Chapter 24 #2
Just then, another cloaked server with a tray of absinthe shots appears. We all groan, but every one of us, Ari aside, picks up another shot glass and raises it high before taking a drink.
"God, that really is awful," Lucia mutters. I nod.
Wren and Yelena, however, seem to think that absinthe is delightful, because they immediately flag down another cocktail girl and get us yet another round.
After that, it’s time to daaance.
The five of us, even Ari, push our way through the grinding, gyrating throngs of students to edge closer to the DJ booth.
The energy is insane, and as I start to dance, I start to lose myself in the thumping music.
My skin comes alive, tingling and rippling with heat that sucks the air from my lungs.
My pulse begins going into overdrive, and I throw back my head and scream in delight as I raise my hands to the vaulted ceiling and lose myself in the beat.
The crowd grows thicker, wilder, hotter. My skin ignites with tickling, teasing fire that has me biting my lower lip as pleasure ripples through my core.
God, I feel amazing right now.
I look over at my friends and grin even wider when I see how much fun they’re having, too.
Wren is utterly lost in herself, her hands sliding up and down her body as she sways, her eyes closed.
Even Yelena, who really isn’t big on dancing, looks like she’s on cloud nine as she writhes and twists to the thudding beats.
When I spot Lucia dancing sandwiched between two huge, tattooed guys I don’t recognize, my hackles raise.
Yelena seems to hear the same alarm bells because she instantly stops dancing and stumbles her way over to the trio, jabbing one of the big guys in the arm.
He turns and smiles at her, saying something I can’t hear before the four of them all laugh.
Suddenly, the two big guys are making out with each other.
Ooooh.
Yelena giggles as she turns and catches my eye before she steps closer.
“They’re a couple!” she laughs, nodding at the guy with shorter, dark hair. “Aaron is the TA for her Foreign Policy class.” She winks. “Lucia’s in good hands!”
Phew.
The music roars on. The pulse of the whole party hums through my veins, my skin tingling like I’m being softly licked and kissed by a thousand tongues. It’s like I’m unaware of anything but the beat and the sensation of my skin coming alive and sizzling with liquid fire.
Man, absinthe is crazy…
A face slips past me in the crowd. Before I can stop myself, I’m whirling and thrusting my hand out to grab his arm.
“Anyone steal any of your underwear lately?”
The guy abruptly whirls to give me a look like he’s wondering how I escaped from the institution. I immediately realize that he is not, in fact, Lochlan.
“Sorry!” I blurt, my face turning to fire as I drop the confused guy's arm.
Fucking absinthe.
I would ask myself why I’m seeing Lochlan freaking Kildare’s face in a stranger's. But I already know the answer. At least to some degree, my mind has been on him ever since I bumped into him in the men’s locker room.
…When my gaze dropped, and I saw the fingernail claw-marks on his hips.
I know it’s a massive leap. I mean, Lochlan plays football. The scrapes on his body could have been and probably were from any number of bang-ups that happened during practice.
I can’t think of them now, of course. But I’m sure there were other scrapes, bruises, and cuts on his body that I didn’t notice because I was too busy playing Nancy Drew and creating connections that don't exist.
And yet…
Here I am, seeing his obnoxiously gorgeous face on a stranger.
I roll my eyes at myself, letting my head drop back and my arms reach up into the hazy, throbbing energy swirling over the party.
Lochlan is NOT The Ghost Prince.
The Ghost Prince is NOT Lochlan.
I start to say it again inside my head. But I don’t finish before my attention is captured by the amazing sensation of a hand touching my bare arm. I turn, and I grin widely with my whole face as I see Arianna peering at me.
“Arrriiii!” I giggle, throwing my arms around her and hugging her tightly. “I love you soooo much, you know.”
Then I just keep hugging her, because holy fuck she feels good. Her hair smells amazing. My hands against her bare back feel like they’re absorbing throbs of pulsing electricity. And Jesus Christ, her body is so soft against mine…
“I don’t wanna be weird,” I giggle. “But your tits feel amazing right now.”
Arianna pulls away and frowns as she peers into my face. “You seem really messed up, Gal.”
I snort out a tittering giggle. “I am really messed up,” I smile. I glance wildly around, grinning at the way the lights leave glowing trails when I move my head.
Okay, wait.
I really am messed up right now. At the same time, I feel fucking incredible.
I don’t see Yelena when I glance around again in a slow-motion haze. But I do see Lucia dancing between Aaron and his boyfriend, looking like she’s on cloud nine. Wren is next to me, smiling widely in a dreamy haze, her eyes closed as she runs her hands over her own breasts.
Wait, what’s happening.
But as I try to focus on the uncomfortable sensation that something is wrong here, my attention keeps getting pulled to something…someone…else.
