Instinctively, I moved with her, my back to her front, laughing as Theo stepped in to dance with Aspen.
We were paired off, moving in a rhythm that didn’t need words.
Curious, I peeked toward the bar, hoping to catch Miles watching me the way Mac watched Penny—eyes smoldering, attention glued.
But he wasn’t watching.
He was on his phone, the glow from the screen highlighting his face.
Something in me deflated.
I looked away in quiet frustration and my eyes landed on him.
Logan.
He stood against the far wall, a beer bottle resting at his lips. His face was partially shadowed by the brim of his cowboy hat. The way his eyes were on me, still and focused, sent a jolt through my chest.
My stomach twisted with something unfamiliar.
Not nerves or discomfort.
Something warmer. Something that curled low in my belly.
I turned away before I could name it.
If Miles wasn’t going to look at me, fine. I’d make sure he regretted every second of it.
I didn’t want lust. I wanted to feel desired. Wanted. Seen.
Penny spun me again, and I wrapped my arms around her, our laughter echoing as we danced face to face now, lost in the music.
“Are you trying to get his attention?” Penny asked, her voice soft, eyes filled with concern as they flicked to Miles and back.
“He’s not even looking at me,” I muttered through clenched teeth.
“Don’t worry about him,” she said with a shrug and a smile. “Have fun with us. Men are dumb.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Nodding, I broke away and rejoined the group, letting the beat carry me back into the joy I’d felt moments before.
Falling into a sultry rhythm, I raised my hands into the air, swaying my head to the music. I dipped low, squatting down and bouncing to the beat, letting the music pulse through my limbs.
Out of nowhere, a large hand clamped down on my bicep, yanking me upright with a force that stole my breath.
Pain shot through my arm as the grip tightened.
Miles spun me roughly, dragging me against his chest. His eyes were wild, darkened with fury—so much like the look he’d given me the night I pushed him away.
My body went cold.
Panic bloomed in my chest as he dug his fingers deeper into my skin.
For a brief moment, I looked to my right and saw Aspen paused mid-dance, mouth hanging open. Penny’s brown hair was a blur as she headed toward the guys.
“We’re leaving,” he growled, voice low and biting.
He looked at me like I was something to be controlled. Like I belonged to him.
