Chapter 25
Derek
Pure. Fucking. Torture.
I had never been more uncomfortable, more on edge, more desperate to slam the doors closed and kick everyone to the kerb than I was in that moment. I’d ducked into a dark corner near the bar where I could just watch everything completely unnoticed. The problem was there was only one thing I could watch. Only one thing I could see.
A pixie with the most grabbable denim-clad ass I’d ever seen.
She danced with wild abandon. Her arms were above her head, causing her tight black top to rise, exposing a sliver of skin my fingers itched to touch. Her hips bounced along with the beat and I was almost certain that if you watched my head, it was bouncing in time with her every movement. When she threw her head back and laughed, she looked even more beautiful.
Dragging my eyes away, I scanned the club, relieved to see that everything was as it should be. It was a good thing. A very good thing. It meant I could focus on my stalking. For a few moments I watched, grinning like an idiot, and sipped my ice water, which should have been cooling my heated blood. It didn’t even make a dent. When a group of guys circled the girls, my hands clenched involuntarily.
“You all right?” Mick asked, interrupting my possessive glare.
“Yep.”
“You know those two?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re cute.”
“Yeah.”
“They single?”
I growled. I fucking growled. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t hold it in a second longer.
Dragging my eyes from the scene in front of me, I noticed Mick for the first time. The asshole was leaning back against the bar, a wet cloth in his hands and a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. Smug bastard knew exactly what he was doing.
“What time you finish tonight?”
“Closing.”
“You had a break?”
“Nah, don’t need one.”
“You sure? Pretty sure you look like you could do with a dance.”
Mick winked at me, then looked at Mia and Kenz. The guys who’d moved towards them were closing in, their grabby hands outstretched. I knew what he was up to. Mick was doing his best to avoid me going all bullshit caveman and causing a scene. He’d only seen it once and made me promise he’d never witness it again.
Gulping down the rest of my drink, I placed the glass on the edge of the bar and nodded in his direction before striding across the room, people parting like the Red Sea as I moved through them. When I made it to the girls, I shouldered one of the idiots out of my way and stepped directly behind Mia, my hands finding their place on her hips. She stilled beneath my grip, but the moment her eyes locked with mine, she relaxed and shuffled back until she was pressed tightly against me. Over her head, I saw the cheeky look Kenz shot us as I started moving in time with Mia.
I didn’t dance. I was shit at it. I had two left feet and no rhythm. Usually my partners left with bruised toes thanks to my extreme clumsiness. But for some reason, dancing with Mia was as easy as breathing. With her back pressed against my chest, we ground together to the beat. When I eventually looked up again, I noticed smugly that her group of admirers had evaporated.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom. You good here?” Kenz asked Mia.
Mia looked torn. She wanted to go with her friend but the indecision in her eyes made my chest puff out.
“I’ll-I’ll come,” she stuttered.
Mia went to move from my grasp and reluctantly I let go. My fingers felt lonely without her warmth. With fascination, I watched as Kenz cupped Mia’s face in her hands and whispered into her ear. Even this close, I couldn’t hear their exchange, but I did feel the moment she groped around behind her, her tiny hands touching my thigh until she found my hands and pulled me forward, not letting go until my arms were wrapped tightly back around her waist. Without hesitation I stepped back into her space and settled my hands on her stomach, dropping my chin on her shoulder. Breathing her in, she smelt like heaven. It was like peaches and cream. My mouth watered. I couldn’t stop myself from pressing my starving lips against her neck. I glanced up and caught the wink Kenz shot my way as she moved away.
It should have felt awkward, standing completely still in the middle of the dance floor, people wriggling and worming around us. It didn’t. For a few long moments we stood like that and I couldn’t recall a more perfect moment. Catching Mick’s eye over the bar, I knew I was running out of time. Surely my break was almost over. I didn’t want it to end. Truthfully, I didn’t want to let go of Mia. I nodded my acknowledgement. I’d give myself five more minutes, then I’d get back to work. I had no intention of leaving Mia alone. When Kenz got back and I knew they were okay, I’d go back. I wasn’t moving a muscle before then.
Turning in my arms, Mia looked up into my eyes. Everything else melted away. It was sappy and bullshit and all of the things that I’d made fun of others for, but I was completely fucked. This pixie had me by the short and curlys. I knew in that moment there was a conversation we needed to have. I wasn’t going to compete, and I sure as shit wasn’t going to share. Mia might not yet know it, but she was mine. There were no two ways about it. The only thing left to do was convince her.