Someone darker, and more dangerously alluring.
Someone who wears a mask and tells me what a good girl I’m being…
A heated flush thrums in my core as my masked stalker takes full and utter control of my thoughts.
The Ghost Prince.
Or is his name LOCHLAN…
I feel myself shaking my head, semi-oblivious to Ari’s concerned expression as I finally allow myself to follow that thread.
What if I’m not making it up?
What if the Ghost Prince is Lochlan?
“Have you seen him?”
Ari’s face swims into focus, puzzled.
“What?” she frowns. “Seen who?
“Lochlan,” I hear myself groan. “Is he heeeeeree?”
The music slows. The heated, erotic sensation sliding over my skin clutches me tighter, taking my breath away as my nipples tighten against my dress.
“Lochlan Kildare?” Ari asks, her brows furrowed. “Okay, no more absinthe—”
“More absinthe!” I crow before I start giggling again.
I sort of register the concern on Arianna’s face when she tells me to stay where I am for a minute, but I guess I don’t register it enough. Because when she turns away to stop Wren from hugging complete strangers, I immediately start to push through the crowd.
He must be here. He’s one of the most popular guys on campus, and this is the party tonight.
I’m sure he’s around.
Maybe he is, but at a certain point, I realize I’m standing in the shadows, staring up at the dragon on the LCD screen as it looms over me ready to swallow me whole. I have no idea how long I’ve been standing here.
I finally manage to rip my gaze away from the dragon as I whirl…
…And immediately slam into a tall, muscled torso.
“You look lost, little lamb.”
My eyes snap up, and my pulse skips a beat as I find myself staring up into the dark, dangerous eyes of Adrik Volkov.
I blink, my mouth opening and closing before slowly opening again, all without a single sound coming from my throat.
I swallow heavily as I try to wet my suddenly parched lips. Darkness pulses and throbs around his head like a black, ominous halo.
“I…” I blink rapidly.
His mouth pulls into a small smirk.
God, his lips are perfect. I guess I’ve just never been close enough to Adrik to notice before.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
I jolt when he grabs my wrist. I think I should be embarrassed that I was just reaching out to touch his mouth. But I shrug it off when he drops my hand.
“Nothing,” I mumble. “I—I’m looking for someone.”
Adrik cocks a single dark, heavy brow. “Fascinating. I am, too.”
Fuck, why does it sound so freaking sinister when he says it?
I feel my brow furrow. “Have you seen Lochlan?”
Adrik frowns. “Kildare?”
“Yeaaaaah,” I grin. “Is he here??”
A malevolent expression flickers across his face. “Better not be,” Adrik growls.
“Weeeelll,” I exhale, “I’m looking for him. Can you callllll him?”
Adrik looks like he’s not sure if he’s amused or annoyed. Suddenly, a hand clamps down heavily on my shoulder.
When I turn, my face splits into a huge grin.
“ARI!” I squeal. “You’re heeeerrree!”
“In the flesh,” Arianna murmurs. Then her eyes drift past me, her brow creasing into a scowl when she sees who I’m talking to.
“Ariiii, this is Aaaadrik. He’s the Prince of Darkness,” I say matter-of-factly.
Arianna looks past me, her face utterly impassive, before she turns her attention back to me. “We need to go—”
“Wait-wait-wait!” I giggle. “I’m still looooking for him!”
She frowns. “Looking for—” Her brows knit deeply as she glances past me at Adrik again. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”
Adrik says nothing for a few moments, his dark, cool gaze leveled directly at Arianna before he casually lifts a shoulder. “I like your dress.”
“Great,” Ari says flatly as she gets my wrist in an iron grip. “Bye.”
I yelp as she abruptly drags me after her, almost tripping before I catch myself.
“Big grump,” I giggle as I turn to playfully slap Ari’s shoulder. “He was niiiice.”
“Uh-huh,” Ari says with zero emotion, still dragging me after her.
I glance behind us and giggle again.
“He’s still looking at yoooouu,” I tease. “I think he liiiikes you.”
She sighs with exasperation and rolls her eyes when I dig in my heels and wriggle out of her grip.
“Ariiii!”
“What,” she groans, like I’m trying her patience.
“You’re hot.”
She snorts.
“No, I’m serious!” I insist. “Look, I know you dress down and you’re not, like, looking for male approval, but you’re sexy, girl!”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Galina. You know I love you—”
I grin wider than I’ve ever grinned before. “Oh my Gooood. Ari, I love you soooo much—”
“But it's really time to go home.”
Okay, absinthe might be my new favorite drink, because I am legit floating after Arianna as she drags me back to the rest of our friends.
…Who are all wasted.