The song changes with a guitar riff that has Beck bouncing in front of me. He whips around and flashes me a flushed grin before gathering my hands in his and bringing them to his neck. A laugh explodes from my throat as I dance with him, struggling to keep up with his excited movements in my heels.
“That’s better!” he shouts, dipping his head just enough that I can hear him better. “You should be having fun!”
“I am.”
He rolls his eyes and brings one of my hands up, forcing me to twirl. My cheeks burn from the smile the move pulls from me. “Like this, Elle!”
“You’re a terrible dancer,” I tease, already anticipating the next spin.
When I twirl toward him this time, he tucks me into his chest and brings his mouth to my ear. His whisper startles me enough that I stop swaying, going still with the heat from his body slamming hard into mine.
“Giggle for me, sweetheart. He’s been watching from the moment I turned around.”
One look to my left is all it takes to confirm his statement, because sitting alone four rows from where I’m standing, Roman Shore is watching.
And suddenly, I know every word he told me earlier was a bald-faced lie.
11
ROMAN
I’m not jealous.
Why on earth would I be?
It’s not like Brielle is my type. Nor is she even a viable option for me if she were.
Whatever it is that’s got me so twisted up inside needs to shrivel up and die. I can’t afford the distraction this season. Playing around with Wesley’s little sister is the worst decision I could possibly make. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m not bitter as hell about it. The way I’m gripping my thighs tight enough to bruise just to keep myself from taking these stairs and tugging her free of Beckett’s hands is just as frustrating.
Brielle is an incredible dancer, even if she’s only swaying and bobbing to the music. There’s a natural fluidity to her that has kept my attention for the duration of the concert. I haven’t been able to look away without finding my eyes wrenched right back to her a moment later.
There’s something about her that’s got me in knots, too curious to back down when I should.
It’s her confidence, maybe. Or the fearlessness that sparks in her eyes every single time I tell her something she doesn’t want to hear. Clearly, she isn’t used to taking orders, and that onlyintrigues me more. I can’t help but wonder if the girl she is on camera is the same version of her that I’m witnessing right now, or if it’s just an expansion of herself, tucked away until she wants to expose it.
Does she wear this mask anytime she’s around others, or are the coy smiles and fuck-me eyes that I can’t seem to avoid or ignore genuine?
Her head turns my way, and I swallow, my jaw tight. She’s still got that flirty little grin on her face and her fingers laced through Beckett’s as they move together to the horrendous rock beat, but those teasing green eyes remain on me.
Watching. Digging too deep into places inside my mind that are off limits to her and everyone else here.
I tongue my cheek and arch a brow. Her smile grows, stretching so wide it pisses me off. It’s the look of victory, and that’s not going to work for me. Not when she’s done nothing but aggravate me all night.
Her lashes are dark and thick as they slowly lower and then lift. The tip of her pink tongue darts out and drags a line across her bottom lip. I lean forward, my hands gliding down to my spread knees.
Beck dips his head and brings his mouth to the tip of her ear before she’s tucking her lip between her teeth and bringing their hands to rest at the base of his neck. Her heels give her a few inches of much-needed height for this move, but it’s still not enough. She’s not tiny, but she’s small enough that she’d need more of a lift than that to reach my height.
There’s a moment of stillness that settles over me when she closes the already small gap between them and rubs her chest against his. The sparkling halter top rises high on her stomach, exposing the bare curve of her waist that Beckett’s hand is creeping toward and causing my fingers to curl?—
Buzzing in my pocket distracts me before I can do something I’ll regret.
I drop my gaze and straighten to pull my phone free of my pants. Evie’s name on the screen pulls me from any other thought but her.
With a finger in my ear, I hop out of my chair and up the stairs. “Evie?”
“Hi, Uncle. I’msosorry to interrupt your night. God, you never go out and do anything fun, and here I am, calling you the one time you do!”
“What’s wrong?”
