Chapter 16
Joseline
I try to dance like no one is watching, even though there’s one particular set of eyes I can’t get out of my head. I do my best to shove the drummer out of my mind, drinking, shaking my ass, and finally letting go after weeks of pent up nerves and stress.
This is exactly what I needed. I’m not cooped up in a hotel room, or working hours on end on new aesthetic graphics for clients. I’m living and having an absolute blast.
“Want to dance?” a voice asks in my ear, and I jump, my eyes flying open.
He’s a buff guy with tattooed forearms and a perfectly trimmed beard. His eyes are dark and curious, a handsome grin brightening his expression. He’s pretty cute, not that I care, but it definitely helps.
“Sure,” I say, not seeing any harm in grinding on a stranger I’ll never see again. Besides, that’s what I came here for, right?
He sidles up behind me without a word, and I go to work, twerking and throwing my ass back like I’m being paid for it.
I kind of am—my ticket and drinks are being paid for.
His strong hands find my hips and drag me back against him.
He’s already hard, his boner pressing against my ass through our clothes, but I decide to take it as a compliment.
“You’re very pretty,” he rumbles in my ear as he rolls his hips, pressing his cock harder against my ass.
“I know.” I smirk over my shoulder. “Thank you.”
He laughs, his hands moving away from my hips, one squeezing my ass. I’m a little surprised, but not really bothered. My ass is pretty fantastic; I’d wanna grab it if I was him too.
The song changes and we keep dancing as I sip on my drink, draining it and clutching the empty glass.
I bend over, throw it back, and whip my ponytail as the liquor kicks in.
My head is a little swimmy, made worse by the flashing, spinning lights, but I’m still thoroughly enjoying myself.
I have no idea where Tobias has fucked off to, and I don’t care.
At some point the glass in my hand disappears. I think the guy behind me took it, but I’m not sure where he put it. I’m sweaty and my head is swimming more now, but I feel good.
So fucking good.
No responsibilities, no worries, no stress. Nothing but me and the music and my inability to stop moving. A smile curves my mouth, and I close my eyes, grinding against the guy behind me. I don’t even know his name, but it doesn’t matter. Names create connections, and that’s not what I want.
I want something brief and fleeting.
The crowd cheers, and I cheer with them.
Eventually the guy I’m dancing with disappears, just like my glass, but I hardly notice. I’m too enraptured by the beat thrumming through my veins to care. Then someone else replaces him, their hands wandering over my stomach, inching toward my tits.
“You’ve sure got some moves, sweetheart,” he says in my ear.
I freeze, my stomach dropping through my ass at the nickname, and I whirl around.
Expecting to see Tobias, I’m surprised to find another stranger standing there.
He’s tall and broad, not nearly as cute as the first guy, wearing a red t-shirt and too much cologne.
He has a splash of blond hair and dark eyes.
“What’s the matter?” he asks, a drunk smile on his face. “I thought we were having fun?”
He grabs my ass and pulls me against him, my tits pressing hard against his chest, and panic spikes through me.
“Why don’t you turn around and grind that ass on this cock like you did my friend?” He leans closer, despite my attempts to push him away. The smell of liquor is strong on his breath.
“Let go of me,” I demand, trying to sound in control despite the alcohol in my system.
His hands dip lower, fingers teasing the end of my dress, brushing against my legs and my stomach turns.
“I said let go,” I say, shoving against his chest again. “I’m not interested, you creepy fuck.”
He chuckles, the sounds making my stomach sour. “That’s okay. A little fight just makes things more fun.”
Fear floods my system as his eyes darken, and I contemplate screaming. Will anyone hear me? Will anyone notice with all the whooping and hollering? I doubt it.
I blink and the man’s head rocks back suddenly, a hand wrapped around his throat. His hands slip away from me and I stagger backward, looking for the face of my savior, who currently has the man in a chokehold.
A black mask with horns hovers above his shoulder, and my jaw drops.
“Touch her again and I’ll decorate this dance floor with your entrails,” he growls above the music.
His hand visibly tightens around the man’s throat, who frantically tries to pry it away.
“Understand?” The amount of power in that last word has several people looking in his direction, and my stomach knots.
