Chapter 11 - Roman
This isn’t the same woman who refused to leave her room earlier…it’s certainly not the one who had been sitting in her own little world with my family.
No…this Victoria sways her hips like it’s her job.
It’s like she has completely forgotten where we are or all the reasons she despises me. Or, maybe she just doesn’t care. Maybe she’s too tipsy to care.
In tandem with the sultry music around us, her body is fluid…teasingly soft-looking, especially with those perfect hips moving like they are. This rhythm of hers is new, yet it somehow seems so practiced. So carefree.
I can’t complain…and I certainly can’t look away.
Especially not when she looks back at me, letting me see those gorgeous eyes and how the light occasionally brings out the honey warmth within them.
This wasn’t how I imagined things going, but I’m in no position to argue or push her off me. Not while she backs into me, occasionally brushing against me and causing my body to stir. Like it’s awakening just for her, I can’t hold it back. I can’t fight how much tighter my slacks feel.
I had every reason to anticipate nothing but icy silence from her, or some kind of venomous statement to try and shake my resolve. But not this.
Not the constant movements that draw me in, or the knowing gleam in her eyes while she does it.
The brush of her body against mine…the tousle of her hair while she dances…
Hell, it’s a wonder I’ve even made it this far.
Without any kind of objection, I let her. I want her to.
Unable to stop myself, I move with her, and one way or another, she ends up turning around until we’re face to face. She’s in my arms, fitting like she was meant to be there.
It’s both startling and strangely appealing.
Of course, something in me had wanted her since the moment I saw her picture, but feeling her previous hatred for me was the thing stopping me from acting on those desires.
Having her like this now…dancing on me and fitting far too well in my grasp…it’s fraying at my self-restraint.
My hands drift, with one settling against her lower back while the other hovers along her shoulder. I keep my touch light as I try to hold back to some degree…trying to be good.
Despite trying not to press too close, I can still feel the warmth in her skin. I can feel the mutual interest dripping between us. I keep telling myself to take it easy and not jump to any conclusions, but the way she effortlessly dances for me feels like too much of an invitation to ignore.
She certainly isn’t helping me stay in line.
Then, Victoria leans in and lets her words ghost against my jaw.
“You act so cold any other time, but that doesn’t seem to be the case now.”
Her words, while coherent, are still somewhat labored and slurred despite being able to hold her rhythm. And that hazy smile of hers is more endearing than I care to admit.
“Maybe you just don’t know me either,” I return, lifting a brow while my pulse spikes.
Victoria grins, and her hand grazes along my chest. “I know that you’re straining, at least…”
That’s an understatement.
Heat pools in my core, and I’m in no position to deny her claim.
But being buzzed helps loosen some of my usual control, and I hum in return.
Her teasing is deliberate, and it’s far too tempting. Even if she’s a little more than tipsy, she still knows what she’s doing.
My hand lowers to her hip, and I tighten my grip slightly. “…and you should be careful with that mouth of yours.”
She looks at me far too innocently. “Why? Will you punish me for it?”
Jesus Christ…
Biting back the urge to give in right then and there, it takes every shred of my resolve not to do something either of us might regret.
“You don’t want to give me any ideas.”
A satisfied yet velvety-sounding laugh escapes her, and at the same time, I glance over her head, remembering we aren’t alone.
The others, while still in the private section, could still have a decent view of us if they bothered to glance in our direction.
Even so, I don’t entirely care anyway.
“What would they think?” Victoria asks, pulling me from my thoughts once more. “Seeing you like this?”
Meeting her gaze again, I huff out a breath. “They can think whatever they want. It doesn’t matter right now.”
“And if they’re watching…you won’t try to stop them?”
“No.”
Her lips pull. “Good…I kind of like it.”
Something shifts within me again, shaking the foundation of my self-restraint. I’m barely hanging on by a thread.
Exhaling slowly, I hardly stop myself from pulling her away from the open floor and all those wandering eyes.
“Careful. This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”
“That’s your favorite kind, right?”
