I shook my head. “Oh, no. If I have to go by whatever you call me, the same rules apply to you, too, my friend.”
“Fine,” he agreed, obviously annoyed.
We walked back over, and I took the empty seat at the table.
“Sorry about that. Anyway, my name is Gwen, but everyone calls me Crash.” It made my stomach churn to even say that stupid nickname he gave me, but then I reached for his hand and pulled him over.
“And this is my friend…” I narrowed my eyes on him as he studied me, silently warning me to give him a name he could work with. “Maverick,” fell from my mouth without much thought.
He smirked and rolled his eyes as he shook his head, but he didn’t argue because it was already out there.
“Nice to meet you both. Are you from around here?”
“Just passing through,” Oliver said.
“We go to school not far from here. I know it doesn’t look like it, but this place is usually full of college students. Best prices in town,” Sophie said.
“You break,” Travis said to Oliver as he walked away from the pool table.
Oliver placed his beer beside mine, and he walked away to play his game of pool.
For the next couple of hours, we hung out with everyone, throwing back drink after drink. Oliver played several games of pool with Travis; they went back and forth on who won, and I even got up and danced with the guys about the time I started seeing double. When one song ended, another began, and it was so much fun to dance that I didn’t care who was watching me. At the same time, I did care who was watching me because I liked the way I felt when Oliver’s eyes would lock with mine from across the bar.
He didn’t know me, not really, but he was still watching, protecting me like we’d known one another all our lives. I saw his green eyes darken when they fell down my body, roaming over my breasts and down my hips that were moving from side to side with the beat of the music. I saw the way his jaw flexed and how he’d wet his lips before swallowing his desire, causing his Adam’s apple to bob in his throat. Watching him watch me made my blood boil with need, and I found myself burning up. I started to leave the floor, and the girls noticed, rushing off with me.
The bar had gotten more crowded as the night went on, and the chairs we left around the table had been taken. Instead of plopping down in the chair they had before, they just fell onto the lap of whatever guy they were dating. I wasn’t dating anyone, though, so I hovered awkwardly, looking around the bar for an empty chair to steal.
The guys were in some conversation about basketball, so I didn’t think that Oliver even noticed how badly I was swaying. That was until he reached out and grabbed my wrist, tugging me over to him. Once I was close enough, his hand moved to my hip, and he pulled me down onto his lap.
I turned my head so my mouth was at his ear. “What are you doing?”
“Just go with it,” he replied, immediately jumping back into his conversation with the guys.
I hadn’t even noticed that a couple of the girls had left the group until they were back, carrying a tray full of shots.
“Shots for everyone!” Tiffany exclaimed.
I wasn’t planning on taking another nasty shot, but the glass was put into my hand. The liquid wasn’t gold, but pink and orange with a swirl of cream-colored liquor. Shrugging, I threw it back and swallowed with a smile when the liquid didn’t burn. It was sweet, tasting fruity and creamy at the same time.
“That was so good!” I said, probably with a little too much excitement. I turned to Oliver and wrapped one arm around his neck. “Why didn’t you order this instead of that nasty stuff?” I nearly fell off his lap, but he tightened his hold on my hip and steadied me.
“I think we should probably get going. It’s getting late.”
“What? No! I’m just starting to have fun.” I jumped up and headed for the dance floor, and all the girls followed me. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the way he was glaring at me from across the bar, but I quickly forgot about the dirty looks once I started having fun, dancing with the girls.
Every once in a while, I’d look over my shoulder to find him. At first, he looked mad, like he wasn’t happy that I wasn’t listening when he said it was time to go, but then he started to relax. I watched him talk with the guys, have another drink, and laugh as he enjoyed himself.
One of the last times I glanced in his direction, I was surprised to see that he had turned his chair so he could face me. He was no longer engaging with the guys around him. He was sitting back and taking sip after sip of his beer as he watched my every move. His attention made me burn from the inside out.
I grinned and motioned for him to come and dance with me. At first, I didn’t think he was going to because he didn’t move a muscle, but then after a second, he looked like he had talked himself into it. He stood, put his empty bottle on the table, and started toward me.
He stepped up behind me, and I smiled at him from over my shoulder. I reached out and took his hands, placing them on my hips as I moved them from side to side. He moved with me, perfectly in sync without even trying. He pressed his hard cock against me, and it was like I’d been struck by lightning. My stomach tightened, and my whole body burned with need. I closed my eyes and enjoyed every second of having him pressed against me.
As we danced, our bodies moving together, he let his head fall forward. Goosebumps pickled my skin when he ran the tip of his nose up my neck to my ear. His hot breath caressed my skin, causing a shiver to race up my spine. I spun around to face him and wrapped my arms around his neck. My eyes found his, and I instantly noticed how dark they'd become.
Before I could speak, he did.
“I think it's time to go.”
