He moved to go behind me, his hands landing on my hips, moving with me to the music. His hands didn't stay there long before they were gone and I assumed he was coming back to face me, but then his hands were back on my hips.
Normally I didn't let some guy I didn't know feel me up, but there was a part of me who hoped Rush would see and hopefully be jealous.
As his hands moved slowly over my hips, a pulse of heat went through me. The way he touched me now was more confident and seductive. I felt a tingling sensation in my body and forgot to feel self-conscious about what I liked to call my Southern curves.
Girls were built differently around here, and I seemed to stick out because I had hips and a butt and boobs—real boobs. Olivia always claimed I had curves for days, that my body made me a Kim Kardashian lookalike. She meant it as a compliment, but that wasn't exactly what I wanted.
When his hands slid around to my stomach, pulling me up against his strong body, my breath hitched. Who was this guy? And where had he been? I hadn't felt things like this since . . . well, since the guy I so desperately was trying to forget about.
His arms were around me now, swaying us to the music, causing my eyes to close and my head to fall back against him in my heady state. Being this close to him now, I could smell the pleasant scent of his cologne, reminding me of . . . Rush.
No, no, no.
With the realization that Rush was now the guy holding me against him, my eyes flew open and I lifted my head, my body going rigid.
When had he snuck in? Andwhyhad he?
He leaned down next to my ear, his voice coming out smooth and sensual, "Dancing with you against my body is even better than I imagined."
Fury bubbled up inside of me—at him and at myself.
How could I have been so stupid?
Scrambling out of his grasp, I turned around to glare at him, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Getting way too turned on in the middle of a dance floor," he said, his eyes and voice full of desire.
Whoa, what? My brows creased in confusion at his remark.
"Oh, c'mon, Scarlet," he said. "You were enjoying dancing with me too."
I may have been, but I certainly wasn't going to admit it to him. My hormones were going to have to take a backseat, because I knew better than to get tangled up with Rush again.
"You're out of your ever-lovin' mind if you think that a couple of dance moves are going to get me to fall for your playboy ways again."
"Are you sure?" he asked with a cocky grin. "Your body seems to think differently."
What was his deal tonight? We hadn't spoken in over nine months, and the last thing I'd overheard him say about me was how kissing me had been a letdown and that he wanted to keep me a secret. Now he wanted to show the whole campus he was interested in me? That at one time something had happened between us? He hadn't wanted me before. Why did he want me now?
Then it dawned on me. This was all pretend. Just like the last time.
I took a breath to smooth out my expression.This is just a game, Scarlet, I reminded myself. He's trying to prove you wrong—that it would be impossible for him to have another chance with you.
I must have really gotten to him tonight with my comment at the press conference. He couldn't handle the thought of a girl not wanting him.
"Whatever game this is," I said, waving my hand between us, "it's not going to work. You can keep trying 'til the cows come home, but I meant it when I saidimpossible."
"I do love a challenge," he said, not backing down.
I let out a frustrated sigh. "There is no challenge. We're done."
He stepped closer to me and grabbed one of my hands lifting it to his mouth, and my traitorous hand didn't stop him. "We'll see about that," he said before placing a light kiss on the top of my hand. I felt it all the way down to my toes.
Oh, heaven help me.
* * *
I'd just gotten out of the shower when I heard the door to my dorm room close. Poking my head out of the bathroom, I saw Olivia taking off her shoes.
