He puts his hand between our bodies, cups me through my leggings, and then presses down with his heel on the top of my cleft.

My lashes flutter, and I can’t breathe, pulsing against him. My leg hitches around his thigh, rubbing like a cat.

More, more, my eyes say before I lean my head on his chest, wanting to hide, afraid he’ll see the power he has.

“Look at me.”

I raise my gaze.

His eyes are brilliant, bright and gleaming as he takes me in, molten with need. His expression is searching, as if he’s waiting for something, needing something from me.

“Is this mine?” His hand strokes down, rubbing my mound, but not enough—not nearly enough.

“Yes,” I moan.

“Thank fuck.” He slips his hand inside my leggings and past my panties, a lone finger inside me, dipping and exploring the folds, the already wet skin. My head falls back.

His cock strains out, bulging against his jeans as he applies that tortuous pressure with his palm, rotating against me then sliding back inside my panties, two fingers this time, taking the cream and massaging me. He circles me, playing, teasing. He tightens his arm around my waist when I feel like I might fall.

He never lets me look away, and I can’t anyway, caught up in the way he’s losing himself too. Sharp need etches his face, his jawline drawn with desire and lust and need.

Does he still think about us…

“All the fucking time.” I think he says, but it’s loud and I didn’t speak. Did I?

One song glides right into another as his fingers slide in and out.

My chest rises up and down. My hands tug on his nape, pulling up close until I can see the flecks of white in his ice-blue eyes.

Smoldering eyes land on my mouth, his breath warm and smelling of beer as he puts his forehead against mine. “Come while I’m watching you, baby.”

His tongue licks at my lips, just barely a touch as I go over the edge, my heart and body crashing into tingles and vibrations that shake my body. I close my eyes and pulse around his fingers, stars detonating behind my lids.

God. This, him, him. How I’ve missed his touch, craved it.

“Just like that,” he says, not letting up, and I move, riding him, getting every bit of that nirvana, every single ounce of that gaze on me.

He…he stares at me like I’m a girl he wants to worship.

Another song comes on as I come back to myself, woozy and warm and still turned on.

His breathing is labored, and my hand reaches out to palm him through his jeans, wanting him to receive what I did—

He eases us apart and holds me a few feet away as we stare at each other.

My hand cups his cheek, and I’m past reason when I nod my head toward the corner under the stairs, to the lower exit that will get us out of here.

He shakes his head, his lips parted as he pushes up on his mask until it sits on the top of his forehead, tangling with the longer hair there. Bright and glassy-eyed, he looks at me.

I’m frozen in place when he touches my mask and pushes it up off my face.

“Hey,” he says softly.

I can’t speak. He’s beautiful, so much that I ache.

“Didn’t fool you, did I?” I say.

“Knew the moment you walked in. Always do.” He touches my cheek and lets his hand fall. He sticks his hands in his jeans and looks away from me. “Was starting to think you…forgot what we had, Charm. It was always hot with us—was all I thought about for a long time.”

Was.

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re a dangerous girl.”

Then why did he even ask me to dance?

I shake my head at him, anger at myself rising up. Why did I put myself through this with him?

I can’t win.

He always wins.

He has me in the palm of his hand.

Because I still need him. I still want him. I still l—

Penelope is next to me, crooking her arm around my shoulders. Her eyes flare when she sees my mask is off. Her eyes dart from me to Blaze, and something on my face must tell her everything she needs to know. “Found you! Let’s get out of here, ’kay? Margo’s been found out and they already tossed her. They’re searching the party, and I have a feeling we’re next.”

I let her spin me around and lead me away from him.

14

She walks away, and I let her. My heart thuds as I watch her go up the staircase and out to the party upstairs. I picture her at the front door of the Theta house, looking over her shoulder to see if I followed.

I won’t though.

I could.

I could…

But my head spins as I imagine going up to her and spilling my guts—and then what?

No one has ever cared about me before, so why would she?

I can still smell her on me, and my cock is rock hard. In the middle of the crowd, I take a deep breath, willing my body to stay under control as I give myself a pep talk.

Snap out of this. You don’t want her. You fucking don’t. You don’t need her.

You is all you have.

Shouldering through the crowd on the dance floor, I make my way up the stairs. I never should have started talking to her, but as soon as she walked in with Margo and Penelope, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist pretending we didn’t know each other.

And her in my arms? It was three months ago all over again.

Her under my hands…her sweet body against mine…everything I want to forget.

Dani is waiting for me at the landing, leaning against the wall. Wearing a short black dress and shiny black boots, her legs are long and tan from the sunbed. Her blonde hair is messy and everywhere. Her mask has a little tear on the side, and she pushed it up, using it as a headband. I wonder if she was part of the inquisition that kicked Margo out.

She watches me with a smile and puts a hand on my chest. Long red nails trace the pattern on my sweater. I let her for a few seconds, waiting, wondering if maybe my dick will twitch. I close my eyes when she brushes her lips on my cheek.

“Blazey, I haven’t seen you in forever. You’ve been avoiding my texts.”

“I know. Been busy.”

“We’re all busy, I get it, but now I’m here and you are too.”

Her lips are on my neck, kissing me, and I ease her back, holding her there. She smells like alcohol and flowery perfume.

“No.”

Her mouth turns down, a brittle look in her eyes. “What is up with you?”

I guess she’s finally reached her limit. I’ve been wondering how long it would take.

Instead of answering her, I take her hand and lead her off into one of their formal rooms, a big library. It’s empty and we sit on a leather couch.

She crosses her legs, scoots in close, and gives me a smile. “This is what I’m talking about…me and you alone. It’s about freaking time.” She puts her hands on my shoulders and tilts her face up.

I study her, taking in the perfect face. We’ve never even kissed on the lips, and that is just stupid. I should have been all up in that. I should have been fucking her anytime I wanted. I should have taken her and Candi up on their offer last week.

I clasp my hands. “Dani, we’ve been hanging out as friends for a while now.”

She nods and plays with my hair. “I know. You’ve been a big tease.”

No, I haven’t. I never got too flirty with her or pretended that I wanted her to be anything other than a friend—yet we weren’t friends. Sure, I’ve let her hang on me, but I never encouraged it or took it where she wanted to go. That was all her. I also made sure she and I were never alone. We always had Dillon or other girls with us. I ease away. “I never led you on. You and me…it isn’t going to happen.”

She shakes her head, a confused look in her eyes as she stares at me. “Why not? You’re hot. I’m hot. We look good together.” She squints. “Are you gay? Because that would explain a lot. It’s cool—we can work with that. I’d do anything for you.”

My eyebrows hit the ceiling, and I huff out a laugh. “Not gay, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

She frowns. “Then it’s the draft. You’re keeping yourself wired for the Combine. I get it. Keeps you focused. Once you get drafted, we can screw like rabbits. I like waiting—builds anticipation.”

I exhale. Obviously she doesn’t know I wasn’t invited. “No.”

A hard, steely look grows on her face. “Then it’s that girl, the one with pink in her hair,” she mutters.

I stand up and pace at those words, ready to get out of this room, but I have to finish this. “You’re a beautiful girl, Dani. Some guy is going to be lucky to have you.” Actually, I’m not so sure about that. She’s got a hungry look about her, a girl searching for money and fame. I’ve always known it, and it just made things easier.

Her mouth opens. “But…but all my sisters think we’re hooking up.”

Because she took every opportunity to give that impression. I think back to all the IG posts she made about us, slanted to look as if we were together. I didn’t complain. I figured it…it would keep Charisma away from me.