting back down. I wasn’t so sure this was a good idea, but then Alice grabbed my hands and started dancing, so I went along with her.
“Here are your shots, girls.” He handed us the glasses. “Now, I want to see you drinking them as if they were really blow jobs.”
“Okay then.”
We both laughed and grabbed the glasses.
I closed my eyes and sucked on the glass and downed the drink quickly and then started swaying back and forth.
I could hear some guys whistling and hollering at us, and I moved my hips in a more pronounced manner so that I could give them a show.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt a pair of strong arms around me, pulling me off of the bar top.
I opened my eyes and saw Xander’s fuming face in front of me.
“You are determined to make me blow up tonight, aren’t you?” he growled as he set me down on the ground.
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“You looked like you were about to fall, Liv. What were you thinking?”
“What are you talking about? We just got two free shots for—”
“Dancing on top of the bar like some hooker,” he cut me off, and I saw him shaking his head.
I looked behind me and noticed that Aiden had picked up Alice off of the bar and seemed to be giving her a similar lecture.
“I’m not a hooker.”
“Come with me.” He lifted me up again and carried me through the crowd and outside of the club. “What are you doing, Liv?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
“Why are you teasing me?” he ground out.
He leaned forward and kissed me roughly, his lips brushing against mine as his fingers ran through my waves and brought my head toward him.
“I’m not,” I mumbled as I kissed him back.
He tasted and smelled like lazy sex on a Sunday afternoon, and I ran my hands through his hair and held on to him for dear life as he sucked all the air out of me.
“I want you so badly,” he said with a groan as his hands fell to my ass and he cupped my butt cheeks.
“I want to fuck you right here, right now, in front of everyone,” he muttered as he sucked on my lower lip.
“I want everyone to know that you’re mine and that I’m the only one whose hands and cock will be getting under that short skirt tonight. ”
“Xander,” I moaned, turned on by his guttural talk.
My hands flew to the front of his pants and squeezed his already-hard cock. I was about to unzip his pants when something inside of me snapped, and I took a step back and pushed him off of me.
“No, stop,” I gasped, wiping my lips in haste. “We can’t do this.”
“What?” he groaned, his eyes dark with desire.
“You can’t keep playing hot and cold with me, and I can’t keep letting you.
I don’t know what’s going on, but the fact of the matter is, I’m not your plaything.
I’m not going to fuck you whenever you want me to.
We hooked up last week, and you regretted it so much that you proposed to my sister.
Well, you know what, Xander? You can go and fuck her.
I’m done. I’m over this. You can just leave me alone, okay? ”
He looked shocked at my outburst. It was as if he finally understood that I was not cool with this whole sordid mess. It was as if his cock had just figured out that he couldn’t just play around inside of me whenever he wanted. I was not going to be that girl. Not with him.
He was about to say something when Aiden and Alice came out of the bar.
“There you are.” Alice ran over to me, and she looked furious.
“Everything okay?” I asked her quietly.
“Your brother is an asshole. End of story,” she muttered and looked away.
“You guys need to leave now,” I said loudly and glared at them both. “And when I say now, I mean that if you aren’t gone from this street in thirty seconds or less, I will scream so loud that the police will come running and arrest you both.”
“Liv—” Aiden started to say something and then stopped himself. “I’m sorry.”
He sighed, and I just shook my head.
“It’s too little, too late.” I took a deep breath and looked at Xander as I spoke. “You can’t treat me like this anymore. I’m not going to take it. Just go home and leave us alone.”
I turned around and grabbed Alice’s arm, and we walked back into the club, both of us knowing that our fun girls’ night out had already been ruined, but neither one of us wanting to admit it and go back home.