“Good,” I said, voice rougher than I intended. “Because I don’t want their attention. I want yours.”
Her breath caught — barely audible over the bass — but I heard it.
Dustin appeared, throwing an arm around my shoulder, breaking the moment in two. “Dante, you’re not hiding in the corner all night, this was your idea, man. Let’s go.”
“Sav—”
“Will be fine,” she said, holding up her bottle of water. “I’m not a total wallflower.”
I went because I had to. But every step away from her felt like something I was going to regret.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Dust asked me as he pulled along. “Bringing her here? Do you remember who she is?”
When I said nothing, Dustin’s grip tightened on my shoulder as he dragged me toward the kitchen. Music pounded through the walls, a mix of beer and sweat hanging thick in the air.
He leaned close so I could hear him. “Okay, man, seriously, what’s your play here?”
I kept my face blank, grabbing a soda off the counter instead of the beer he shoved my way. “She’s with me.”
“Yeah, I figured that much,” he shot back, eyes narrowing. “Butwhy?”
I cracked open the soda and took a long pull, buying myself seconds. Dustin wasn’t an idiot. He read people like defenses, saw the holes before they opened up.
“She needed a break,” I said finally, as casual as I could make it. “A place like this, nobody cares who she is. She gets to just... breathe.”
Dustin didn’t buy it, not entirely. He crossed his arms. “And what did we discuss yesterday?”
“Why do you think she’s here?” I met his stare, let the weight of it hang. “I want to see if she speaks to anyone,” I admitted, my voice dropping.
He huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “And if she talks to someone, what will that tell you? That she knows people?” he asked incredulously. “I mean...” He looked around the room. “Seriously, how does this make sense to you?”
My jaw ticked, but I didn’t rise to it. Instead, I glanced across the room and found Savannah. She was standing by the window, shoulders straight, chin lifted like she was daring anyone to underestimate her.
Had I made a mistake bringing her here?
If Dustin was right, she was maybe more trouble than even I could handle. I watched as Noah went up to her, dipping his head so she could hear him over the music, and Sav burst out laughing.
Jealousy, fast and mean, reared up in me. She never laughed like that with me. So open. So unguarded.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay where I was. Noah wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was just being Noah — finding someone else who stood out and was content to stand in the corner. But the sight of Sav laughing at whatever he said hit me like a body blow.
Her laughter wasn’t for me, and it pissed me off.
I told myself to play it cool. She wasn’t mine. Hell, she probablycouldn’tbe mine. But the part of me that had spent the last week watching her stubborn little frowns, listening to her sharp tongue, catching those flashes of softness she tried to hide — that part wasn’t listening. The part that remembered the taste of her mouth on mine was sure as hell not listening. Or the way her fingers had stroked over my cock.
I crushed the soda can slightly before I noticed. I wasn’t thinking about what she might know, or about keeping her safe,orabout keeping myself out of trouble. I was thinking about what she’d do if I crossed the room and pulled her back to me.
I’d crossed the room with quick strides. Noah caught sight of me first, straightened, and clapped me on the shoulder with his usual easy grin.
I didn’t even look at him. My focus was locked on Savannah, her smile still lingering as if she hadn’t noticed the shift in the air.
Sliding in beside her, I let my hand brush the small of her back, light enough that anyone watching would think it was nothing. But she stiffened like she’d felt the weight of it, and that was all I wanted.
“Sav,” I said, smooth as I could manage, “you look ready to ditch me. Thought you were supposed to be my plus-one tonight.”
Her eyes snapped to mine, sparks already dancing there. “Wow, is the great Dante Spencejealous?” She raised an eyebrow. “How will your ego survive the competition?”
Noah choked out a laugh, saw my glare, and muttered something about grabbing another drink before wandering off — smart man.