Closing my eyes a moment longer than usual, I force my hands not to stray lower…to stay where they are and maintain a semblance of control.
I want more than anything to pull her closer and to let her feel exactly what her teasing is doing to me, but something in me also wants her to keep going. I want her to keep pushing and tempting me.
It’s a far cry from our previous exchanges, and I don’t want to leave that tantalizing bubble.
“You’re full of surprises tonight,” I murmur, not looking away from her.
“Do you hate it?”
Despite myself, I murmur, “No.”
“And is this you asking me to stop?”
No…God, no.
I don’t say anything, but her smile sharpens anyway, and she already knows. She absolutely knows without needing to hear it from me.
In the distance, I catch the sound of one of my brothers proposing something…likely shots, a game of poker, or the like, but I don’t draw closer to find out.
Instead, my entire focus is on her…on the way Victoria’s eyes seem to drink me in, and how her hand idly moves along my bicep.
Then, the other one slips into mine without needing to say a word. And I don’t pull away.
We don’t say anything to anyone else either. Instead, I hold her gaze for a moment longer as a silent understanding seems to move between us, and we’re moving.
The night air briefly clears some of the fog from my head, but as Victoria’s body brushes against mine while she stays close to me, that small reminder nearly kickstarts my heart again.
“Dragging me away from the dance floor, hm?”
More teasing…
“I didn’t drag you anywhere,” I return lowly, allowing myself to gently grip her hand in return. “You followed me.”
A soft, knowing hum comes from her. “Maybe I did…”
There’s something almost warm in her tone. Something that feels foreign, yet capable of making my veins burn.
The vehicle is already waiting, and without missing a beat or waiting for anyone to get the door, I pop it open for her, and Victoria slides in.
Watching her move without fighting me, without resisting, hits me harder than it should.
She isn’t glaring or making me feel like I’ve committed some kind of heinous act merely by looking in her direction.
Instead, she’s being compliant.
Willing.
That thought lingers in my mind and only stokes the flames of my interest.
Sliding in after her, I close the door once I’m in place, and before long, the SUV hums while it pulls away from the curb.
The smell of her shampoo and the perfume I got her lingers in the air between us, drawing me in like a siren’s call.
After a moment of sitting in that silence, I glance at her. “Why the change? You haven’t been remotely like this.”
Amused by my question, she grins to herself. “It was something to do.”
My eyes narrow slightly. “Try again.”
With a slight pause, she continues, “Maybe I wanted to get a rise out of you.”
“Well…” I begin, looking her over again. “You succeeded.”
Looking far too proud of herself, Victoria lets an airy laugh escape her, and Christ…the sound alone is enough to make me ache.
“You’re a different person with your guard down.”
“It isn’t down.”
“No? Then why do you look like you’re ready to explode?”
My gaze never leaves her—not even when I should probably look away and put some space between us. Instead, my jaw clenches, and I don’t say anything at first.
As more of that incredibly loud tension lingers between us, Victoria shifts slightly in her seat and crosses a leg over the other. It looks far too smooth…far too distracting.
And of course, it works as intended.
Not to mention, she sees it the way I’m faltering.
While that distinctly appealing scent of hers hits me again, I look at her pointedly.
“You’re testing me, aren’t you?”
Something vaguely amused passes through her eyes again. “…And if I am?”
“Then you’re going to get burned.”
“What if that’s exactly what I want?”
Something about that shakes me all over again, and I swallow hard to clear away the dryness in my throat.
It’s unlike me to feel caught off-guard by anyone or feel tested beyond my limits.
Still, I find myself unable to shut it down. Not when it’s far too entertaining and seems to be leading down a path I can’t ignore.
I take a slow, strained breath. “Then you’re really going to get burned…and it’s going to hurt. A lot.”
Despite the warning in my words, she doesn’t pull away or retreat in any way. Instead, that grin lingers on her lips, and I have the feeling she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.
As much as I don’t like admitting any kind of reliance on anyone… at this moment, I need her more than anything.
I want her.