Reaching across the table, I give her hand a quick squeeze. “Everything’s going to be just fine. Let me know if you want me?—”
Ellis cuts me off. “Us.”
I smile and shake my head. “Let me know if you wantusto come over early and help set up.”
Nora lays her hand over her heart. “I’d love that, thank you.”
“And I’d love to dance.” Ellis skims fingers along my jaw, drawing my focus to him. “What do you say, Princess?”
“Lead the way,Sunshine.” I stand from my stool and slidemy hand into his.
“Pretty sure I liked it better when you called himJackass,”Atlas grunts, buthis wordsdon’thold the same anger they did earlier. Now, he just soundsmildlydisgruntled.
“We’ve been over this—no one cares what you think,”I call over my shoulder as Ellis guides me to the dance floor.
He finds us a spot in the center and pulls me in close,plastering his front to my back.The manmoves out here the same way he does in bed, withprecision, grace,and purpose.It’shonestly unreal how smooth he is, not thatI’mcomplaining.
“I don't think I'll ever get tired of how good you feel against me,”he says as wemove in perfect harmony, our hipsrocking in time with thedeep,pounding base.
“It's definitely… unexpected.”
He twirls me around to face him, wedging his thigh between mine and pulling me in close. “Is it really, though?” His voice is low as he runs his hands down my sides, settling them on my hips. “I mean, let's be real. We've always had explosive chemistry.”
“True…” I hedge, too distractedby the way hismuscular thigh is pressing the seam of my jeans directly against my clit. “It was just misplaced.”
He laughs under his breath, and I swear I feel it all the way down to my toes. Ellis is effortlessly sexy. “That's one way to say it, Princess.” He drags his lips up my neck, nipping at my jaw beforedrawing away.
“That's my story,” I say, whimpering at the loss of his mouth on me. “And I'm sticking to it.”
“Bet I could get you to change your tune.”He leans back in,hovering just close enough to tease me.
He probably could, too, but there’s no way I’m giving in that easy. “You could try.”
“Fuck, Princess, don’t tempt me.”
I snake a hand between us, wrapping it around his denim-covered erection. “What if I want to tempt you?”
Helets out a rough exhale, that I swear I feel all the way down to my pulsing core. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Scarlet.”
I pop up onto my toes, dragging my lips over his as I say, “I’m not scared.”
He pivots, looping his fingers through my beltloops, all but dragging me behind him like a man possessed as he bobs and weaves around other patrons.
“Where are we going?” I stumble to keep pace with him.
“Somewhere private.” Hewalks faster,a man on a mission.
“What about dinner?” I ask as understanding dawns.He’sabout to fuck me in The Creek’s bathroom.
“Fuck dinner,” he clips out. “I’d rather eat you.”
Except before we can step off the dance floor, the noise of the crowded bar drops away.
Ellis turns back to me and mouths something, but Ican’tmake it out over the ringing in my ears.My eyes ping around the bar, discreetlychecking every darkened corner, as I try to makesensewrongnesssuddenly blanketing me.
“Scarlet,” Ellis shouts,jolting me back into the here and now. “What’sgoing on? Wedon’thave to?—”
“I think someone's watching me.”