The guy doesn’t say anything, just tries to claw hopelessly at Tobias’ arm to get free.
“I said do you understand?” This time, his growled words have at least a dozen pairs of eyes whipping in our direction, and the stranger in his grip stills.
“Yes. I-I understand,” he chokes out, barely audible.
Tobias lets go and shoves the man away, watching him stumble several steps before wheeling around. His eyes bounce between me and the masked drummer before he mutters something like “fucking insane” and slithers off into the crowd.
When my gaze tracks back to Tobias, his golden irises are nearly glowing with rage. The power radiating off him seems to vibrate the air, and I flinch when he takes a step forward. Then another.
“Are you okay?” He looks me up and down, inspecting me. Looking for damage.
“I-I’m fine.” I’m more breathless than I expect, and when I press my hand to my chest, my heart is racing.
Okay, maybe I’m a little shaken up, but I’m fine.
He steps closer, eliminating the space between us, and stares down at me through the holes in his mask. My skin tingles beneath his gaze, but the longer I look at him, the less nervous I feel. Like my panic is being sucked out of me, evaporating into thin air.
My jaw hardens. “What are you doing?”
“Well, I was saving you from that fucking scum. Now, it’s up to you.”
“Fuck you.” I step backward, swallowing over the lump in my throat. “I don’t need you manipulating my energy, or whatever you’re doing.”
He grabs my wrist and pulls me closer, and my heart skips a nervous beat. He leans in, dropping his voice just low enough that only I can hear it.
“I’m not manipulating anything, sweetheart.” His eyes are dead serious.
For a long moment, our eyes remained locked, and reality sets in. It isn’t his magic calming me from the inside like a balm. It’s him. His presence. Whether I like it or not, Tobias is a safe place, and he’s not going to let anything happen to me. Despite our hatred, despite our differences.
He meant what he said. He’ll keep me safe.
My lips part but no words come out; my thoughts are still trying to catch up.
“Now, should I leave you alone again?” he asks, his eyes darting around the dancing crowd around us. “Because if anyone else touches you, I might actually snap their neck.”
Heat swallows me, and I’m mostly sure it’s the alcohol finally hitting my system.
I need another drink, especially to chase off the jitters I currently have, but I don’t want to move.
I don’t want to leave the dance floor. I could ask Tobias to go fetch me another one, but I don’t want him to leave either.
I just want to… stay.
“Do you want me to go?” He tilts his head to the side, waiting for an answer.
Yes, go away.
No, stay.
Fuck.
“Dance with me,” I blurt, immediately regretting it. Where the hell did that come from?
“I don’t dance,” he replies flatly.
“Okay, well I do. You stand there and look pretty,” I say, grabbing one of his hands. “I’ll dance.”
I don’t wait for an objection, I just spin around on the spot and press my ass against his pelvis. He tenses against me, but I guide his hand to my hip, hoping he’ll go with the flow. I don’t want to stop dancing, but I think I’m done with creepy fuckboys for the night.
Tobias is the only creep I’m willing to tolerate right now, and he isn’t really a creep. Just a fucking dick. A protective one.
I roll my hips back, grabbing his free hand and guiding it to my other hip. At least he doesn’t pull away. That’s something. But he doesn’t make an effort to move either; he just stands still, like a brick wall, while I move against him.
For a solid minute as the music pounds, I’m convinced this is a bad idea.
Tobias obviously doesn’t want to dance, and I’d have more fun by myself in a corner.
But then his fingers increase their pressure on my hips and he pulls me back against him.
He dips low, his mask brushing the side of my neck, making my eyes flutter.
“You’re walking a thin line, sweetheart,” he warns, that deep, gravelly voice rolling through me like an aphrodisiac. “Are you sure you want to tempt a beast?”
I shudder, my movements faltering as delicious heat spreads through my middle. My breath stutters as he moves my hips with his hands, rolling me against him.
Do I want to tempt a beast? Do I want to be his prey?
My pussy flutters at the thought, and I lean back into him, smiling when I feel the outline of his cock through his pants.
“You’re all bark and no bite, Toby,” I chuckle, knowing he can hear me.
His fingers dig into my hips harder, and I hiss through my teeth. “Famous last words.”