“I want to put my arm around your back. Can I?”
“Yeah.”
I feel a zap shoot throughout my body as his finger brushes over the skin above the waistband of my skirt. I swallow hard as he in the most torturous way, drags his fingers across the small of my back until his palm finds the other side of my waist. He holds a firm grip on it, fingers gently but securely holding me.
Our bodies are pressed against each other, and there’s no space left between us.
Breathe. “Are you not going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” I hear the smug smile in his voice.
I roll my eyes. “Unless what?”
“Desperate?” His fingers dig into my skin, searing me.
“Insufferable and cocky,” I grunt, doing my best not to let the shudder that’s built up expel from my body. “You’re really starting to get on my nerves.”
“Was I not already?” He lets go of my wrist and snakes the other behind my back.
I clamp my mouth shut. This should be the moment I bolt, but I don’t. And it has nothing to do with the physical hold he has on me, but the weird mental hold my brain has on him. I feel linked to him and it’s fucking with my mind.
“I say stupid shit when I’m drunk. You’re not missing out,” he says after a beat.
“Just when you’re drunk? Tell me something I don’t know,” I quip.
Daniel looks down at me, a self-assured look on his face. “Dance with me, Josie,” he demands before he’s spinning me around, my back flushed against his chest, his large hands splayed in front of my stomach.
My heart slams against my rib cage at the sudden movement, but my body burns when I meet the girls’ stares. Pen smiles at me but grimaces at her brother. Vi is giving me a thumbs-up and thisfuck himlook.
That’s not going to happen, but I swear whoever’s in charge of the music must be really horny because they’re all the kind of songs you grind and shake your ass to.
I’m going along to the beat of music, relishing the feel of Daniel’s calloused hand grazing my stomach, his hot breath next to my ear, and occasionalstupidwords that leave his mouth. Though they’re far from that, and now I’m burning up and it has nothing to do with the way we’re dancing or how crowded it is.
“I need a drink,” I announce, separating myself from him, and the moment I do, something feels off, but I try not to dwell on it. I don’t wait or watch to see if he follows me. I’m off before I can put thought into the weird feeling.
I search for a clean cup in the kitchen, but I can’t find any, but then Daniel hands me a cold-water bottle.
“Thanks.” I take it and uncap it, chugging almost half of it. A stray drop glides down my chin and clings to my jaw, almost falling, but he catches it with his thumb.
“Sorry.” He rubs his thumb and pointer finger together, smearing the liquid between his fingers. “I should’ve asked.”
“It’s okay.” I tuck my hair behind my ear and hate that I’ve picked up on that nervous habit again. “I think I’m going to go home now.”
“Let me take you home.”
“I came with Pen and Vi.”
“They get nicknames, but I don’t?” he asks jokingly.
“They kind of insisted.” I nonchalantly shrug.
“So did I,” he counters. “Do I need to beg on my knees to make it happen?”
The corners of my lips uncontrollably twitch and his eyes track the flicker before it’s gone. That makes his smile widen and my heart flutter.
I take another sip, not sure how to respond to that.
“I can make it happen. Just say the word or snap your finger. That works too.”
